 Media Credit: Colleen O'Connor BC's hopes at earning a first-ever bid to the Orange bowl were crushed on Saturday in the ACC title game at the hands of Virginia Tech.
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Matt Ryan stood alone at the 37-yard line after throwing his final pass of the game, the clock ticking down on the ACC Championship. Like his final pass five weeks before, which had improbably fallen into the hands of Andre Callender to give Boston College a 14-10 win over Virginia Tech, the final pass of his ACC career ended in a touchdown.
Unfortunately, the receiver was a linebacker.
Xavier Adibi's 40-yard scamper into the end zone made sure this game ended quite differently than the first match-up between BC and the Hokies, ending any hope BC had of its first-ever BCS bowl berth.
After the crushing loss, Gosder Cherilus had to lift a sulking L.V. Whitworth off the BC bench. Senior All-ACC cornerback Dejuan Tribble could only frown as he walked off the field in sweats and a T-shirt, unable to play in this or any of his team's final three games. And Ryan walked off last, after the cameras and reporters had their fill, his tongue squarely in cheek as he held back whatever emotions he felt while jogging off his final ACC field.
"It's not how we planned it or hoped it," said safety Jamie Silva, who forced two turnovers, returning one for BC's first touchdown.
The loss brought the seniors, particularly Ryan, full circle. It was three years and a week ago that Ryan got his first chance to win a conference championship, this one a Big East title with only a regular season win against lowly Syracuse standing in BC's way. With Ryan making his first start as a redshirt freshman for the injured Paul Peterson, things did not go well for the Eagles, who suffered a 43-17 shellacking that cost them their first BCS bowl berth.
"It feels like it was yesterday. It's unbelievable to think [my career] is coming to an end," Ryan said. "It's rough today, and it was rough then. Anytime you don't get the job done when there's a lot on the line, it's frustrating."
The game today was different, and the outcome nearly was as well. With the Virginia Tech sideline perhaps getting an uncomfortable case of deja vu, Ryan marched BC down to the Virginia Tech 19-yard line on six straight passes after Sean Glennon connected with Eddie Royal on a 24-yard pass to put Tech up 23-16 with seven minutes to play.
2008 Woodie Awards
