Clemson vs Georgia Tech ACC Championship postgame notes |
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECORDS
* The 54-yard run by Clemson’s C.J. Spiller in the fourth quarter was the longest run from scrimmage in an ACC Championship game. In tonight’s game, Spiller had the four longest runs in an ACC Championship game. He had runs of 54, 41, 40 and 36 yards. The previous record was a 31-yard run by Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor against Boston College in 2007. * Georgia Tech kicker Scott Blair’s 49-yard field goal was the second longest field goal in an ACC game. The championship game record is a 50-yarder by Virginia Tech’s Dustin Keys kicked in the 2008 game. * The combined 10 points in the first quarter are the most in an ACC Championship Game. * The 233 rushing yards by C.J. Spiller are an ACC Championship game record. Spiller carried 11 times for 123 yards in the first half. Virginia Tech’s Darren Evans had 114 rushing yards on 31 rushes in the 2008 ACC Championship game. * C.J. Spiller had 301 all-purpose yards in the first half, which are the most in an ACC Championship Game. Florida State’s Willie Reid had 210 all-purpose yards against Virginia Tech in the 2005 championship game. * C.J. Spiller averaged 11.6 yards per carry. The yards per rush record for an ACC game is 4.95 yards per rush held by Georgia Tech’s Tashard Choice in the 2006 championship game. * Georgia Tech kicker Scott Blair set a championship game record with four field goals ( three field goals in the first half). He made field goals of 48, 49, 28 and 40 yards. He passed Wake Forest’s Sam Swank who made three field goals in the 2006 championship game. * C.J. Spiller’s four rushing touchdowns set a championship game record for most touchdowns and most points (24). With four field goals and three extra-points made for 15 points, Georgia Tech kicker Scott Blair put up the second most points by an individual in a championship game behind the 24 points C.J. Spiller finished with. * This is also the first time in an ACC Championship game that neither team punted. * Georgia Tech’s 70-yard TD pass from Josh Nesbitt to Demaryius Thomas was the longest pass play in an ACC Championship game. The previous record was 51 yards by Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis. * The 73 combined points by Clemson and Georgia Tech are the most in a championship game. * Georgia Tech’s Jerrard Tarrant’s 50-yard interception return in the third quarter was a championship game record. It was Tarrant’s first interception of the season. * The 57,227 in attendance for the 2009 ACC Championship game is the third largest since the inaugural game in 2005. The 2005 game drew 72,749 and 2006 game drew 62,850. * The 469 total yards (333 rushing, 136 passing) by Georgia Tech is a championship game record. Both teams shattered the previous record of 389 (305 passing, 84 rushing) yards by Boston College in the 2007 championship game. Clemson finished the game with 414 total yards (323 rushing, 91 passing). Both teams also shattered the team rushing record of 150 yards by Virginia Tech in the 2008 championship game. * Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers tallied a career-high 11 tackles (eight solo, three assisted), which were the second-most tackles in a championship game. He topped his previous career-high of seven (twice, against Maryland and Georgia Tech in 2009) with eight stops in the first half. * Georgia Tech’s 65 rushing attempts is also a championship game record. The previous record was 53 by Virginia Tech * Georgia Tech won its first outright ACC title since 1990. * Clemson running back C.J. Spiller was named the 2009 ACC Championship Game Most Valuable Player. Spiller was the first player from a losing team to be named MVP and first running back. * Georgia Tech is the first team to have two 100-yard rushers in the championship game. Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt each ran for 100 yards against Clemson. Dwyer carried 24 times for 110 yards and Nesbitt rushed 22 times for 103 yards. It was the second time this season that Nesbitt and Dwyer each had 100 yards in a game. * Clemson kicker Richard Jackson tied a championship game record with four PAT’s made. * Before this season, no individual in ACC history had multiple games of 300 or more all-purpose yards in his career. C.J. Spiller now has three this season – career-high 312 against Florida State; 310 against Miami and 301 tonight against Georgia Tech. Spiller and Damaris Johnson of Tulsa are the only players in the FBS this season who have amassed 300 or more all-purpose yards in three games. • Nationally speaking, FBS teams have played more than 700 games. This is the first of those 700-plus games in which both teams amassed 300 or more rushing yards. CLEMSON NOTES * C.J. Spiller’s 3-yard TD run in the first quarter tied the Clemson school record for consecutive games with a touchdown. Spiller has now scored a touchdown in all 13 games this season, which extends his streak as being the only player in the nation to do that. He tied Travis Zachery, who accomplished the feat between 2000-01. * Clemson’s 3-yd TD run by C.J. Spiller in the first quarter was only the second time the Tigers have scored on the opening drive this season. Clemson had a 1-yard TD reception by Michael Palmer on the opening drive against Wake Forest. * C.J. Spiller’s four touchdown runs moved him into seventh place all-time in career touchdowns in the ACC. He now has 50 career touchdowns (31 rushing, 11 receiving, 7 by kickoff and one punt return). * C.J. Spiller’s four touchdown runs helped him set a Clemson record for touchdowns in a single-season. He now has 20 touchdowns this season which surpasses Travis Zachery’s record in 2000. He scored on runs of 3, 41, 36 and 9 yards. * C.J. Spiller also eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yard mark for the first time in his career. He ran for a career-high 233 yards on 20 carries. He now has rushed for 1,145 yards this season. * Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers tallied a career-high 11 tackles (eight solo, three assisted). He topped his previous career-high of seven (twice, against Maryland and Georgia Tech in 2009) with eight stops in the first half. * Clemson tight end Michael Palmer caught three passes for 29 yards to become the Clemson record holder for receptions by a tight end in a season. He now has 41 receptions which passes previous record holder John McMakin who had 40 catches in 1970. Palmer now has at least one catch in 11 straight games, which is already the Clemson record for a tight end. * C.J. Spiller’s 63 kickoff return yards gave him 2,005 kickoff return yards for his career. He is the first player in NCAA history with 3,000 yards rushing, 2,000 yards on kickoff returns, 1,000 receiving and 500 in punt returns. * C.J. Spiller is the first Clemson player since James Davis (216 yards vs. Georgia Tech on Oct. 21, 2006) to rush for 200 yards in a game. Spiller finished with 20 carries for 233 yards. * C.J. Spiller now has 1,590 yards combined of rushing and receiving (1145 rushing and 445 receiving). He had 238 yards rushing and receiving against Georgia Tech which broke Raymond Priester’s school record of 1,460 running and receiving in 1996. * Jacoby Ford has now caught at least one pass in 27 consecutive games he has played. With his 59 all-purpose yards, Ford became the sixth player in Clemson history with 4,000 all-purpose yards. * Chris Chancellor made his 40th consecutive start at cornerback. It was also Crezdon Butler’s 37th consecutive start. * Kevin Alexander, Crezdon Butler, Chris Chancellor and Kavell Connor each played their 52nd career games tonight. All four seniors have never missed a game. GEORGIA TECH NOTES * Georgia Tech kicker Scott Blair kicked a career-long 49-yard field goal in the second quarter. Blair made an initial career-long 48-yard field goal in the first quarter. His previous career-long was a 45 yarder against Wake Forest on Nov. 7, 2009. * Georgia Tech’s 48-yard field goal by Scott Blair kept the Yellow Jacket’s active streak of scoring in 158 straight games alive, which is the second longest active streak in the ACC behind Virginia Tech (188 straight). The 158 straight games is also the fifth best streak all-time in league play. * Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt rushed for 26 yards in the first half, which moved him into second place in career rushing yards by a quarterback. He now has 1,943 career rushing yards. Clemson’s Woody Dantzler (1998-2001) owns the record with 2,761 career rushing yards. * Georgia Tech rushing tandem of Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer combined for 80 rushing yards in the first half, which makes them the second-best rushing tandem in the ACC. The tandem now has 2,204 career-rushing yards which ranks behind the tandem of North Carolina’s Don McCauley (1,720) and Ike Oglesby (562). * Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt ran for his 18th touchdown of the season with a 13-yard run in the third quarter. It ties for the second most in an ACC single-season. Georgia Tech’s Robert Lavette, North Carolina’s Don McCauley and Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams share the record with 19 touchdowns . Williams tied the record earlier this season. * Georgia Tech’s Demaryius Thomas’ 70-yard TD reception in the third quarter was his fourth reception of 70 or more yards and ninth of 50 or more yards. He now has 1,147 receiving yards which is the second highest in Georgia Tech history. * Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt each ran for 100 yards against Clemson. Dwyer carried 24 times for 110 yards and Nesbitt rushed 22 times for 103 yards. It was the second time this season that Nesbitt and Dwyer each had 100 yards in a game. More Tech Team Notes * Tech has gone 22 consecutive possessions without punting * Tech made three field goals in one half for the first time since making three in the first half at Notre Dame on Sept. 1, 2007; Tech has made three field goals in one half just five times over the last 20 seasons * Over the last two games, Tech has allowed three different opposing players to rush for more than 100 yards * Dominique Reese’s second-quarter interception was just Tech’s second INT over the last six games * Tech trailed at the end of the first quarter for the third consecutive game * Tech has trailed in each of its last eight games; the Yellow Jackets have trailed in 10 of 13 games this season * In Tech’s first eight games of the season, the Yellow Jackets allowed just four first-quarter touchdowns. Since Game 9 (at Vanderbilt), Tech has allowed five first-quarter TDs * 158 consecutive games without being shut out * 32 consecutive starts by senior guard Cord Howard
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