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Maryland Surprises No. 8 Boston College

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The Associated Press

Published: November 11, 2007

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Judging by their performance against crippled Maryland, it's hard to believe Boston College was unbeaten and ranked second in the nation just two weeks ago.

Playing against a struggling team mired in a three-game losing streak, the No. 8 Eagles yielded 472 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-35 loss Saturday night.

It was the most points Boston College has allowed in an Atlantic Coast Conference game since joining the league in 2005. In addition, the nation's top-ranked rushing defense (58 yards per game) surrendered a season-high 135 yards, even though Maryland (5-5, 2-4) was without its leading ground gainer.

Had they not lost one week ago to Florida State, the Eagles (8-2, 4-2) probably would have been playing for a chance to be No. 1 because top-ranked Ohio State lost earlier Saturday.
Boston College still can earn a berth in the ACC Championship Game with a win against Clemson next week.

Matt Ryan, who threw three interceptions against Florida State, went 33-for-56 for 421 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted twice.

CLEMSON 44, WAKE FOREST 10: Cullen Harper continued his record-setting year with three more touchdown passes and No. 20 Clemson moved a step closer to an Atlantic Coast Conference title by beating visiting Wake Forest.

The Tigers (8-2, 5-2) won their fourth straight to set up a Death Valley showdown next week against Boston College with the winner advancing to the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville next month.

Clemson won six ACC titles from 1981-91, but none since.

For Wake Forest (6-4, 4-3), its second consecutive loss means a likely end for defending the ACC crown it won a year ago. The Demon Deacons opened their season with a loss to Boston College.

As orange-clad fans rushed the field after the game, the public address announcer reminded them: "Next Saturday night is going to be huge."

This one felt like old times for many of the 81,500 at Memorial Stadium, who reveled in Clemson's regular Wake Forest routs.

GEORGIA TECH 41, DUKE 24: Tashard Choice picked up his sixth 100-yard game of the season, running for 170 yards and two touchdowns to lead Georgia Tech (6-4, 3-4) past host Duke (1-9, 0-7).

Choice, who has 16 100-yard games in his career, scored on runs of 1 and 16 yards despite playing with a sore hamstring. It was Choice's first action since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Oct. 23. He suffered the injury in the first half Oct. 20 against Army and missed just one game before his return against the Blue Devils.

Travis Bell kicked field goals of 40 and 33 yards in the first half for Georgia Tech.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 31, NORTH CAROLINA 27: Jamelle Eugene ran for three TDs, including the go-ahead 1-yarder with 1:41 left, to help North Carolina State hold off North Carolina in a wild finish.

Eugene finished with 159 yards rushing for the Wolfpack (5-5, 3-3), who won their fourth straight game overall and ended a three-game losing streak in the in-state rivalry. Daniel Evans also threw for a score as N.C. State blew a 17-point first-half lead before forcing a late turnover to set up Eugene's final score.

The Tar Heels (3-7, 2-4) returned two interceptions for long TDs and getting a 50-yard fullback pass as their only offensive score of the game. But they couldn't answer Eugene's final plunge, driving all the way to N.C. State's 7-yard line with 6.9 seconds left before coming up empty when T.J. Yates couldn't connect with Hakeem Nicks in the end zone on fourth down.

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