Deunta Williams grabbed his third interception of the game and headed for the end zone, weaving 39 yards through the Boston College offense to the 6 inch-line.

North Carolina already had two defensive touchdowns in the game, and Williams wanted to celebrate his 21st birthday with a third.

"It was crazy at first. It was like a dream out there," Williams said after the Tar Heels forced six turnovers to beat Boston College 31-13. "When we were up 21-0, everybody on defense was trying to get greedy; everybody was trying to get a turnover. We were just all out there trying to get turnovers and make plays."

Boston College had an outside shot at winning the ACC Atlantic Division title, but that disappeared with a flurry of first-quarter turnovers by quarterback Dave Shinskie that helped spot the Tar Heels (8-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a 21-0 lead.

E.J. Wilson hit Shinskie to force a fumble, and lineman Cam Thomas picked it up and ran 20 yards for a touchdown. Two plays later, Shinskie threw an interception that Burney returned for 30 yards as Carolina scored three times in a span of 2 minutes, 19 seconds to open a 21-point lead.

The Tar Heels (7-4, 4-3) held on to win their fourth consecutive game after opening the conference season 0-3.

"We're peaking right now," Wilson said. "And it's the right time to peak."

Shinskie had four interceptions in all; he also fumbled twice more when BC recovered, and another interception was negated by a pass interference call. Mike Marscovetra relieved him late in the fourth quarter and his first pass was picked off by Melvin Williams.

T.J. Yates threw three interceptions of his own, including one in the end zone when Roderick Rollins, who had been called for a late hit that moved the Tar Heels in position to score, outjumped the receiver and kept BC in the game.

Three plays later, Deunta Williams grabbed his third interception of the game and was stopped just short of the goal line. Ryan Houston ran it in from there for his second touchdown of the game to make it 28-13.

Montel Harris ran 23 times for 132 yards for BC, becoming the 16th back in school history to reach the 2,000 yard plateau. Rich Gunnell caught six passes for 60 yards and the Eagles' only touchdown and left-footed walk-on Steve Aponavicius, playing his last home game in the stadium where he was discovered, made two field goals to remain perfect for the season.

The Eagles would have needed to win their last two games and hope Clemson lost to Virginia, which is in last place in the ACC Coastal. But with bowl scouts in the press box and Boston College looking for just its second perfect home season since 1985, the Eagles couldn't hold onto the ball.

"It would be a shame if Virginia beats Clemson today. But it's something that's out of our hands now," BC linebacker Mike McLaughlin said. "But if we could get eight wins, that's a heck of a season. We could go to a nice bowl game."

Houston ran for 1 yard to make it 7-0, and the Eagles ran just two plays before Shinskie fumbled when was hit from behind by E.J. Wilson. Thomas, a defensive tackle, picked the bouncing ball up and rumbled the last 20 yards, fighting off Harris near the goal line and scoring his first career touchdown to make it 14-0.

After BC got the ball back, Shinskie ran just one play before Burney cut in front of the receiver and took the interception 30 yards for another TD. It was his third career interception return for a touchdown, a school record.

It was 21-0 before BC finally got a first down with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. But the Eagles trailed just 21-13 at the half, converting three Carolina turnovers into a pair of field goals and then a 2-yard pass to Gunnell with 1:13 left in the second quarter.