2008 ACC Championship Game
Encyclopedia
The 2008 ACC Championship Game was a college football
game between the Virginia Tech Hokies
and the Boston College Eagles
. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2008 college football season
for the Atlantic Coast Conference
. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference
football championship, 30–12.
The Virginia Tech Hokies were selected to represent the Coastal Division by virtue of a tie-breaking head-to-head victory against division rival Georgia Tech
and came into the game with an 8–4 record (5–3 in ACC play). Representing the Atlantic Division was Boston College, which had a 9–3 record (5–3 ACC). The two teams were the victors of a closely contested season in the ACC. Neither team clinched a spot in the game until the final week before the championship, and both had to rely on conference tie-breaking rules to earn a spot. The game was a rematch of the previous year's contest
, which Virginia Tech won, 30–16.
The game was held at Raymond James Stadium
in Tampa, Florida
on December 6, 2008. Tampa had been chosen after poor attendance at the game's previous spot (Jacksonville, Florida
) led conference officials to move the game. The 2008 championship was the first to be played in Tampa, and the game will return to Tampa in 2009. The 2010 and 2011 championship games are scheduled to be played in Charlotte
, North Carolina
.
The game began slowly, as both teams punt
ed after their opening possessions failed to gain a first down. Later in the quarter, Virginia Tech took a 7–0 lead with a five-yard touchdown
run by Tech quarterback
Tyrod Taylor
. The Hokies never relinquished the lead after that point. Tech extended its lead to 14–0 in the second quarter, but Boston College managed to narrow Tech's lead to 14–7 by halftime. In the second half, Virginia Tech scored 17 points to the Eagles' five, and the Hokies won the game. In recognition of his game-winning performance, Taylor was named the game's most valuable player
.
matches the winners of the Coastal and Atlantic divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference
. In the first decade of the 21st century, the league underwent an expansion to add three former Big East members: Miami
and Virginia Tech
in 2004, and Boston College
in 2005. With the addition of a twelfth team, the ACC was allowed to hold a conference championship game under National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) rules.
The inaugural 2005 game featured a Florida State
win over Virginia Tech
, 27–22. In 2006, two different teams made their first appearances in the game, which was held in Jacksonville, Florida
. Wake Forest
defeated Georgia Tech
, 9–6. In 2007, one team new to the championship game and championship-game veteran featured in the contest as Virginia Tech
faced off against Boston College. The game resulted in a 30–16 Virginia Tech victory.
Before the 2007 game, cities other than Jacksonville (site of the 2007 ACC Championship Game) presented their plans to be the site of the 2008 ACC Championship Game. After poor attendance in the ACC Championship Game at Jacksonville for the second straight year, ACC officials and representatives of the conference's member schools elected not to extend the Gator Bowl Association's contract to host the game for another year. On December 12, less than two weeks after Jacksonville had hosted the 2007 ACC Championship Game, the ACC announced that Tampa, Florida
would host the game in 2008 and 2009 and Charlotte, North Carolina
would host the game in 2010 and 2011.
The cities were chosen based on bids presented to the ACC and its member schools. Each city requested and was granted a two-year contract, locking the ACC into the locations well in advance. Tampa was chosen as the site of the 2008 game because Charlotte was scheduled to hold the annual convention
of the Association for Career and Technical Education
at the same time as the game, and adequate hotel space would not be ready in time for the two events. Because of this, Charlotte's two-year span of hosting the game was pushed back to 2010.
, the annual poll by media members who cover ACC football predicted Clemson
to win the Atlantic Division and Virginia Tech to win the Coastal Division. Clemson received 59 of a possible 65 first-place votes in its division, while Virginia Tech received 58.
From the first game of the season, however, those preseason predictions were cast into doubt. Virginia Tech lost its season opener to lightly regarded East Carolina
, while Clemson lost to Alabama
. Though neither loss factored into either team's conference standings, it reflected the early stages of a conference schedule that was regarded as crazy, wacky, "a mess", and "confusing" by members of the media and college football fans. So closely matched were the 12 teams of the conference that as late as the second-to-last week of the regular season, nine teams were still in the running for a place in the championship game. Heading into the final week of the regular season, four teams were still in position to potentially participate in the game: Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech from the Coastal Division, and Boston College and Florida State from the Atlantic Division. In that final week, Virginia Tech clinched the Coastal Division co-championship with a 17–14 win over Virginia, while Boston College became co-champions of the Atlantic Division with a 28–21 win against Maryland.
having gone 11–3 during the 2007 season
, ending that season with a loss to Virginia Tech in the 2007 ACC Championship Game
and a 24–21 victory over Michigan State in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl
. In the annual preseason poll of media covering the ACC, Boston College was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division.
The Eagles opened the season by traveling to Kent State
, whom the Eagles defeated, 21–0. The Eagles' home opener during the second game of the season also was their first conference game of the year. Against Georgia Tech
, the Eagles eked out a 9–7 halftime lead, but fell behind in the second half, eventually losing, 19–16, on a Georgia Tech touchdown that came with 8:26 remaining in the game. Despite the loss, the Eagles recovered quickly, beating Central Florida
, 34–7, two weeks after the Georgia Tech game. The victory was the first in an eventual four-game win streak that culminated with a 28–23 defeat of then-No. 17 Virginia Tech.
The win over Virginia Tech gave the Eagles a 2–1 conference record, and they appeared to be destined for a bid to the ACC Championship Game. But Boston College lost its next two games, both against conference opponents, dropping its record to 2–3. Despite the losses, Boston College still had a chance to win the Atlantic Division—but only if other teams lost as well. This happened on November 6, when fellow Atlantic Division team Maryland
lost to Virginia Tech, and the Eagles recovered from their losing streak with an out-of-conference win against Notre Dame
.
Notre Dame was the last out-of-conference opponent on Boston College's schedule, as the Eagles finished the season with three consecutive ACC games. The first of these was against Florida State
which led the Atlantic Division at the time, but had had five players suspended the day before the game. The Eagles secured a victory, 27–17. The second of Boston College's final opponents was Wake Forest, which had played in the 2006 ACC Championship Game. While Boston College won, 24–21, starting quarterback Chris Crane
suffered a season-ending injury, leaving backup Dominique Davis
in charge of the Eagles' offense. Boston College's final game of the regular season was against Maryland and a victory against the Terrapins would push the Eagles to a tie with Florida State atop the Atlantic Division. Since Boston College had won the head-to-head game against Florida State, according to the ACC's tie-breaking rules, the Eagles would win the division. A 28–21 victory over Maryland brought Boston College to a 5–3 ACC record, giving it a co-division championship with Florida State and a trip to the ACC Championship Game.
in the 2008 Orange Bowl
. Despite winning the ACC for the second time in less than four years, Virginia Tech was anticipated to spend 2008 rebuilding a team that saw 12 starters graduate or enter the NFL Draft
. Though picked in a preseason poll to win the Coastal Division, the Hokies were defeated in their season opener by underdog
East Carolina.
Following that loss, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer
announced that backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor
, who had previously been expected to sit out the season on redshirt
status, would play in the Hokies' second game, against Furman. Both Taylor and starting quarterback Sean Glennon
performed well against the Paladins, and Tech won, 24–7. Tech's third game came against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who were employing a new offensive system, the option offense
, under first-year head coach Paul Johnson
. Unlike the game against Furman, Taylor started the game and remained at quarterback throughout, guiding the Hokies to their first ACC victory of the season, a 20–17 win that later gave Tech a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker against the Yellow Jackets, fellow members of the Coastal Division. The Hokies' fourth game of the season came against the North Carolina Tar Heels
, who were defeated by the same margin of victory as Tech's win against Georgia Tech, 20–17.
The twin conference victories were followed by two out-of-conference wins: at Big 12 opponent Nebraska
and against independent Western Kentucky
. At the end of the four-game winning streak, the Hokies had a 4–1 record, 2–0 in conference, and were ranked No. 17 in the country. On October 18, however, the Hokies lost to unranked Boston College in Boston, 28–23. The game was a rematch of the previous year's ACC Championship Game and was a preview of the 2008 Championship Game matchup. The loss was the start of a four-game skid for the Hokies that saw Tech lose three of four games, only managing a victory against Maryland, 23–13. The final game of that four-game drop was a 16–13 loss to Coastal Division rival Miami
, which then held a crucial tiebreaking win over the Hokies in the event of any head-to-head tie.
During the last two games of the regular season, the Hokies managed two victories: a 14–3 win against last-place ACC team Duke, and a 17–14 triumph over traditional rival Virginia. Miami, meanwhile, lost its final two games of the season: against Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. These losses dropped Miami to a 4–4 record in the ACC, one game behind the Hokies, who were tied with Georgia Tech at 5–3 following the end of the regular season. By virtue of the Hokies' head-to-head win against the Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech earned a spot in the ACC Championship Game.
, and No. 22 in the Coaches' Poll, rose to No. 17 in the BCS, No. 18 in the AP Poll, and No. 20 in the Coaches' Poll. Virginia Tech, which had been unranked during the final week of the regular season, remained in the "Also Receiving Votes" category outside the top 25, except in the BCS Poll, where the Hokies rose to No. 25. Spread bettors
predicted an even game. Various betting organizations favored Boston College either by a single point or none. This close spread was due in small part to the teams' familiarity with each other. The championship game marked the fourth time in 14 months that the two teams played each other, and this fact was prominently mentioned in media coverage before the game's kickoff.
Almost immediately after the selection of Virginia Tech and Boston College, concerns about potential attendance at the 2008 ACC Championship Game arose. Because the same matchup resulted in such low attendance at the 2007 championship game in Jacksonville, it was doubted that Tampa, which is several hundred miles further south and more distant from the two schools, could attract as many spectators as the previous season's game. Adding to the problem of selling tickets was the 2008 economic crisis, which many fans cited as a reason for not purchasing tickets. By the Wednesday before the game, Virginia Tech had sold just 3,000 of the 10,000 tickets it was required by contract to sell. There also were questions about how many local fans would attend. To mitigate the problems seen in Jacksonville the year before, ticket prices were lowered from $65 to $25, and it was hoped that the lower capacity of Tampa's Raymond James Stadium compared with Jacksonville Municipal Stadium would allow for a quicker sellout. The campaign to attract more fans was moderately successful, as 30,000 of the 43,000 tickets not assigned to either school were sold by December 1, five days before the game. Team ticket sales were abysmal, however, as Virginia Tech and Boston College combined to sell just 5,000 tickets of the 20,000 allotted to the two teams.
Cliff Ramsey, who was named a first-team All-ACC selection, signifying his status as the best player at his position in the conference. Tight end Ryan Purvis
was named a second-team All-ACC selection. Quarterback Dominique Davis
led the Eagles' offense on the field heading into the ACC Championship. Davis had been the second-string quarterback until a season-ending injury to starter Chris Crane. During his limited time in the regular season, Davis had three passing and two rushing touchdowns.
. The Hokies gained just 301 yards of offense on average during the regular season. Despite the meager statistical performance, Tech did have some standout players. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor
, who had been expected to sit out the season in reserve, finished the year as the team's starter. Running back Darren Evans
was named a second-team All-ACC selection, as was guard Sergio Render. Taylor's favorite passing targets were wide receivers Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin. Coale entered the ACC Championship Game having caught 32 catches for 352 yards, while Boykin grabbed 27 passes for 407 yards.
Mark Herzlich
, who was selected as the ACC's defensive player of the year for the 2008 season. Herzlich led the Eagles in tackles with 98—fifth among all Division I players—and interceptions, with 6. He was forecast to be a key player during the ACC Championship Game. Defensive tackle B. J. Raji
recorded 33 tackles (11 for loss) and a team-high 7 sacks, part of a defense that allowed an average of just 87.3 rushing yards per game.
, who was named a first-team All-ACC selection on defense. Heading into the ACC Championship, Harris had 6 interceptions—2 returned for touchdowns—and 42 tackles. Harris also played on offense, catching 8 passes for 63 yards. Another defensive star for the Hokies was Orion Martin, a former walk-on who was third in the ACC in sacks with 7.5 and earned second-team ACC honors.
The 2008 ACC Championship Game kicked off
on December 6, 2008 at 1 p.m. EST
at Raymond James Stadium
in Tampa
, Florida
. At kickoff, the weather was partly cloudy with 59 percent humidity and a temperature of 72 °F (22.2 °C). The wind was from the south-southwest at 10 miles per hour (16.1 km/h). The official reported attendance was 53,927, but this number came from the number of tickets sold. The actual attendance in the stadium—measured by admittance turnstiles—was 27,360, the lowest ever recorded for an ACC football championship game. Ticket demand was so low that tickets were being given away for free outside the stadium before kickoff. The game was televised in the United States by the American Broadcasting Company
, and Brad Nessler
, Bob Griese
, Paul Maguire
, and Todd Harris
were the announcers. Approximately 3.3 million people watched the game, earning the broadcast a Nielsen rating
of 2.9. The rating was the lowest ever recorded for an ACC Championship football game and represented a 41% decline from the previous year's rating of 4.2.
to determine first possession and elected to kick off to begin the game, ensuring that the Eagles would receive the ball to begin the second half. Virginia Tech kick returner Dyrell Roberts fielded the ball at the Tech six-yard line and returned it to the Tech 33-yard line before the first play of the game, a four-yard pass
from quarterback
Tyrod Taylor to wide receiver
Danny Coale. Despite that initial gain, the Hokies were unable to advance the ball further and punted after going three and out
. Boston College's Rich Gunnell fair caught
the kick at the Eagles' 16-yard line, where the Boston College offense ran its first play of the game. Running back
Montel Harris ran for a one-yard gain, but Boston College was unable to gain the needed ten yards for a first down, just as Virginia Tech had failed to do in the prior series. After going three and out, the Eagles punted back to Virginia Tech and the Hokies' offense returned to the field at the Tech 39-yard line with 11:30 remaining in the first quarter.
The first play of the drive was an incomplete pass by Taylor, but the Hokies earned the initial first down of the game two plays later when Taylor completed a 14-yard throw to Roberts, advancing the ball to the 41-yard line of Boston College in the process. After a five-yard penalty against the Hokies, Taylor completed two consecutive passes: one to Evans for a 12-yard gain and the other to Roberts for a 10-yard gain. Now at the 24-yard line of Boston College, Virginia Tech's offense began running the ball instead of passing it. Evans rushed
for five yards, then second-string running back Josh Oglesby ran for seven more on the next two plays. The first of Oglesby's rushes resulted in a first down inside the Eagles' red zone, and Tech continued to advance the ball on the ground as Evans ran another five yards. Facing third down at the Boston College five-yard line, Virginia Tech called a timeout to formulate its next offensive play. That play was a five-yard rush by Taylor, who crossed the goal line for the game's first score, a Virginia Tech touchdown
. The subsequent extra point
kick was successful, and the Hokies took a 7–0 lead with 6:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was fielded at the Boston College 13-yard line by the Eagles' Harris, who returned it to the Boston College 28-yard line, and the Eagles' offense began its second drive of the game. Eagles quarterback Dominique Davis completed his first pass of the game, a 19-yard catch by Brandon Robinson, who advanced the ball to the Boston College 47-yard line for a first down. Davis then scrambled
for a four-yard gain, and Harris ran for nine yards on the next two plays, gaining the Eagles' second first down of the game. Once inside the Virginia Tech 40-yard line, however, the Hokies' defense stiffened. Davis was able to gain six yards on two running plays, but after an incomplete pass, the Eagles were forced to punt for the second time in the first quarter. The kick sailed into the end zone for a touchback
, and Virginia Tech's offense began work at its 20-yard line. The Hokies' third drive of the quarter mirrored its first, however, as Virginia Tech went three and out and punted after failing to gain a first down. The Eagles recovered the ball with 1:32 remaining in the quarter and committed a five-yard false start penalty to begin their possession. On the first play after the penalty, Davis was sacked
for a loss of two yards. Harris regained the lost yardage and more with a six-yard run, but after Davis threw an incomplete pass on third down, the Eagles were forced to punt again. Before they could kick the ball, however, the quarter came to an end. With three quarters remaining in the game, Virginia Tech held a 7–0 lead.
. Facing third down and needing four yards, Taylor passed for a first down to Boykin, who advanced the ball to the Boston College 39-yard line. On the next play, Evans broke free for a 30-yard gain, giving the Hokies a first down at the Eagles' nine-yard line. Three plays later, Taylor ran four yards for the Hokies' second touchdown of the game. The extra point was good, and Tech expanded its lead to 14–0 with 11:08 remaining in the first half.
Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Boston College 20-yard line, and the Eagles began their first full possession of the second quarter. Davis lost a yard on a running play, then was sacked for an eight-yard loss. Facing third down and needing 19 yards for a first down, Harris gained five yards and the Eagles punted after going three and out
. The kick was returned to the Eagles' 36-yard line, and Tech began a possession deep in Boston College territory. The first Tech play lost two yards, but the Hokies regained the lost yardage on the next play, picking up four yards with a pass from Taylor to Evans. Taylor scrambled on third down, gaining eight yards and a first down. The Hokies attempted a short run, then Taylor gained another first down with a pass to the BC 14-yard line. Once there, however, Tech committed a 10-yard holding penalty, pushing the Hokies backwards. After the penalty, Taylor was tackled for a loss of seven more yards. Facing a second down and 27 yards, Taylor attempted to pass for the first down, but the ball was batted into the air and intercepted by a Boston College defender.
Following the turnover, the Eagles' offense began work at their 46-yard line. Davis completed a five-yard pass to Robinson, advancing into Tech territory. An incomplete pass followed, but Davis was able to gain the first down with a pass to Rich Gunnell at the 39-yard line. On the first pass after the first down, Davis and Gunnell connected on a deep pass, but Gunnell fumbled and the ball was recovered in the end zone by a Virginia Tech defender. The play resulted in a touchback
, and Virginia Tech took over on offense at its 20-yard line. Following the turnover, Tech went three and out, punting back to Boston College with 2:11 remaining before halftime.
The kick was fair caught at the 34-yard line of Boston College. On the first play after the kick, Davis connected with Harris on a pass play that resulted in a 51-yard gain for the Eagles. At the Tech 15-yard line following the big gain, the Eagles lost one yard on a rushing play before Davis passed to Gunnell for a 16-yard gain and a touchdown. The extra point was good, and with 1:29 remaining in the first half, Virginia Tech's lead was cut to 14–7.
The Eagles' post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Tech 33-yard line, and on the first play after the kick, Boston College committed a personal foul penalty when Tyrod Taylor was hit out of bounds. Following the penalty, the ball was advanced to the Tech 42-yard line and the Hokies were given a first down. Tech completed two short passes, advancing to the 50-yard line, but the Hokies punted after not gaining another first down. The kick sailed out of bounds, and the Eagles returned to offense with 19 seconds remaining in the first half. Rather than try to score quickly, Boston College elected to run out the clock
with Virginia Tech leading, 14–7.
Because Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the game, Boston College received the ball to begin the second half. Virginia Tech's kickoff was returned to the Eagles' 35-yard line, and Boston College's offense began the first possession of the second half. An incomplete pass by Davis was followed by a short rush and another incomplete pass, and the Eagles were forced to punt after going three and out. The kick went out of bounds at Virginia Tech's 32-yard line, and the Hokies' offense had their first possession of the second half. Tech likewise went three and out, then returned the ball to the Eagles with a punt. The kick went out of bounds, and following the exchange, Boston College's offense started from its 31-yard line.
The first Eagles' play after the Tech punt was a 22-yard pass from Davis to Gunnell for a first down at the Tech 47-yard line. Following the long gain, the Eagles were unable to gain another first down, and punted back to the Hokies. The kick was fair caught at the Tech 16-yard line with 11:08 remaining in the third quarter, and the Virginia Tech offense returned to the field. Tech advanced the ball on three consecutive plays: a six-yard pass to Evans, a short rush by Evans, then a first down pass to Roberts. Following the first down, Evans ran for another first down, advancing the Hokies to their 44-yard line. Two Tech plays were stopped for little or no gain, but on third and nine, Taylor scrambled for an 18-yard gain and a first down at the Boston College 37-yard line. Evans gained six yards on first down, but the Hokies were unable to gain the next four yards. Instead of punting, Tech head coach Frank Beamer sent kicker Jared Keys into the game to attempt a field goal. Keys' 50-yard kick sailed through the uprights, and Tech extended its lead to 17–7 with 6:07 remaining in the quarter.
Tech's post-score kickoff was returned to the Eagles' 30-yard line. Davis started the drive with an incomplete pass, then Harris gained seven yards with a rush up the middle. A third-down pass fell incomplete, and Boston College punted. The kick was fair caught at the Tech 30-yard line, and with 5:01 left in the quarter, the Hokies returned to offense. On the first play, Taylor ran 11 yards for a first down. Taylor threw an incomplete pass, and the Hokies were penalized 10 yards for holding, pushing them back to the 31-yard line. Tech was unable to regain the lost yardage, and punted. The kick was 57 yards, and Boston College was further backed up by a penalty during the return. Following the kick, Boston College's offense was forced back to its seven-yard line to start. An incomplete pass was followed by a scramble by Davis. During the run, Davis fumbled the ball, which was recovered by a Boston College player. Facing third down, Davis scrambled again, this time for a first down to the 21-yard line. On the first play after the first down scramble, a deep pass downfield by Davis was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Stephan Virgil. The interception was returned to the Boston College 10-yard line, and on the first play by Tech's offense, Evans ran the ten yards for a touchdown. The extra point was good, and with 1:17 remaining, the Hokies extended their lead to 24–7.
Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was downed in the end zone for a touchback, and the Eagles began on offense at their 20-yard line. Three consecutive incomplete passes later, Boston College punted, ending their sixth three and out of the game. Following the kick, Tech started at its 27-yard line. On first down, the Hokies ran an end-around for five yards, then the quarter came to an end. With one quarter remaining, Virginia Tech led, 24–7.
The post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Tech 20-yard line, and the Hokies began an offensive drive hoping to run down the clock and preserve their two-touchdown lead. Because the game clock continues to run on rushing plays, the Hokies executed five consecutive rushing plays, picking up a first down in the process. The Hokies were unable to gain a second first down, however, and Tech punted from its 40-yard line. The kick rolled out of bounds at the Eagles' 28-yard line with 9:28 remaining in the game, and Boston College took over on offense. On the first play after the punt, however, Tech defender Jason Worilds
tackled Davis, forcing a fumble, which bounced into the hands of fellow defender Orion Martin, who ran it 17 yards for a defensive touchdown. The extra point bounced off an upright, however, and was no good. Still, with just 9:05 remaining in the game, Tech took a commanding 30–10 lead.
The Hokies' kickoff after the defensive score was caught at the goal line and returned to the 28-yard line by Boston College's Chris Fox. Following the return, Davis completed a seven-yard pass to the 35-yard line, then picked up a first down to the 42-yard line with another pass. Davis then scrambled three yards and threw for another first down, this time to tight end Lars Anderson. Now at the Tech 46-yard line, Davis threw three incomplete passes before throwing another on fourth down. With 6:39 remaining in the game, Boston College turned the ball over on downs to the Virginia Tech offense. The Hokies again began to run out the clock. Evans ran the ball three consecutive times, but on the third rush, Evans fumbled for the second time in the game. The fumble was recovered by Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich and Boston College's offense returned to the field.
From the Tech 32-yard line, Davis threw an incomplete pass then connected on a 21-yard pass to Jarvis for a first down. After an incomplete pass, Davis threw another pass to Jarvis, who caught it at the four-yard line. Facing third down, Davis attempted another pass. The ball was tipped into the air and caught by Virginia Tech defender Brent Warren. The Hokies resumed running down the clock with short rushes by Evans, who advanced the ball to the 13-yard line with 3:05 remaining in the game. Boston College used its allotted second-half timeouts to stop the clock and preserve time for a late scoring drive. In a strategic move, Tech coach Frank Beamer ordered an intentional safety rather than attempt a punt from the Tech end zone. Any such kick has the potential to be blocked for a defensive touchdown. Thus, an intentional safety gives the defense two points while denying them the slight chance to score seven. The score cut Virginia Tech's lead to 30–12 with 3:05 remaining, but the limited time remaining meant Tech's lead would be sufficient to win the game without a series of unlikely events.
The free kick following the intentional safety was returned to near midfield, and Davis passed for a first down. Following the second down, Davis was sacked for a loss, but then scrambled for a first down to the Tech 25-yard line. From there, however, Boston College's offense began to struggle. During the four plays that followed, the Eagles were able to gain just one yard and turned the ball over on downs again. The final Boston College play was a sack of Davis, and Virginia Tech proceeded to run out the clock by kneeling on the ball after taking the field on offense.
. Taylor finished the game having completed 11 of his 19 pass attempts for 84 yards and one interception. He also ran the ball 11 times for 30 yards and two touchdowns. On the opposite side of the ball, Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis was the game's leading passer, having completed 17 of his 43 pass attempts for 263 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Davis also carried the ball 14 times for 12 yards on the ground. Davis' 51-yard pass to Harris in the second quarter set an ACC Championship Game record for the longest play recorded to that point.
Boston College wide receiver Rich Gunnell was the game's leading receiver, having been the primary beneficiary of Davis' prolific passing. Gunnell finished the game having caught seven passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. Virginia Tech wide receiver Dyrell Roberts was the game's second-leading receiver. He caught four passes for 44 yards. Tech's second-most proficient receiver was running back Darren Evans, who caught three passes for 22 yards. Evans was the game's leading rusher, having carried the ball 31 times for 114 yards and a touchdown. On the opposite side, Boston College running back Montel Harris led the Eagles on the ground with nine carries for 34 yards.
Defensively, Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich led all players with nine tackles. Of the nine stops, one and a half were for negative yardage. The leading Virginia Tech defender was Cody Grimm, who had eight tackles, two and a half of which were for losses. One and a half of the tackles for loss were quarterback sacks, and Grimm also forced a fumble and broke up one Boston College pass. In total, the Hokies' defense intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles. The Eagles' defense likewise caused three turnovers, recovering two fumbles and intercepting one pass. Boston College sacked Taylor twice, while Virginia Tech's defense reached Davis five times.
Virginia Tech's win in the ACC Championship Game brought it to a 9–4 record, while Boston College's loss brought it also to a 9–4 record. Both teams' standings in the national polls were affected by the game. In the BCS poll, the Eagles fell from 17th to 24th, while Virginia Tech rose from 25th to 19th. In the AP Poll, Tech rose to 21st, while Boston College fell out of the poll entirely, appearing in the "also receiving votes" category at 27th. With the win, Virginia Tech was awarded the ACC's automatic Bowl Championship Series bid to the 2009 Orange Bowl
. Boston College, meanwhile, was selected to play in the 2008 Music City Bowl
. The pick by the Music City Bowl represented a drop in prestige for Boston College. Had the Eagles won the championship game, they would have earned an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl and a payout of $17.5 million. Instead, the Music City Bowl, which offered a payout of $1.7 million, was contractually obliged to select the Eagles after Boston College was not selected by any of the three more prestigious bowl games with ACC ties.
The Music City Bowl took place on December 31, and in a contest against Southeastern Conference
opponent Vanderbilt
, Boston College lost, 16–13. The loss ended a streak of eight consecutive bowl game wins for Boston College. In the Orange Bowl, Virginia Tech emerged victorious against Big East Conference
champion Cincinnati
, 20–7. The win was Tech's first BCS bowl game win since 1995, and was the first ACC BCS game win since 2000.
's New York Jets
. In an unusual move, Boston College athletic director Gene DeFillippo announced that if Jagodzinski went ahead with an interview, he would be fired as head coach of the Boston College football team. DeFillippo previously stated that a five-year contract with Jagodzinski, signed in 2007, was contingent on the coach staying "for the long term". Jagodzinski proceeded with the interview and was fired by DeFillippo on January 7.
To replace Jagodzinski, DeFillippo promoted Boston College defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani
, who previously served as the Boston College head coach on an interim basis in 2006. Boston College offensive coordinator Steve Logan, who was unhappy with the staff changes on the football team, resigned shortly after Spaziani's promotion. To replace Logan, Spaziani hired former Navy
head coach Gary Tranquill
as Boston College's new offensive coordinator. One week after Logan's announcement, the Eagles' offensive line coach, Jack Bicknell, Jr.
, also announced that he was leaving the team. On January 27, special teams and tight ends coach Don Yanowsky announced his resignation from the Eagles, making him the fourth coach to be fired or resign from the Boston College football team after the season.
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The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
for the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
football championship, 30–12.
The Virginia Tech Hokies were selected to represent the Coastal Division by virtue of a tie-breaking head-to-head victory against division rival Georgia Tech
2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's coach is former Navy Midshipmen and Georgia Southern Eagles coach Paul Johnson...
and came into the game with an 8–4 record (5–3 in ACC play). Representing the Atlantic Division was Boston College, which had a 9–3 record (5–3 ACC). The two teams were the victors of a closely contested season in the ACC. Neither team clinched a spot in the game until the final week before the championship, and both had to rely on conference tie-breaking rules to earn a spot. The game was a rematch of the previous year's contest
2007 ACC Championship Game
The 2007 Dr. Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game featured the Boston College Eagles and the Virginia Tech Hokies in a regular-season college football game that determined the conference's champion for the 2007 season. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College 30–16 to win the ACC...
, which Virginia Tech won, 30–16.
The game was held at Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
on December 6, 2008. Tampa had been chosen after poor attendance at the game's previous spot (Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
) led conference officials to move the game. The 2008 championship was the first to be played in Tampa, and the game will return to Tampa in 2009. The 2010 and 2011 championship games are scheduled to be played in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The game began slowly, as both teams punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
ed after their opening possessions failed to gain a first down. Later in the quarter, Virginia Tech took a 7–0 lead with a five-yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
run by Tech quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team from the start of the 2008 college football season until the 2011 Orange Bowl, the final game of the 2010 college...
. The Hokies never relinquished the lead after that point. Tech extended its lead to 14–0 in the second quarter, but Boston College managed to narrow Tech's lead to 14–7 by halftime. In the second half, Virginia Tech scored 17 points to the Eagles' five, and the Hokies won the game. In recognition of his game-winning performance, Taylor was named the game's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Selection process
The ACC Championship GameACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
matches the winners of the Coastal and Atlantic divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. In the first decade of the 21st century, the league underwent an expansion to add three former Big East members: Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
and Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
in 2004, and Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
in 2005. With the addition of a twelfth team, the ACC was allowed to hold a conference championship game under National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) rules.
The inaugural 2005 game featured a Florida State
2005 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2005 Florida State Seminoles football team won the 2005 ACC Championship Game over the Virginia Tech Hokies by a score of 27-22. With the victory, they were a selection to go to the 2006 Orange Bowl as the ACC representative in the BCS.-Schedule:...
win over Virginia Tech
2005 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2005 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season...
, 27–22. In 2006, two different teams made their first appearances in the game, which was held in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. Wake Forest
2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2006 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Jim Grobe, in his fifth season at the school, and played its home games at Groves Stadium...
defeated Georgia Tech
2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
, 9–6. In 2007, one team new to the championship game and championship-game veteran featured in the contest as Virginia Tech
2007 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2007 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
faced off against Boston College. The game resulted in a 30–16 Virginia Tech victory.
Site selection
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
would host the game in 2008 and 2009 and Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
would host the game in 2010 and 2011.
The cities were chosen based on bids presented to the ACC and its member schools. Each city requested and was granted a two-year contract, locking the ACC into the locations well in advance. Tampa was chosen as the site of the 2008 game because Charlotte was scheduled to hold the annual convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
of the Association for Career and Technical Education
Association for Career and Technical Education
The Association for Career and Technical Education is the professional association of CTE educators . It is a nonprofit membership association based in the United States. Its members are primarily educators and administrators of career and technical education , which is sometimes known as...
at the same time as the game, and adequate hotel space would not be ready in time for the two events. Because of this, Charlotte's two-year span of hosting the game was pushed back to 2010.
Team selection
Before the beginning of the 2008 college football season2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
, the annual poll by media members who cover ACC football predicted Clemson
2008 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2008 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2008 college football season. The Tigers were led by oft-maligned head coach Tommy Bowden, who resigned six games into his tenth season. The interim head coach was assistant coach Dabo Swinney...
to win the Atlantic Division and Virginia Tech to win the Coastal Division. Clemson received 59 of a possible 65 first-place votes in its division, while Virginia Tech received 58.
From the first game of the season, however, those preseason predictions were cast into doubt. Virginia Tech lost its season opener to lightly regarded East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
, while Clemson lost to Alabama
2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 17th within the SEC Western Division...
. Though neither loss factored into either team's conference standings, it reflected the early stages of a conference schedule that was regarded as crazy, wacky, "a mess", and "confusing" by members of the media and college football fans. So closely matched were the 12 teams of the conference that as late as the second-to-last week of the regular season, nine teams were still in the running for a place in the championship game. Heading into the final week of the regular season, four teams were still in position to potentially participate in the game: Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech from the Coastal Division, and Boston College and Florida State from the Atlantic Division. In that final week, Virginia Tech clinched the Coastal Division co-championship with a 17–14 win over Virginia, while Boston College became co-champions of the Atlantic Division with a 28–21 win against Maryland.
Boston College
The Boston College Eagles entered the 2008 college football season2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
having gone 11–3 during the 2007 season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
, ending that season with a loss to Virginia Tech in the 2007 ACC Championship Game
2007 ACC Championship Game
The 2007 Dr. Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game featured the Boston College Eagles and the Virginia Tech Hokies in a regular-season college football game that determined the conference's champion for the 2007 season. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College 30–16 to win the ACC...
and a 24–21 victory over Michigan State in the 2007 Champs Sports Bowl
2007 Champs Sports Bowl
The 2007 Champs Sports Bowl was the 18th edition of the college football bowl game. It was part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, and was played on December 28, 2007 at the Citrus Bowl stadium in Orlando, Florida....
. In the annual preseason poll of media covering the ACC, Boston College was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division.
The Eagles opened the season by traveling to Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes football
The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision...
, whom the Eagles defeated, 21–0. The Eagles' home opener during the second game of the season also was their first conference game of the year. Against Georgia Tech
2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's coach is former Navy Midshipmen and Georgia Southern Eagles coach Paul Johnson...
, the Eagles eked out a 9–7 halftime lead, but fell behind in the second half, eventually losing, 19–16, on a Georgia Tech touchdown that came with 8:26 remaining in the game. Despite the loss, the Eagles recovered quickly, beating Central Florida
2008 UCF Knights football team
The 2008 UCF Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his fifth season with the team. For the second season, the UCF Knights played all of their home games at Bright House Networks...
, 34–7, two weeks after the Georgia Tech game. The victory was the first in an eventual four-game win streak that culminated with a 28–23 defeat of then-No. 17 Virginia Tech.
The win over Virginia Tech gave the Eagles a 2–1 conference record, and they appeared to be destined for a bid to the ACC Championship Game. But Boston College lost its next two games, both against conference opponents, dropping its record to 2–3. Despite the losses, Boston College still had a chance to win the Atlantic Division—but only if other teams lost as well. This happened on November 6, when fellow Atlantic Division team Maryland
2008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
lost to Virginia Tech, and the Eagles recovered from their losing streak with an out-of-conference win against Notre Dame
2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach is Charlie Weis. The Irish play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana...
.
Notre Dame was the last out-of-conference opponent on Boston College's schedule, as the Eagles finished the season with three consecutive ACC games. The first of these was against Florida State
2008 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2008 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Florida State's 17th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The previous...
which led the Atlantic Division at the time, but had had five players suspended the day before the game. The Eagles secured a victory, 27–17. The second of Boston College's final opponents was Wake Forest, which had played in the 2006 ACC Championship Game. While Boston College won, 24–21, starting quarterback Chris Crane
Chris Crane
Christopher T. Crane is an American football quarterback who plays for the Milwaukee Iron of the AFL. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Boston College.-Early years:Crane was a four-year starter for the Trinity Shamrocks...
suffered a season-ending injury, leaving backup Dominique Davis
Dominique Davis
Dominique D. Davis is a quarterback for East Carolina University. He played for the Boston College Eagles for two seasons before transferring to Fort Scott Community College after an academic suspension. Davis was the back-up quarterback for senior Chris Crane and took over after Crane suffered a...
in charge of the Eagles' offense. Boston College's final game of the regular season was against Maryland and a victory against the Terrapins would push the Eagles to a tie with Florida State atop the Atlantic Division. Since Boston College had won the head-to-head game against Florida State, according to the ACC's tie-breaking rules, the Eagles would win the division. A 28–21 victory over Maryland brought Boston College to a 5–3 ACC record, giving it a co-division championship with Florida State and a trip to the ACC Championship Game.
Virginia Tech
The Virginia Tech Hokies entered the 2008 season having won the 2007 ACC Championship Game, finishing with a 11–3 overall record that included a postseason loss to the Kansas Jayhawks2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2007 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football season of 2007-2008...
in the 2008 Orange Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
The 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks on January 3, 2008, at Dolphins Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by three points, but in a game dominated by defensive and...
. Despite winning the ACC for the second time in less than four years, Virginia Tech was anticipated to spend 2008 rebuilding a team that saw 12 starters graduate or enter the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. Though picked in a preseason poll to win the Coastal Division, the Hokies were defeated in their season opener by underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
East Carolina.
Following that loss, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer
Frank Beamer is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer served as the head coach at Murray State University...
announced that backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team from the start of the 2008 college football season until the 2011 Orange Bowl, the final game of the 2010 college...
, who had previously been expected to sit out the season on redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
status, would play in the Hokies' second game, against Furman. Both Taylor and starting quarterback Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
performed well against the Paladins, and Tech won, 24–7. Tech's third game came against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who were employing a new offensive system, the option offense
Flexbone formation
The flexbone formation is an offensive formation in American football that uses a quarterback, five offensive linemen, three running backs, and varying numbers of tight ends and wide receivers. The flexbone formation is a predominant running formation derived from the wishbone formation and it...
, under first-year head coach Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson (American football coach)
Paul Johnson is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since the 2008 season. Previously, Johnson served as the head coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001 and at the United States Naval Academy...
. Unlike the game against Furman, Taylor started the game and remained at quarterback throughout, guiding the Hokies to their first ACC victory of the season, a 20–17 win that later gave Tech a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker against the Yellow Jackets, fellow members of the Coastal Division. The Hokies' fourth game of the season came against the North Carolina Tar Heels
2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
The 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team began their season on August 30 against McNeese State at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The team originally went 4–4 in conference play and 8–5 overall, but in 2011, North Carolina vacated all its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons.-Recruiting:The Tar...
, who were defeated by the same margin of victory as Tech's win against Georgia Tech, 20–17.
The twin conference victories were followed by two out-of-conference wins: at Big 12 opponent Nebraska
2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 2008 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bo Pelini and played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska....
and against independent Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
. At the end of the four-game winning streak, the Hokies had a 4–1 record, 2–0 in conference, and were ranked No. 17 in the country. On October 18, however, the Hokies lost to unranked Boston College in Boston, 28–23. The game was a rematch of the previous year's ACC Championship Game and was a preview of the 2008 Championship Game matchup. The loss was the start of a four-game skid for the Hokies that saw Tech lose three of four games, only managing a victory against Maryland, 23–13. The final game of that four-game drop was a 16–13 loss to Coastal Division rival Miami
2008 Miami Hurricanes football team
-Roster changes:University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips and defensive end Calais Campbell made the decision to forgo their senior years and declare for the NFL Draft. Phillips was drafted in the first round, No. 31 overall by the New York Giants. Campbell was drafted in the second round, No. 50...
, which then held a crucial tiebreaking win over the Hokies in the event of any head-to-head tie.
During the last two games of the regular season, the Hokies managed two victories: a 14–3 win against last-place ACC team Duke, and a 17–14 triumph over traditional rival Virginia. Miami, meanwhile, lost its final two games of the season: against Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. These losses dropped Miami to a 4–4 record in the ACC, one game behind the Hokies, who were tied with Georgia Tech at 5–3 following the end of the regular season. By virtue of the Hokies' head-to-head win against the Yellow Jackets, Virginia Tech earned a spot in the ACC Championship Game.
Pre-game buildup
Following the last week of the regular season, both teams moved up in the national college football polls. Boston College, which had been ranked No. 21 in the BCS Poll, No. 20 in the AP PollAP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, and No. 22 in the Coaches' Poll, rose to No. 17 in the BCS, No. 18 in the AP Poll, and No. 20 in the Coaches' Poll. Virginia Tech, which had been unranked during the final week of the regular season, remained in the "Also Receiving Votes" category outside the top 25, except in the BCS Poll, where the Hokies rose to No. 25. Spread bettors
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
predicted an even game. Various betting organizations favored Boston College either by a single point or none. This close spread was due in small part to the teams' familiarity with each other. The championship game marked the fourth time in 14 months that the two teams played each other, and this fact was prominently mentioned in media coverage before the game's kickoff.
Attendance concerns
Boston College offense
The Boston College offense, which gained 319 yards per game on average, was ranked 94th (of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams) in total offense. A key component of the offense was guardGuard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
Cliff Ramsey, who was named a first-team All-ACC selection, signifying his status as the best player at his position in the conference. Tight end Ryan Purvis
Ryan Purvis
Ryan J. Purvis is an American football tight end who is currently a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
was named a second-team All-ACC selection. Quarterback Dominique Davis
Dominique Davis
Dominique D. Davis is a quarterback for East Carolina University. He played for the Boston College Eagles for two seasons before transferring to Fort Scott Community College after an academic suspension. Davis was the back-up quarterback for senior Chris Crane and took over after Crane suffered a...
led the Eagles' offense on the field heading into the ACC Championship. Davis had been the second-string quarterback until a season-ending injury to starter Chris Crane. During his limited time in the regular season, Davis had three passing and two rushing touchdowns.
Virginia Tech offense
Virginia Tech's offense was criticized for a lack of production during the regular season and was ranked 103rd in total offenseTotal offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
. The Hokies gained just 301 yards of offense on average during the regular season. Despite the meager statistical performance, Tech did have some standout players. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Taylor is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was the starting quarterback for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team from the start of the 2008 college football season until the 2011 Orange Bowl, the final game of the 2010 college...
, who had been expected to sit out the season in reserve, finished the year as the team's starter. Running back Darren Evans
Darren Evans
Darren Evans is an American football running back who is currently on the Indianapolis Colts active roster. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Virginia Tech....
was named a second-team All-ACC selection, as was guard Sergio Render. Taylor's favorite passing targets were wide receivers Danny Coale and Jarrett Boykin. Coale entered the ACC Championship Game having caught 32 catches for 352 yards, while Boykin grabbed 27 passes for 407 yards.
Boston College defense
The Eagles' defense was ranked eighth in the nation in terms of total defense, allowing an average of 277 yards per game. The Eagles led the country in interceptions, recording 25 during the course of the regular season. The Eagles also were ranked among the top 10 in run defense, pass-efficiency defense, and No. 14 in scoring defense. That strong defensive effort was led by linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Mark Herzlich
Mark Herzlich
Sandon Mark Herzlich, Jr. is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
, who was selected as the ACC's defensive player of the year for the 2008 season. Herzlich led the Eagles in tackles with 98—fifth among all Division I players—and interceptions, with 6. He was forecast to be a key player during the ACC Championship Game. Defensive tackle B. J. Raji
B. J. Raji
-Green Bay Packers:Raji was selected ninth overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was worked into defensive coordinator Dom Capers' brand new 3-4 scheme during the start of the Packers 2009 season, and was regarded as a defensive corner. Raji held out during the 2009 training...
recorded 33 tackles (11 for loss) and a team-high 7 sacks, part of a defense that allowed an average of just 87.3 rushing yards per game.
Virginia Tech defense
The Hokies' defense was ranked sixth in Division I-A during the regular season, permitting 275 yards per game on average. That defensive performance was led by cornerback Victor "Macho" HarrisMacho Harris
Victor "Macho" Harris, jr is an American football free agent safety of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, who was named a first-team All-ACC selection on defense. Heading into the ACC Championship, Harris had 6 interceptions—2 returned for touchdowns—and 42 tackles. Harris also played on offense, catching 8 passes for 63 yards. Another defensive star for the Hokies was Orion Martin, a former walk-on who was third in the ACC in sacks with 7.5 and earned second-team ACC honors.
Game summary
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
on December 6, 2008 at 1 p.m. EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
at Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. At kickoff, the weather was partly cloudy with 59 percent humidity and a temperature of 72 °F (22.2 °C). The wind was from the south-southwest at 10 miles per hour (16.1 km/h). The official reported attendance was 53,927, but this number came from the number of tickets sold. The actual attendance in the stadium—measured by admittance turnstiles—was 27,360, the lowest ever recorded for an ACC football championship game. Ticket demand was so low that tickets were being given away for free outside the stadium before kickoff. The game was televised in the United States by the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and Brad Nessler
Brad Nessler
Bradley "Brad" Nessler is an American sportscaster, who currently calls college basketball and college football games for ESPN with occasional appearances on ESPN on ABC. He will also call Thursday Night Football on NFL Network beginning in 2011, and appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports'...
, Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
, Paul Maguire
Paul Maguire
Paul Leo Maguire is a former American football player and current television sportscaster.-Early sports career:Maguire attended Ursuline High School in Youngstown,Ohio and was recruited to play at The Citadel by the late Al Davis who was then an assistant coach and chief recruiter...
, and Todd Harris
Todd Harris
Todd Harris is a play-by-play announcer for ESPNU college football coverage and Ultimate Fighting Championship airing on Versus.Prior to those duties, he was the lead play-by-play announcer for ABC and ESPN's coverage of the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series...
were the announcers. Approximately 3.3 million people watched the game, earning the broadcast a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 2.9. The rating was the lowest ever recorded for an ACC Championship football game and represented a 41% decline from the previous year's rating of 4.2.
First quarter
Boston College won the ceremonial pre-game coin tossCoin flipping
Coin flipping or coin tossing or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties...
to determine first possession and elected to kick off to begin the game, ensuring that the Eagles would receive the ball to begin the second half. Virginia Tech kick returner Dyrell Roberts fielded the ball at the Tech six-yard line and returned it to the Tech 33-yard line before the first play of the game, a four-yard pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
from quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Tyrod Taylor to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Danny Coale. Despite that initial gain, the Hokies were unable to advance the ball further and punted after going three and out
Three and Out
Three And Out is a 2008 British comedy film directed by Jonathan Gershfield. It premiered in London on the 21 April 2008 and was released in the UK and Ireland on 25 April 2008.-Plot:...
. Boston College's Rich Gunnell fair caught
Fair catch
A fair catch is a feature of American football and several other codes of football, in which a player attempting to catch a ball kicked by the opposing team – either on a kickoff or punt – is entitled to catch the ball without interference from any member of the kicking team...
the kick at the Eagles' 16-yard line, where the Boston College offense ran its first play of the game. Running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Montel Harris ran for a one-yard gain, but Boston College was unable to gain the needed ten yards for a first down, just as Virginia Tech had failed to do in the prior series. After going three and out, the Eagles punted back to Virginia Tech and the Hokies' offense returned to the field at the Tech 39-yard line with 11:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
for five yards, then second-string running back Josh Oglesby ran for seven more on the next two plays. The first of Oglesby's rushes resulted in a first down inside the Eagles' red zone, and Tech continued to advance the ball on the ground as Evans ran another five yards. Facing third down at the Boston College five-yard line, Virginia Tech called a timeout to formulate its next offensive play. That play was a five-yard rush by Taylor, who crossed the goal line for the game's first score, a Virginia Tech touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. The subsequent extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
kick was successful, and the Hokies took a 7–0 lead with 6:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was fielded at the Boston College 13-yard line by the Eagles' Harris, who returned it to the Boston College 28-yard line, and the Eagles' offense began its second drive of the game. Eagles quarterback Dominique Davis completed his first pass of the game, a 19-yard catch by Brandon Robinson, who advanced the ball to the Boston College 47-yard line for a first down. Davis then scrambled
Quarterback scramble
A quarterback scramble or scramble is an impromptu maneuver or run in American football and Canadian football by a quarterback. If a quarterback is under pressure by an opposing team's defense, he may run forward, backward, or laterally in an attempt to avoid being tackled behind the line of...
for a four-yard gain, and Harris ran for nine yards on the next two plays, gaining the Eagles' second first down of the game. Once inside the Virginia Tech 40-yard line, however, the Hokies' defense stiffened. Davis was able to gain six yards on two running plays, but after an incomplete pass, the Eagles were forced to punt for the second time in the first quarter. The kick sailed into the end zone for a touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
, and Virginia Tech's offense began work at its 20-yard line. The Hokies' third drive of the quarter mirrored its first, however, as Virginia Tech went three and out and punted after failing to gain a first down. The Eagles recovered the ball with 1:32 remaining in the quarter and committed a five-yard false start penalty to begin their possession. On the first play after the penalty, Davis was sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
for a loss of two yards. Harris regained the lost yardage and more with a six-yard run, but after Davis threw an incomplete pass on third down, the Eagles were forced to punt again. Before they could kick the ball, however, the quarter came to an end. With three quarters remaining in the game, Virginia Tech held a 7–0 lead.
Second quarter
The second quarter began with Boston College in possession of the ball at its 28-yard line and preparing to punt. Virginia Tech's Harris fielded the kick at the Tech 35-yard line and returned it to the Tech 49-yard line, where the Hokies' offense took to the field for their first play of the second quarter. Evans gained six yards on a rush, then Coale was stopped for no gain on an end-aroundEnd-around
The end-around is a play in American football in which a wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two things: he either runs the ball towards the line of scrimmage in...
. Facing third down and needing four yards, Taylor passed for a first down to Boykin, who advanced the ball to the Boston College 39-yard line. On the next play, Evans broke free for a 30-yard gain, giving the Hokies a first down at the Eagles' nine-yard line. Three plays later, Taylor ran four yards for the Hokies' second touchdown of the game. The extra point was good, and Tech expanded its lead to 14–0 with 11:08 remaining in the first half.
Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Boston College 20-yard line, and the Eagles began their first full possession of the second quarter. Davis lost a yard on a running play, then was sacked for an eight-yard loss. Facing third down and needing 19 yards for a first down, Harris gained five yards and the Eagles punted after going three and out
Three and Out
Three And Out is a 2008 British comedy film directed by Jonathan Gershfield. It premiered in London on the 21 April 2008 and was released in the UK and Ireland on 25 April 2008.-Plot:...
. The kick was returned to the Eagles' 36-yard line, and Tech began a possession deep in Boston College territory. The first Tech play lost two yards, but the Hokies regained the lost yardage on the next play, picking up four yards with a pass from Taylor to Evans. Taylor scrambled on third down, gaining eight yards and a first down. The Hokies attempted a short run, then Taylor gained another first down with a pass to the BC 14-yard line. Once there, however, Tech committed a 10-yard holding penalty, pushing the Hokies backwards. After the penalty, Taylor was tackled for a loss of seven more yards. Facing a second down and 27 yards, Taylor attempted to pass for the first down, but the ball was batted into the air and intercepted by a Boston College defender.
Following the turnover, the Eagles' offense began work at their 46-yard line. Davis completed a five-yard pass to Robinson, advancing into Tech territory. An incomplete pass followed, but Davis was able to gain the first down with a pass to Rich Gunnell at the 39-yard line. On the first pass after the first down, Davis and Gunnell connected on a deep pass, but Gunnell fumbled and the ball was recovered in the end zone by a Virginia Tech defender. The play resulted in a touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
, and Virginia Tech took over on offense at its 20-yard line. Following the turnover, Tech went three and out, punting back to Boston College with 2:11 remaining before halftime.
The kick was fair caught at the 34-yard line of Boston College. On the first play after the kick, Davis connected with Harris on a pass play that resulted in a 51-yard gain for the Eagles. At the Tech 15-yard line following the big gain, the Eagles lost one yard on a rushing play before Davis passed to Gunnell for a 16-yard gain and a touchdown. The extra point was good, and with 1:29 remaining in the first half, Virginia Tech's lead was cut to 14–7.
The Eagles' post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Tech 33-yard line, and on the first play after the kick, Boston College committed a personal foul penalty when Tyrod Taylor was hit out of bounds. Following the penalty, the ball was advanced to the Tech 42-yard line and the Hokies were given a first down. Tech completed two short passes, advancing to the 50-yard line, but the Hokies punted after not gaining another first down. The kick sailed out of bounds, and the Eagles returned to offense with 19 seconds remaining in the first half. Rather than try to score quickly, Boston College elected to run out the clock
Running out the clock
In sports, running out the clock refers to the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire through a series of pre-selected plays, either to preserve a lead or hasten the end of a one-sided contest.- American football :...
with Virginia Tech leading, 14–7.
Third quarter
The first Eagles' play after the Tech punt was a 22-yard pass from Davis to Gunnell for a first down at the Tech 47-yard line. Following the long gain, the Eagles were unable to gain another first down, and punted back to the Hokies. The kick was fair caught at the Tech 16-yard line with 11:08 remaining in the third quarter, and the Virginia Tech offense returned to the field. Tech advanced the ball on three consecutive plays: a six-yard pass to Evans, a short rush by Evans, then a first down pass to Roberts. Following the first down, Evans ran for another first down, advancing the Hokies to their 44-yard line. Two Tech plays were stopped for little or no gain, but on third and nine, Taylor scrambled for an 18-yard gain and a first down at the Boston College 37-yard line. Evans gained six yards on first down, but the Hokies were unable to gain the next four yards. Instead of punting, Tech head coach Frank Beamer sent kicker Jared Keys into the game to attempt a field goal. Keys' 50-yard kick sailed through the uprights, and Tech extended its lead to 17–7 with 6:07 remaining in the quarter.
Tech's post-score kickoff was returned to the Eagles' 30-yard line. Davis started the drive with an incomplete pass, then Harris gained seven yards with a rush up the middle. A third-down pass fell incomplete, and Boston College punted. The kick was fair caught at the Tech 30-yard line, and with 5:01 left in the quarter, the Hokies returned to offense. On the first play, Taylor ran 11 yards for a first down. Taylor threw an incomplete pass, and the Hokies were penalized 10 yards for holding, pushing them back to the 31-yard line. Tech was unable to regain the lost yardage, and punted. The kick was 57 yards, and Boston College was further backed up by a penalty during the return. Following the kick, Boston College's offense was forced back to its seven-yard line to start. An incomplete pass was followed by a scramble by Davis. During the run, Davis fumbled the ball, which was recovered by a Boston College player. Facing third down, Davis scrambled again, this time for a first down to the 21-yard line. On the first play after the first down scramble, a deep pass downfield by Davis was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Stephan Virgil. The interception was returned to the Boston College 10-yard line, and on the first play by Tech's offense, Evans ran the ten yards for a touchdown. The extra point was good, and with 1:17 remaining, the Hokies extended their lead to 24–7.
Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was downed in the end zone for a touchback, and the Eagles began on offense at their 20-yard line. Three consecutive incomplete passes later, Boston College punted, ending their sixth three and out of the game. Following the kick, Tech started at its 27-yard line. On first down, the Hokies ran an end-around for five yards, then the quarter came to an end. With one quarter remaining, Virginia Tech led, 24–7.
Fourth quarter
Virginia Tech began the fourth quarter in possession of the ball and facing a second down and five from their 33-yard line. The first play of the quarter was a seven-yard run by Evans, who earned a first down at the Tech 40-yard line. On the next play after the first down run, Evans fumbled the ball and Boston College recovered. The Eagles' offense started within field goal range at the Tech 30-yard line. Boston College's first play was stopped for no gain, but the second was a 22-yard pass by Davis to Gunnell, giving the Eagles a first down inside the Tech 10-yard line. Davis threw three incomplete passes before Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski sent kicker Jeff Aponavicius into the game to attempt a 24-yard field goal. The kick was good, and the Eagles cut Tech's lead to 24–10.The post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Tech 20-yard line, and the Hokies began an offensive drive hoping to run down the clock and preserve their two-touchdown lead. Because the game clock continues to run on rushing plays, the Hokies executed five consecutive rushing plays, picking up a first down in the process. The Hokies were unable to gain a second first down, however, and Tech punted from its 40-yard line. The kick rolled out of bounds at the Eagles' 28-yard line with 9:28 remaining in the game, and Boston College took over on offense. On the first play after the punt, however, Tech defender Jason Worilds
Jason Worilds
Jason Adjepong Worilds is an American football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
tackled Davis, forcing a fumble, which bounced into the hands of fellow defender Orion Martin, who ran it 17 yards for a defensive touchdown. The extra point bounced off an upright, however, and was no good. Still, with just 9:05 remaining in the game, Tech took a commanding 30–10 lead.
The Hokies' kickoff after the defensive score was caught at the goal line and returned to the 28-yard line by Boston College's Chris Fox. Following the return, Davis completed a seven-yard pass to the 35-yard line, then picked up a first down to the 42-yard line with another pass. Davis then scrambled three yards and threw for another first down, this time to tight end Lars Anderson. Now at the Tech 46-yard line, Davis threw three incomplete passes before throwing another on fourth down. With 6:39 remaining in the game, Boston College turned the ball over on downs to the Virginia Tech offense. The Hokies again began to run out the clock. Evans ran the ball three consecutive times, but on the third rush, Evans fumbled for the second time in the game. The fumble was recovered by Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich and Boston College's offense returned to the field.
The free kick following the intentional safety was returned to near midfield, and Davis passed for a first down. Following the second down, Davis was sacked for a loss, but then scrambled for a first down to the Tech 25-yard line. From there, however, Boston College's offense began to struggle. During the four plays that followed, the Eagles were able to gain just one yard and turned the ball over on downs again. The final Boston College play was a sack of Davis, and Virginia Tech proceeded to run out the clock by kneeling on the ball after taking the field on offense.
Statistical summary
In recognition of his winning performance during the ACC Championship, Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor was named the game's most valuable playerMost Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. Taylor finished the game having completed 11 of his 19 pass attempts for 84 yards and one interception. He also ran the ball 11 times for 30 yards and two touchdowns. On the opposite side of the ball, Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis was the game's leading passer, having completed 17 of his 43 pass attempts for 263 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Davis also carried the ball 14 times for 12 yards on the ground. Davis' 51-yard pass to Harris in the second quarter set an ACC Championship Game record for the longest play recorded to that point.
Boston College wide receiver Rich Gunnell was the game's leading receiver, having been the primary beneficiary of Davis' prolific passing. Gunnell finished the game having caught seven passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. Virginia Tech wide receiver Dyrell Roberts was the game's second-leading receiver. He caught four passes for 44 yards. Tech's second-most proficient receiver was running back Darren Evans, who caught three passes for 22 yards. Evans was the game's leading rusher, having carried the ball 31 times for 114 yards and a touchdown. On the opposite side, Boston College running back Montel Harris led the Eagles on the ground with nine carries for 34 yards.
Defensively, Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich led all players with nine tackles. Of the nine stops, one and a half were for negative yardage. The leading Virginia Tech defender was Cody Grimm, who had eight tackles, two and a half of which were for losses. One and a half of the tackles for loss were quarterback sacks, and Grimm also forced a fumble and broke up one Boston College pass. In total, the Hokies' defense intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles. The Eagles' defense likewise caused three turnovers, recovering two fumbles and intercepting one pass. Boston College sacked Taylor twice, while Virginia Tech's defense reached Davis five times.
Postgame effects
2009 Orange Bowl
The 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl game was the 75th edition of the annual college football bowl game known as the Orange Bowl. It pitted the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference champion Virginia Tech Hokies against the Big East Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats on January 1, 2009 at Dolphin Stadium in...
. Boston College, meanwhile, was selected to play in the 2008 Music City Bowl
2008 Music City Bowl
The 2008 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl was the eleventh edition of the college football bowl game played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. The game started at 2:30 pm US CST on Wednesday, December 31, 2008. The game, telecast on ESPN, pitted the Vanderbilt Commodores against the Boston...
. The pick by the Music City Bowl represented a drop in prestige for Boston College. Had the Eagles won the championship game, they would have earned an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl and a payout of $17.5 million. Instead, the Music City Bowl, which offered a payout of $1.7 million, was contractually obliged to select the Eagles after Boston College was not selected by any of the three more prestigious bowl games with ACC ties.
The Music City Bowl took place on December 31, and in a contest against Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
opponent Vanderbilt
2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2008–09 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his seventh season in the position...
, Boston College lost, 16–13. The loss ended a streak of eight consecutive bowl game wins for Boston College. In the Orange Bowl, Virginia Tech emerged victorious against Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
champion Cincinnati
2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
The 2008 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represents the University of Cincinnati in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, plays its homes game in Nippert Stadium. Kelly is in his second full season with the Bearcats after coaching them to a 31–21 win...
, 20–7. The win was Tech's first BCS bowl game win since 1995, and was the first ACC BCS game win since 2000.
Boston College coaching changes
Following the loss to Vanderbilt in the 2008 Music City Bowl, Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski announced his intention to interview for the vacant head coaching position with the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In an unusual move, Boston College athletic director Gene DeFillippo announced that if Jagodzinski went ahead with an interview, he would be fired as head coach of the Boston College football team. DeFillippo previously stated that a five-year contract with Jagodzinski, signed in 2007, was contingent on the coach staying "for the long term". Jagodzinski proceeded with the interview and was fired by DeFillippo on January 7.
To replace Jagodzinski, DeFillippo promoted Boston College defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani
Frank Spaziani
-External links:*...
, who previously served as the Boston College head coach on an interim basis in 2006. Boston College offensive coordinator Steve Logan, who was unhappy with the staff changes on the football team, resigned shortly after Spaziani's promotion. To replace Logan, Spaziani hired former Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
head coach Gary Tranquill
Gary Tranquill
-External links:*...
as Boston College's new offensive coordinator. One week after Logan's announcement, the Eagles' offensive line coach, Jack Bicknell, Jr.
Jack Bicknell, Jr.
Jack Bicknell, Jr. is an American football coach, currently serving as the assistant offensive line coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was the head coach of Louisiana Tech from 1999-2006...
, also announced that he was leaving the team. On January 27, special teams and tight ends coach Don Yanowsky announced his resignation from the Eagles, making him the fourth coach to be fired or resign from the Boston College football team after the season.
See also
Other Conference Championship Games
- 2008 SEC Championship Game2008 SEC Championship GameThe 2008 Dr Pepper SEC Championship Game was played on December 6, 2008 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia to determine the 2008 football champion of the Southeastern Conference . The game featured the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Gators were classified as the home team...
- 2008 Big 12 Championship Game2008 Big 12 Championship GameThe 2008 Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship Game was held on December 6, 2008 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and pitted two of the divisional winners from the Big 12 Conference: the Missouri Tigers, winner of the North division against the Oklahoma Sooners, co-champion of the South...
- WAC Championship GameWestern Athletic Conference Football Title Game-By year:-By school:-Championship games :The Western Athletic Conference staged a conference title football game during the three years the league consisted of sixteen members. During this time, the league was split into two divisions, Pacific and Mountain, with eight teams in each division...
- MAC Championship GameMAC Championship GameThe Marathon MAC Football Championship is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been...
- Conference USA Championship GameConference USA Football ChampionshipThe Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of Conference USA. From 1996–2004, the champion of Conference USA was determined by regular season record...