Associated Press
The ACC roundup …
CLEMSON, S.C. ó Dabo did it, leading Clemson from college football’s biggest embarrassment to a bowl game. Whether it’s enough to give Clemson’s interim coach the job full time is another matter.
“My job was to get them ready to play,” Dabo Swinney said. “It’s somebody else’s job to determine if they want me to continue here or somebody else. Quite frankly, I’m at peace either way.”
Although the Tigers players and fans might not be should Swinney not be retained after the team’s 31-14 victory over rival South Carolina on Saturday.
Clemson, 3-4 a month ago, has won four of its final five and is now in line for the Champs Sports Bowl, whose representatives attended the game.
James Davis scored three touchdowns in his last Death Valley appearance and the Tigers (7-5) beat the Gamecocks for sixth time in seven seasons.
Swinney took over on Oct. 13 when Tommy Bowden walked away with the Tigers’ expected Atlantic Coast Conference title season in shambles.
Almost from the start, Swinney made every right move. None, though, was bigger than letting Clemson’s best playmakers make the plays. That showed against South Carolina (7-5).
Davis powered his way to his 47th, 48th and 49th career touchdowns, one away from the school record.C.J. Spiller had a dazzling 39-yard burst to set up Davis’ first score.
No. 20 Boston College 28, Maryland 21BOSTON ó Twenty-four years after his uncle Doug threw the pass that earned Boston College a berth in its last major bowl game, Billy Flutie helped put the Eagles back on a path to New Year’s Day with a short flick of the wrist.
The BC backup quarterback, punter and kick-holder threw for a 9-yard touchdown on a fake field goal to lead the 20th-ranked Eagles to a spot in the ACC championship game with a 28-21 victory over Maryland.
“Flutie,” Eagles coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. “You haven’t heard that in a while around here, have you?”
BC (9-3, 5-3 ACC) will play Virginia Tech in the ACC title game on Saturday ó the second straight year the former Big East foes will play for the conference’s spot in the Orange Bowl.
Virginia Tech 17, Virginia 14
BLACKSBURG, Va. ó Missing, among others, seven defensive starters lost to graduation, the top four wide receivers and a former All-ACC tailback, the Hokies (8-4, 5-3) still managed to win the Coastal Division title.
The Hokies found an answer for surprise Cavaliers quarterback Vic Hall, and deprived Virginia (5-7, 3-5) of an opportunity to go to a bowl game for the second time in three years.
No. 18 Georgia Tech 45, No. 13 Georgia 42
ATHENS, Ga. ó Georgia Tech had not beaten Georgia since 2000, and it wasn’t looking good when the Yellow Jackets trailed by 16 points at halftime.
But Roddy Jones rushed a career-best 214 yards, including a decisive 54-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and No. 18 Georgia Tech rallied to snap a seven-game losing streak against its state rival with a 45-42 victory over 13th-ranked Georgia.
After building a 28-12 halftime lead, the Bulldogs (9-3) simply had no answer for Georgia Tech’s unique offense, which piled up 409 yards on the ground.