2007 ACC Championship Game
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Dr. Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) 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
football championship. The game, held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida
, was a rematch of a regular-season game that took place on October 25, in Blacksburg, Virginia
. In that game, Boston College, courtesy of a late-game comeback by quarterback
Matt Ryan
, won 14–10.
Following the loss, Virginia Tech won five straight games to win the Coastal Division of the ACC, while Boston College stumbled, losing two games before defeating the Clemson Tigers to win the Atlantic Division and representation in the Championship Game. Most pre-game media coverage of the event cast the game as an opportunity for Virginia Tech to avenge its earlier loss. In addition, the winner of the game would be awarded an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series
2008 Orange Bowl
game in Miami, Florida
on January 3, 2008. Despite Boston College's earlier win over Virginia Tech, spread bettors
favored Virginia Tech by five points.
In the opening quarter of the game, the Eagles took a 7–0 lead on a 51-yard fumble
return for a touchdown
. The Eagles' offense dominated the first half of the game statistically, but failed to add to its early lead until the second quarter, when a field goal
made it 10–0. Virginia Tech answered with a touchdown of their own, but Boston College responded with a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown drive of its own. Then came perhaps the most pivotal play of the game. During the extra point
kick following the Boston College touchdown, Virginia Tech's Duane Brown blocked the kick, which was caught by the Hokies' cornerback
Brandon Flowers, who returned it 75 yards for a defensive two-point conversion
.
The play changed the momentum of the game. Virginia Tech added a tying touchdown before halftime, and after a scoreless third quarter, two Matt Ryan interception
s resulted in 14 points for Virginia Tech and a 30–16 Virginia Tech win. With the victory, the Hokies earned their second Atlantic Coast Conference football championship in four years and their first Orange Bowl bid since 1996.
matches the winner of the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference. A conference championship game was added in 2005, as a result of the league's expansion the previous year, adding former Big East
members Miami
, Virginia Tech, and Boston College
. With the addition of Boston College, the ACC consisted of 12 teams, allowing it to hold a conference championship game under NCAA
rules.
Florida State
defeated Virginia Tech, 27–22 in the first ACC Championship game
. The following year, the game
, held in Jacksonville, Florida
, pitted Wake Forest
against Georgia Tech
, with Wake Forest winning 9–6. Before the 2007 season
began, most sports writers and pollsters predicted that Florida State would win the Atlantic Division while Virginia Tech would win the Coastal Division, setting up a rematch of the 2005 ACC Championship Game.
In October, Florida State lost back-to-back ACC conference games to Wake Forest and Miami
, eliminating them from contention for their division title. Boston College, which had finished second in the preseason Atlantic Division poll, was ranked No. 2 in the country after Florida State's loss to Miami. Virginia Tech, which suffered a 48–7 defeat at the hands of then-No. 2 LSU
, nevertheless remained at the top of the Coastal Division standings as the Eagles passed the Seminoles for the Atlantic Division lead.
On October 25, Boston College traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia
, home of Virginia Tech, for a Thursday night game broadcast on ESPN
. In heavy rain, Virginia Tech's defense dominated for most of the game. As time ran down, however, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan orchestrated two late-game touchdown drives, scoring 14 points in the final 2 minutes to win 14–10. The victory seemingly sealed Boston College's route to a national championship game, while the loss potentially jeopardized Virginia Tech's chances of being selected to play in the ACC Championship Game. Over the next two weeks, however, Boston College was upset by Florida State and Maryland. The Eagles rallied to win their final two games—against Miami and Clemson
—to clinch the division title. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, was undefeated through the remainder of its schedule, including a division-clinching win over its archrival, Virginia
. This meant that the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville would be a rematch between these two division champions.
The game was the 15th contest between Boston College and Virginia Tech and was their second of the 2007 season. The first meeting, which took place in 1993 in the Big East conference, resulted in a 48–34 Boston College win. Between 1993 and 2003, Boston College and Virginia Tech played annually as part of their conference schedules. The teams did not meet in 2004 following Virginia Tech's move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. When Boston College followed in 2005, the schools resumed meeting during the regular season, playing in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Following the 2006 ACC Championship Game
, the Gator Bowl Association, which administered the ACC Championship Game during its first two years of existence, was awarded a one-year extension to its two-year contract to host the game. The 2006 game
suffered from poor attendance, resulting in over $1 million in losses for the Gator Bowl Association. In the off-season, the Gator Bowl Association declared that if sales did not improve for the 2007 ACC Championship game, the game's Jacksonville future would be in jeopardy. Attendance for the 2006 game was low due to high travel costs stemming from Jacksonville's distance from the participating schools, and the 2007 participants—Boston College and Virginia Tech—faced the same problem.
With Jacksonville's future as host in doubt, representatives from Charlotte, North Carolina
, Tampa, Florida
, and Jacksonville visited the ACC offices to lobby to host the 2008 game
. Orlando, Florida
, which had been an early contender to host the 2008 game, was eliminated from consideration before the meetings took place. As kickoff drew closer, the Gator Bowl Association expressed displeasure with the poor ticket sales, saying that nearly 20,000 tickets remained unsold as of the week of the game and that if it was not a sellout, the game would likely not remain in Jacksonville.
, college football's highest individual award. Although Ryan's late-game comeback in their previous game against Virginia Tech had made him a front-runner, the team's two subsequent losses to unranked teams dropped him from contention for the Heisman. Excellent performances in a division-clinching win at Clemson and against Miami seemed to return Ryan to Heisman-candidate form, however, and heading into the ACC Championship Game, Ryan appeared to be the biggest offensive threat for Boston College.
Virginia Tech's offense was led by an unusual two-quarterback system, as junior Sean Glennon
shared time with freshman
Tyrod Taylor
. While Glennon proved to be a better pocket passer
, Taylor's quickness enabled him to scramble out of trouble and gain positive yardage even when no open receivers were available for pass
es. Until the final game of the season, either Taylor or Glennon was hampered by injury and limited the two-quarterback system's effectiveness. Although the two-quarterback system proved effective against Virginia, there were still questions about how well such an unusual setup would work in the ACC Championship Game.
On the ground, Taylor's offensive scrambling
, while effective, was not Virginia Tech's primary rushing
weapon. Running back
Brandon Ore
, Virginia Tech's starter at the position, would need to have a good game, analysts predicted, if the Hokies wanted to win the game. Ore, who suffered several injuries during the 2006 season
, failed to produce meaningful offensive yardage until late in the season, disappointing many fans who hoped he would repeat his excellent 2006 performance on the field. With a 146-yard performance against Virginia in the final game of the regular season, Ore seemed to have regained his 2006 form and promised success in the ACC Championship Game.
The Boston College ground offense was led by running back Andre Callender, who had perhaps his biggest game of the year during the division-clinching match against Clemson two weeks earlier. In that game, Callender finished with 92 receiving
yards and 75 rushing yards. Due to the success of Matt Ryan's passing attack, however, Callender was used mostly as a backfield receiver and was the team's leading receiver statistically during the 2007 season. In the regular season, Callender amassed 905 yards rushing, 613 yards receiving, and 13 total touchdowns. Callender's normal backup, running back A.J. Brooks, was suspended for the ACC Championship Game.
Vince Hall
to the starting lineup. Hall had sat out four straight games, including the previous Boston College match, after suffering a broken forearm
and wrist
. ESPN named Hall and Xavier Adibi
, Tech's other senior linebacker, the "best linebacker duo in the country".
On Virginia Tech's defensive secondary, Brandon Flowers
, one of Tech's starting cornerbacks, was a second-team All-ACC defensive selection and had five interceptions in the season. Assisting Flowers would be Victor "Macho" Harris
, who had also netted five interceptions during the regular season. During the 2007 season, Sports Illustrated
called the two "maybe the finest cornerback duo in America."
At the end of the regular season, Boston College was ranked 26th nationally in total defense, and 2nd nationally in run defense. Its pass defense, however, was ranked 106th in the country, and since Boston College was without senior cornerback DeJuan Tribble, who was recovering from a sprain
ed knee ligament
, it was expected that the Eagles' linebackers would have to play a very good game to stop Virginia Tech's passing offense. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who had been named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
(awarded to the top defensive player in the country) was expected to fill the gaps and stop both rushing and passing elements of Virginia Tech's offense.
In addition, safety Jamie Silva
would have to play a strong game to support the Boston College cornerback replacing the injured Tribble. Silva, an All-ACC defensive selection, led the team with five interceptions and was very good in moving up to stop the run as well. On the defensive line, defensive end Nick Larkin was a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy
, an award given to the defensive player with the most "defensive impact" nationally.
The 2007 ACC Championship Game kicked off at 13:10 EST
in Jacksonville, Florida
. At kickoff, the weather was partly cloudy, with winds from the northeast at 18 miles per hour (29 km/h). The air temperature was 69 °F (20.6 °C). The official attendance estimate was 53,212, but by most accounts the actual attendance was far lower. Virginia Tech fans made up most of the crowd, and fewer than 5,000 Boston College fans were present at the game. The game was broadcast on ABC
and netted a television rating of 4.1, placing it behind the SEC Championship Game
and the Big 12 Championship Game, which earned ratings of 5.9 and 6.6, respectively.
The Marching Virginians
, Virginia Tech's marching band
, and the "Screaming Eagles", the Boston College Marching Band
, played the national anthem before the game. The pre-game coin toss involved two members of the Wounded Warrior Project
, a program that assists the physical rehabilitation of wounded American combat veteran
s returning to the United States from fighting overseas. One soldier from Virginia
and another from Massachusetts
were chosen to throw the ceremonial coin that would determine the game's starting possession. Supervising the coin toss was referee
Jack Childress, who had also officiated the inaugural ACC Championship Game.
Virginia Tech won the opening coin toss and deferred its option to the second half. Boston College received the opening kickoff
, which was downed in the end zone
for a touchback
. Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Eagles advanced down the field as quarterback Matt Ryan completed several passes and running back Andre Callender contributed several long runs. A pass interference
call against Virginia Tech, coupled with a 10-yard run by Callender, put Boston College at the Virginia Tech 26-yard line. After three consecutive incomplete pass
es, Eagles kicker Steve Aponavicius
attempted a 36-yard field goal
. During the field goal, Virginia Tech special teams player Duane Brown
broke through the Eagles' line and blocked the kick, giving Virginia Tech possession of the ball.
Virginia Tech's offense, led by quarterback Sean Glennon, began their first possession at their own 37-yard line. However, a sack
, a tackle
for loss, and an incomplete pass denied the Hokies' offense positive yardage and they were forced to punt
. Tech punter Brent Bowden managed a 54-yard kick that forced the Eagles to start at their own 14-yard line, but three big plays of 16, 19, and 19 yards drove the Eagles deep into Virginia Tech territory. As before, however, Virginia Tech's defense stiffened and Boston College was forced into a fourth down. Instead of attempting a long field goal, the Eagles instead attempted to convert the fourth down but were foiled by an incomplete pass.
On the Hokies' second offensive possession, quarterback Tyrod Taylor took the field in place of Sean Glennon. Two successful passes and two short runs resulted in two first downs and Virginia Tech advanced the ball across the 50-yard line and into Boston College territory. As Taylor attempted to scramble for yet another short run, however, he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage
and fumble
d the ball. The loose ball was scooped up by Boston College defender Jamie Silva, who returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown and subsequent extra point were the first points of the game and gave Boston College a 7–0 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the quarter.
After the kickoff, Virginia Tech's offense again failed to advance the ball. After a three-and-out, the Hokies again punted. The ball traveled 44 yards, forcing the Eagles to start at their own 21-yard line. As the quarter came to a close, the Eagles drove the ball deep into Virginia Tech territory. At the end of the first quarter, Boston College led 7–0.
Virginia Tech's first offensive drive of the second quarter began on an auspicious note as quarterback Sean Glennon completed a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Morgan
. Following the play, a Boston College player committed a personal foul, which added 15 yards to the end of the pass. Another long pass by Glennon, coupled with yet another Boston College penalty, put Virginia Tech deep into the red zone
, and the Hokies scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Morgan. With 8:15 remaining in the first half, Virginia Tech narrowed Boston College's lead to just three points.
On the ensuing possession, Boston College needed only seven plays and just under three minutes to travel 74 yards. The drive culminated in a 14-yard quarterback scramble for a touchdown. Duane Brown, who had blocked the first Boston College field goal attempt, again charged through the Boston College offensive line and blocked the extra point attempt. This time, the ball bounced into the hands of Virginia Tech's Brandon Flowers, who returned it 75 yards for a defensive two-point conversion
. The play kept Boston College's lead within a single touchdown and extra point. With 5:27 remaining in the half, the score was now 16–9 in favor of Boston College.
Tech quarterback Sean Glennon's first pass of the new possession, long throw downfield, was intercepted by Boston College defender Jamie Silva
. The length of the pass meant that Boston College did not have good field position following the turnover
. After earning a quick first down, the Eagles were stopped and forced to punt. With 2:13 remaining before halftime, the Hokies had one more offensive opportunity.
Beginning at their own 20-yard line, the Virginia Tech offense marched down the field. Running back Branden Ore ran 11 yards for a first down, and two long passes from Sean Glennon to wide receiver Eddie Royal
put the Hokies into scoring position. After failing to gain first downs with short runs, Virginia Tech was forced to use its timeouts to stop the clock and the first half from ending before they had a chance to score. On a 3rd-and-7 from the Boston College 13-yard line, Glennon finally connected with wide receiver Josh Hyman, who crossed into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point tied the game, 16–16.
With no time left to mount an answering drive, Boston College received the kickoff and let time run out. Heading into halftime, the two teams were tied, 16–16.
Because they deferred their selection to the second half during the opening coin toss, Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the half. The Hokies continued to rotate between quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor during the possession, and picked up two first downs, one through the air and the other on the ground. After Glennon was sacked at the 50-yard line, however, the drive sputtered and the Hokies were forced to punt the ball.
Boston College, in their first possession of the second half, fared even worse than Virginia Tech did. Two incomplete passes and a 5-yard delay of game
penalty forced Boston College into a three-and-out possession that resulted in a punt. On its second possession, Virginia Tech had a three-and-out drive, thanks in part to an 11-yard sack of Sean Glennon by Boston College's Kevin Atkins.
After receiving the punt, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan connected on a 31-yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Robinson. As before, however, the offense stalled. On 4th-and-1 from the Virginia Tech 30-yard line, Ryan attempted a pass that fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs. As a result of pressure applied by the Boston College defense, the Hokies continued to have difficulty moving the ball.
The Hokies were forced to punt again, and Brent Bowden's 50-yard punt stuck the Eagles deep in their own territory. The drive began with a five-yard penalty against Boston College and culminated two plays later in a six-yard loss on a sack of Matt Ryan by Hokie defender Barry Booker. Boston College punted, but the kick by Johnny Ayers traveled just 34 yards before sailing out of bounds
.
Virginia Tech had good starting field position at their own 44-yard line. One quick first down later, the clock ran out on the third quarter. As neither team had scored in the quarter, the score remained tied at 16–16.
Despite starting almost at midfield, the offensive drive that began at the end of the third quarter failed to reach field goal range, and the Hokies were forced to punt. Boston College's offense fared no better, however, and punted after a three-and-out possession. The ball was downed at the Virginia Tech 16-yard line, and the Hokies began their first full offensive possession of the fourth quarter.
After an incomplete pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies got their first big offensive break of the second half. On a designed play, Taylor scrambled for 31 yards, the largest play in the game for the Hokies. Two successful runs by running back Branden Ore followed, earning the Hokies 23 more yards and pushing the offense deep into Boston College territory. A false-start penalty set the Hokie offense back, but on the next play, quarterback Sean Glennon connected with wide receiver Eddie Royal on a 24-yard strike for a touchdown. The touchdown and extra point were the first points of the second half and gave Virginia Tech a 23–16 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game.
Boston College began its second possession of the fourth quarter knowing it had to score a touchdown
to tie the game. Quarterback Matt Ryan had his best success of the day, connecting on seven of ten passes during the drive and picking up 58 yards. All of the Eagles' yardage on the drive came through the air, and with 2:25 remaining, the Eagles found themselves at the Virginia Tech 14-yard line. Facing a fourth down and needing four yards for a first down, Matt Ryan fell back to attempt a pass. The throw was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Vince Hall.
Starting at its own 10-yard line, Virginia Tech ran three straight running plays in an effort to run the clock down and prevent Boston College from having enough time to conduct another offensive drive. After the third run was stopped for no gain, however, the Hokies were forced to punt the ball. Boston College now had 28 seconds to score a touchdown and either tie the game with an extra point or win it with a two-point conversion.
The Boston College drive began on its own 35-yard line. With little time remaining, Boston College would have to complete one or more Hail Mary pass
es. Although the odds of completing one such pass, let alone several, were very low, many Virginia Tech fans remained worried, as Boston College had previously beaten the Hokies in similar circumstances earlier in the season. Matt Ryan's first two passes fell incomplete, and his third was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Xavier Adibi
and returned 40 yards for a Virginia Tech touchdown.
The score came with 11 seconds remaining and gave Virginia Tech its final lead, 30–16. With no chance to win, Boston College elected to let the clock run out after receiving the kickoff
. Virginia Tech won the 2007 ACC Championship, 30–16.
Sean Glennon
was named the game's Most Valuable Player
. Glennon finished the game having completed 18 of his 27 passes, earning 174 passing yards, three touchdown
s (18 points), and one interception. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan
had finished 33 of 52 for 305 yards and two interceptions, no passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown.
Each team finished with two turnovers
—Virginia Tech fumbled the ball once and threw one interception, while Boston College's offense threw two. Each team earned seven points off of turnovers, and Virginia Tech blocked two kicks. The two blocked kicks effectively netted five points for Virginia Tech, as the blocked field goal prevented Boston College from scoring three points, and the other blocked kick was returned 75 yards for a rare defensive two-point conversion
. The two blocked kicks by Virginia Tech were the first and second blocked kicks in ACC Championship Game history, and Boston College's fumble return for a touchdown was the first fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in ACC Championship Game history.
yardage came via passes from quarterbacks Sean Glennon (174 yards) and Tyrod Taylor (28 yards). Glennon's three passing touchdown
s tied an ACC Championship Game record set by former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick
in 2005
. Glennon also set the ACC Championship Game record for pass completion percentage (66.7%) by completing 18 of his 27 passes. Taylor, meanwhile, set ACC Championship Game records for longest run and longest quarterback run with a 31-yard scramble in the second quarter that helped set up the tying touchdown for Virginia Tech. Taylor finished the game with 36 rushing
yards, the third-most of any player in the game.
On the ground, Taylor's performance was supplemented by Tech running back
Branden Ore, who led all rushers with 55 yards on 19 rushes
. Fourteen of Ore's 55 yards came on a single play halfway through the fourth quarter when the Boston College's defensive line gave way, admitting Tech's runner into the defensive secondary
. The run helped set up Virginia Tech's go-ahead touchdown later in the fourth quarter. Capping Tech's ground game were complimentary performances by Kenny Lewis and Sean Glennon, each of whom earned fewer than 10 yards, but picked up first downs on two plays.
Leading all Tech receivers
was Josh Morgan, who caught eight passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Eddie Royal also had an excellent game for the Hokies, catching two long passes of 18 yards and 11 yards on subsequent plays in the second quarter. Royal's 2 catches drove the Hokies deep into Boston College territory, setting up a 13-yard touchdown pass to Josh Hyman that tied the game at halftime. Royal's biggest play, however, came halfway through the fourth quarter when he caught the go-ahead touchdown pass from Sean Glennon. The 24-yard reception was Royal's longest catch of the day, and the touchdown gave the Hokies a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
Though its offense performed well, it was Virginia Tech's special teams and defense that earned it the win. Duane Brown's twin blocked kicks were the first blocks recorded in ACC Championship Game history and were the 116th and 117th blocked kicks recorded at Virginia Tech under head coach Frank Beamer
. In addition to the blocks, Tech special teams excelled on punts and kickoff
s. Tech punter Brent Bowden finished the day with seven punts for a total of 324 yards. A 54-yard kick in the first quarter was the fourth-longest punt in ACC Championship Game history.
On defense, linebacker
Vince Hall, in his second game after recovering from a broken forearm
, led all defensive players with 11 tackle
s. Hall also recorded an interception in the late stages of the fourth quarter that allowed Virginia Tech to run down the clock and force Boston College into a hasty offense. Tied for third overall was Tech's Xavier Adibi, who recorded nine tackles (one for loss) and caught the game-ending interception. Adibi returned the interception 40 yards for a defensive touchdown that sealed the victory for the Hokies.
for Boston College's touchdown of the game—a 14-yard sprint in the second quarter that put Boston College ahead 16–7.
In the first half, the Eagles offense recorded 20 first downs. In the second half, it managed just four first downs, three of which came in one drive in the fourth quarter. As a result of second-half pressure from Virginia Tech, Ryan was forced into two late-game interception
s, including one that was returned for a Virginia Tech defensive touchdown.
Ryan finished the game with 35 rushing yards, just one short of Hokie quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who had been highly promoted as a runner heading into the game. Ryan finished fourth among all rushers, and Eagle running back Andre Callender, the sole running back on the Eagles' roster, finished second, rushing for 51 yards in the game. Callender game-long 11-yard run helped set up the Eagles for a field goal attempt early in the second quarter.
Callender's true success, however, was in the passing game, where he accrued 92 yards, putting him first among all receivers in the game. Callender's 13 catches were an ACC Championship Game record and were the fourth-highest total for a receiver in any game in ACC history. Wide receiver Kevin Challenger finished the game with 4 catches for 45 yards, while the Eagles' Rich Gunnell finished the game with 54 yards. Surprisingly for the number of receiving
yards recorded by the Eagles in the game, no Boston College receiver caught a touchdown.
Boston College punter Johnny Ayres kicked four pun
ts a total of 159 yards, including one long kick that traveled 55 yards and set the mark for the third-longest punt in ACC Championship Game history. Kicker Steve Aponavicius successfully kicked a 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter. but after his second kick was blocked, Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski
seemed reluctant to try long field goals and instead sent in the offense to attempt to convert the fourth down. Out of four tries, only one fourth down was converted into a first down.
On defense, Boston College had more success than predicted by pre-game coverage. Jamie Silva's fumble return for a touchdown was the first defensive score in ACC Championship Game history. Silva finished the game with five tackle
s (one for loss), one interception
, the forced fumble, and the defensive touchdown. DeLeon Gause, meanwhile, was the Eagles' leading tackler, recording 10 stops including one tackle for loss. Altogether, the Eagles recorded four sacks and nine tackles for loss, holding the Hokie offense in check for most of the 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. On December 12, 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 of the actual games. 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.
. This caused ripple effects in the bowl destinations for virtually every bowl-eligible ACC team. In the 2007 season, the ACC had guaranteed tie-ins with eight bowl games.
The ACC's representatives to these bowls were picked in a hierarchical system that allowed the Chick-fil-A Bowl
to have the first selection after the Orange Bowl's automatic pick of the winner of the ACC Championship Game. Following the Chick-fil-A Bowl were the Gator Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl
, Music City Bowl
, Meineke Car Care Bowl, Emerald Bowl
, and Humanitarian Bowl, in that order. The ACC's agreement with the bowls dictated that the bowls would select the highest-ranking ACC team left after the bowls with higher selections made their pick. Bowls would be allowed to skip the highest remaining team only if the next team was within one conference win of the highest remaining team. Therefore, a bowl could select a 5–3 team over a 6–2 team, but could not select a 4–4 team over a 6–2 team.
With Virginia Tech earning an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl had the first pick of the remaining ACC teams. Boston College, by virtue of its loss in the ACC Championship Game, was the highest remaining team, but Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives instead chose to invite Clemson, which had finished behind Boston College in the Atlantic Division standings. In making their decision, Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives cited Boston College's poor attendance at the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville. The Gator Bowl, which is also held in Jacksonville, was reluctant to choose a team that had participated in the ACC Championship Game out of feat that the team's fans would be unwilling to return to Jacksonville so quickly. The Gator Bowl Association requested and received a waiver from the league's strict bowl selection rules and selected Virginia over Boston College.
The Champs Sports Bowl was thus forced to select Boston College. Boston College players and fans, owing to the decreased status of the Champs Sports Bowl when compared with the Orange, Chick-fil-A, and Gator Bowls, were disappointed with the selection and match against Michigan State. Had Boston College won the ACC Championship Game, it would have earned the automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, and Virginia Tech would have been selected by the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which had earlier expressed an interest in inviting the Hokies to the game for a second straight year
. Clemson would have been bumped down to the Gator Bowl, and Virginia would have been forced into the Champs Sports Bowl.
Other conference championship games
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...
in a regular-season college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game that determined the conference's champion for 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...
. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College 30–16 to win the ACC
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. The game, held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium 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...
, was a rematch of a regular-season game that took place on October 25, in Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
. In that game, Boston College, courtesy of a late-game comeback by 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...
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan (American football)
Matthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
, won 14–10.
Following the loss, Virginia Tech won five straight games to win the Coastal Division of the ACC, while Boston College stumbled, losing two games before defeating the Clemson Tigers to win the Atlantic Division and representation in the Championship Game. Most pre-game media coverage of the event cast the game as an opportunity for Virginia Tech to avenge its earlier loss. In addition, the winner of the game would be awarded an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
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...
game in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on January 3, 2008. Despite Boston College's earlier win over Virginia Tech, 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...
favored Virginia Tech by five points.
In the opening quarter of the game, the Eagles took a 7–0 lead on a 51-yard fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
return for a 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 Eagles' offense dominated the first half of the game statistically, but failed to add to its early lead until the second quarter, when a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
made it 10–0. Virginia Tech answered with a touchdown of their own, but Boston College responded with a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown drive of its own. Then came perhaps the most pivotal play of the game. During the 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 following the Boston College touchdown, Virginia Tech's Duane Brown blocked the kick, which was caught by the Hokies' cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Brandon Flowers, who returned it 75 yards for a defensive two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
.
The play changed the momentum of the game. Virginia Tech added a tying touchdown before halftime, and after a scoreless third quarter, two Matt Ryan interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
s resulted in 14 points for Virginia Tech and a 30–16 Virginia Tech win. With the victory, the Hokies earned their second Atlantic Coast Conference football championship in four years and their first Orange Bowl bid since 1996.
Background
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 winner of the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference. A conference championship game was added in 2005, as a result of the league's expansion the previous year, adding former Big East
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...
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...
, Virginia Tech, 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...
. With the addition of Boston College, the ACC consisted of 12 teams, allowing it to hold a conference championship game under NCAA
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...
rules.
Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
defeated Virginia Tech, 27–22 in the first ACC Championship game
2005 ACC Championship Game
The 2005 Dr. Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game was the inaugural contest of the game. It was a regular-season ending American college football contest at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles. The...
. The following year, the game
2006 ACC Championship Game
The Dr. Pepper 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a regular-season American football game to determine the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech by a 9–6 score...
, 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...
, pitted Wake Forest
2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Jim Grobe in his seventh season at the school and played its home games at BB&T Field. The team began its season with an Atlantic Coast...
against Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, with Wake Forest winning 9–6. Before 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...
began, most sports writers and pollsters predicted that Florida State would win the Atlantic Division while Virginia Tech would win the Coastal Division, setting up a rematch of the 2005 ACC Championship Game.
In October, Florida State lost back-to-back ACC conference games to Wake Forest and Miami
2007 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2007 Miami Hurricanes football team was Randy Shannon's first as head coach of his alma mater. It also marked the last year that Miami played its home games in the Miami Orange Bowl. Miami was 5-7 for the season.- Changes :...
, eliminating them from contention for their division title. Boston College, which had finished second in the preseason Atlantic Division poll, was ranked No. 2 in the country after Florida State's loss to Miami. Virginia Tech, which suffered a 48–7 defeat at the hands of then-No. 2 LSU
2007 LSU Tigers football team
The 2007 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the college football season of 2007–2008, winning the Southeastern Conference championship and the national championship. The team's Head Coach was Les Miles who entered his third year at the helm of LSU Football...
, nevertheless remained at the top of the Coastal Division standings as the Eagles passed the Seminoles for the Atlantic Division lead.
On October 25, Boston College traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, home of Virginia Tech, for a Thursday night game broadcast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. In heavy rain, Virginia Tech's defense dominated for most of the game. As time ran down, however, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan orchestrated two late-game touchdown drives, scoring 14 points in the final 2 minutes to win 14–10. The victory seemingly sealed Boston College's route to a national championship game, while the loss potentially jeopardized Virginia Tech's chances of being selected to play in the ACC Championship Game. Over the next two weeks, however, Boston College was upset by Florida State and Maryland. The Eagles rallied to win their final two games—against Miami and Clemson
2007 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2007 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2007 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Tommy Bowden and played their home games in Memorial Stadium.- Notable :...
—to clinch the division title. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, was undefeated through the remainder of its schedule, including a division-clinching win over its archrival, Virginia
2007 Virginia Cavaliers football team
The 2007 Virginia Cavaliers football team represented the University of Virginia in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's coach is coach Al Groh. They played their home games at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.- Preseason :...
. This meant that the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville would be a rematch between these two division champions.
Pre-game buildup
In the weeks leading up to the game, there was much media discussion of the future site of the game due to Jacksonville's expiring contract to host the ACC Championship. The media also discussed whether Virginia Tech would be out for revenge against Boston College after its last-second defeat in Blacksburg on October 25. Despite its previous loss, spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win the game, with most favoring the Hokies by 4.5–5 points.The game was the 15th contest between Boston College and Virginia Tech and was their second of the 2007 season. The first meeting, which took place in 1993 in the Big East conference, resulted in a 48–34 Boston College win. Between 1993 and 2003, Boston College and Virginia Tech played annually as part of their conference schedules. The teams did not meet in 2004 following Virginia Tech's move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. When Boston College followed in 2005, the schools resumed meeting during the regular season, playing in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Off-field issues
2006 ACC Championship Game
The Dr. Pepper 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a regular-season American football game to determine the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech by a 9–6 score...
, the Gator Bowl Association, which administered the ACC Championship Game during its first two years of existence, was awarded a one-year extension to its two-year contract to host the game. The 2006 game
2006 ACC Championship Game
The Dr. Pepper 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a regular-season American football game to determine the champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech by a 9–6 score...
suffered from poor attendance, resulting in over $1 million in losses for the Gator Bowl Association. In the off-season, the Gator Bowl Association declared that if sales did not improve for the 2007 ACC Championship game, the game's Jacksonville future would be in jeopardy. Attendance for the 2006 game was low due to high travel costs stemming from Jacksonville's distance from the participating schools, and the 2007 participants—Boston College and Virginia Tech—faced the same problem.
With Jacksonville's future as host in doubt, representatives from 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...
, 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....
, and Jacksonville visited the ACC offices to lobby to host the 2008 game
2008 ACC Championship Game
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...
. Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, which had been an early contender to host the 2008 game, was eliminated from consideration before the meetings took place. As kickoff drew closer, the Gator Bowl Association expressed displeasure with the poor ticket sales, saying that nearly 20,000 tickets remained unsold as of the week of the game and that if it was not a sellout, the game would likely not remain in Jacksonville.
Offensive matchups
Media attention was also directed at the teams' offensive capabilities. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in the week leading up to the game. In the first half of the 2007 season, Ryan had been prominently mentioned in candidate lists for the Heisman TrophyHeisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, college football's highest individual award. Although Ryan's late-game comeback in their previous game against Virginia Tech had made him a front-runner, the team's two subsequent losses to unranked teams dropped him from contention for the Heisman. Excellent performances in a division-clinching win at Clemson and against Miami seemed to return Ryan to Heisman-candidate form, however, and heading into the ACC Championship Game, Ryan appeared to be the biggest offensive threat for Boston College.
Virginia Tech's offense was led by an unusual two-quarterback system, as junior Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
shared time with freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
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...
. While Glennon proved to be a better pocket passer
Passing pocket
The passing pocket is a term used in American football to describe the area in the backfield that is created on a passing play where the offensive line forms a wall of protection around the quarterback to protect him...
, Taylor's quickness enabled him to scramble out of trouble and gain positive yardage even when no open receivers were available for 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...
es. Until the final game of the season, either Taylor or Glennon was hampered by injury and limited the two-quarterback system's effectiveness. Although the two-quarterback system proved effective against Virginia, there were still questions about how well such an unusual setup would work in the ACC Championship Game.
On the ground, Taylor's offensive scrambling
Scramble
Scramble may refer to:* Scramble , a 1981 arcade game* Scramble , an enemy of the Marvel Comics Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight* Scramble , a 1970 British drama film...
, while effective, was not Virginia Tech's primary rushing
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...
weapon. 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...
Brandon Ore
Brandon Ore
Branden Ore is a college football running back for West Liberty University. He had originally declared for the 2008 NFL Draft, but subsequently withdrew his name....
, Virginia Tech's starter at the position, would need to have a good game, analysts predicted, if the Hokies wanted to win the game. Ore, who suffered several injuries during the 2006 season
2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2006 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer...
, failed to produce meaningful offensive yardage until late in the season, disappointing many fans who hoped he would repeat his excellent 2006 performance on the field. With a 146-yard performance against Virginia in the final game of the regular season, Ore seemed to have regained his 2006 form and promised success in the ACC Championship Game.
The Boston College ground offense was led by running back Andre Callender, who had perhaps his biggest game of the year during the division-clinching match against Clemson two weeks earlier. In that game, Callender finished with 92 receiving
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
yards and 75 rushing yards. Due to the success of Matt Ryan's passing attack, however, Callender was used mostly as a backfield receiver and was the team's leading receiver statistically during the 2007 season. In the regular season, Callender amassed 905 yards rushing, 613 yards receiving, and 13 total touchdowns. Callender's normal backup, running back A.J. Brooks, was suspended for the ACC Championship Game.
Defensive matchups
Virginia Tech's defense was considered stronger than that of Boston College. For the ACC Championship Game, Virginia Tech returned senior 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...
Vince Hall
Vince Hall
Vincent Larry Hall is an American football linebacker who is currently playing for the Richmond Revolution of the Indoor Football League. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
to the starting lineup. Hall had sat out four straight games, including the previous Boston College match, after suffering a broken forearm
Forearm
-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...
and wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
. ESPN named Hall and Xavier Adibi
Xavier Adibi
Xavier Oyekola Adibi is an American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, Tech's other senior linebacker, the "best linebacker duo in the country".
On Virginia Tech's defensive secondary, Brandon Flowers
Brandon Flowers (American football)
Brandon Lavar Flowers is an American football cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft after playing college football at Virginia Tech...
, one of Tech's starting cornerbacks, was a second-team All-ACC defensive selection and had five interceptions in the season. Assisting Flowers would be Victor "Macho" Harris
Macho 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 had also netted five interceptions during the regular season. During the 2007 season, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
called the two "maybe the finest cornerback duo in America."
At the end of the regular season, Boston College was ranked 26th nationally in total defense, and 2nd nationally in run defense. Its pass defense, however, was ranked 106th in the country, and since Boston College was without senior cornerback DeJuan Tribble, who was recovering from a sprain
Sprain
A sprain is an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its capacity. A muscular tear caused in the same manner is referred to as a strain. In cases where either ligament or muscle tissue is torn, immobilization and surgical repair may be necessary...
ed knee ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
, it was expected that the Eagles' linebackers would have to play a very good game to stop Virginia Tech's passing offense. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who had been named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America to be the best defensively in the National Collegiate Athletic Association; the award is presented by the Charlotte...
(awarded to the top defensive player in the country) was expected to fill the gaps and stop both rushing and passing elements of Virginia Tech's offense.
In addition, safety Jamie Silva
Jamie Silva
James J. Silva is an American football safety who is currently in the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Boston College.-College career:...
would have to play a strong game to support the Boston College cornerback replacing the injured Tribble. Silva, an All-ACC defensive selection, led the team with five interceptions and was very good in moving up to stop the run as well. On the defensive line, defensive end Nick Larkin was a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy
Lott Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. IMPACT is an acronym for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the personal character of the winning player as well as...
, an award given to the defensive player with the most "defensive impact" nationally.
Game summary
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...
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...
. At kickoff, the weather was partly cloudy, with winds from the northeast at 18 miles per hour (29 km/h). The air temperature was 69 °F (20.6 °C). The official attendance estimate was 53,212, but by most accounts the actual attendance was far lower. Virginia Tech fans made up most of the crowd, and fewer than 5,000 Boston College fans were present at the game. The game was broadcast on ABC
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 netted a television rating of 4.1, placing it behind the SEC Championship Game
2007 SEC Championship Game
The 2007 SEC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2007 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The game determined the 2007 football champion of the Southeastern Conference. The LSU Tigers, winners of the Western division of the SEC, defeated the Tennessee Volunteers, who won the Eastern...
and the Big 12 Championship Game, which earned ratings of 5.9 and 6.6, respectively.
The Marching Virginians
Marching Virginians
The Marching Virginians are one of two collegiate marching bands at Virginia Tech . Established in 1974, their shows feature standard DCI techniques...
, Virginia Tech's marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
, and the "Screaming Eagles", the Boston College Marching Band
Boston College Marching Band
The Boston College Marching Band, also known as the "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band or BCMB, is the marching band for the Boston College Eagles. Founded in 1919, The Band is the largest and most visible student organization at Boston College...
, played the national anthem before the game. The pre-game coin toss involved two members of the Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "honor and empower wounded warriors" of the United States Armed Forces...
, a program that assists the physical rehabilitation of wounded American combat veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s returning to the United States from fighting overseas. One soldier from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and another from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
were chosen to throw the ceremonial coin that would determine the game's starting possession. Supervising the coin toss was referee
Official (American football)
In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...
Jack Childress, who had also officiated the inaugural ACC Championship Game.
First quarter
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"...
, which was downed in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
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...
. Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Eagles advanced down the field as quarterback Matt Ryan completed several passes and running back Andre Callender contributed several long runs. A pass interference
Pass interference
In American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
call against Virginia Tech, coupled with a 10-yard run by Callender, put Boston College at the Virginia Tech 26-yard line. After three consecutive incomplete pass
Incomplete pass
An incomplete pass is a term in American football which means that a legal forward pass hits the ground before a player on either team gains possession. For example, if the quarterback throws the ball to one of his wide receivers, and the receiver either does not touch it or tries to catch it...
es, Eagles kicker Steve Aponavicius
Steve Aponavicius
Steve Aponavicius is an American football kicker. In 2009, he became the leading scorer in the history of Boston College's football program. A left-footed soccer convert, Aponavicius made his first start of his career against Virginia Tech on October 12, 2006 and successfully kicked two field...
attempted a 36-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
. During the field goal, Virginia Tech special teams player Duane Brown
Duane Brown
Duane Anthony Brown is an American football offensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He was drafted in the first round by the Texans in the 2008 NFL Draft...
broke through the Eagles' line and blocked the kick, giving Virginia Tech possession of the ball.
Virginia Tech's offense, led by quarterback Sean Glennon, began their first possession at their own 37-yard line. However, a sack
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...
, a tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
for loss, and an incomplete pass denied the Hokies' offense positive yardage and they were forced to 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....
. Tech punter Brent Bowden managed a 54-yard kick that forced the Eagles to start at their own 14-yard line, but three big plays of 16, 19, and 19 yards drove the Eagles deep into Virginia Tech territory. As before, however, Virginia Tech's defense stiffened and Boston College was forced into a fourth down. Instead of attempting a long field goal, the Eagles instead attempted to convert the fourth down but were foiled by an incomplete pass.
On the Hokies' second offensive possession, quarterback Tyrod Taylor took the field in place of Sean Glennon. Two successful passes and two short runs resulted in two first downs and Virginia Tech advanced the ball across the 50-yard line and into Boston College territory. As Taylor attempted to scramble for yet another short run, however, he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
and fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
d the ball. The loose ball was scooped up by Boston College defender Jamie Silva, who returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown and subsequent extra point were the first points of the game and gave Boston College a 7–0 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the quarter.
After the kickoff, Virginia Tech's offense again failed to advance the ball. After a three-and-out, the Hokies again punted. The ball traveled 44 yards, forcing the Eagles to start at their own 21-yard line. As the quarter came to a close, the Eagles drove the ball deep into Virginia Tech territory. At the end of the first quarter, Boston College led 7–0.
Second quarter
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Hokies' defense began to stiffen. Aided by a 10-yard holding penalty against the Eagles, Matt Ryan was forced to complete a 14-yard pass on 4th-and-9 to earn a first down and keep the drive alive. Three incomplete passes followed, however, and the Eagles again settled for a field goal attempt. This time, the 37-yard kick sailed through the uprights, giving Boston College a 10–0 lead with 11:20 remaining in the first half.Virginia Tech's first offensive drive of the second quarter began on an auspicious note as quarterback Sean Glennon completed a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Morgan
Josh Morgan
Joshua Lewis Morgan is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.-High school career:Morgan played quarterback, wide receiver...
. Following the play, a Boston College player committed a personal foul, which added 15 yards to the end of the pass. Another long pass by Glennon, coupled with yet another Boston College penalty, put Virginia Tech deep into the red zone
Red Zone
Red Zone may refer to:*Red Zone , a region of France decimated during World War I*Red Zone , a term designating unsafe areas in Iraq after the 2003 invasion by the United States, Britain, and other allies...
, and the Hokies scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Morgan. With 8:15 remaining in the first half, Virginia Tech narrowed Boston College's lead to just three points.
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
. The play kept Boston College's lead within a single touchdown and extra point. With 5:27 remaining in the half, the score was now 16–9 in favor of Boston College.
Tech quarterback Sean Glennon's first pass of the new possession, long throw downfield, was intercepted by Boston College defender Jamie Silva
Jamie Silva
James J. Silva is an American football safety who is currently in the National Football League. He was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Boston College.-College career:...
. The length of the pass meant that Boston College did not have good field position following the turnover
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
. After earning a quick first down, the Eagles were stopped and forced to punt. With 2:13 remaining before halftime, the Hokies had one more offensive opportunity.
Beginning at their own 20-yard line, the Virginia Tech offense marched down the field. Running back Branden Ore ran 11 yards for a first down, and two long passes from Sean Glennon to wide receiver Eddie Royal
Eddie Royal
William Edward "Eddie" Royal is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League...
put the Hokies into scoring position. After failing to gain first downs with short runs, Virginia Tech was forced to use its timeouts to stop the clock and the first half from ending before they had a chance to score. On a 3rd-and-7 from the Boston College 13-yard line, Glennon finally connected with wide receiver Josh Hyman, who crossed into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point tied the game, 16–16.
With no time left to mount an answering drive, Boston College received the kickoff and let time run out. Heading into halftime, the two teams were tied, 16–16.
Third quarter
Boston College, in their first possession of the second half, fared even worse than Virginia Tech did. Two incomplete passes and a 5-yard delay of game
Delay of game
Delay of game is an action in a sports game in which a player or team deliberately stalls the game, usually with the intention of using the delay to its advantage. In some sports, the delay of game is considered an infraction if it is longer than that permitted according to the game's rules, in...
penalty forced Boston College into a three-and-out possession that resulted in a punt. On its second possession, Virginia Tech had a three-and-out drive, thanks in part to an 11-yard sack of Sean Glennon by Boston College's Kevin Atkins.
After receiving the punt, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan connected on a 31-yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Robinson. As before, however, the offense stalled. On 4th-and-1 from the Virginia Tech 30-yard line, Ryan attempted a pass that fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs. As a result of pressure applied by the Boston College defense, the Hokies continued to have difficulty moving the ball.
The Hokies were forced to punt again, and Brent Bowden's 50-yard punt stuck the Eagles deep in their own territory. The drive began with a five-yard penalty against Boston College and culminated two plays later in a six-yard loss on a sack of Matt Ryan by Hokie defender Barry Booker. Boston College punted, but the kick by Johnny Ayers traveled just 34 yards before sailing out of bounds
Out of bounds
Out of bounds is the area outside the boundaries of a sport's field of playOut of Bounds may also refer to:* Out of Bounds , a movie starring Anthony Michael Hall...
.
Virginia Tech had good starting field position at their own 44-yard line. One quick first down later, the clock ran out on the third quarter. As neither team had scored in the quarter, the score remained tied at 16–16.
Fourth quarter
After an incomplete pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies got their first big offensive break of the second half. On a designed play, Taylor scrambled for 31 yards, the largest play in the game for the Hokies. Two successful runs by running back Branden Ore followed, earning the Hokies 23 more yards and pushing the offense deep into Boston College territory. A false-start penalty set the Hokie offense back, but on the next play, quarterback Sean Glennon connected with wide receiver Eddie Royal on a 24-yard strike for a touchdown. The touchdown and extra point were the first points of the second half and gave Virginia Tech a 23–16 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game.
Boston College began its second possession of the fourth quarter knowing it had to score a 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:...
to tie the game. Quarterback Matt Ryan had his best success of the day, connecting on seven of ten passes during the drive and picking up 58 yards. All of the Eagles' yardage on the drive came through the air, and with 2:25 remaining, the Eagles found themselves at the Virginia Tech 14-yard line. Facing a fourth down and needing four yards for a first down, Matt Ryan fell back to attempt a pass. The throw was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Vince Hall.
Starting at its own 10-yard line, Virginia Tech ran three straight running plays in an effort to run the clock down and prevent Boston College from having enough time to conduct another offensive drive. After the third run was stopped for no gain, however, the Hokies were forced to punt the ball. Boston College now had 28 seconds to score a touchdown and either tie the game with an extra point or win it with a two-point conversion.
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
es. Although the odds of completing one such pass, let alone several, were very low, many Virginia Tech fans remained worried, as Boston College had previously beaten the Hokies in similar circumstances earlier in the season. Matt Ryan's first two passes fell incomplete, and his third was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Xavier Adibi
Xavier Adibi
Xavier Oyekola Adibi is an American football linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and returned 40 yards for a Virginia Tech touchdown.
The score came with 11 seconds remaining and gave Virginia Tech its final lead, 30–16. With no chance to win, Boston College elected to let the clock run out after receiving the kickoff
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"...
. Virginia Tech won the 2007 ACC Championship, 30–16.
Final statistics
Virginia Tech quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon
Sean Glennon is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent in the National Football League....
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...
. Glennon finished the game having completed 18 of his 27 passes, earning 174 passing yards, three 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:...
s (18 points), and one interception. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan (American football)
Matthew Thomas "Matt" Ryan , nicknamed "Matty Ice," is the starting American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round as the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...
had finished 33 of 52 for 305 yards and two interceptions, no passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown.
Each team finished with two turnovers
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
—Virginia Tech fumbled the ball once and threw one interception, while Boston College's offense threw two. Each team earned seven points off of turnovers, and Virginia Tech blocked two kicks. The two blocked kicks effectively netted five points for Virginia Tech, as the blocked field goal prevented Boston College from scoring three points, and the other blocked kick was returned 75 yards for a rare defensive two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
. The two blocked kicks by Virginia Tech were the first and second blocked kicks in ACC Championship Game history, and Boston College's fumble return for a touchdown was the first fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in ACC Championship Game history.
Virginia Tech statistical recap
Two-thirds of Virginia Tech's 300 total offensiveTotal 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...
yardage came via passes from quarterbacks Sean Glennon (174 yards) and Tyrod Taylor (28 yards). Glennon's three passing 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:...
s tied an ACC Championship Game record set by former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick
Marcus Vick
Marcus Vick is a former college and professional football player. He is the younger brother of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who also began playing high school football in Newport News Public Schools. After accepting a full scholarship to attend Virginia Tech, Marcus played...
in 2005
2005 ACC Championship Game
The 2005 Dr. Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game was the inaugural contest of the game. It was a regular-season ending American college football contest at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles. The...
. Glennon also set the ACC Championship Game record for pass completion percentage (66.7%) by completing 18 of his 27 passes. Taylor, meanwhile, set ACC Championship Game records for longest run and longest quarterback run with a 31-yard scramble in the second quarter that helped set up the tying touchdown for Virginia Tech. Taylor finished the game with 36 rushing
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...
yards, the third-most of any player in the game.
On the ground, Taylor's performance was supplemented by Tech 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...
Branden Ore, who led all rushers with 55 yards on 19 rushes
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...
. Fourteen of Ore's 55 yards came on a single play halfway through the fourth quarter when the Boston College's defensive line gave way, admitting Tech's runner into the defensive secondary
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. The run helped set up Virginia Tech's go-ahead touchdown later in the fourth quarter. Capping Tech's ground game were complimentary performances by Kenny Lewis and Sean Glennon, each of whom earned fewer than 10 yards, but picked up first downs on two plays.
Leading all Tech receivers
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...
was Josh Morgan, who caught eight passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Eddie Royal also had an excellent game for the Hokies, catching two long passes of 18 yards and 11 yards on subsequent plays in the second quarter. Royal's 2 catches drove the Hokies deep into Boston College territory, setting up a 13-yard touchdown pass to Josh Hyman that tied the game at halftime. Royal's biggest play, however, came halfway through the fourth quarter when he caught the go-ahead touchdown pass from Sean Glennon. The 24-yard reception was Royal's longest catch of the day, and the touchdown gave the Hokies a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
Though its offense performed well, it was Virginia Tech's special teams and defense that earned it the win. Duane Brown's twin blocked kicks were the first blocks recorded in ACC Championship Game history and were the 116th and 117th blocked kicks recorded at Virginia Tech under 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...
. In addition to the blocks, Tech special teams excelled on punts and kickoff
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"...
s. Tech punter Brent Bowden finished the day with seven punts for a total of 324 yards. A 54-yard kick in the first quarter was the fourth-longest punt in ACC Championship Game history.
On defense, linebacker
Linebacker
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...
Vince Hall, in his second game after recovering from a broken forearm
Forearm
-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...
, led all defensive players with 11 tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s. Hall also recorded an interception in the late stages of the fourth quarter that allowed Virginia Tech to run down the clock and force Boston College into a hasty offense. Tied for third overall was Tech's Xavier Adibi, who recorded nine tackles (one for loss) and caught the game-ending interception. Adibi returned the interception 40 yards for a defensive touchdown that sealed the victory for the Hokies.
Boston College statistical recap
Though Boston College lost the game on the scoreboard, it won almost every statistical category. Quarterback Matt Ryan outperformed both Hokie quarterbacks combined in passing yardage, throwing for 305 yards. Ryan was extremely accurate through the air in the fourth quarter, throwing eight straight complete passes, an ACC Championship Game record. Ryan also was surprisingly successful on the ground, rushingRush (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 Boston College's touchdown of the game—a 14-yard sprint in the second quarter that put Boston College ahead 16–7.
In the first half, the Eagles offense recorded 20 first downs. In the second half, it managed just four first downs, three of which came in one drive in the fourth quarter. As a result of second-half pressure from Virginia Tech, Ryan was forced into two late-game interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
s, including one that was returned for a Virginia Tech defensive touchdown.
Ryan finished the game with 35 rushing yards, just one short of Hokie quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who had been highly promoted as a runner heading into the game. Ryan finished fourth among all rushers, and Eagle running back Andre Callender, the sole running back on the Eagles' roster, finished second, rushing for 51 yards in the game. Callender game-long 11-yard run helped set up the Eagles for a field goal attempt early in the second quarter.
Callender's true success, however, was in the passing game, where he accrued 92 yards, putting him first among all receivers in the game. Callender's 13 catches were an ACC Championship Game record and were the fourth-highest total for a receiver in any game in ACC history. Wide receiver Kevin Challenger finished the game with 4 catches for 45 yards, while the Eagles' Rich Gunnell finished the game with 54 yards. Surprisingly for the number of receiving
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
yards recorded by the Eagles in the game, no Boston College receiver caught a touchdown.
Boston College punter Johnny Ayres kicked four pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
ts a total of 159 yards, including one long kick that traveled 55 yards and set the mark for the third-longest punt in ACC Championship Game history. Kicker Steve Aponavicius successfully kicked a 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter. but after his second kick was blocked, Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski
Jeff Jagodzinski
-United Football League:-External links:*...
seemed reluctant to try long field goals and instead sent in the offense to attempt to convert the fourth down. Out of four tries, only one fourth down was converted into a first down.
On defense, Boston College had more success than predicted by pre-game coverage. Jamie Silva's fumble return for a touchdown was the first defensive score in ACC Championship Game history. Silva finished the game with five tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
s (one for loss), one interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
, the forced fumble, and the defensive touchdown. DeLeon Gause, meanwhile, was the Eagles' leading tackler, recording 10 stops including one tackle for loss. Altogether, the Eagles recorded four sacks and nine tackles for loss, holding the Hokie offense in check for most of the game.
Post-game effects
Virginia Tech's victory in the ACC Championship Game had far-reaching sporting consequences for the 2007–2008 college football bowl season and in the future site of the ACC Championship Game. The 2007 game injected approximately $10 million into the Jacksonville economy. Thousands of hotel rooms were filled by fans traveling to the game, and the impact they created was larger than that of the previous year's game, which featured teams that had shorter distances to travel and whose fans had generated less demand for overnight accommodation. Despite the fact that fans spent more in 2007 than at any previous ACC Championship Game, poor ticket sales at the box office necessitated a move.2008 ACC Championship Game
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 of the actual games. 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.
Bowl effects
With its win, Virginia Tech clinched an automatic bid to the 2008 Orange Bowl2008 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...
. This caused ripple effects in the bowl destinations for virtually every bowl-eligible ACC team. In the 2007 season, the ACC had guaranteed tie-ins with eight bowl games.
The ACC's representatives to these bowls were picked in a hierarchical system that allowed the Chick-fil-A Bowl
2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl was an edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Auburn Tigers against the Clemson Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
to have the first selection after the Orange Bowl's automatic pick of the winner of the ACC Championship Game. Following the Chick-fil-A Bowl were the Gator Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
, Music City Bowl
Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998.-Site:The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998...
, Meineke Car Care Bowl, Emerald Bowl
Emerald Bowl
The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually at 40,800-seat AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in San Francisco, California, since 2002...
, and Humanitarian Bowl, in that order. The ACC's agreement with the bowls dictated that the bowls would select the highest-ranking ACC team left after the bowls with higher selections made their pick. Bowls would be allowed to skip the highest remaining team only if the next team was within one conference win of the highest remaining team. Therefore, a bowl could select a 5–3 team over a 6–2 team, but could not select a 4–4 team over a 6–2 team.
With Virginia Tech earning an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl had the first pick of the remaining ACC teams. Boston College, by virtue of its loss in the ACC Championship Game, was the highest remaining team, but Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives instead chose to invite Clemson, which had finished behind Boston College in the Atlantic Division standings. In making their decision, Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives cited Boston College's poor attendance at the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville. The Gator Bowl, which is also held in Jacksonville, was reluctant to choose a team that had participated in the ACC Championship Game out of feat that the team's fans would be unwilling to return to Jacksonville so quickly. The Gator Bowl Association requested and received a waiver from the league's strict bowl selection rules and selected Virginia over Boston College.
The Champs Sports Bowl was thus forced to select Boston College. Boston College players and fans, owing to the decreased status of the Champs Sports Bowl when compared with the Orange, Chick-fil-A, and Gator Bowls, were disappointed with the selection and match against Michigan State. Had Boston College won the ACC Championship Game, it would have earned the automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, and Virginia Tech would have been selected by the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which had earlier expressed an interest in inviting the Hokies to the game for a second straight year
2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a postseason college football match between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The University of Georgia represented the Southeastern Conference and Virginia Tech represented the Atlantic Coast Conference in the...
. Clemson would have been bumped down to the Gator Bowl, and Virginia would have been forced into the Champs Sports Bowl.
See also
- List of Atlantic Coast Conference football champions
- Glossary of American footballGlossary of American footballThe following terms are used in American football and Canadian football, but see also the glossary of Canadian football.-0-9: A formation of the 4-3 defense featuring several dramatic shifts of personnel...
Other conference championship games
- 2007 SEC Championship Game2007 SEC Championship GameThe 2007 SEC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2007 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The game determined the 2007 football champion of the Southeastern Conference. The LSU Tigers, winners of the Western division of the SEC, defeated the Tennessee Volunteers, who won the Eastern...
- Big 12 Championship Game
- 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...