Gameday Chat: ACC Championship Game

Both teams will be making their third appearance in ACC Championship Game. Florida State won the inaugural Championship Game in Jacksonville in 2005, defeating Virginia Tech 27-22, and lost to the Hokies in the 2010 game, 44-33. Georgia Tech dropped a 9-6 decision to Wake Forest in Jacksonville in 2006 and defeated Clemson, 39-34, in Tampa in 2009. That championship was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions.

The two teams have not met in an ACC Championship game and their last meeting overall was in 2009, a 49-44 Tech win in Tallahassee. This is the 23rd meeting between the two teams in football in a series which began in 1952 in Atlanta. Tech won seven of the first eight games in the series and the last two. Florida State won 12 straight games against the Jackets after entering the ACC in 1992.

Eight ACC teams have six or more wins with six teams being bowl eligible in Florida State, Clemson, NC State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Duke. North Carolina (8-4) is inelgible and Miami (7-5) has self-imposed a bowl ban this year.

Both Florida State (12th) and Clemson (14th) are ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams in the USA Today Coaches poll. They are also ranked in the Top 15 in AP with Florida State 13th and Clemson 15th.

Florida State senior PK Dustin Hopkins tied the NCAA FBS career record for fi eld goals with a 53-yard boot against Florida. Hopkins now has 87 career three-pointers, tying the current NCAA record held by Georgia’s Billy Bennett during the 2000-2003 seasons. Hopkins is one of three finalists for this year’s Lou Groza Placekicker of the Year Award.

Hopkins, who has 456 career points, also moved into third place on the NCAA’s career scoring list behind Wisconsin’s Montee Ball (476) and Travis Prentice of Miami of Ohio (464). Hopkins already is the NCAA career leader in points by kicking.

Since Paul Johnson deployed his spread-option offense at Georgia Tech for the 2008 season, the Yellow Jackets have rushed for more yards than any other college team. During that time, a total of 65 games, Tech has rushed for 19,885 yards, or an average of 305.92 yards per game. By contrast, Oregon has averaged 283.7 rushing yards per game during that time with Air Force the next closest to the Jackets, averaging 299.64 yards per game.

In his first three seasons as head coach at Florida State, Jimbo Fisher has won a total of 29 games, the fourth highest total by an ACC coach in his first three seasons. Only Bobby Bowden (33), Frank Beamer (31) and Ralph Friedgen (31) won more games in their first three years.

The ACC has already set single-season records for scoring 40 or more points in a game (39), topping 500-yards of total offense in a game (35) and for numbers of 100-yard receiving days (64).

Florida State junior DE Bjoern Werner, who is one of the fi nalists for the FWAA’s Nagurski Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive player, ranks 3rd nationally in QB sacks, averaging 1.08 per game.

Florida State sophomore WR Rashad Greene (3rd) is one of four ACC players nationally ranked in the top 14 in punt return average including Bernard (1st) and Virginia Tech’s Kyshoen Jarrett (8th) and Georgia Tech’s Jamal Golden (14th).

Common Opponents
Clemson: GT - L, 31-47, FSU - W, 49-37
Boston College: GT - W, 37-17, FSU - W, 51-7
Miami: GT - L(OT), 36-42, FSU - W, 33-20
Duke: GT - W, 42-24, FSU - W, 48-7
Virginia Tech: GT - L(OT), 17-20, FSU - W, 28-22
Maryland: GT - W, 33-13, FSU - W, 41-14

The ESPN crew for tonight's game will be Brent Musberger, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox.

I believe away.

Makes too much sense, doesn't it.

Set up here in Charlotte. Hi, hello and how are you?

This is correct, GT is home team but is wearing white jerseys as usual. FSU will be wearing their home uniforms.

Johnson said around 6 p.m. tonight that Smith wouldn't play. Just to clarify.

As was reported during the week, B.J. Bostic starting at A-back for the Jackets. Mario Edwards at right defensive end for the Seminoles.

It looks atrocious on tv

FSU wins the toss and defers. Will kick off to start the game.