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Virginia Tech looks for revenge against Boston College

Dec 1, 2007 - 11:31 AM No. 12 Boston College (10-2) vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech (10-2) 1:00 pm EST

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Virginia Tech has not forgotten its collapse against Boston College on October 25, when it squandered a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter and suffered a 14-10 loss.

The defeat likely knocked the Hokies out of the national championship game, but they will have a chance for revenge on Saturday when they meet the Eagles again in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Virginia Tech (10-2) has taken to wearing tee-shirts with "6:01" on the front. That represents the time remaining in the first game when Virginia Tech got back the ball with a 10-0 lead.

But Boston College (10-2) forced a punt, and quarterback Matt Ryan engineered two scoring drives in the final 4:11 to rally the Eagles to an improbable victory.

"A minor setback for a major comeback," Virginia Tech freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor said.

While Virginia Tech, which is sixth in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings, has a remote chance to play for the national championship, the winner of Saturday's game is likely headed to the Orange Bowl.

Since the loss to Boston College, the Hokies have been on a mission, reeling off four straight victories in impressive fashion.

Last week, Virginia Tech clinched the ACC's Coastal Division title with a 33-21 victory over Virginia.

The Hokies rode their two-headed quarterback platoon of Sean Glennon and Taylor. Glennon completed 13-of-19 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown, while Taylor rushed for a pair of scores.

Boston College wrapped up the ACC's Atlantic Division title two weeks, when Ryan engineered his second dramatic comeback of the season.

The senior quarterback tossed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Rich Gunnell with 1:46 remaining, rallying the Eagles to a 20-17 victory over Clemson.

Last week, Boston College tuned up for the ACC title game with a 28-14 victory over Miami.

"It's going to be a different go this time," Ryan said of the rematch with the Hokies. "They know what we're going to do, we know what they're going to do. We're going to be in for a very tough game. I expect it to be very physical and a lot of fun."

On Tuesday, Ryan was named one of five finalists for the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year Award. He has passed for 3,953 yards and a school-record 28 touchdowns this season.