2009 ACC Championship Game Guide

by furrer4heisman on Nov 30, 2009 7:00 AM EST Comment 1 comment

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (10-2, 7-1) vs. Clemson Tigers (8-4, 6-2)

Time: 8 p.m. EST
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009
Place: Raymond James Stadium (65,857), Tampa, Fla.
TV: ESPN (DirecTV 206)

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are coming off a home loss to rival Georgia that broke an eight game winning streak ... Georgia Tech had one of the better offenses in terms of yards per play in the ACC, but one of the worst defensively in the same category ... its triple-option attack is led by QB Josh Nesbitt, but he has two dangerous running backs at his disposal: Jon Dwyer and Anthony Allen.

Clemson: The Tigers are coming off a road loss to rival South Carolina that broke a six-game winning streak ... the Tigers had one of the best defenses in the league, but a middling offense ... fortunately for the Tigers, C.J. Spiller can provide instant offense from either RB or returning kicks ... the Tigers were +7 in turnover margin in conference games, best in the ACC.

Regular Season Meeting: Paul Johnson out-coached Dabo Swinney to a 24-7 lead at halftime ... Georgia Tech scored on an 82-yard run by Anthony Allen, an 85-yard punt return by Jarrard Tarrant and a fake field goal ... however, the Tigers shut down the Jackets' high-powered run game and took a 27-24 lead in the fourth quarter ... a pair of late Scott Blair field goals gave Georgia Tech a 30-27 win.

What to Expect: The two highest-scoring offenses and two of the more exciting players to watch putting on a show.

Georgia Tech Wins If: It mitigates the effect of C.J. Spiller and controls the ball without turnovers like it did in the Virginia Tech game.

Clemson Wins If: It again shuts down Georgia Tech's triple option attack, doesn't get burned by big plays and gets an effective game from Kyle Parker.