Clemson snaps 50-year losing streak against Eagles

BOSTON - C.J. Spiller's day wasn't done after a hit left him wobbly on the sideline. First, though, he had to pass a test from the Clemson medical staff to prove he was lucid enough to return.

"He had to fight with the doggone trainers. They weren't going to let him back in," interim Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said after Spiller returned to lead the Tigers to a 27-21 victory over Boston College. "I guess he guessed right on the three questions. I asked him what the three questions were and helped him with the answers."

The Tigers (4-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) had not beaten the Eagles (5-3, 2-3) in six tries since 1958, including three straight heartbreakers since BC joined the league: One in overtime, one in double overtime and one on a touchdown pass in the final minutes.

"It felt like we had the momentum most of the game," said receiver Aaron Kelly, whose touchdown reception with 7:10 left put the Tigers ahead 24-21 after they squandered a 17-0 halftime lead. "It was like 'Oh, man. Here we go again. 'But the team never gave up."

Spiller, who missed most of the third quarter after what was called a head injury, caught six passes for 105 yards, the most for a running back in Clemson history, while setting up one touchdown with a 57-yard scamper run and another with a 64- yard kickoff return.

"We knew they'd come back, after the last few times we played them," said Spiller, who was awarded a leather helmet as the game's MVP. "Coach said, 'It's time to go out and make a big play.'"

Swinney earned an orange Gatorade bath for his first victory since he took over the Tigers , the consensus preseason picks to win the conference, when Tommy Bowden stepped down for the good of the program. He lost his debut to Georgia Tech as Clemson fell for the third straight week.

Cullen Harper completed 21 of 33 passes for 252 yards, and linebacker DeAndre McDaniel forced a key fourth-quarter fumble by Clarence Megwa. The BC receiver was taken off the field on a cart after dropping what would have been a first-down reception, setting up the Tigers up at the BC 40 and leading to a 43- yard field goal with 2:46 to play that made it 27-21.

Chris Crane completed 18 of 39 passes for 116 yards, but the Eagles turned the ball over on downs on their final possession when his pass to James McCluskey was ruled out of bounds and upheld by replay.

"It played out a lot like last year," Crane said. "We were down and we came back and we just didn't have that final push. We just didn't score on the last drive."