Associated Press
CLEMSON, S.C. ó Clemson receiver Jacoby Ford has loved playing Boston College, even if he hasn’t always liked the result.
In Ford’s previous three seasons, the ACC series has produced a double overtime classic, a dramatic showdown for the league’s title game and a breakthrough victory that helped a young Tiger coach win a job.
“These are the funniest games to play in here,” Ford said. “Especially with a team as high caliber as Boston College that’s been in ACC championship games. We know they’re going to give us their best shot.”
And Ford also knows things will likely come down the final moments today when the Eagles(2-0) open their Atlantic Coast Conference season against the Tigers (1-1, 0-1 ACC).
That’s the way it’s been for Clemson-Boston College since the Eagles jumped to the ACC before the 2005 season. BC earned its first ever league win that year, taking the favored Tigers to overtime in a 16-13 victory. The margin was even slimmer the next year, a missed extra point in the second overtime of a 34-33 BC win.
In 2007 came a Death Valley dual for a shot at the championship that did not disappoint. Boston College’s comeback wizard Matt Ryan connected with Rich Gunnell on a 43-yard pass with less than 2 minutes left, stunning Clemson’s home crowd and locking up a 20-17 win and a trip to the ACC title game.
Ford and the Tigers finally pulled out a close one, giving up a 17-0 lead before winning 27-21 and handing interim coach Dabo Swinney his first college win.
It has been “guys like C.J. Spiller, Matt Ryan, (B.J.) Raji, (Ron) Brace, (Mark) Herzlich, a lot of good players laying it on the line. And usually this game has meant something,” Swinney said.