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Ryan, Boston College earn rare win against Miami

Nov 25, 2007 - 12:25 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHESTNUT HILL, Massachusetts (Ticker) -- Boston College finally found a way to solve the University of Miami.

Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Ryan threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns as the 15th-ranked Eagles snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Hurricanes with a 28-14 win in an Atlantic Coast Conference clash Saturday.

It was Boston College's first win over Miami since Doug Flutie connected with Gerard Phelan on the game's final play on Thanksgiving weekend in 1984.

"We talked this week about breaking through that glass ceiling and not being able to get there," Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "You couldn't beat Miami, you couldn't do this and you couldn't do that. But now we've done it and once you break through that, you can really start building on that."

The Eagles (10-2, 6-2 ACC) reached the 10-win plateau in the regular season for just the second time in school history and the first time since 1940.

Boston College will face No. 8 Virginia Tech in the ACC title game on December 1 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Eagles had already claimed their spot in the championship game prior to beating Miami, and the Hokies joined them with a 33-21 victory over No. 16 Virginia on Saturday.

The Eagles found themselves in a 14-14 tie early in the fourth quarter Saturday before pulling away.

Ryan, who threw two interceptions and a lost a costly fumble, found Clarence Megwa over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown with 11 minutes remaining in the game.

"We've done a good job all year of answering on offense when we've needed to and we've done a real good job of shutting people down on defense when we needed to and we did that today," Ryan said. "We're happy to walk away with a win ... We're getting ready for the ACC championship now."

The fourth-quarter touchdown pass gave Ryan 28 for the season, breaking Flutie's 1984 single-season mark.

Senior Andre Callender put things out of reach with a 45-yard run to paydirt midway through the fourth quarter. Callender finished with 93 yards on 14 carries while Rich Gunnell led all Boston College receivers with nine catches for 135 yards.

Both teams struggled offensively in the first half before Ryan found L.V. Whitworth from eight yards out for the first touchdown of the game in the second quarter.

After the teams exchanged interceptions in the final 90 seconds of the first half, Ryan connected with Kevin Challenger on a five-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining before halftime.

"We have a veteran team with 17 fifth-year seniors, and we've been through a lot before," Ryan said. "There are ebbs and flows in a season but you have to get back and continue to go and that's what I think we did."

Miami linebacker Glenn Sharpe picked off Ryan at the BC 23 early in the third quarter.

Ryan's second interception of the day and 16th of the season was immediately converted into points when Miami quarterback Kyle Wright found Ryan Hill with a touchdown pass on the next play, cutting the Eagles' lead to 14-7.

Ryan Dixon sacked Ryan early in the fourth quarter, causing the quarterback to fumble. Lovon Ponder recovered and Miami capitalized with Wright tossing a two-yard fade to Sam Shields for a game-tying touchdown with 11:44 remaining in the fourth.

Wright, also a senior, finished 24-of-43 for 205 yards and an interception as Miami lost in Chestnut Hill for the first time since 1975.

"They scored in 23 seconds in that drive (after Miami tied the game)," Wright said. "Even after that, it wasn't like we were down on ourselves or down on each other.

"Their defense hadn't really stopped us all day. I felt we could put together another drive but we just didn't get it done in the end."

It was the final home game for 22 Boston College seniors, who leave as the most successful class in the program's history. Saturday's win gave them a mark of 38-11 and back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history.

Miami (5-7, 2-6) fell to 23-4 all-time against Boston College and failed to become bowl-eligible for the first time in 10 years.

"The one thing I did learn from this season is that we are going to develop a team that, when things get difficult, we are going to learn how to fight and win games," said Randy Shannon, who finished his first season as Miami's coach.