Program will be hearing praise

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- It was going to be a jump ball, and Larry Anam was spotting Greg Carr 7 inches.

"I bodied him up," said the cheerful Boston College cornerback. "I'm from Africa, I've got strong legs."

In other words, Anam, all of 5 feet 11 inches, boxed out the 6-6 Carr?

"That's exactly what I did," reported the Nigerian-born fifth-year senior. "I boxed him out."

Anam apparently has superb hands to augment those strong legs, because he reached up, stopped the ball with his right hand, and brought it down into his chest.

It was only the ballgame; that's all. It was a Hail Mary pass into the end zone, and when Anam came down with it, the game was over and BC was a 24-19 victor over Florida State.

"Winning at Florida State is as good a win as I've ever been around," gushed director of football operations Barry Gallup, who has been around BC football for more than 40 years. "They are 52-3 here against ACC competition since they joined the league. That's a legendary program."

It's not like beating the Seminoles five or 10 years ago. With this loss Bobby Bowden's team slipped to 4-3 and if he were anything less than a certified local icon there would be calls for his 77-year old head (There may be, anyway). But it's still Florida State and those two national championship proclamations are still there for all to see behind one of the end zones. There was a time when the idea of BC beating Virginia Tech and Florida State back-to-back, and beating Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium, would have been dismissed as the thoughts of an idiot.

So allow the BC kids to enjoy this.

"I'm speechless," said Anam. "I grew up in Africa. I never knew about football until my sophomore year in high school. But the first things I learned about football were Miami and Florida State. So, for me, being a fifth-year guy and then coming up with this interception, I couldn't write a better script."

"Notre Dame and Florida State, those are the schools I looked up to growing up," said running back L.V. Whitworth. "I always wanted to play in stadiums like this. It's great to get a win here."

For a while, it looked as if it were going to be -- I know it sounds crazy -- easy. The Eagles were leading, 24-10, late in the third quarter and were on the move for at least another 3 points when quarterback Matt Ryan hit tight end Ryan Purvis with a pass for an apparent first down. But FSU linebacker Buster Davis separated Purvis from the ball.

It was a definite "Uh-Oh" moment, and, sure enough, Florida State was energized. They took over at their 45 and quarterback Drew Weatherford drove them the required 55 yards in nine plays to make it 24-17 with 12:31 remaining.

BC could only manage one first down, and when Johnny Ayers punted the ball back, the Seminoles took over on their 23 with 9:12 to play.

They would hold the ball for an excruciating 17 plays, covering the next 7:18. A tiring BC defense just could not get off the field. Weatherford got the chains moved five times, converting three third-down passes to running back Antone Smith and one each to Carr and tight end Caz Piurowski. But BC pulled itself together when Florida State reached the Eagles' 15 for a first down with 3:56 remaining.

"I just said, `Hey, it's do or die for our season,' " said linebacker Brian Toal.

The Eagles got a huge break on third and 3 at the 8 when Weatherford fumbled the snap and was lucky to recover the ball. Then on fourth down defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani called upon his best player to make a play. In other words, he blitzed Toal, whose pressure forced Weatherford into a futile quasi-shovel pass that fell short.

"Coach decided to bring me," Toal said. "I came off the edge, spun, and when he stepped up into the pocket, I got a hand on him."

There was 1:54 left. The game would be "over" if BC could get a first down, and it could not. Forced to punt from his end zone, coach Tom O'Brien made a fairly obvious call, opting for the intentional safety. Ayers casually jogged to his left, and out of bounds.

"With the rules the way they are now with the clock," O'Brien explained, "that when you kick off the ball, you use clock. I think we went from 35 to 18 [seconds] . . . We weren't going to punt in that situation, let them block and get the ball back in good field position, because we were gassed."

Ayers's ensuing free kick from the 20 was run back to the Seminoles' 45. FSU still had a chance. Weatherford completed one to the dangerous Chris Davis for 13 yards. One play left. One heave into the end zone. And one great target available.

Carr had been a worry all day, with one touchdown reception and some other scary moments for the BC secondary. It was not beyond the realm of possibility that he could pull one down, no matter how many BC players surrounded him. As the ball descended, there was a major scrum and there was no way to know what had happened until the official on the spot signaled signalled interception.

Number 9 in maroon had the football. And he had no plans to give it up.

"I held it like it was my first born," said Larry Anam.

Bob Ryan is a Globe columnist. His e-mail address is ryan@globe.com.