WINSTON SALEM, N.C. ? Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe had tried all week to keep everyone calm as the Demon Deacons prepared to play one of the biggest games in school history.

But as students tried to tear down the goal posts and his players hooted and hollered in the locker room, Grobe finally loosened up.

“It’s time to dream a little bit,” Grobe said.

Kevin Marion had an 81-yard touchdown run and Patrick Ghee intercepted a pass in the end zone with just under a minute left Saturday night as No. 22 Wake Forest held off No. 16 Boston College, 21-14.

Jyles Tucker had two sacks and forced a key fourth-quarter fumble and the Demon Deacons limited the Eagles to 28 yards rushing to move to 8-1 for the first time since 1944, tying a school record for victories in a season. At 4-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Wake is in a first-place tie with Maryland in the Atlantic Division.

“I don’t think too many people seriously thought this was a possibility tonight,” Grobe said. “They thought the party was going to be over tonight. But the Deacs move on. It’s fun.”

Matt Ryan set career highs by completing 40-of-57 passes for 402 yards and a touchdown, but had two interceptions – both in the end zone – for the mistake-prone Eagles (7-2, 3-2), who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

Boston College was also called for 10 penalties for 70 yards, while Wake was flagged only three times.

“Too many mistakes,” Eagles coach Tom O’Brien said. “We can’t have all those procedure penalties and do the things we did and expect to win a football game against a good team like Wake Forest.”

The Demon Deacons, picked to finish last in their division, continued to show they’re to be taken seriously, despite numerous injuries. Wake never trailed against BC. The students stormed the field at the final gun as the Demon Deacons snapped a nine-game losing streak to ranked teams and won a game in November for the first time since 2003.

“It made me feel like we’re moving in the right direction,” Grobe said.

Early in the third quarter, Marion faked a handoff on an end around and sprinted out to the right sideline. Kenneth Moore, a wide receiver who started at running back because of injuries, threw the key block to spring Marion on the fifth-longest run in school history.

“I came around the edge and Kenny Moore had a chop block. I just went off that block and ran,” Moore said. “It was unbelievable run.”