The 2009 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2009 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech defeated Clemson, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship, 39–34.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were selected to represent the Coastal Division by virtue of a 7–1 record in conference play and a 10–2 record overall. Representing the Atlantic Division was Clemson, which had an 8–4 record (6–2 ACC). The game was a rematch of a contest played September 10 in Atlanta. In that first game, Georgia Tech won a close 30–27 matchup.
The game was held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on December 5, 2009. Tampa had been chosen to host the game after poor attendance at the game's previous location, Jacksonville, Florida, led conference officials to seek an alternative. The 2009 championship was the last to be hosted in Tampa, as the game moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2010.
From the start of the game, the 2009 ACC championship had a large amount of offense. Throughout the contest, neither team punted: Every offensive drive ended in a score or a turnover. Clemson scored first, a touchdown on its opening drive, and held a 7–3 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Georgia Tech scored 13 points to Clemson's six, and the Yellow Jackets entered halftime with a 16–13 lead. They extended that lead in the third quarter, scoring 17 points to Clemson's lone touchdown and extra point. In the fourth quarter, Clemson closed the gap and took a 34–33 lead with 6:11 remaining, but Georgia Tech drove down the field and scored a touchdown with 1:20 remaining, giving the Yellow Jackets a 39–34 lead that was the game's final margin. In recognition of his significant performance despite the loss, Clemson running back C. J. Spiller was named the game's most valuable player.
By winning, Georgia Tech earned a spot in the 2010 Orange Bowl football game, and Clemson was selected for the 2009 Music City Bowl. Several players that participated in the ACC championship later played in postseason all-star games and were later selected in the 2010 NFL draft.
Selection process The ACC Championship Game features the winners of the Coastal and Atlantic divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the early 2000s, the conference underwent an expansion to add three former Big East members: the University of MiamiCandon, Tim. , The Daily Tar Heel, June 26, 2003. Accessed December 6, 2007. and Virginia Tech in 2004,Staff and Wire Reports. "Virginia Tech sealing move to ACC", USA Today, June 23, 2003. Accessed December 8, 2007. and Boston College in 2005.Hall, Brendan. , The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, October 24, 2003. Accessed December 6, 2007. With the addition of a twelfth team, the ACC was allowed to hold a conference championship game under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules.Zeise, Paul. "ACC asks Miami, Va. Tech to join", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 25, 2003. Accessed January 20, 2009.
The inaugural 2005 game featured a Florida State win over Virginia Tech, 27–22.The Atlantic Coast Conference. Inaugural Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game , TheACC.com. Accessed December 6, 2007. In 2006, two different teams made their first appearances in the game, which was held in Jacksonville, Florida. Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech, 9–6.The Atlantic Coast Conference. "2006 Dr Pepper ACC Championship" , TheACC.com. Accessed December 6, 2007. In 2007, one team new to the championship game and championship-game veteran featured in the contest as Virginia Tech faced off against Boston College. The game resulted in a 30–16 Virginia Tech victory.ESPN. "4th Qtr Play-by-Play" ESPN.com, December 1, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2007. In 2008, Virginia Tech and Boston College again played in the championship game. Virginia Tech won the rematch, 30–12.The Associated Press. "Virginia Tech takes down BC, headed to Orange Bowl again", ESPN.com. December 6, 2008. Accessed August 24, 2009.
Site selection
Before the 2007 game, cities other than Jacksonville (site of the 2007 ACC Championship Game) presented their plans to be the site of the 2008 ACC Championship Game.Pickeral, Robbi. , ACC Now, The News & Observer, July 24, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2007. After poor attendance in the ACC Championship Game at Jacksonville for the second straight year, ACC officials and representatives of the conference's member schools elected not to extend the Gator Bowl Association's contract to manage and host the game for another year.The Atlantic Coast Conference. "ACC Announces Future Sites for football championship game" , TheACC.com. December 12, 2007. Accessed December 12, 2007. On December 12, less than two weeks after Jacksonville had hosted the 2007 ACC Championship Game, the ACC announced that Tampa, Florida would host the game in 2008 and 2009 and Charlotte, North Carolina would host the game in 2010 and 2011.
The cities were chosen based on bids presented to the ACC and its member schools. Each city requested and was granted a two-year contract. Tampa was chosen as the site of the 2008 game because Charlotte was scheduled to hold the annual convention of the Association for Career and Technical Education at the same time as the game, and adequate hotel space would not be ready in time for the two events. As a result, Charlotte's two-year span of hosting the game was pushed back to 2010.Quesada, Tony. "ACC title game going to Tampa and Charlotte", Jacksonville Business Journal, December 12, 2007. Accessed December 12, 2007.
Team selection
Before the beginning of the 2009 college football season, the annual poll by media members who cover ACC football predicted Virginia Tech to win the Coastal Division and Florida State to win the Atlantic Division. Virginia Tech received 78 of a possible 87 first-place votes in its division, while Florida State received 56 in the other division.The Atlantic Coast Conference. "Virginia Tech, Florida State favored in 2009 ACC football preseason voting ", TheACC.com. July 27, 2009. Accessed August 24, 2009. In regards to predicting the championship game's outcome, 69 of the 87 voters chose Virginia Tech to win. Georgia Tech and Clemson were predicted to finish second in the Coastal and Atlantic divisions, respectively.
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets entered the 2009 season after a 2008 campaign that saw them finish 9–4, including a season-ending 38–3 loss to the LSU Tigers in the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl.The Associated Press. , ESPN.com. December 31, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson, entering his second season as head of the Yellow Jackets, had high hopes that Georgia Tech would be able to improve upon its 2008 performance.The Associated Press. "UGA looking up at Georgia Tech for a change", Atlanta Journal-Constitution. June 13, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Others agreed with Johnson's assumption, as the Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 15 in the preseason Associated Press and USA Today coaches' polls."2009 NCAA Football Rankings – Preseason", ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
In Georgia Tech's first game, the Yellow Jackets defeated lightly regarded Jacksonville State, 37–17.The Associated Press. "Dwyer runs for two TDs as Georgia Tech romps behind 335 rushing yards", ESPN.com. September 5, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Five days later, in Tech's first competitive game of the season, the Yellow Jackets narrowly defeated Clemson, 30–27, on the basis of a fake field goal for a touchdown and a late field goal.The Associated Press. "No. 15 Georgia Tech survives Clemson with late field goal", ESPN.com. September 10, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. One week after the Clemson win, Tech—by then raised to No. 14 in the national polls—suffered its first loss of the season, to No. 20 Miami.The Associated Press. "Harris' 3 TDs fuel No. 20 Miami's defeat of second straight ranked opponent", ESPN.com. September 17, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
That loss turned out to be Georgia Tech's last to a conference opponent during the 2009 regular season. Nine days after the Miami loss, Georgia Tech defeated No. 22 North Carolina,The Associated Press. "Nesbitt scores two TDs as Georgia Tech's defense holds off UNC", ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2011. then followed that with a win over Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State.The Associated Press. "Nesbitt's career day lifts No. 25 Georgia Tech over Mississippi State", ESPN.com. October 3, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Wins over Florida StateThe Associated Press. "Nesbitt, Yellow Jackets hand third straight loss to Bowden's Seminoles", ESPN.com. October 10, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. and No. 4 Virginia Tech followed in subsequent weeks. The latter victory was the Yellow Jackets' first win over a top-five team since 1962 and gave Georgia Tech a lead in the divisional standings.The Associated Press. "Nesbitt's legs carry Yellow Jackets past No. 4 Hokies in Atlanta", ESPN.com. October 17, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Following the Virginia Tech win, Georgia Tech defeated Virginia,The Associated Press. "Georgia Tech holds off Virginia, takes charge of ACC Coastal Division", ESPN.com. October 24, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Vanderbilt,The Associated Press. "Nesbitt, Dwyer carry Georgia Tech to best start since 1990", ESPN.com. October 31, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Wake Forest (in overtime)The Associated Press. , ESPN.com. November 7, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. and Duke.The Associated Press. "No. 7 Georgia Tech stumbles early, rolls over Duke", ESPN.com. November 14, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. The Duke victory raised Georgia Tech to 10 wins, the school's first time at that mark since 1990, and the Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 7, their highest position in the national polls since that year. But following the Duke game, the Yellow Jackets faced Georgia in the rivalry known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. During that game, the unranked Georgia Bulldogs upset Tech, 30–24.The Associated Press. "Georgia piles up 339 rushing yards to upset Georgia Tech ", ESPN.com. November 28, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2011. Though Georgia Tech had clinched its ACC Championship Game slot with the win over Duke, the loss was nevertheless a "huge letdown" for the team.
Clemson
The Clemson Tigers began the 2009 season after finishing 7–6 in 2008, including a season-ending loss in the 2009 Gator Bowl to Nebraska."Clemson Tigers Schedule – 2008", ESPN.com. Retrieved February 7, 2011. Heading into 2010, Clemson returned many of its 2009 players, but faced questions about whether those players would perform better with another year of experience.Sawchik, Travis. , The Post and Courier. August 31, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2011. Also under question was head coach Dabo Swinney, who was beginning his first full season as head coach of the Tigers after assuming control in the seventh game of 2008."At long last, a title for Tigers", The (Columbia, S.C.) State. Page Sports 11. Clemson attempted to answer some of the questions about the team's potential in the first game of the season, a 37–14 win against Middle Tennessee State.The Associated Press. "Spiller suffers injury in Clemson's opening win", ESPN.com. September 5, 2009. Retrieved February 7, 2011.