WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Backup quarterback Dominique Davis sneaked 1 yard for a touchdown with 1:12 remaining to lead Boston College past Wake Forest 24-21 today and keep its Atlantic Coast Conference title hopes alive.

Davis, who took over for the injured Chris Crane in the second quarter, was 13-of-23 for 103 yards, and two of his fumbles were returned for touchdowns.

But he made enough key throws on the decisive nine-play, 70-yard drive in the final 5 minutes to help the Eagles (8-3, 4-3) win in Winston-Salem for the first time and set up a winner-take-all matchup next week with Maryland for the Atlantic Division title.

He hit Rich Gunnell for 36 yards on third-and-13 and found Brandon Robinson for 21 yards to the 1, then powered into the end zone on the next play to make it 22-21. Montel Harris ran for the 2-point conversion.

Riley Skinner led Wake Forest to the BC 39 in the final minute, but his deep heave to Ben Wooster on fourth-and-5 was broken up by safety Wes Davis with 29 seconds left.

Skinner finished 14-of-28 for 126 yards for the Demon Deacons (6-5, 4-4). He was intercepted twice by Mark Herzlich and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Rich Belton one play after Gelo Smith blocked a punt deep in BC territory, and Kevin Patterson and Kyle Wilber returned fumbles for touchdowns.

Herzlich returned one of those picks for a touchdown and set up a field goal with the other, and Steve Aponavicius finished with field goals of 32, 30 and 30 yards for Boston College, which lost Crane to an apparent injury to his right arm while he scrambled in the second quarter.

Wake Forest's defense — which last year was the nation's best at turning turnovers into touchdowns — generated some points in the final minutes of the first half. Smith knocked the ball loose from Davis and Patterson plucked it out of the air and brought it back 15 yards for his second defensive TD of the season to pull the Demon Deacons within 13-7.

Them, Wilber scored to make it 16-14 on the first play of the third quarter. Brandon Ghee drilled Davis on a blitz, the ball popped out and Wilber inadvertently kicked it before scooping it up at the 3 and falling into the end zone, giving Wake Forest two defensive scores in a game for the first time since last year's BC game.

Herzlich's first big play helped BC score a non-offensive touchdown for the sixth consecutive game. Skinner tried to float a swing pass over Herzlich to Belton, but Herzlich leaped, pulled the ball down and rumbled 34 yards untouched for his second interception-turned-touchdown of the year.

Wake Forest, which has dropped two straight, lost an ACC game at home for the first time in nearly two full years.