 Clarence Megwa celebrates shortly after BC beat Clemson, 20-17 on Saturday night to earn a spot in the ACC championship game.
| |
CLEMSON, S.C.-The Boston College Eagles punched their ticket to the ACC title game with a 20-17 victory over the Clemson Tigers. The Eagles trailed for much of the game, but another gutsy effort by senior QB Matt Ryan and a huge sack by sophomore cornerback Roderick Rollins helped propel the Eagles to their ninth victory of the season.
"I told them at breakfast [Saturday] morning, 'It's a glass ceiling for a reason. You can break through it, and it's your turn to do it,'" said BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinski.
Ryan had another solid game, completing 31 of his 47 passes for 315 yards, one touchdown and only one interception. Ryan's one touchdown pass was a huge one, giving the Eagles a 20-17 lead on a 43-yard cross field pass to a wide open Rich Gunnell.
"It was just hanging up there and everything went silent," Gunnell said. "I was thinking, 'Just catch the ball, just catch the ball, just catch the ball.' It was up there for a while, but I looked it [in] and made the catch."
The outcome of the game was held in check until the Clemson kicker Mark Bucholz's 53-yard field goal attempt fell a few yards short in the end zone and the BC players and coaches began to celebrate. They have checked off one of their pre-season goals, to make the ACC title game, although they realize there is still work to be done.
"And we're not going for cake and ice cream," said senior linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who was back in uniform after missing the Maryland game. "We're going there to win it."
Clemson took the lead out of the gate, following a BC punt, driving 68 yards down the field in 13 plays that was dapped off by a James Davis 1-yard plunge into the end zone. Junior quarterback Cullen Harper completed all four of his passes on the drive for 36 yards, including a 22-yard dart to Rendrick Taylor on a third down and four from midfield.
BC put together an impressive drive of their own in response, but it stalled at the Clemson 22-yard line after Ryan's fourth down pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Courtney Vincent.
2008 Woodie Awards
