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Seminoles Suffer Black Out

The Associated Press

Florida State wide receiver Rod Owens fumbles after making a second-quarter catch.

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By COREY CLARK

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: November 16, 2008

Updated: 11/16/2008 12:57 am

TALLAHASSEE - For a few hours Saturday, the Florida State Seminoles held their fate in their own hands.

Then it slipped through their fingers yet again.

Quarterback Christian Ponder threw three interceptions and the Boston College offense churned out six straight first downs in a game-clinching, fourth-quarter drive as the Eagles ruined another "Black Out" with a 27-17 win.

It was the second time in as many trips to Tallahassee that Boston College has beaten the Seminoles (7-3, 4-3 ACC) in their special homecoming uniforms and it sent a crushing blow to FSU's ACC title hopes.

"It's tough," Ponder said. "It makes it hurt a lot more. We knew Wake had lost."

With North Carolina State's 21-17 win over Wake Forest earlier in the day, the Seminoles knew they controlled their destiny heading into Saturday night.

But they lost that against the Eagles, mainly because they couldn't control the line of scrimmage.

Boston College rushed for 176 yards total, led by freshman Montel Harris' 121, while the FSU offense had just 73 yards on the ground - and just one until the final play of the third quarter.

"What you thought would happen finally happened - we were just whipped up front," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. "Offensively and defensively, we were just whipped up front."

On Boston College's first play of the game, Harris dashed 47 yards deep into FSU territory. Four plays later, the Eagles were in the end zone on a 14-yard pass from Chris Crane to Rich Gunnell on third-and-12.

The 7-0 lead turned into a 14-0 lead later in the first quarter when the Eagles' Marcellus Bowman stepped in front of a Christian Ponder pass at the 13-yard line and raced untouched for an 87-yard touchdown.

The Seminoles, who had trailed by at least two scores in each of their previous four games, found themselves in the same situation again against Boston College.

And like they had done in each of those four games, they began to fight back.

Ponder capped a six-play, 57-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7 with 13:06 to play in the first half.

FSU scored just three more points the rest of the half. Of course, it didn't help matters that FSU was without half of its wide receiving corps because of suspensions stemming from a midweek altercation on campus.

"We were missing some key guys," Ponder said. "But every week we've been missing key guys and had someone else step up."

Graham Gano hit a 39-yard field goal late in the first half to cut the Eagles' lead to 14-10 at the break.

On its first drive of the second half, Boston College chewed up 65 yards and 6:35 of the game clock on a 14-play drive, but had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from Gerald Levano with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter.

The Eagles didn't have to settle for anything on their next drive. Taking over at its own 29-yard line after a Ponder fourth-down pass to Preston Parker was a yard short of a first down, Boston College marched 71 yards on eight plays.

Harris, who had a 57-yard gain on a screen pass on the drive, finished it off with a 2-yard TD run with 48 seconds left in the third quarter and the Eagles had a 24-10 lead.

"We got out-fought at times," FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said. "I don't know if we're tough enough to beat a team like that."

The Seminoles, who have shown a knack for answering opponents all season long, did just that on their next drive. Gano ran 24 yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-9 from the FSU 47, and on the next play - the first one of the fourth quarter - Parker hit Greg Carr on an end-around 29-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 24-17.

After Darius McClure intercepted a pass deep in FSU territory on Boston College's next drive, the Seminoles took over at their own 13-yard line. A 12-yard pass to freshman Jermaine Thomas and five successive running plays gave FSU a first-and-10 at the Boston College 28.

But Ponder's next pass, a lob intended for Carr, was intercepted in the end zone with 9:15 left in the game.

"I left it a little too far inside," Ponder said, "so the DB was able to make a play."

Boston College then proceeded to run off the next 8:50 of game clock on 15 straight rushing plays.

"It was very frustrating," senior cornerback Tony Carter said of the Eagles' final drive. "Because we had them where we wanted them - backed up.

"But they did a good job of pounding and doing what they had to do."

Boston College's Steve Aponavicius kicked a 30-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to ice the game and put another dark cloud on an FSU "Black Out."

"They made a real big deal about the blackout," Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "So we got all of our guys black shirts and said, 'Well, if we are not going to be invited, then let's go ahead and crash the party.'"

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