2011 ACC Football Championship Game Program by Atlantic Coast Conference

CLEMSON

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPION

SCHEDULE/RESULTS..........................35 STATISTICS..........................................36

COACHING STAFF................................37 TEAM ROSTER.....................................37

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FROM THE ACC 2

Welcome from ACC Commissioner John Swofford

Meet John Swofford

Staff of the ACC

Traditions of Excellence

14 48-hour Celebration 16 The Right Notes

VIRGINIA TECH COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPION SCHEDULE/RESULTS..........................41 STATISTICS..........................................42

COACHING STAFF................................43 TEAM ROSTER.....................................43

18 Bowl Championship Series 20 ACC Championship Recaps 28 ACC Football: By the Numbers 30 The ACC and the Military: A Proud Partnership 66 ACC Makes Multimedia Waves 100 From Unranked to National Champion 103 FSU, ACC Celebrate 20th Anniversary 104 Legends of the ACC 121 ACC Players in the NFL

46 A Week by Week review of the 2011 ACC Football Season

122 A Tradition of Academic Excellence

52 Final Regular Season Standings and Statistics

124 ACC Hoops Continues to Set the Standard

AWARDS WINNERS & GAME RECORDS

128 ACC Hall of Champions

54 Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year 55 Defensive Player of the Year 56 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year 57 Defensive Rookie of the Year 58 Coach of the Year

59 Jim Tatum Award 60 Piccolo Award 61 Jacobs Blocking Award 62 All-ACC Team 64 ACC Championship Game Records

Credits: The 2011 ACC Football Championship Game Program is a product of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Cover Design: Martha Walker. Design: Kathryn Galloway, PineStraw Magazine, Printing: Cadmus Communications, Richmond, VA. A special thanks to the sports information and media relations staffs throughout the Conference for their assistance with materials.

THE ACC SCHOOLS 72 Boston College 74 Clemson 76 Duke 78 Florida State 80 Georgia Tech 82 Maryland 84 Miami 86 North Carolina 88 NC State 90 Virginia 92 Virginia Tech 94 Wake Forest 98 Home Fields of the ACC theACC.com 11 theACC.com

ATLANTIC ONFERENCE ATLANTICCCOAST OAST CONFERENCE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER

DEAR ACC FOOTBALL FANS,

On behalf of the Atlantic Coast Conference, welcome to Bank of America Stadium and the Seventh Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game. Our Conference and the Charlotte community have worked hard all year to make this a very special and exciting time for all the players, coaches, and fans. We sincerely hope you enjoy this weekend’s celebration of ACC Football and that you find your trip to the Charlotte area to be a pleasurable experience. As a league, our schools have compiled a rich football history that includes 14 national championships, five Heisman Trophy winners, 165 Consensus All-Americans, 156 bowl victories, 123 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, nine National Coaches of the Year, 20 AFCA Graduation Awards and 229 NFL first-round draft picks. We hope that you will enjoy this year’s football championship game as you watch two of the leagues’ top teams showcase their talents and vie for the coveted bid to this year’s Discover Orange Bowl. The ACC’s 12 member institutions have a tremendous tradition of academic and athletic balance. As a conference, we are extremely excited to shine the spotlight on what has made this league so strong throughout our history — our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. It is our hope that all the dedicated followers of the ACC will continue to bring meaning to the ACC’s promise — A Tradition of Excellence…Then, Now and Always. Sincerely,

John D. Swofford Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner

4512 WEYBRIDGE LANE • GREENSBORO, NC 27407 MAIN PHONE: (336) 854-8787 • ADVANCED MEDIA/COMMUNICATIONS PHONE: (336) 851-6062 BOSTON COLLEGE • CLEMSON UNIVERSITY • DUKE UNIVERSITY • FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY • GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND • UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI • UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA • NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA • VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY • WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY BOSTON COLLEGE • CLEMSON UNIVERSITY • DUKE UNIVERSITY • FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY • GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND • UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI • UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA • NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA • VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY • WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

2 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

theACC.com

JOHN D. SWOFFORD ACC COMMISSIONER

ow in his 15th year as Commissioner, and just the fourth in Atlantic Coast Conference history, John Swofford has made a dramatic impact on the ACC and college athletics. Swofford has built his career on the appropriate balance of academics, athletic achievement and integrity and is regarded as one of the top administrators in the NCAA. In addition to overseeing one of the nation’s largest athletic conferences, Swofford has been pivotal in positioning the Atlantic Coast Conference for the future.

VISION

• On September 18, 2011, on behalf of the league’s member institutions and the ACC Council of Presidents, Swofford introduced University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University as the newest members of the ACC. The additions, further strengthens the league’s rich tradition of balancing academics and athletics while also enhancing the ACC’s reach into the states of New York and Pennsylvania. • In July of 2010, Swofford’s leadership and negotiating skills helped the conference secure a new 12-year multimedia rights agreement with ESPN. The extensive television package begins with the 2011-12 academic year and will more than double television revenue to the 12 member institutions. In addition to reaching new heights financially, ACC content will now be televised more, both regionally and nationally, than at any point in league history, while also best positioning the conference within the continuous, ever-changing world of technology. • In 2003, on behalf of the league’s member institutions and the ACC Council of Presidents, Swofford led the conference through expansion. In becoming a 12-member league, Swofford helped bring the ACC extended and enhanced exposure across television and national radio packages and strongly positioned it for the future. • The ACC showcased its inaugural Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game in 2005 to a sellout crowd. Now in its seventh year, the game will be played in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium for the second consecutive season. Since becoming Commissioner, Swofford has been responsible for securing increased bowl opportunities and for the second year, the ACC has agreements in place with nine bowls including the Discover Orange Bowl, home of the ACC Champion since 2006. Highly respected by his peers, Swofford was a force in the development and growth of the Bowl Championship Series and is the only person to serve two terms as its Coordinator. • Under Swofford’s tenure, the prestigious ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament has traveled to many dynamic cities within the footprint of the league including Atlanta, Ga., Washington DC and Tampa, Fla., in addition to the traditional stops in Greensboro and Charlotte. The 2001 ACC Tournament in Atlanta set NCAA attendance records for single session (40,083), per session average (36,505) and total attendance (182,525). • In the sport of basketball, Swofford was instrumental in creating the ACC/Big Ten Challenge that began in men’s basketball in 1999. Then in 2007, the two conferences hosted the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge. • In his first year as Commissioner, Swofford placed an added emphasis on the development of women’s basketball in the ACC with the hiring of an Associate Commissioner for Women’s Basketball to oversee all aspects of the sport on both a conference and national level.

4 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

STUDENT-ATHLETE WELFARE & OUTREACH

• A long-time advocate of the importance of academics and studentathlete welfare, Swofford stimulated the formation of the league’s firstever ACC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This group of current ACC student-athletes gives the conference direct feedback on their experiences competing at the highest level of college athletics. • Swofford was instrumental in the enhancement of the league’s ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Awards program by ensuring that additional scholarship dollars are distributed to more student-athletes than at any point in the league’s history. • The long-time partnership between the ACC and United Way has flourished under Swofford’s leadership. His commitment to public service and volunteerism across our member institutions has been highlighted through the league’s Public Service Announcements. Across the collegiate landscape, the relationship with United Way is unique to the ACC and its member institutions. • Under Swofford’s direction this past year, the ACC launched its “Community Connections” outreach program which sponsored educational and mentoring activities along with donating books to the communities in which the league holds its conference championships. The initiative was created to teach life lessons to elementary and middle school students by the ACC’s student-athletes visiting local schools to discuss topics such as the importance of healthy living and sportsmanship.

ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE

• During Swofford’s first 14 years as Commissioner, ACC teams have won 52 national team titles and 1,552 ACC teams have participated in various NCAA championships - an average of over 110 NCAA teams per year. • In the 2010-11 Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup Standings, the ACC was the only conference with four schools in the Top 10; one of two leagues with five members in the Top 20 and one of only three conferences with all of its members in the Top 75. This past year marks the 10th consecutive year that the ACC has placed four or more teams in the Top 30. • In football, at least seven ACC teams have earned bowl bids in each of the last five seasons. In 2008, the conference set an NCAA record when 10 of its 12 teams (83%) participated in bowl play. • During his tenure, the ACC has won five NCAA Men’s Basketball titles, more than any other conference. In addition, the league was represented by three of its women’s basketball programs in the 2006 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four. In that same year, it was an all-ACC final as the conference claimed its second NCAA Women’s Basketball National title. A native of North Wilkesboro, NC, Swofford was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina and played on UNC’s 1971 ACC Football Championship team. He received his Masters of Education in Athletic Administration from Ohio University and then began his career at the University of Virginia in 1973. He returned to his alma mater in 1976 and became the school’s athletic director on May 1, 1980. At the age of 31, he was the youngest major college Athletics Director in the nation at the time and served as its Director of Athletics from 1980-1997. UNC’s athletic program led the league in both ACC and NCAA Championships during Swofford’s tenure as Athletic Director. John and his wife Nora reside in Greensboro, NC, and together they have three children: Amie, Chad and Autumn, who is married to Sherman Wooden. Autumn and Sherman welcomed Maya, their first child, to the family in April of 2010.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Full Name: John Douglas Swofford Hometown: North Wilkesboro, NC Wife: Nora Swofford Children: Amie, Chad, Autumn (husband Sherman Wooden) Grandchildren: Maya

EDUCATION

High School: Wilkes Central High School, 1967, North Wilkesboro, NC College: University of North Carolina, 1971 Morehead Scholarship Recipient • BA in Industrial Relations Graduate: Ohio University, 1973 • MEd. in Athletics Administration

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

1965-67 • Two-time All-State QB and three-sport MVP at Wilkes Central High School 1969-71 • North Carolina varsity football team quarterback and defensive back • Peach Bowl, 1970 • Gator Bowl, 1971 • ACC Champions, 1971 • ACC Academic Honor Roll, 1970-71

ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE

1973-76 • Ticket Manager/Asst. to the Director of Athletic Facilities and Finance • University of Virginia 1976-79 • Assistant Athletics Director and Business Manager University of North Carolina 1979-80 • Assistant Executive Vice-President of the Educational Foundation • University of North Carolina 1980-97 • Director of Athletics, University of North Carolina 1997-present • Commissioner Atlantic Coast Conference

MEMBERSHIP ON BOARDS AND COMMITTEES • Sports Business Journal’s Sports Business Awards Committee, 2011-present • NCAA Men’s College Basketball Officiating, LLC Board, 2010-present • National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Honorary Board, 2009-present • College Football Officiating, LLC Board of Managers, 2008-present • North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Advisory Board, 2008-present • Wyndham Championship Board of Directors, 2002-present • National Letter of Intent Appeals Committee, 2002-present • BCS Coordinator, 2000-01, 2008-09 • IA Collegiate Commissioner’s Assoc. (Chair), 2005-07 • NCAA Football Board of Directors (President), 2004-05 • NCAA Executive Committee, 1995-97 • NCAA Division I Championship Committee (Chair), 1995-97 • NCAA Special Committee to Study a Division I-A Football Championship, 1994-95 • President of NACDA, 1993-94 • NCAA Special Events Committee, 1987-91 • NCAA Communications Committee (Chair), 1987-89 • NCAA Football Television Committee (Chair), 1984

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Corbett Award, 2011 (presented annually by NACDA as the highest honor one can achieve in collegiate athletics administration) • Achievement in Business Award, 2011 (presented annually by Ohio University’s College of Business) • Father of the Year, 2011 (recognized by the Greater Greensboro Area Father’s Day Council) • North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, 2009 • Homer Rice Award, 2005 (presented by the Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association) • Horizon Award, 2004 (presented by the Atlanta Sports Council recognizing the National Sports Business Executive of the Year) • Chick-fil-A Bowl Hall of Fame, 2003 • Fifth most influential person in U.S. sports by the Sporting News, 2003 • Outstanding American Award for the Triangle Chapter of the College Football Hall of Fame, 2002 • North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame, 2002 • Ohio University’s Charles R. Higgins Distinguished Alumnus Award, 1984

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE STAFF JOHN D. SWOFFORD COMMISSIONER

BRIAN A. MORRISON

JEFF ELLIOTT

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

AMY YAKOLA

NORA LYNN FINCH

MIKE FINN

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS & SWA

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, FOOTBALL COMMUNICATIONS

LINDSEY BABCOCK

W. SCOTT MCBURNEY

KRIS W. PIERCE

BRAD HECKER

LYNNE HERNDON

CHARLENE CURTIS

DOUG RHOADS COORDINATOR, FOOTBALL OFFICIALS

DIRECTOR, STUDENT-ATHLETE PROGRAMS & COMPLIANCE

SHAMAREE BROWN

LEE BUTLER DIRECTOR, CHAMPIONSHIPS

DIRECTOR, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

KATHY C. HUNT

LINDSEY ROSS

CHRISTINA L. TRACEY

ALLISON DOUGHTY

STEVE PHILLIPS

GEORGIA DAVIS

DONALD MOORE

CHARLOTTE ZOLLER

HEATHER C. HIRSCHMAN

STEVE “SLIM” VOLLINGER ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ADVANCED MEDIA

SUSAN ANTHONY

DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL & SWA

JENNIE BARRETT

DIRECTOR, INFORMATION SYSTEMS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CHAMPIONSHIPS

BARB DERY

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING

TRACEY HAITH

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, ADMINISTRATION/BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, CHAMPIONSHIPS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, COMMUNICATIONS/ PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, STUDENT-ATHLETE WELFARE/COMPLIANCE & GOVERNANCE/HR

SETH BARWICK

GEORGE LANE

BETH MECHUM

GRETCHEN MILLER

INTERN, COMPLIANCE & STUDENT-ATHLETE PROGRAMS

INTERN, COMMUNICATIONS

INTERN, WEBSITE

INTERN, CHAMPIONSHIPS

JOHN CLOUGHERTY

COORDINATOR, MEN’S BASKETBALL OFFICIALS

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING

DIRECTOR, MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, ADVANCED MEDIA

MICHAEL KELLY

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, BROADCASTING, COMMUNICATIONS & FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, CHAMPIONSHIPS

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, MEN’S BASKETBALL COMMUNICATIONS

COORDINATOR, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OFFICIALS

ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, COMPLIANCE AND GOVERNANCE

KARL HICKS

ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS

WEBSITE COORDINATOR

KARRIE B. TILLEY

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS/OFFICIATING

DIRECTOR, BUSINESS OPERATIONS

BEN TARIO

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS

CECELIA DIAMICO

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE COMMISSIONER

EMILY WATKINS

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, OFFICE COORDINATOR/DESKTOP PUBLISHING

SHANE VAASSEN

INTERN, PUBLIC RELATIONS & MARKETING

theACC.com

THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

A TRADITION OF

6 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

... THEN, NOW AND ALWAYS. THE TRADITION Consistency. It is the mark of true excellence in any endeavor. However, in today’s intercollegiate athletics, competition has become so balanced and so competitive that it is virtually impossible to maintain a high level of consistency. Yet the Atlantic Coast Conference has defied the odds. Now, in its 59th year of competition, the ACC has long enjoyed the reputation as one of the strongest and most competitive

FOUNDING OF THE ACC,

MAY 8, 1953

intercollegiate conferences in the nation. And that is not mere conjecture, the numbers support it. Since the league’s inception in 1953, ACC schools have captured 122 national championships, including 65 in women’s competition and 57 in men’s. In addition, NCAA individual titles have gone to ACC student-athletes 140 times in men’s competition and 99 times in women’s action. The conference had an immediate impact on the national college football scene in the fall of 1953 when the University of Maryland captured the first of what would eventually be five national football titles for the ACC.

Clemson laid claim to the league’s second national title in 1981 while Georgia Tech followed suit in 1990. Florida State pocketed national titles No. 4 and 5 in 1993 and 1999. Additionally, Miami has laid claim to five national gridiron titles over the past 27 seasons. Four of the Hurricanes’ five national titles (1983, 1987, 1989, 2001) were unanimous with both the sportswriters and coaches polls, while in 1991 Miami (AP) shared the national title with Washington (coaches). The 12 institutions that take to the

field this fall under the ACC banner have produced 572 first- or secondteam gridiron All-Americas and 73 first-team academic All-Americas. ACC Football, though, has always been about more than just wins and losses and individual athletics honors. ACC schools, cumulatively, were ranked higher nationally than any other conference in the most recent rankings of American Universities by the U.S. News & World Report, with eight ACC institutions ranked 56th or higher nationally and all 12 schools

theACC.com

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

rated as “Tier One” schools.

(2008) claiming the honor.

ticipation (.778) set originally in 2002.

The Conference was No. 1 with a

The ACC’s run began with the 2006

Since 2005, the Conference is

diploma in 2010 for the sixth straight

Draft when the Conference set an

second among all leagues with

year, as the ACC led all Football

NFL Draft record with 12 players cho-

50 of its teams travelling to post-

Bowl Subdivision Conferences in the

sen in the first round and 51 players

season

NCAA’s graduation rate (GSR). The

chosen overall. During that time, the

ally, four of its teams —

ACC also had the highest football

ACC is second among all conferenc-

State (5th, 24-14-2, .625), Boston

APR as a league for the fifth consecu-

es in the last six years in first-round

College (11th, 13-9, .591), Geor-

tive year. In 2010, six ACC schools

draftees, having 37 chosen, and total

gia Tech (14th, 22-17, .564) and

were honored nationally (AFCA) for

number of draftees with 214.

NC State (15th, 13-11-1, .540)—

their graduation rates. ACC schools

Heading into the 2011 football

rank among the Top 15 win-

have led the nation in football gradu-

season, no league in America has sent

ningest bowl programs of all-time,

ation rates no fewer than 20 times.

more linebackers to the NFL, as no

with a fifth — Miami (19-19-17-

Since becoming a 12-team league in

fewer than 53 former ACC standouts

0, .527) — ranked 20th. Four ACC

2005, the ACC has consistently made

began the summer on NFL rosters

schools are also among the top eight

history in the NFL’s annual profession-

leading both the Big Ten (49) and SEC

nationally in current bowl game

al football draft. This year, the ACC

(46) for that honor. This marked the

streaks including national leader Flor-

had 15 of the first 60 players chosen

third straight year the Conference had

ida State (29 straight bowl games),

in the NFL Draft. No other league had

led or tied in numbers of linebackers

Virginia Tech (3rd, 18), Georgia Tech

more than 10 of the first 60 players

on NFL rosters.

(tied for 4th, 14) and Boston College

drafted.

The 12 current ACC schools have

(tied for 7th, 12).

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the ACC was

had 2,256 players selected in the an-

the only league with four players cho-

nual professional football draft, in-

2010-11 IN REVIEW

sen among the top nine selections in

cluding 229 first-round selections.

The 2010-11 academic year saw

the draft. It marked the second time in

The ACC was one of only three

league teams capturing two more

four years the ACC had managed that

conferences nationally to have at least

national team titles and 19 individual

trick, also claiming four of the top

four teams chosen in both the final

NCAA crowns. In all, the ACC has

nine picks in 2005. During the 2006,

2010 Associated Press Top 25 in Vir-

won 52 national team titles over the

2007 and 2008 drafts, the Conference

ginia Tech (16), Florida State (17),

last 14 years and has won two or more

became the first college league in the

Maryland (23) and NC State (25);

NCAA titles in 28 of the past 30 years.

history to have two of the top four

and the 2010 final Top 25 for the USA

The ACC was the only conference

NFL Draft picks in each of three con-

Today Coaches poll in Virginia Tech

in America to place four of its teams in

secutive years.

(15), Florida State (16), Maryland

the final Top 10 rankings of the 2009-

In 2008, the ACC also set an NFL

(24) and NC State (25).

10 Learfield Director’s Cup Standings

Draft record having the first defen-

The ACC also has a storied bowl

— symbolic of the nation’s top over-

sive player chosen for three straight

tradition, setting an NCAA record

all programs — as Duke (5th), North

years with NC State’s Mario Wil-

with 10 of its teams (.833) invited to

Carolina (6th), Virginia (7th) and

liams (2006), Clemson’s Gaines Ad-

post-season bowl games in 2008,

Florida State (9th) all were ranked na-

ams (2007) and Virginia’s Chris Long

breaking its own record for bowl par-

tionally in the Top 10.

8 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

bowl

games.

AdditionFlorida

ACC EXTENDS ITS REACH PITT AND SYRACUSE BRING LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP TO 14

BY DAVID DROSCHAK

ith one eye focused on the long-term viability of the conference and another on the nation’s everchanging intercollegiate athletic landscape, the ACC made a bold move this fall by expanding to 14 schools by adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse. Less than a decade after adding Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech, the Panthers and Orange provide the ACC with a pair of programs with extensive histories in football and basketball, along with exceptional, nationallyrecognized institutions of higher learning. “Our culture has long enjoyed a rich tradition of balancing academics and athletics, and the addition of Pitt and Syracuse further strengthens our league,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “In addition, both universities will enhance the ACC’s reach into the states of New York and Pennsylvania and geographically bridges our footprint between Maryland and Massachusetts. With the addition of these two schools, the ACC will cover virtually the entire eastern seaboard of the United States.” Pittsburgh and Syracuse have produced some of the best football players in the history of the game, including Jim Brown (Syracuse), Dan Marino (Pitt), Tony Dorsett (Pitt) and Ernie Davis (Syracuse). In men’s basketball, the Panthers played in the Final Four in 2009 and are a rising basketball power, while the Orange won the 2003 national title behind Carmelo Anthony. ACC teams will also soon be traveling to some of the nation’s top sporting venues, including the Carrier Dome (the largest on-campus basketball arena in the nation), Heinz Field and the $119 million Petersen Events Center on the campus of Pitt. “It’s actually pretty exciting,” said Duke Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I think it’s

great for ourconference football-wise, even better basketball-wise. Over the last 25 years if you had to pick the best conference in basketball it is the ACC.” Former Georgia Tech women’s basketball coach Angus Berenato, who now heads up Pitt’s program, echoed Krzyzewski’s excitement. “The ACC has a rich tradition of academics and athletics so Pitt will fit right in,” she said. “I was in the ACC for a long time and it will be nice to return to my roots. The leadership of the ACC has remained the same and Commissioner Swofford is innovative, dedicated and perceptive to the student-athlete’s needs.” Academically, the addition of the two schools gives the ACC 12 institutions in the top 75 of the U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 best universities rankings, while Pittsburgh and Syracuse already partner with various ACC schools in terms of national research grants, along with numerous health-related initiatives. “Though we recruit students from all corners of the globe and have graduates living around the world, our principal focus always has been on the eastern seaboard, to be regularly competing up and down the Atlantic Coast from Boston to Miami,” said Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg. “This is a very big plus for Pitt as a university, particularly during this turbulent time in intercollegiate athletics.” The two high-profile athletic programs in major media markets will provide the ACC with added value to its current TV package with partner ESPN. “We are pleased that Syracuse adds a tremendous New York City dimension to the ACC,” said Nancy Cantor, the school’s chancellor and president. “With 44,000 alumni and growing in that region, we have built a very strong identity and affinity there, and we’re excited to be able to bring ACC games to New York.” theACC.com

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

This past year also marked the 10th

MPIO MARYLAND FIELD HOCKEY - 2010 NATIONAL CHA

consecutive year that the ACC has placed four or more teams in the Top 30 as Maryland finished 17th in this year’s final rankings. In all, the ACC is one of only three conferences to have all of its member schools in the Top 75. A total of 132 ACC teams placed in NCAA post-season competition in 2010-11. League teams compiled a 12579-5 (.610) mark against opponents in NCAA championship competition.

2010-11 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FIELD HOCKEY MARYLAND MEN’S LACROSSE VIRGINIA

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The conference will conduct cham-

pionship competition in 25 sports during the 20010-11 academic year - 12 for men and 13 for women. The first ACC championship was held in swimming on February 25, 1954. The conference did not conduct champi-

VIRGINIA MEN’S LACROS SE - 2011 NATIONAL CH

onships in cross country, wrestling or

AMPIONS

tennis during the first year.

The 12 sports for men include foot-

ball, cross country, soccer, basketball,

swimming, indoor and outdoor track,

tennis, golf, lacrosse, softball and row-

wrestling, baseball, tennis, golf and

ing with volleyball deciding its cham-

lacrosse. Fencing, which was started

pion by regular season play.

in 1971, was discontinued in 1981. Women’s sports were initiated in 1977

A HISTORY

with the first championship meet held

The Atlantic Coast Conference was

in tennis at Wake Forest University.

founded on May 8, 1953, at the Sedge-

Championships for women are

field Inn near Greensboro, N.C., with

currently conducted in cross country,

seven charter members — Clemson,

field

Duke, Maryland, North Carolina,

hockey,

soccer,

basketball,

10 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest — drawing up the conference by-laws. The withdrawal of seven schools from the Southern Conference came early on the morning of May 8, 1953, during the Southern Conference’s annual spring meeting. On June 14, 1953, the seven members met in Raleigh, N.C., where a set of bylaws was adopted

and the namebecame officially the Atlantic

Coast

Conference.

Sug-

gestions from fans for the name of the new conference appeared in the region’s newspapers prior to the meet-

BOBBY BOWDEN HONORED WITH ACC COMMISSIONER’S CUP ONLY SEVENTH RECIPIENT OF THE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

ing in Raleigh. Some of the names suggested were: Dixie, Mid South, Mid Atlantic, East Coast, Seaboard, Colonial, Tobacco, Blue-Gray, Piedmont, Southern Seven and the Shoreline. Duke’s Eddie Cameron recommended that the name of the conference be the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the motion was passed unanimously. The meeting concluded with each member institution assessed $200.00 to pay for conference expenses. On December 4, 1953, conference officials met again at Sedgefield and officially admitted the University of Virginia as the league’s eighth member. The first, and only, withdrawal of a school from the ACC came on June 30, 1971, when the University of South Carolina tendered its resignation. The ACC operated with seven members until April 3, 1978, when the Georgia Institute of Technology was admitted. The Atlanta school had withdrawn from the Southeastern Conference in January of 1964. The ACC expanded to nine members on July 1, 1991, with the addition of Florida State University. The conference expanded to 11 members on July 1, 2004, with the addition of the University of Miami and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. On October 17, 2003, Boston College accepted an invitation to

tlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford will honor former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden with the Commissioner’s Cup during 2011 ACC Football Championship Game

weekend.

Bowden, the winningest football coach in ACC history and one of

the true legends of college football, becomes only the seventh recipient of the award given solely at the discretion of the Commissioner.

After enjoying an unprecedented 44-year coaching career which

saw him finish with 377 victories, the second-highest total in NCAA FBS history, Bowden retired in 2009. His accomplishments for the Seminoles are legendary, including most wins, most conference wins and the best winning percentage of any ACC coach.

Bowden guided the Seminoles to 12 ACC football championships,

twice as many as anyone else, and his team posted 14 seasons with 10 or more victories. A 2006 inductee into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame, Bowden led FSU to 28 consecutive bowl games, including, at one point, 14 straight without a loss. He also guided the ‘Noles to an unmatched 14 consecutive Top Five national finishes, including national championships in both 1993 and 1999.

Bowden will also headline the ACC’s Faith and Family event, ad-

dressing the crowd with lessons and stories from his successes both on and off the field, which will be held prior to the ACC Football Championship Game in the Charlotte Convention Center.

become the league’s 12th member start-

Before kickoff, Bowden will be on the field as an honorary captain

ing July 1, 2005.

and participate in the pregame coin toss. theACC.com

ACC EMPHASIZES SPORTSMANSHIP INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTS EFFORTS BY MEMBER INSTITUTIONS

he Atlantic Coast Conference announced today earlier this fall that the league will expand its Sportsmanship Awareness Weeks to one week during the fall, winter and spring seasons. The ACC Sportsmanship Awareness Weeks are a campaign to emphasize and promote sportsmanship as it relates to our teams, conference and fans. During the weeks of October 17-23 (Fall), January 23-29 (Winter) and April 9-14 (Spring), every league team will showcase its continued dedication to sportsmanship by participating in a pregame handshake prior to each contest. In addition to the teams’ efforts, the conference and member schools will highlight the pro-

gram to its fans through releases, across social media platforms, videos elements and official websites. “Sportsmanship continues to be a priority within the ACC and the growth of this initiative will be a great way to further highlight and emphasize its importance,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. More than 45 events will be part of the 2011 ACC Fall Sportsmanship Awareness Week beginning with four men’s soccer contests and a field hockey match on Tuesday, Oct. 16. The initiative will reach all fall sports except Cross Country (Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Field Hockey, Volleyball and Football) as well as two early Swimming & Diving competitions.

MEN’S SOCCER

VIRGINIA TECH VS. VIRGINIA WO

H CAROLINA FOOTBALL

GEORGIA TECH VS. NORT

MARYLAND VS. FLORID A STATE FOOTBALL

L JOHNSON GEORGIA TECH COACH PAUTOM O’BRIEN & NC STATE COACH

12 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

SCHOOL AFFILIATIONS BOSTON COLLEGE — Charter member of the Big East Conference in 1979; joined the ACC in July, 2005.

GEORGIA TECH — Charter member of the

NC STATE — Charter member of the

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1894; charter member of Southern Conference in 1921; charter member of the SEC in 1932; joined the ACC in April, 1978.

Southern Conference in 1921; charter member of the ACC in 1953.

VIRGINIA — Charter member of the

Southern Conference in 1921; charter member of the ACC in 1953.

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1894; charter member of the Southern Conference in 1921; resigned from Southern Conference in December 1936; joined the ACC in December, 1953.

MIAMI — Charter member of the Big

VIRGINIA TECH — Charter member of the

DUKE — Joined the Southern Confer-

East Football Conference in 1991; joined the ACC in July, 2004.

ence in December, 1928; charter member of the ACC in 1953.

NORTH CAROLINA — Charter member of

Southern Conference in 1921; withdrew from the Southern Conference in June, 1965; became a charter member of the Big East Football Conference in Feb. 5, 1991; joined the ACC in July, 2004.

CLEMSON — Charter member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1894; a charter member of the Southern Conference in 1921; a charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 1953.

FLORIDA STATE — Charter member of the Dixie Conference in 1948; joined the Metro Conference in July, 1976; joined the ACC July, 1991.

MARYLAND — Charter member of the

the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1894; charter member of the Southern Conference in 1921; charter member of the ACC in 1953.

WAKE FOREST — Joined the Southern Conference in February, 1936; charter member of the ACC in 1953.

2012 ACC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON Come join the ACC this April as it honors student-athletes who truly exemplify the balance of academics and athletics Hosted by the Nat Greene Kiwanis April 11, 2012 Koury Convention Center Greensboro, NC For ticket information, visit theACC.com

theACC.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011 5:30 PM

UPTOWN CHARLOTTE TREE LIGHTING Square @ Corner of Trade and Tryon

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011

2010 UPTOWN CHARLOTTE TREE

LIGHTING

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

ACC OUTREACH Presbyterian Hospital

6:00 PM TO 10:00 PM

ACC NIGHT OF LEGENDS

Ticketed event to honor ACC Football excellence from then, now and always. Charlotte Convention Center - Grand Ballroom

7:00 PM TO 11:00 PM

ACC FAN CENTRAL @ EPICENTRE EpiCentre

14 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

TE IRVING WITH NC STATE’S NA 2010 ACC OUTREACH COLLEGE’S MARK HERZLICH AND BOSTON

2010 ACC LEGENDS

FOOTBALL

CELEBRATIONS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 8:00 AM

CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE 5K PRESENTED BY HARRIS TEETER Uptown Charlotte

3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

OFFICIALS MINI-CLINIC

Charlotte Convention Center - 207ABCD (2nd Floor)

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

YOUTH FOOTBALL CELEBRATION Bank of America Stadium - Practice Field

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

FAITH & FAMILY DAY WITH BOBBY BOWDEN

NASCAR Ballroom, Charlotte Convention Center

8:00 PM

KICKOFF - 2011 DR PEPPER ACC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Bank of America Stadium

12:00 PM TO 7:00 PM

ACC FANFEST

Graham and Mint streets surrounding Bank of America Stadium 12:00 - 3:00 2:30 - 3:00 3:00 - 3:30 3:30 - 4:30 4:30 - 5:30

Dr Pepper/Food Lion Scholarship Throw @ Dr Pepper Field

Atlantic and Coastal Division Band & Cheer Performances

4:30 - 5:30

ACC Football Legends Autograph Session @ Legends Tent

5:00 - 7:00

Commissioner’s Tailgate @ Bank of America Stadium - Panther’s Den: East Gate

Live Music @ Dr Pepper Stage ACC Mascots Game @ Dr Pepper Field

David Nail @Dr Pepper Stage

5:30 - 7:00 Dierks Bentley Concert theACC.com

THE RIGHT NOTES

Over the years, ACC fans have enjoyed award winning performances from some of the biggest names in music during the annual 48-hour celebration of ACC Football.

2007

At the 2007 ACC Championship, award-winning Nashville recording star Phil Vassar wowed fans with an unforgettable show. Vassar continues to impress the country music world with his versatility as a singer, songwriter and performer with a resume that boasts six No. 1 hits for a list of artists such as Alan Jackson and Tim McGraw.

At the 2008 ACC Championship, Blake Shelton put on a performance that had fans dancing in the aisles. Shelton has topped the Billboard Country charts with a list of hits that include “Austin,” “The Baby,” “Some Beach,” “Home” and “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.”

2008

2009’s festivities were headlined by CMA Award winning artist James Otto. Otto was the voice behind ACC Football’s “Ain’t Gonna Stop” campaign throughout the 2009 regularseason and his performance continued the ACC Championship Game tradition of providing fans with live concerts. Otto also sang the Nation2009 al Anthem as part of the pre-game festivities.

2011 16 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

The 2010 Championship Game was headlined by both Montgomery Gentry and 2010 ACC Football theme song “Loud” artist Bridgette Tatum. Montgomery Gentry has recorded six studio albums that yielded five #1 singles, nine more Top 10 singles 2010 and millions of albums sold. Bridgette Tatum also performed at the 2010 ACC Football FanFest presented by AT&T.

2010 In addition to the gameday FanFest concerts, contemporary jazz composer Eric Darius has performed some of his greatest hits on saxophone at both the 2008 and 2009 ACC Night of Legends as well as the Na- tional Anthem during the pregame ceremonies for the 2008 game. Darius is best known for his single “Goin’ All Out” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz chart. In 2010, jazz singer Nicole Henry performed at both the ACC Night of Legends as well as the national anthem before kickoff. Nicole has been heralded as a jazz artist and has performed 2010 the national anthem at various Miami Heat games as well as the 2010 Orange Bowl. This year’s festivities will be headlined by nationally acclaimed country artist Dierks Bentley. Bentley’s latest sing along party single “Am I The Only One” recently grabbed the No. 1 spot on the country charts bringing his career total to eight No. 1 hits. Bentley’s new album is his sixth Capitol Nashville studio project and follows in the footsteps of his critically acclaimed UP ON THE RIDGE, which earned Album of the Year nominations at the ACM, CMA and GRAMMY Awards this year. His previous five albums have sold over five million copies, earned 10 GRAMMY nominations, have spawned eight No. 1 hits (“Am I The Only One”, “What Was I Thinkin”, “Come A Little Closer”, “Settle For A Slowdown”, “Every Mile A Memory”, “Free and Easy (Down The Road I Go)”, “Feel That Fire”, “Sideways”) and 12 Top 10 hits.

The ultimate hunting trophy, now with seating for four. The all-new XUV 550 Series, starting at just $8,199. That’s Gator vs. Expectations. With a fully independent double-wishbone suspension, 4-wheel drive and a convertible rear seat cargo rack on the S4 model, Gator XUV 550s can take on anything you throw at them. Hills. Rocks. A few buddies. The new Gator can handle it all for a price you won’t believe. Test-drive one this fall, exclusively at your John Deere dealer, and learn more about how these vehicles could make getting there as exciting as wherever “there” happens to be.

JohnDeere.com/Gator

Prices are suggested retail prices only and are subject to change without notice at any time. Dealer may sell for less. Taxes, setup, delivery, freight and preparation charges not included. Attachments and implements sold separately. Shown with optional equipment not included in the price. See dealer for details. John Deere’s green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company. 11-49840

theACC.com

2011-12 COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

DATE BOWL Dec. 17 Gildan New Mexico Bowl Dec. 17 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Dec. 17 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Dec. 20 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl Dec. 21 S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Dec. 22 MAACO Las Vegas Bowl Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl DEC. 26 ADVOCARE V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL Dec. 27 Little Caesars Bowl DEC. 27 BELK BOWL DEC. 28 MILITARY BOWL PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN Dec. 28 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl DEC. 29 CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL Dec. 29 Valero Alamo Bowl Dec. 30 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Dec. 30 New Era Pinstripe Bowl DEC. 30 FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL Dec. 30 Insight Bowl Dec. 31 Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl DEC. 31 HYUNDAI SUN BOWL Dec. 31 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Dec. 31 AutoZone Liberty Bowl DEC. 31 CHICK-FIL-A BOWL Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl Jan. 2 TicketCity Bowl Jan. 2 Outback Bowl Jan. 2 Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl Jan. 2 Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio Jan. 2 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Jan. 3 Allstate Sugar Bowl JAN. 3 DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL Jan. 6 AT&T Cotton Bowl Jan. 7 BBVA Compass Bowl Jan. 8 GoDaddy.com Bowl Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game

CONFERENCES Mountain West vs. Pac-12 MAC vs. WAC C-USA vs. Sun Belt Big East vs. C-USA Mountain West vs. WAC Mountain West vs. Pac-12 C-USA vs. WAC ACC VS. MOUNTAIN WEST Big Ten vs. MAC ACC VS. BIG EAST ACC VS. NAVY Big 12 vs. Pac-12 ACC VS. BIG EAST Big 12 vs. Pac-12 C-USA vs. Mountain West Big 12 vs. Big East ACC VS. SEC Big Ten vs. Big 12 Big Ten vs. Big 12 ACC VS. PAC-12 Army vs. Pac-12 C-USA vs. SEC ACC VS. SEC Big Ten vs. SEC Big Ten vs. C-USA Big Ten vs. SEC Big Ten vs. SEC BCS vs. BCS BCS vs. BCS BCS vs. BCS BCS VS. BCS Big 12 vs. SEC Big East vs. SEC MAC vs. Sun Belt BCS No. 2 vs. BCS No. 1

SITE Albuquerque, NM Boise, ID New Orleans, LA St. Petersburg, FL San Diego, CA Las Vegas, NV Honolulu, HI SHREVEPORT, LA Detroit, MI CHARLOTTE, NC WASHINGTON, DC San Diego, CA ORLANDO, FL San Antonio, TX Dallas, TX Bronx, NY NASHVILLE, TN Tempe, AZ Houston, TX EL PASO, TX San Francisco, CA Memphis, TN ATLANTA, GA Orlando, FL Dallas, TX Tampa, FL Jacksonville, FL Pasadena, CA Glendale, AZ New Orleans, LA MIAMI GARDENS, FL Arlington, TX Birmingham, AL Mobile, AL New Orleans, LA

TIME 2 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 9 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m. 8 p.m 8 p.m. 5 P.M. 4:30 p.m. 8 P.M. 4:30 P.M. 8 p.m. 5:30 P.M. 9 p.m. Noon 3:20 p.m. 6:40 P.M. 10 p.m. Noon 2 P.M. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 7:30 P.M. 1 p.m. Noon 1 p.m. 1 p.m. 5 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 8 P.M. 8 p.m. 1 p.m. 9 p.m. 8:30 p.m.

NETWORK ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN2 ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN CBS ESPN ABC ESPN ESPN ESPNU ABC ESPN2 ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN FOX ESPN ESPN ESPN

ACC AFFILIATED BOWLS HIGHLIGHTED IN RED

18 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

theACC.com

DR PEPPER

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP

20 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game 20 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

lorida State’s Willie Reid returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown and Drew Weatherford threw for 225 yards and one touchdown as the Seminoles upset No. 5 Virginia Tech 27-22 in the inaugural ACC title game ... the victory marked the Seminoles’ 12th ACC title in 14 years … Reid, who finished with 210 all-purpose yards, was named the game’s most valuable player … sparked by Reid’s return to open the second half, FSU scored 24 unanswered third-quarter points, snapping a 3-3 halftime tie … Marcus Vick led the Hokies to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter that cut the Seminole lead to 27-22. MVP - WILLIE REID, FLORIDA STATE

2005 22

JACKSONVILLE, FL

AWARD WINNERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR CHRIS BARCLAY, WAKE FOREST

TATUM AWARD BRENDAN DEWAN, DUKE DAVID CASTILLO, FLORIDA STATE

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR D’QWELL JACKSON, MARYLAND

PICCOLO AWARD RYAN BEST, VIRGINIA

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR JAMES DAVIS, CLEMSON

JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD ERIC WINSTON, MIAMI

COACH OF THE YEAR FRANK BEAMER, VIRGINIA TECH

2005 ACC LEGENDS Mike Ruth (Boston College), Jeff Davis (Clemson), Leo Hart (Duke), Marvin Jones (Florida State), Joe Hamilton (Georgia Tech), Jack Scarbath (Maryland), George Mira Sr. (Miami), Roman Gabriel (NC State), Don McCauley (North Carolina), William “Bill” Dudley (Virginia), Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech), Bill Armstrong (Wake Forest)

theACC.com

2006 W

ake Forest’s Sam Swank kicked three field goals, including the game winner with 2:55 left to play as the 16th-ranked Demon Deacons claimed their first ACC title since 1970 with a 9-6 victory over No. 23 Georgia Tech ... Swank, who made good on three of four field goal attempts and punted seven times for a 42.6 yards per kick average, was named the game’s most valuable player ... freshman QB Riley Skinner completed 14-of-25 passes for 201 yards including a 45-yard completion to Willie Idlette that set up Swank’s game-winning field goal ... Deacon LB Jon Abbate had a game-high 15 tackles and keyed a defense that limited the Yellow Jackets to a pair of field goals and 272 yards in total offense ... Tech WR Calvin Johnson finished with eight catches for 117 yards while Tashard Choice had his sixth-straight 100 yard effort, finishing with an even 100 yards on 21 carries. MVP - SAM SWANK, WAKE FOREST

JACKSONVILLE, FL

2006 ACC LEGENDS

AWARD WINNERS Doug Flutie (Boston College), Michael Dean Perry (Clemson), Art Gregory (Duke), William Floyd (Florida State), Marco Coleman (Georgia Tech), Randy White (Maryland), Gino Torretta (Miami), Jim Ritcher (NC State), William Fuller (North Carolina), Jim Dombrowski (Virginia), Carroll Dale (Virginia Tech), James McDougald (Wake Forest)

22 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR CALVIN JOHNSON, GEORGIA TECH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR GAINES ADAMS, CLEMSON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RILEY SKINNER, WAKE FOREST COACH OF THE YEAR JIM GROBE, WAKE FOREST

TATUM AWARD JOSH WILSON, MARYLAND PICCOLO AWARD GLENN SHARPE, MIAMI JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD JOSH BEEKMAN, BOSTON COLLEGE

irginia Tech held the high-powered Boston College offense scoreless over the final 35 minutes of play, overcoming a nine-point first half deficit to claim its second ACC title since joining the league in 2004...Led by junior quarterback Sean Glennon, who was named the championship game MVP, the Hokies scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull out the 30-16 win...for the game, Glennon completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 174 yards and three touchdowns...Hokie receivers Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal and Josh Hyman combined for nearly 150 yards and three touchdowns...the Hokie defense forced two turnovers, scoring one TD on an interception return, and the special teams unit blocked two kicks, including a PAT that was returned for two points...for BC, Matt Ryan passed for 305 yards and running back Andre Callender set a championship game record with 13 receptions in the losing effort. MVP - SEAN GLENNON, VIRGINIA TECH

2007 16

JACKSONVILLE, FL

AWARD WINNERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR MATT RYAN, BOSTON COLLEGE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR CHRIS LONG, VIRGINIA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR JOSH ADAMS, WAKE FOREST DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR DEUNTA WILLIAMS, NORTH CAROLINA

COACH OF THE YEAR AL GROH, VIRGINIA TATUM AWARD TOM SANTI, VIRGINIA PICCOLO AWARD MATT ROBINSON, WAKE FOREST JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD STEVE JUSTICE, WAKE FOREST

2007 ACC LEGENDS Pete Mitchell (Boston College), Jerry Butler (Clemson), Clarkston Hines (Duke), LeRoy Butler (Florida State), George Morris (Georgia Tech), Dick Shiner (Maryland), Jim Kelly (Miami), Dennis Byrd (NC State), Harris Barton (North Carolina), Joe Palumbo (Virginia), Antonio Freeman (Virginia Tech), Norm Snead (Wake Forest)

theACC.com

2008

irginia Tech came up with a solid defensive effort to defeat Atlantic Division rival Boston College 30-12 in the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium...the win marked the second straight ACC title and the third in four years for the Hokies, who defeated the Eagles 30-16 in the 2007 championship game...freshman Darren Evans added 114 yards rushing on 31 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown run, and Dustin Keys set an ACC Championship Game record with a 50-yard field goal...Orion Martin capped the win for the Hokies (9-4) when he recovered a fumble and returned it 17 yards for a TD. Boston College (9-4) scored a secondquarter touchdown on Dominique Davis’ 16-yard pass to Rich Gunnell, who finished the game with seven catches for 114 yards. MVP - TYROD TAYLOR, VIRGINIA TECH

TAMPA, FL

2008 ACC LEGENDS

AWARD WINNERS Steve DeOssie (Boston College); Levon Kirkland (Clemson); Claude “Tee” Moorman, II (Duke); Danny Kanell (Florida State); Pat Swilling (Georgia Tech); Stan Jones (Maryland); Russell Maryland (Miami); Marcus Jones (North Carolina); Bill Yoest (N.C. State); Tiki Barber (Virginia); Don Strock (Virginia Tech); John Henry Mills (Wake Forest)

24 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR JONATHAN DWYER, GEORGIA TECH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR MARKHERZLICH,BOSTONCOLLEGE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RUSSELL WILSON, NC STATE DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SEAN SPENCE, MIAMI

COACH OF THE YEAR PAUL JOHNSON, GEORGIA TECH TATUM AWARD DARRYL RICHARD, GEORGIA TECH PICCOLO AWARD ROBERT QUINN, NORTH CAROLINA JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD EUGENE MONROE, VIRGINIA

n a night of big plays and shifting momentum, 12th-ranked Georgia Tech landed the final offensive punch to outlast 25th-ranked Clemson, 39-34. A crowd of 57,227 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium and a national ESPN television audience saw the Yellow Jackets’ Jonathan Dwyer score what proved to be the winning touchdown on a 15-yard run with 1:20 to play...the rushing TD was the junior running back’s second of the night and allowed Tech (11-2) to answer after Clemson (8-5) had taken a 34-33 lead on Andre Ellington’s 1-yard run with 6:11 remaining in the game...though the Tigers came up short in their bid to claim their first ACC title since 1991, senior RB C.J. Spiller took home game MVP honors. Spiller rushed for a career-high 233 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. Spiller had scoring runs of 3, 41, 36 and 9 yards, and added a 54-yard run to set up Clemson’s fourth-quarter go-ahead TD. MVP - C.J. SPILLER, CLEMSON

2009 34

TAMPA, FL

AWARD WINNERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR C.J. SPILLER, CLEMSON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR DERRICK MORGAN, GEORGIA TECH ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RYAN WILLIAMS, VIRGINIA TECH DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR LUKE KUECHLY, BOSTON COLLEGE

COACH OF THE YEAR PAUL JOHNSON, GEORGIA TECH TATUM AWARD RILEY SKINNER, WAKE FOREST PICCOLO AWARD TONEY BAKER, NC STATE JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD RODNEY HUDSON, FLORIDA STATE

2009 ACC LEGENDS Mike Mayock (Boston College), Danny Ford (Clemson), Bob Pascal (Duke), Chris Weinke, (Florida State), Eddie Lee Ivery (Georgia Tech), Kevin Glover (Maryland), Vinny Testaverde (Miami), Kelvin Bryant, (North Carolina), Willie Burden (NC State), Jim Bakktiar (Virginia), Bob Schweickert (Virginia Tech), Bill Barnes (Wake Forest)

theACC.com

2010

B Tyrod Taylor threw three touchdown passes and rushed for another score in leading the 15thranked Hokies to a 44-33 victory over No. 21 Florida State in the 2010 ACC Championship Game before a crowd of 72,379 at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. The win made Virginia Tech the only team in the NCAA FBS history to win 11 straight games in the same season after opening with back-to-back losses (Boise State and James Madison). The title marked Virginia Tech’s fourth ACC championship overall and its third in the title game. The Hokies won the crown in their inaugural season in the league (2004) and captured title games in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Taylor completed 18of-28 passes for 263 yards. His favorite target was WR Danny Coale, who hauled in six receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown. Taylor broke the Virginia Tech single-season school record for touchdown passes, bettering he previous record set by Maurice DeShazo’s with his 23rd TD toss of the year late in the third quarter. MVP - TYROD TAYLOR, VIRGINIA TECH

CHARLOTTE, NC

2010 ACC LEGENDS

AWARD WINNERS Tony Thurman (Boston College), Steve Fuller (Clemson), Jay Wilkinson (Duke), Peter Boulware (Florida State), Randy Rhino (Georgia Tech), Darryl Hill (Maryland), Cortez Kennedy (Miami), Ethan Horton (North Carolina), Ted Brown (NC State), Barry Word (Virginia), Cornell Brown (Virginia Tech), Larry Hopkins (Wake Forest)

26 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR TYROD TAYLOR, VIRGINIA TECH

COACH OF THE YEAR RALPH FRIEDGEN, MARYLAND

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR DA’QUAN BOWERS, CLEMSON

TATUM AWARD CHRISTIAN PONDER, FLORIDA STATE

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR DANNY O’BRIEN, MARYLAND

PICCOLO AWARD MARK HERZLICH, BOSTON COLLEGE NATE IRVING, NC STATE

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR XAVIER RHODES, FLORIDA STATE

JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD RODNEY HUDSON, FLORIDA STATE

theACC.com

ACC FOOTBALL BY THE NUMBERS

HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS

NATIONAL COACHES OF THE YEAR

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES

28 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

AFCA GRADUATION AWARDS

ACC NFL PRO BOWLERS IN PAST TWO SEASONS

COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS

BOWL VICTORIES

CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICANS

NFL FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS

theACC.com

THE ACC AND THE MILITARY

H HHHHHHH H H H H H H H H HH

A PROUD PARTNERSHIP

BY DAVID DROSCHAK

2011 CARRIER CLASSIC

The ceremonial coin flip and stirring rendition of the National Anthem at today’s Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game are opportune times to reflect on the league’s 2011 partnership with the country’s military, and its sacrifices home and abroad. From the ACC’s Wounded Warrior Project initiative, to North Carolina participating in the first-ever basketball game on an active aircraft carrier, to the conference’s affiliation with the Military Bowl, the ACC’s patriotism is entrenched within the fabric of conference officials, coaches, players and fans. “There will never be enough that we can do to acknowledge the sacrifice that the men and women of the military make for us,” said NC State football coach Tom O’Brien, who played college football at the

United States Naval Academy and served the United States in the Marine Corps Reserves. “It is important to take every possible opportunity to show our gratitude to them.” This past season, each institution selected one home football contest to serve as ACC Military Appreciation Day. The schools hosted and honored a member of the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, while also paying tribute to veterans during the course of the game. “We are all dedicated to saluting the men and women who protect and serve our country and this collective effort is just one way for us to show our appreciation,” ACC Commissioner John Swofford said. Meanwhile, on Veteran’s Day, the topranked Tar Heels defeated Michigan State to open the season in the Carrier Classic, playing in front of President Obama and several thousand members of the United States Armed Forces. “It was a thrill for me. It was one of the neatest things I’ve ever been involved in,” said UNC coach Roy Williams, whose team helped make college basketball history by playing the game aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in San Diego Bay. “I enjoyed every possible thing about it.”

On Dec. 28, an ACC team will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., by participating in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. The mission of the Military Bowl is to raise awareness and funds, and publicity for the USO. Last year, the bowl gave $100,000 to the USO and more than 5,000 tickets to military personnel and their families. “The ACC expansion really puts us centrally located for a lot of teams,” said Military Bowl executive director Stephen Beck. “We hope the growth of our game over the next few years can coincide with the growth of the ACC, and it will have a measurable benefit to the USO and their mission to support military families.” Wake Forest and Maryland have played in two of the first three Military Bowls and the ACC’s current postseason bowl contract run through 2013. The bowl was first called the Congressional Bowl during its planning stages, and then named the EagleBank Bowl in 2008-09 before becoming the Military Bowl. “The ACC has been an integral part of why we are here and why we believe this bowl is on an upward path,” Beck said. “Especially now with the change in identity and being called the Military Bowl, we all have something to be passionate about together by helping support the nation’s main military charity, the USO.”

MILITARY BOWL

OTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

2008 DR PEPPER ACC FO

GAME

2008 DR PEPPER ACC FOOTBA

LL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

2010 DR PEPPER ACC FOOTBALL

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

theACC.com

ACC MILITARY APPRECIATION DAYS H

he Atlantic Coast Conference instituted a conferencewide initiative to honor our nation’s military throughout the 2011 ACC Football season at both the conference and institutional level. Each ACC institution selected one home contest to serve as its part of the effort. The initiative varied from campus to campus, but all ACC Military Appreciation Days had several common elements. Each school hosted and honored a member of the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. WWP serves to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service men and women, to help injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and

services to meet their needs. Each school also paid tribute to veterans during the course of the game and promoted the initiative through ACC Military Appreciation Day videoboard and ribbon board graphics provided by the conference office. Below are photos from each school’s ACC Military Appreciation Day.

DUKE

CLEMSON

FLORIDA STATE

MARYLAND

GEORGIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH

NORTH CAROLINA

NC STATE

MIAMI

BOSTON COLLEGE

WAKE FOREST

VIRGINIA

theACC.com

34 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS

CLEMSON 2011 SEASON RESULTS 09.03.11 09.10.11 09.17.11 09.24.11 10.01.11 10.08.11

vs. Troy vs. Wofford vs. Auburn vs. Florida State at Virginia Tech vs. Boston College

W W W W W W

43-19 35-27 38-24 35-30 23-3 36-14

10.15.11 10.22.11 10.29.11 11.12.11 11.19.11 11.26.11

at Maryland vs. North Carolina at Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest at NC State at South Carolina

W W L W L L

56-45 59-38 17-31 31-28 13-37 13-34

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS | CLEMSON

2011 SEASON STATISTICS INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

TEAM STATISTICS CLEMSON SCORING 399 Points Per Game 33.2 FIRST DOWNS 266 Rushing 95 Passing 156 Penalty 15 RUSHING YARDAGE 1809 Yards gained rushing 2155 Yards lost rushing 346 Rushing Attempts 458 Average Per Rush 3.9 Average Per Game 150.8 TDs Rushing 18 PASSING YARDAGE 3462 Comp-Att-Int 267-448-10 Average Per Pass 7.7 Average Per Catch 13 Average Per Game 288.5 TDs Passing 28 TOTAL OFFENSE 5271 Total Plays 906 Average Per Play 5.8 Average Per Game 439.2 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards 51-1176 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards 12-88 INT RETURNS: #-Yards 11-141 KICK RETURN AVERAGE 23.1 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE 7.3 INT RETURN AVERAGE 12.8 FUMBLES-LOST 20-10 PENALTIES-Yards 51-462 PUNTS-Yards 56-2337 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 28:20 3RD-DOWN Conversions 85/190 4TH-DOWN Conversions 7/16 SCORE BY QUARTERS Clemson Opponents

1st 93 89

2nd 87 109

3rd 124 85

OPP 330 27.5 233 115 99 19 2238 2508 270 497 4.5 186.5 18 2364 189-327-11 7.2 12.5 197.0 19 4602 824 5.6 383.5 64-1250 23-226 10-175 19.5 9.8 17.5 23-8 66-571 67-2553 31:40 69/178 8/19 4th 95 47

36 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Total 399 330

RUSHING ANDRE ELLINGTON MIKE BELLAMY D.J. HOWARD SAMMY WATKINS TAJH BOYD RODERICK MCDOWELL ADAM HUMPHRIES CHAD DIEHL BRANDON THOMAS SPENCER BENTON COLE STOUDT CHARONE PEAKE PASSING TAJH BOYD COLE STOUDT SAMMY WATKINS DEANDRE HOPKINS ANDRE ELLINGTON

GP ATT GAIN LOSS 11 193 966 29 12 57 360 17 10 37 218 3 11 26 186 12 12 121 382 224 11 7 29 0 12 2 7 0 12 1 0 0 11 0 0 0 8 1 0 9 4 3 7 19 12 1 0 13 GP EFFIC COMP 12 143.11 254 4 108.3 12 11 175.6 1 12 0 0 11 0 0

RECEIVING SAMMY WATKINS DEANDRE HOPKINS DWAYNE ALLEN JARON BROWN ANDRE ELLINGTON ADAM HUMPHRIES BRANDON FORD MARTAVIS BRYANT CHARONE PEAKE JOE CRAIG MIKE BELLAMY D.J. HOWARD SAM COOPER BRYCE MCNEAL MARQUAN JONES RODERICK MCDOWELL BRANDON THOMAS SCORING CHANDLER CATANZARO SAMMY WATKINS ANDRE ELLINGTON DWAYNE ALLEN DEANDRE HOPKINS TAJH BOYD JARON BROWN MIKE BELLAMY BRANDON FORD MARTAVIS BRYANT KOURTNEI BROWN D.J. HOWARD BRANDON THOMAS TOTAL OFFENSE TAJH BOYD ANDRE ELLINGTON MIKE BELLAMY D.J. HOWARD SAMMY WATKINS COLE STOUDT RODERICK MCDOWELL ADAM HUMPHRIES SPENCER BENTON CHARONE PEAKE

GP NO. 11 72 12 55 12 46 12 28 11 20 12 13 11 12 12 6 12 3 4 3 12 2 10 2 12 1 3 1 11 1 11 1 11 1 TD FG 0 19-24 11 0 9 0 6 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 G 12 11 12 10 11 4 11 12 8 12

ATT 424 20 1 1 1

AVG TD 4.9 9 6 3 5.8 1 6.7 0 1.3 4 4.1 0 3.5 0 0 0 0 1 9 0 4 0 13 0

INT PCT YDS 10 59.9 3338 0 60 115 0 100 9 0 0 0 0 0 0

YDS AVG 1073 14.9 779 14.2 545 11.8 365 13 114 5.7 118 9.1 161 13.4 199 33.2 54 18 18 6 4 2 2 1 18 18 8 8 6 6 1 1 1 1

KICK 44-45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PLAYS 545 194 57 37 27 23 7 2 1 1

NET 937 343 215 174 158 29 7 0 0 9 12 13

RUSH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 RUSH 158 937 343 215 174 12 29 7 9 13

RCV 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LONG AVG/G 74 85.2 75 28.6 37 21.5 33 15.8 14 13.2 10 2.6 4 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 1.1 7 3 0 1.1

TD LG 28 65 0 50 0 9 0 0 0 0

TD 10 4 6 4 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LG 65 50 54 29 19 18 50 54 24 13 4 4 18 8 6 0 0

PASS DXP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PASS 3338 0 0 0 9 115 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 3496 937 343 215 183 103 29 7 9 13

AVG/G 278.2 28.8 0.8 0 0 AVG/G 97.5 64.9 45.4 30.4 10.4 9.8 14.6 16.6 4.5 4.5 0.3 0.2 1.5 2.7 0.5 0.1 0.1

SAF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PTS 101 66 54 38 26 24 24 18 12 12 12 6 6

AVG/G 291.3 85.2 28.6 21.5 16.6 25.8 2.6 0.6 1.1 1.1

COACHING STAFF DABO SWINNEY

KEVIN STEELE

HEAD COACH

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

TONY ELLIOTT

MARION HOBBY

ASSISTANT COACH

CHARLIE HARBISON

CHAD MORRIS

CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

DANNY PEARMAN

ASSISTANT COACH

DAN BROOKS

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

ROBBIE CALDWELL

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH

ASSISTANT COACH

JEFF SCOTT

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH

ASSISTANT COACH

2011 TEAM ROSTER NO. NAME

POS.

HT.

WT.

CLASS HOMETOWN

NO. NAME

POS.

HT.

WT.

CLASS HOMETOWN

1 2 3 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 10 12 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 38 39 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 47 47

WR WR DE RB S DT WR LB LB QB WR QB LB QB PK/P CB QB CB QB WR CB WR WR LB CB RB RB CB RB WR S DB FB S S LB LB RB PK S CB WR PK LB DE LB LB DT LB LB WR P S

6-5 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-4 5-10 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-2 5-9 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-3 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-11 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-2 5-11 5-10 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-5 5-11 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-0

205 200 235 175 210 270 200 245 225 200 160 225 235 195 195 175 210 185 200 190 185 200 205 215 170 195 190 195 190 195 210 190 260 210 205 250 220 210 185 195 190 185 200 220 260 205 230 295 235 220 195 175 195

FR. FR. *FR. FR. JR. *FR. SO. FR. SO. FR. *FR. *SO. FR. FR. *JR. SO. *SO. *GR. FR. FR. *FR. *JR. FR. FR. SO. *FR. *JR. FR. *SO. SR. FR. *JR. *SR. *JR *JR. *SO. *SO. *SR. FR. *SR. *FR. *SO. *SO. SR. *SR. SR. JR. *SO. FR. *JR. SR. FR. *FR.

48 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 56 58 60 62 63 67 68 70 72 73 73 74 75 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 87 88 89 90 91 92 92 93 94 95 95 96 96 97 98 99

LB CB S DT OL LS LS OL C LS DE C OL OL OL OG OG OT OT OG OT OG LS OL OT OL OG OT TE/WR WR TE TE TE FB/TE WR TE WR WR TE WR DE DT DE P/PK DE DT PK DT P DT DE DT DT

6-2 5-8 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-5 5-10 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-4 5-11 5-11 6-4 6-2 6-6 6-4 6-3 5-10 6-5 6-3 5-11 6-0 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-1

220 185 200 295 305 220 235 330 285 185 225 265 255 310 300 335 315 315 305 310 260 335 195 290 275 295 370 315 235 200 205 250 255 245 200 240 195 190 265 185 255 290 275 175 280 265 180 290 205 345 280 310 290

FR. *FR. FR. FR. FR. *SO. FR. *JR. *JR. *JR. FR. FR. *SO. *GR. *SO. *FR. *FR. *FR. *GR. *GR. FR. SR. *FR. *SO. FR. *FR. FR. *SR. *JR. FR. *FR. *SR. *JR. *SO. *SO. *FR. *FR. *FR. FR. *FR. *GR. *FR. FR. *FR. FR. *SR. *SO. *FR. SR. FR. JR. SR. FR.

MARTAVIS BRYANT SAMMY WATKINS VIC BEASLEY MIKE BELLAMY JONATHAN MEEKS TAVARIS BARNES DEANDRE HOPKINS TONY STEWARD JUSTIN PARKER COLE STOUDT JOE CRAIG TAJH BOYD STEPHONE ANTHONY TONY MCNEAL SPENCER BENTON MARTIN JENKINS DONNY MCELVEEN COTY SENSABAUGH MORGAN ROBERTS ADAM HUMPHRIES BASHAUD BREELAND JARON BROWN CHARONE PEAKE LATEEK TOWNSEND DARIUS ROBINSON D.J. HOWARD ANDRE ELLINGTON CORTEZ DAVIS RODERICK MCDOWELL MARQUAN JONES ROBERT SMITH XAVIER BREWER CHAD DIEHL RASHARD HALL CARLTON LEWIS SPENCER SHUEY QUANDON CHRISTIAN MANSA JOSEPH AMMON LAKIP KANTRELL BROWN GARRY PETERS JULIAN PATTON CHANDLER CATANZARO STEVEN DEMARAS ANDRE BRANCH DANIEL ANDREWS CORICO HAWKINS TYLER SHATLEY B.J. GOODSON JONATHAN WILLARD WILL HARRISON GREG COLQUITT TAYLOR WATSON

CALHOUN FALLS, SC FORT MYERS, FL ADAIRSVILLE, GA NOCATEE, FL ROCK HILL, SC JACKSONVILLE,FL CENTRAL, SC HASTINGS, FL PORT ROYAL, SC DUBLIN, OH GAFFNEY, SC HAMPTON,VA POLKTON,NC CHESTER, SC MYRTLE BEACH, SC ROSWELL, GA SUMMERVILLE, SC KINGSPORT, TN CHARLOTTE, NC SPARTANBURG, SC ALLENDALE, SC CHERAW, SC MOORE, SC BENNETTSVILLE, SC COLLEGE PARK, GA LINCOLN, AL MONCKS CORNER, SC DAYTONA BEACH, FL SUMTER, SC COLUMBIA, SC SAINT GEORGE, SC JACKSONVILLE, FL LYMAN, SC SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL CHARLOTTE, NC LAKE VIEW, SC SALTERS, SC JOHNS CREEK, GA SAINT MATTHEWS, SC CONYERS, GA ROCK HILL, SC GREENVILLE, SC WESTFORD, MA RICHMOND, VA JACKSONVILLE, FL MILLEDGEVILLE, GA ICARD, NC LAMAR, SC LORIS, SC MARIETTA, GA MARYVILLE, TN SIMPSONVILLE, SC

COLTON WALLS DANTE STEWART BEAU BROWN GRADY JARRETT HARRISON TUCKER PHILLIP FAJGENBAUM JIM BROWN MATT SANDERS DALTON FREEMAN SAM VAN GIESON COLLINS MAULDIN RYAN NORTON TYLER FELT MASON CLOY BRANDON THOMAS KALON DAVIS DAVID BEASLEY GIFFORD TIMOTHY LANDON WALKER DAVID SMITH JOE GORE ANTOINE MCCLAIN MICHAEL SOBESKI T.J. BUCK SHAQ ANTHONY REID WEBSTER SPENCER REGION PHILLIP PRICE BRANDON FORD STANTON SECKINGER MARIO MARSHALL DREW TRAYLOR DWAYNE ALLEN DARRELL SMITH TAYLOR OGLE SAM COOPER WILLIAM BELLO MATT PORTER ERIC MAC LAIN WES FORBUSH KOURTNEI BROWN JOSH WATSON RODERICK BYERS CORBIN JENKINS COREY CRAWFORD RENNIE MOORE BRIAN SYMMES TRA THOMAS DAWSON ZIMMERMAN JEROME MAYBANK MALLICIAH GOODMAN BRANDON THOMPSON DESHAWN WILLIAMS

CHARLOTTE, NC SWANSEA, SC BEAUFORT, SC CONYERS, GA NINETY SIX, SC 1RALEIGH, NC WALTERBORO, SC CRESTVIEW, FL PELION, SC GREER, SC ROCK HILL, SC SIMPSONVILLE, SC GREENVILLE, SC COLUMBIA, SC 1SPARTANBURG, SC CHESTER, SC COLUMBUS, GA MIDDLETOWN, DE NORTH WILKESBORO, NC GREENVILLE, SC LAKE WACCAMAW, NC ANNISTON, AL ROEBUCK, SC CHAPIN, SC WILLIAMSTON, SC WOODSTOCK, GA CULLMAN, AL DILLON, SC WANDO, SC ISLE OF PALMS, SC CHERAW, SC BIRMINGHAM, AL FAYETTEVILLE, NC GADSDEN, AL GATLINBURG, TN BRENTWOOD, TN SAN FRANCISCO, CA CHARLESTON, SC HOPE MILLS, NC JOHNSON CITY, TN CHARLOTTE, NC WILMINGTON, DE ROCK HILL, SC CONWAY, SC COLUMBUS, GA SAINT MARYS, GA GREENVILLE, SC WADESBORO, NC LAWRENCEVILLE, GA PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC FLORENCE, SC THOMASVILLE, GA CENTRAL, SC

theACC.com

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS | CLEMSON

1 Martavis BRYANT

2 Sammy WATKINS

3 Vic BEASLEY

5 Mike BELLAMY

5 Johnathan MEEKS

6 Tavaris BARNES

6 DeAndre HOPKINS

7 Tony STEWARD

8 Justin PARKER

8 Cole STOUDT

9 Joe CRAIG

10 Tajh BOYD

12Stephone ANTHONY

12 Tony MCNEAL

13 Spencer BENTON

14 Martin JENKINS

14 Donny MCELVEEN

15 Morgan ROBERTS

15Coty SENSABAUGH

16 Adam HUMPHRIES

17Bashaud BREELAND

18 Jaron BROWN

19 Charone PEAKE

20Lateek TOWNSEND

21 Darius ROBINSON

22 DJ HOWARD

23 Andre ELLINGTON

24 Cortez DAVIS

27 Robert SMITH

29 Xavier BREWER

30 Chad DIEHL

31 Rashard HALL

32 Carlton LEWIS

25Roderick MCDOWELL 26 Marquan JONES

33 Spencer SHUEY

34Quandon CHRISTIAN 35 Mansa JOSEPH

36 Ammon LAKIP

37 Kantrell BROWN

38 Julian PATTON

38 Garry PETERS

39 Chandler CATANZARO

39 Steven DEMARAS 40 Andre BRANCH

41 Daniel ANDREWS

42 Corico HAWKINS

43 Tyler SHATLEY

44 BJ GOODSON

38 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPIONS | CLEMSON

46Jonathan WILLARD

47 Will HARRISON

48 Dante STEWART

48 Colton WALLS

50 Grady JARRETT

52 Phillip FAJGENBAUM 53 Jim BROWN

54 Matt SANDERS

55 Dalton FREEMAN

56 Sam VAN GIESON

58 Ryan NORTON

60 Tyler FELT

62 Mason CLOY

63 Brandon THOMAS

67 Kalon DAVIS

68 David BEASLEY

70 Gifford TIMOTHY

72 Landon WALKER

73 Joe GORE

73 David SMITH

74 Antoine MCCLAIN

75 TJ BUCK

75 Michael SOBESKI

76 Shaq ANTHONY

77 Reid WEBSTER

78 Spencer REGION

79 Phillip PRICE

80 Brandon FORD

81 Stanton SECKINGER

82 Drew TRAYLOR

83 Dwayne ALLEN

84 Darrell SMITH

85 Taylor OGLE

86 Sam COOPER

87 William BELLO

87 Corbin JENKINS

88 Eric MAC LAIN

89 Wes FORBUSH

90 Kourtnei BROWN

91 Josh WATSON

92 Roderick BYERS

93 Corey CRAWFORD

94 Rennie MOORE

95 Tra THOMAS

96 Jerome MAYBANK 96 Dawson ZIMMERMAN 97Malliciah GOODMAN

98BrandonTHOMPSON

99DeShawn WILLIAMS theACC.com

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS

VIRGINIA TECH 2011 SEASON RESULTS 09.03.11 09.10.11 09.17.11 09.24.11 10.01.11 10.08.11

vs. Appalachian State at East Carolina vs. Arkansas State at Marshall vs. Clemson vs. Miami

W W W W L W

66-13 17-10 26-7 30-10 3-23 38-35

10.15.11 10.22.11 10.29.11 11.10.11 11.17.11 11.26.11

at Wake Forest vs. Boston College at Duke at Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina at Virginia

W W W W W W

38-17 30-14 14-10 37-26 24-21 38-0

theACC.com

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS | VIRGINIA TECH

2011 SEASON STATISTICS INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

TEAM STATISTICS VIRGINIA TECH SCORING 361 Points Per Game 30.1 FIRST DOWNS 255 Rushing 131 Passing 110 Penalty 14 RUSHING YARDAGE 2397 Yards gained rushing 2695 Yards lost rushing 298 Rushing Attempts 513 Average Per Rush 4.7 Average Per Game 199.8 TDs Rushing 25 PASSING YARDAGE 2678 Comp-Att-Int 202-333-7 Average Per Pass 8 Average Per Catch 13.3 Average Per Game 223.2 TDs Passing 20 TOTAL OFFENSE 5075 Total Plays 846 Average Per Play 6 Average Per Game 422.9 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards 37-715 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards 30-310 INT RETURNS: #-Yards 15-203 KICK RETURN AVERAGE 19.3 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE 10.3 INT RETURN AVERAGE 13.5 FUMBLES-LOST 21-6 PENALTIES-Yards 66-586 PUNTS-Yards 54-1928 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 34:14 3RD-DOWN Conversions 81/174 4TH-DOWN Conversions 7/14 SCORE BY QUARTERS Virginia Tech Opponents

1st 70 48

2nd 127 37

3rd 82 46

OPP 186 15.5 184 71 94 19 1184 1528 344 377 3.1 98.7 13 2440 176-361-15 6.8 13.9 203.3 11 3624 738 4.9 302.0 39-859 16-67 7-77 22.0 4.2 11 12-7 46-416 68-2720 25:45 52/165 6/18 4th 82 55

42 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Total 361 186

RUSHING DAVID WILSON LOGAN THOMAS JOSH OGLESBY DANNY COALE DANIEL DYER TONY GREGORY MARK LEAL ANDREW LANIER JOEY PHILLIPS MARCUS DAVIS PASSING LOGAN THOMAS MARK LEAL RECEIVING JARRETT BOYKIN DANNY COALE D.J. COLES MARCUS DAVIS DAVID WILSON CHRIS DRAGER JOSH OGLESBY DYRELL ROBERTS COREY FULLER ERIC MARTIN RANDALL DUNN GEORGE GEORGE WILLIE BYRN SCORING CODY JOURNELL DAVID WILSON LOGAN THOMAS JOSH OGLESBY MARCUS DAVIS JARRETT BOYKIN DANNY COALE CHRIS DRAGER D.J. COLES RANDALL DUNN KYLE FULLER ERIC MARTIN TYLER WEISS JUSTIN MYER TOTAL OFFENSE LOGAN THOMAS DAVID WILSON JOSH OGLESBY MARK LEAL DANNY COALE DANIEL DYER TONY GREGORY JOEY PHILLIPS ANDREW LANIER MARCUS DAVIS

GP ATT GAIN LOSS 12 255 1698 103 12 125 541 127 12 84 349 35 12 3 35 2 7 6 30 0 12 16 32 5 2 1 5 0 12 0 2 0 12 3 3 1 12 2 0 5

NET 1595 414 314 33 30 27 5 2 2 5

AVG TD 6.3 9 3.3 10 3.7 6 11 0 5 0 1.7 0 5 0 0 0 0.7 0 2.5 0

LONG AVG/G 57 132.9 23 34.5 44 26.2 26 2.8 13 4.3 6 2.2 5 2.5 0 0.2 3 0.2 0 0.4

GP EFFIC COMP ATT INT PCT YDS TD LG AVG/G 12 141.22 193 319 7 60.5 2525 18 63 210.4 2 218.86 9 13 0 69.2 153 2 63 76.5 GP NO. 11 54 12 50 12 27 12 25 12 18 12 12 12 5 3 3 6 2 8 2 12 2 12 1 1 1 TD FG 0 13-16 10 0 10 0 6 0 5 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0-1 0 0-2 G 12 12 12 2 12 7 12 12 12 12

YDS AVG 673 12.5 776 15.5 333 12.3 449 18 112 6.2 163 13.6 29 5.8 45 15 19 9.5 17 8.5 10 5 37 37 15 15

KICK 42-43 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2-2 0 PLAYS 444 255 84 14 3 6 16 3 0 2

RUSH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 RUSH 414 1595 314 5 33 30 27 2 2 5

RCV 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

TD 5 3 2 5 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0

LG 60 63 49 63 15 23 9 31 12 15 7 37 15

PASS DXP 0 0 0 0 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PASS 2525 0 0 153 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 2939 1595 314 158 33 30 27 2 2 5

AVG/G 61.2 64.7 27.8 37.4 9.3 13.6 2.4 15 3.2 2.1 0.8 3.1 15

SAF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PTS 81 60 60 36 30 30 18 12 12 6 6 6 2 0

AVG/G 244.9 132.9 26.2 79 2.8 4.3 2.2 0.2 0.2 0.4

COACHING STAFF FRANK BEAMER HEAD COACH

BRYAN STINESPRING OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

TORRIAN GRAY

CHARLEY WILES

DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD COACH

DEFENSIVE LINE COACH

BUD FOSTER

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

SHANE BEAMER

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH

CURT NEWSOME

OFFENSIVE LINE COACH

KEVIN SHERMAN

WIDE RECEIVERS COACH

MIKE O’CAIN

QUARTERBACKS COACH

CORNELL BROWN

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH

2011 TEAM ROSTER NO. NAME

POS.

HT.

WT.

CLASS

HOMETOWN

NO. NAME

POS.

HT.

WT.

CLASS

HOMETOWN

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 71

FS TB QB TB PK QB FL CB CB FL QB TE ROV QB CB SE FL CB FS TB ROV LB FB FS OLB OLB P FL FB TE CB LB P TB OLB FS DE OLB LB FB LB PK LS LB LB DT OT DT LB LB DT OG OT C OG LS DE OG OG OT OT

6’ 0” 5’ 11” 6’ 6” 5’ 10” 5’ 10” 6’ 0” 6’ 4” 6’ 0” 5’ 11” 6’ 2” 6’ 1” 6’ 2” 6’ 1” 6’ 1” 6’ 0” 6’ 3” 6’ 0” 5’ 10” 6’ 3” 6’ 0” 6’ 0” 6’ 2” 5’ 11” 5’ 9” 6’ 2” 6’ 2” 5’ 11” 6’ 0” 5’ 9” 6’ 4” 5’ 10” 6’ 1” 5’ 8” 5’ 9” 5’ 10” 6’ 0” 6’ 2” 6’ 2” 6’ 3” 5’ 11” 5’ 10” 6’ 1” 6’ 3” 6’ 2” 6’ 0” 6’ 2” 6’ 6” 6’ 1” 6’ 1” 6’ 0” 6’ 3” 6’ 6” 6’ 5” 5’ 9” 6’ 3” 6’ 0” 6’ 1” 6’ 7” 6’ 2” 6’ 7” 6’ 6”

220 218 254 205 169 209 228 189 180 196 225 228 200 205 187 224 200 171 196 190 201 231 207 180 196 189 194 167 221 264 193 223 179 201 197 212 240 205 217 221 217 220 232 243 250 280 326 306 228 229 282 312 311 262 287 213 219 292 307 302 303

R-SO. R-SR. R-SO. JR. R-SR. R-FR. R-JR. R-FR. R-SR. SR. R-JR. R-JR. SR. R-FR. SO. JR. R-SR. JR. R-FR. R-SO. FR. R-SO. R-JR. R-SO. R-FR. R-JR. R-JR. FR. R-FR. R-SR. FR. R-FR. FR. R-FR. R-JR. R-FR. R-SO. R-JR. R-FR. R-JR. R-FR. SR. R-SR. R-JR. R-SR. R-JR. R-JR. R-JR. R-SO. R-SO. R-JR. R-FR. R-SR. SR. R-FR. R-FR. R-SO. R-JR. R-SR. R-FR. R-JR.

GLEN ALLEN, VA. GARNER, N.C. LYNCHBURG, VA. DANVILLE, VA. SPOTSYLVANIA, VA. GREENACRES, FLA. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. MCDONOUGH, GA. RICHMOND, VA. SMITHFIELD, VA. RICHMOND, VA. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. CHARLOTTE, N.C. BLACKSBURG, VA. BALTIMORE, MD. MAIDENS, VA. LEXINGTON, VA. DELRAY BEACH, FLA. RICHMOND, VA. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. WASHINGTON, D.C. CHERAW, S.C. MARTINSVILLE, VA. FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. RICHMOND, VA. WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA LYNCHBURG, VA. MCLEAN, VA. JEFFERSON HILLS, PA. TANNERSVILLE, PA. LEESBURG, VA. DAYTON, MD. SALEM, VA. BRANDYWINE, MD. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. STAFFORD, VA. ASHBURN, VA. FAIRFAX STATION, VA. BLACKSBURG, VA. PALM BAY, FLA. MANHEIM, PA. HOPKINS, MINN. RICEBORO, GA. WADESBORO, N.C. OVIEDO, FLA. WILMINGTON, N.C. HIGHLAND SPRINGS, VA. NORFOLK, VA. OAKTON, VA. MITCHELLVILLE, MD. SIERRA VISTA, ARIZ. MIDLOTHIAN, VA. BLACKSBURG, VA. MIDLOTHIAN, VA. LOS ALAMITOS, CALIF. HAMPTON, VA. MCLEANSVILLE, N.C. NEWPORT NEWS, VA. FORK UNION, VA. NORFOLK, VA.

72 ANDREW LANIER 74 ANDREW MILLER 75 GREG NOSAL 76 DAVID WANG 79 CALEB FARRIS 80 GEORGE GEORGE 81 JARRETT BOYKIN 82 WILLIE BYRN 83 COREY FULLER 86 ERIC MARTIN 88 RYAN MALLECK 89 CODY JOURNELL 90 DUAN PEREZ-MEANS 92 LUTHER MADDY 93 ISAIAH HAMLETTE 95 ZACK MCCRAY 96 COREY MARSHALL 98 DERRICK HOPKINS 99 JAMES GAYLE NICK ACREE KEVIN ASANTE TYLER BARFIELD KWAMAINE BATTLE BRENT BENEDICT NICK BUSH RYAN CASSIDY CHRIS CAVER MICHAEL COLE DALE DAVIS JAMES FARROW DARIAN FISHER GREG GADDELL JAKE GOINS KORY GOUGH CONOR GOULDING KRIS HARLEY ANDREW HARRS GRIFFIN HITE FULLER HOEPNER JUSTUS HOFFMANN MICHAEL HOLMES CARL JACKSON ETHAN KEYSERLING MARCUS MAPP DAVID MELLSTROM DADI NICOLAS DOMINIQUE PATTERSON DARIUS REDMAN CHRISTIAN REEVES BRIAN RODY SCOTT ROLIN MATT ROTH T.J. SHAW E.L. SMILING BRANDON SPITZER LUKAS STUMP JUSTIN TAYLOR MAURICE TAYLOR JOSH TRIMBLE RONNY VANDYKE D.J. WARD ROSS WARD

OT C OG OG C TE SE FL SE TE TE PK DE DT DT DE DT DT DE OT SE OG DT OT ROV ROV CB FS OG CB OT FB OG OG K DT OG LB TE FB TB CB P OT FL DE TB TE SE QB FS DE QB SE LB LS DE TB ROV FS LB DT

6’ 5” 6’ 4” 6’ 6” 6’ 1” 6’ 3” 6’ 4” 6’ 2” 5’ 10” 6’ 2” 6’ 2” 6’ 4” 5’ 11” 6’ 4” 6’ 1” 6’ 5” 6’ 4” 6’ 1” 6’ 0” 6’ 4” 6’ 5” 5’ 11” 6’ 1” 6’ 1” 6’ 5” 5’ 10” 5’ 10” 5’ 6” 6’ 1” 6’ 2” 5’ 10” 6’ 4” 5’ 10” 6’ 4” 6’ 5” 5’ 9” 6’ 0” 6’ 4” 5’ 11” 6’ 2” 6’ 1” 5’ 11” 5’ 8” 6’ 2” 6’ 4” 6’ 0” 6’ 2” 6’ 2” 6’ 3” 6’ 3” 6’ 6” 5’ 9” 6’ 2” 6’ 0” 6’ 3” 6’ 2” 5’ 11” 6’ 2” 5’ 8” 5’ 11” 6’ 3” 5’ 11” 6’ 3”

306 290 297 300 309 265 218 177 189 269 233 178 248 283 291 254 253 301 257 278 176 306 302 326 164 183 171 202 303 179 267 191 258 304 174 287 278 213 227 261 212 176 197 277 180 214 236 256 208 217 173 223 170 200 210 204 230 170 200 208 207 260

R-SR. R-SO. R-SR. R-SO. FR. R-JR. SR. R-FR. R-JR. R-SO. FR. R-SO. R-FR. FR. R-JR. R-FR. FR. SO. R-SO. R-FR. FR. R-SO. R-SR. R-FR. FR. R-FR. R-FR. FR. R-FR. FR. R-SO. R-FR. FR. R-FR. R-FR. FR. FR. FR. R-FR. FR. FR. R-FR. R-FR. FR. FR. FR. R-FR. FR. FR. FR. FR. FR. FR. R-FR. FR. R-FR. FR. FR. FR. FR. FR. FR.

MOORE, S.C. BASSETT, VA. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. ASHBURN, VA. LEXINGTON, VA. SALEM, VA. CHARLOTTE, N.C. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. BALTIMORE, MD. WOODBRIDGE, VA. POINT PLEASANT, N.J. RIPPLEMEAD, VA. RICHMOND, VA. DELRAY BEACH, FLA. STAFFORD, VA. FOREST, VA. PETERSBURG, VA. HIGHLAND SPRINGS, VA. HAMPTON, VA. KING WILLIAM, VA. CHARLOTTE, N.C. HERNDON, VA. SPRING HOPE, N.C. JACKSONVILLE, FLA. LEBANON, VA. CLINTON, IOWA HAMPTON, VA. ROANOKE, VA. BLACKSBURG, VA. CHANHASSEN, MINN. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. VIENNA, VA. MIDLOTHIAN, VA. GOLDVEIN, VA. NAPLES, FLA. INDIANAPOLIS, IND. WASHINGTON, D.C. BLACKSBURG, VA. CHESTERFIELD, VA. RALEIGH, N.C. HARRISONBURG, VA. TYRONE, GA. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. PAINTER, VA. PURCELLVILLE, VA. DELRAY BEACH, FLA. SUFFOLK, VA. WASHINGTON, D.C. MCDONOUGH, GA. ASHBURN, VA. ASHBURN, VA ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. ROCKY MOUNT, VA. STAFFORD, VA. CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. STEPHENS CITY, VA. NORWOOD, N.C. DILLWYN, VA. ASHBURN, VA. LORTON, VA. ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA.

ANTONE EXUM JOSH OGLESBY LOGAN THOMAS DAVID WILSON TYLER WEISS MARK LEAL MARCUS DAVIS DETRICK BONNER CRIS HILL DYRELL ROBERTS JU-JU CLAYTON RANDALL DUNN EDDIE WHITLEY TREY GRESH KYLE FULLER D.J. COLES DANNY COALE JAYRON HOSLEY THERON NORMAN TONY GREGORY BOYE AROMIRE TARIQ EDWARDS MARTIN SCALES JAMES HOPPER NICK DEW ALONZO TWEEDY SCOTT DEMLER DEMITRI KNOWLES RILEY BEIRO CHRIS DRAGER KYSHOEN JARRETT CHASE WILLIAMS MICHAEL BRANTHOVER DANIEL DYER WILEY BROWN DEREK DINARDO J.R. COLLINS JERON GOUVEIA-WINSLOW BRIAN LAITI JOEY PHILLIPS JONATHAN HALFHIDE JUSTIN MYER COLLIN CARROLL BRUCE TAYLOR BARQUELL RIVERS DWIGHT TUCKER NICK BECTON ANTOINE HOPKINS TELVION CLARK JACK TYLER COURTNEY PRINCE LAURENCE GIBSON BLAKE DECHRISTOPHER BO GENTRY MATT ARKEMA JOE ST. GERMAIN TYREL WILSON MICHAEL VIA JAYMES BROOKS MARK SHUMAN VINSTON PAINTER

theACC.com

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS | VIRGINIA TECH

1 Antone EXUM

2 Josh OGLESBY

3 Logan THOMAS

4 David WILSON

5 Tyler WEISS

6 Mark LEAL

7 Marcus DAVIS

8 Detrick BONNER

9 Chris HILL

11 Dyrell ROBERTS

12 Ju-Ju CLAYTON

13 Randall DUNN

15 Eddie WHITLEY

16 Trey GRESH

17 Kyle FULLER

18 D.J. COLES

19 Danny COALE

20 Jayron HOSLEY

21 Theron NORMAN

22 Tony GREGORY

23 Boye AROMIRE

24 Tariq EDWARDS

25 Martin SCALES

26 James HOPPER

27 Nick DEW

28 Alonzo TWEEDY

29 Scott DEMLER

31 Demitri KNOWLES

32 Riley BEIRO

33 Chris DRAGER

34 Kyshoen JARRETT

36 Chase WILLIAMS

38Michael BRANTHOVER

39 Daniel DYER

40 Wiley BROWN

41 Derek DINARDO

42 J.R. COLLINS

43JeronGOUVEIA-WINSLOW

44 Brian LAITI

45 Joey PHILLIPS

47 Johnathan HALFHIDE

48 Justin MYER

53 Dwight TUCKER

54 Nick BECTON

56 Antoine HOPKINS

57 Telvion CLARK

50 Collin CARROLL 51 Bruce TAYLOR 52 Barquell RIVERS 44 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPIONS | VIRGINIA TECH

58 Jack TYLER

59 Courtney PRICE

60 Laurence GIBSON

62BlakeDECHRISTOPHER

63 Bo GENTRY

64 Matt ARKEMA

65 Joe ST.GERMAIN

66 Tyrel WILSON

67 Michael VIA

68 Jaymes BROOKS

69 Mark SHUMAN

71 Vinston PAINTER

72 Andrew LANIER

74 Andrew MILLER

75 Greg NOSAL

76 David WANG

79 Caleb FARRIS

80 George GEORGE

81 Jarrett BOYKIN

82 Willie BYRN

83 Corey FULLER

86 Eric MARTIN

88 Ryan MALLECK

89 Cody JOURNELL

90 Duan PEREZ-MEANS

92 Luther MADDY

93 Isaiah HAMLETTE

95 Zach MCCRAY

96 Corey MARSHALL

98 Derrick HOPKINS

99 James GAYLE

theACC.com

2011 ACC FOOTBALL SEASON

WEEK 1 09.01.11 Syracuse Georgia Tech

09.03.11 Florida State Northwestern Virginia Tech Clemson NC State Virginia Richmond North Carolina

36 63

Wake Forest Western Carolina

29 (OT) 21

34 24 66 43 48 40 23 42

Louisiana-Monroe Boston College Appalachian State Troy Liberty William & Mary Duke James Madison

0 17 13 19 21 3 21 10

Miami

09.05.11 Maryland

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE BACK Danny Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, Maryland QB Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech, WR RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Anthony Mihota, Virginia, C CO-DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Brian Slay, NC State, DT CO-DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Joe Vellano, Maryland, DT LINEBACKER Luke Kuechly, Boston College, MLB Cameron Chism, Maryland, CB DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST T.J. Graham, NC State, WR ROOKIE Kevin Parks, Virginia, RB

GAME RESULTS AND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

46 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

JOE VELLANO

WEEK 2 09.10.11

North Carolina Clemson Stanford Virginia Tech Wake Forest Florida State Georgia Tech Virginia Central Florida

24 35 44 17 34 62 49 34 30

Rutgers Wofford Duke East Carolina NC State Charleston Southern Middle Tennessee Indiana Boston College

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

ODAY ABOUSHI

WEEK 3 22 27 14 10 27 10 21 31 3

Tanner Price, Wake Forest, QB Dwight Jones, North Carolina, WR Oday Aboushi, Virginia, OT Cam Johnson, Virginia, DE Kyle Wilber, Wake Forest, OLB Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech, CB Robert Randolph, Virginia, PK Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR

09.17.11

Clemson West Virginia Duke Georgia Tech North Carolina Virginia Tech NC State Wake Forest Miami Oklahoma

38 37 20 66 28 26 35 48 24 23

Auburn Maryland Boston College Kansas Virginia Arkansas State South Alabama Gardner-Webb Ohio State Florida State

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

OMOREGIE UZZI

WEEK 4 24 31 19 24 17 7 13 5 6 13

Tajh Boyd, Clemson, QB Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech, OG Bjoern Werner, Florida State, DE Luke Kuechly, Boston College, MLB Matt Merletti, North Carolina, S Dustin Hopkins, Florida State, PK Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR

09.22.11 Cincinnati

09.24.11

Georgia Tech Temple Boston College Clemson Duke Kansas State Southern Mississippi Virginia Tech

44 NC State

35 38 45 35 48 28 30 30

North Carolina Maryland Massachusetts Florida State Tulane Miami Virginia Marshall

28 7 17 30 27 24 24 10

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE BACK Tajh Boyd, Clemson, QB RECEIVER Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech, OG DEFENSIVE LINEMAN James Gayle, Virginia Tech, DE LINEBACKER Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech, OLB DEFENSIVE BACK Isaiah Johnson, Georgia Tech, S SPECIALIST T.J. Graham, NC State, WR ROOKIE Clint Trickett, Florida State, QB

SAMMY WATKINS

theACC.com

WEEK BY WEEK | GAME RESULTS AND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

WEEK 5 10.01.11

Wake Forest Georgia Tech Maryland Miami Virginia Clemson Duke North Carolina

27 45 28 45 21 23 31 35

WEEK 6

Boston College 19 NC State 35 Towson 3 Bethune-Cookman 14 Idaho 20 (OT) Virginia Tech 3 Florida International 27 East Carolina 20

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

Sean Renfree, Duke, QB Chris Givens, Wake Forest, WR Laken Tomlinson, Duke, OG Andre Branch, Clemson, DE Tig Willard, Clemson, OLB Tim Scott, North Carolina, CB Justin Moore, Georgia Tech, PK Giovani Bernard, North Carolina, TB

10.08.11 Georgia Tech North Carolina Wake Forest Clemson NC State Virginia Tech

21 14 35 36 38 38

WEEK 7

Maryland Louisville Florida State Boston College Central Michigan Miami

16 7 30 14 24 35

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN CO-LINEBACKER CO-LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech, QB Chris Givens, Wake Forest, WR Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech, OT Joe Vellano, Maryland, DT Sean Spence, Miami, OLB Zach Brown, North Carolina, OLB David Amerson, NC State, CB Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson, PK Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR

10.15.11 Miami Florida State Virginia Virginia Tech Clemson

48 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

North Carolina Duke Georgia Tech Wake Forest Maryland

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

LOGAN THOMAS SEAN RENFREE

30 41 24 38 56

SEAN SPENCE

24 16 21 17 45

Andre Ellington, Clemson, RB Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR Anthony Mihota, Virginia, C Matt Conrath, Virginia, DT Sean Spence, Miami, OLB Rod Sweeting, Georgia Tech, CB Dustin Hopkins, Florida State, PK Sammy Watkins, Clemson, WR

WEEK 8 10.22.11 Clemson Wake Forest Virginia Tech Florida State Miami NC State

59 24 30 41 24 28

North Carolina Duke Boston College Maryland Georgia Tech Virginia

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

DAVID AMERSON

WEEK 9 38 23 14 16 7 14

Tajh Boyd, Clemson, QB Chris Givens, Wake Forest, WR Landon Walker, Clemson, OT Kourtnei Brown, Clemson, DE Sean Spence, Miami, OLB David Amerson, NC State, CB T.J. Thorpe, North Carolina, WR Devonta Freeman, Florida State, RB

10.27.11 Virginia

10.29.11 Florida State Virginia Tech Boston College North Carolina Georgia Tech

28 Miami

34 14 28 49 31

0 10 17 24 17

NC State Duke Maryland Wake Forest Clemson

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

WEEK 10

Rolandan Finch, Boston College, RB Tommy Streeter, Miami, WR Oday Aboushi, Virginia, OT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State, DT Zach Brown, North Carolina, LB Jemea Thomas, Georgia Tech, DB Shawn Powell, Florida State, P Giovani Bernard, North Carolina, TB

GIOVANNI BERNARD

11/03/11 Florida State

11/05/11 NC State Virginia Miami Notre Dame

38 Boston College

13 31 49 24

0 13 14 17

North Carolina Maryland Duke Wake Forest

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSIVE BACK Jacory Harris Miami, QB RECEIVER Kris Burd, Virginia, WR CO-OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Austin Pasztor, Virginia, OG CO-OFFENSIVE LINEMAN Tyler Horn, Miami, C DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Anthony McCloud, Florida State, DT LINEBACKER Terrell Manning, NC State, OLB DEFENSIVE BACK Rodney McCloud, Virginia, S SPECIALIST Will Baumann, NC State, P ROOKIE Nick O’Leary, Florida State, TE

NICK O’LEARY

theACC.com

WEEK BY WEEK | GAME RESULTS AND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

WEEK 11 11/03/11 Virginia Tech

11/05/11 Clemson Boston College Virginia Florida State Notre Dame

WEEK 12

Georgia Tech

31 14 31 23 45

Wake Forest NC State Duke Miami Maryland

28 10 21 19 21

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech, QB Danny Coale, Virginia Tech, WR Dalton Freeman, Clemson, C Matt Conrath, Virginia, DT Luke Kuechly, Boston College, MLB Chase Minnifield, Virginia, CB Shawn Powell, Florida State, P Alex Twine, Maryland, OLB

11/17/11 Virginia Tech

11/19/11 Georgia Tech Wake Forest Miami NC State Notre Dame Virginia

WEEK 13

North Carolina

38 31 6 37 16 14

Duke Maryland South Florida Clemson Boston College Florida State

31 10 3 13 14 13

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK SPECIALIST ROOKIE

Mike Glennon, NC State, QB Chris Givens, Wake Forest, WR Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech, OT Brandon Jenkins, Florida State, DE Steve Greer, Virginia, ILB Brandan Bishop, NC State, S Ryan Quigley, Boston College, P Art Norman, NC State, DE

LUKE KUECHLY

11/25/11 Boston College

11/26/11 Georgia NC State North Carolina Vanderbilt Virginia Tech Florida State South Carolina

50 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

31 56 37 41 38 21 34

17 41 21 7 0 7 13

Georgia Tech Maryland Duke Wake Forest Virginia Florida Clemson

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE BACK RECEIVER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK CO-SPECIALIST CO-SPECIALIST CO-SPECIALIST ROOKIE

JAMES GAYLE

CHRIS GIVENS

24 Miami

Mike Glennon, NC State, QB Dwight Jones, North Carolina, WR Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech, OT James Gayle, Virginia Tech, DE Terrell Manning, NC State, OLB Terrance Parks, Florida State, S Danny Coale, Virginia Tech, WR/P Shawn Powell, Florida State, P Ryan Quigley, Boston College, P Giovani Bernard, North Carolina, RB

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2011 RECAP

FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS AND STATISTICS ATLANTIC DIVISION

CONFERENCE

OVERALL

COASTAL DIVISION

CLEMSON 6-2 9-3 FLORIDA STATE 5-3 8-4 WAKE FOREST 5-3 6-6 NC STATE 4-4 7-5 BOSTON COLLEGE 3-5 4-8 MARYLAND 1-7 2-10

CONFERENCE

OVERALL

VIRGINIA TECH 7-1 11-1 VIRGINIA 5-3 8-4 GEORGIA TECH 5-3 8-4 MIAMI 3-5 7-5 NORTH CAROLINA 3-5 6-6 DUKE 1-7 3-9

TEAM STATISTICS SCORING OFFENSE 1 Georgia Tech 2 Clemson 3 Florida State 4 Virginia Tech 5 North Carolina 6 NC State 7 Wake Forest 8 Miami 9 Virginia 10 Maryland 11 Duke 12 Boston College TOTAL OFFENSE 1 Georgia Tech 2 Clemson 3 Virginia Tech 4 Virginia 5 North Carolina 6 Maryland 7 Miami 8 Florida State 9 Wake Forest 10 Duke 11 NC State 12 Boston College TURNOVER MARGIN 1 NC State 2 Virginia Tech 3 Wake Forest 4 Maryland 5 Florida State 6 Georgia Tech 7 Clemson 8 North Carolina 9 Boston College 10 Miami 11 Virginia 12 Duke

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

TD 56 49 46 46 46 44 39 41 33 35 35 27

XP 9 19 20 13 6 10 16 11 15 12 9 10

G RUSH 12 3802 12 1809 12 2397 12 1984 12 1769 12 2032 12 1748 12 1417 12 1427 12 1129 12 1298 12 1571

2XP 54 44 44 44 46 42 37 39 29 29 33 26

PASS PLAYS 1713 813 3462 906 2678 846 2778 868 2990 752 2524 855 2785 737 3092 760 3067 835 3266 858 2856 853 2008 761

Gained

G FUM 12 12 12 7 12 6 12 16 12 7 12 7 12 8 12 10 12 3 12 9 12 9 12 5

DXP 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0

INT TOT 24 36 15 22 11 17 11 27 13 20 13 20 11 19 13 23 13 16 6 15 12 21 6 11

FG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SAF 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

PTS 419 399 380 361 340 336 321 318 278 277 270 218

AVG 34.9 33.2 31.7 30.1 28.3 28 26.8 26.5 23.2 23.1 22.5 18.2

YARDS AVG/P TD YDS/G 5515 6.8 54 459.6 5271 5.8 46 439.2 5075 6 45 422.9 4762 5.5 32 396.8 4759 6.3 45 396.6 4556 5.3 30 379.7 4533 6.2 39 377.8 4509 5.9 43 375.8 4494 5.4 38 374.5 4395 5.1 34 366.2 4154 4.9 39 346.2 3579 4.7 24 298.2 Lost

FUM INT TOT MAR PER/G 11 11 22 +14 1.17 6 7 13 +9 0.75 4 8 12 +5 0.42 7 16 23 +4 0.33 5 12 17 +3 0.25 10 8 18 +2 0.17 10 10 20 -1 -0.08 11 13 24 -1 -0.08 10 10 20 -4 -0.33 8 11 19 -4 -0.33 11 15 26 -5 -0.42 9 12 21 -10 -0.83

52 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

SCORING DEFENSE 1 Florida State 2 Virginia Tech 3 Miami 4 Virginia 5 North Carolina 6 Boston College 7 NC State 8 Georgia Tech 9 Clemson 10 Wake Forest 11 Duke 12 Maryland

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

TD 23 24 28 33 33 31 36 41 41 40 47 53

XP 8 7 15 12 17 22 15 8 15 17 16 13

TOTAL DEFENSE 1 Florida State 2 Virginia Tech 3 Virginia 4 NC State 5 North Carolina 6 Miami 7 Georgia Tech 8 Clemson 9 Boston College 10 Wake Forest 11 Duke 12 Maryland

G RUSH PASS PLAYS 12 982 2313 789 12 1184 2440 738 12 1540 2578 801 12 1589 2634 787 12 1274 2961 835 12 1943 2376 788 12 1958 2376 786 12 2238 2364 824 12 1813 2919 845 12 1955 2834 866 12 2168 2937 779 12 2637 2849 937

KICKOFF RETURNS 1 Florida State 2 North Carolina 3 Clemson 4 Virginia 5 NC State 6 Miami 7 Duke 8 Boston College 9 Wake Forest 10 Maryland 11 Virginia Tech 12 Georgia Tech

G 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

RET 28 51 51 49 49 43 63 46 57 70 37 40

2XP 18 21 26 31 31 30 34 39 39 38 44 52

DXP 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1

YDS 694 1246 1176 1065 1058 915 1286 921 1137 1396 715 771

FG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SAF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

PTS 182 186 241 267 282 282 297 309 330 333 374 411

YARDS AVG/P 3295 4.2 3624 4.9 4118 5.1 4223 5.4 4235 5.1 4319 5.5 4334 5.5 4602 5.6 4732 5.6 4789 5.5 5105 6.6 5486 5.9 TD 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

AVG 15.2 15.5 20.1 22.2 23.5 23.5 24.8 25.8 27.5 27.8 31.2 34.2

TD YDS/G 23 274.6 24 302 29 343.2 32 351.9 31 352.9 24 359.9 38 361.2 37 383.5 30 394.3 40 399.1 45 425.4 49 457.2

LONG 37 100 89 48 46 54 35 35 65 39 35 79

AVG 24.8 24.4 23.1 21.7 21.6 21.3 20.4 20 19.9 19.9 19.3 19.3

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS RUSHING 1 David Wilson 2 Lamar Miller 3 Giovani Bernard 4 Andre Ellington 5 Davin Meggett 6 Tevin Washington 7 Perry Jones 8 James Washington 9 Rolandan Finch 10 Brandon Pendergrass INTERCEPTIONS 1 David Amerson 2 Josh Bush 3 Brandan Bishop 4 Rodney McLeod 5 Cameron Chism 6 Jayron Hosley 7 Luke Kuechly 8 Chase Minnifield 9 Earl Wolff 10 Isaiah Johnson PASSING AVG/GAME 1 Tajh Boyd 2 Sean Renfree 3 Tanner Price 4 Mike Glennon 5 Bryn Renner 6 Jacory Harris 7 EJ Manuel 8 Logan Thomas 9 Michael Rocco 10 Danny O’Brien PASS EFFICIENCY 1 Bryn Renner 2 EJ Manuel 3 Jacory Harris 4 Tajh Boyd 5 Logan Thomas 6 Tanner Price 7 Mike Glennon 8 Sean Renfree 9 Michael Rocco 10 Chase Rettig

TEAM CL VT Jr UM So NC Fr CU Jr MD Sr GT Jr VA Jr ST Jr BC So WF Sr

G 12 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 12

TEAM CL ST So WF Sr ST Jr VA Sr MD Sr VT Jr BC Jr VA Sr ST Jr GT So TEAM CU DU WF ST NC UM FS VT VA MD TEAM NC FS UM CU VT WF ST DU VA BC

CL So Jr So Jr So Sr Jr So So So CL So Jr Sr So So So Jr Jr So So

G 12 12 12 12 10 11 12 12 12 12

G 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 12 12 9 G 12 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

ATT 255 227 226 193 171 222 176 212 157 164

AVG 6.3 5.6 5.4 4.9 5.2 4 5 4 4.5 4.6

INT YDS 11 140 6 115 5 53 4 15 3 100 3 56 3 71 3 54 3 53 3 34

CMP 254 282 229 262 212 195 183 193 196 150 CMP 212 183 195 254 193 229 262 282 196 170

YDS 1595 1272 1222 937 896 890 883 852 705 750

TD 9 9 13 9 4 14 5 7 3 8

TD 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 1

LONG 57 79 60 74 47 56 47 46 21 38

LONG 47 54 36 8 54 22 45 54 40 34

ATT 424 434 376 420 308 300 280 319 325 266

INT 10 11 6 11 12 9 8 7 11 10

YDS 3338 2891 2803 2790 2769 2486 2417 2525 2359 1648

ATT 308 280 300 424 319 376 420 434 325 317

INT 12 8 9 10 7 6 11 11 11 9

YDS 2769 2417 2486 3338 2525 2803 2790 2891 2359 1954

TD 28 14 20 28 23 20 16 18 11 7 TD 23 16 20 28 18 20 28 14 11 12

YDS/G 132.9 106 101.8 85.2 74.7 74.2 73.6 71 64.1 62.5 INT/G 0.92 0.5 0.42 0.33 0.3 0.27 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25

AVG/G 278.2 240.9 233.6 232.5 230.8 226 219.7 210.4 196.6 183.1 EFF 161.2 151 150.6 143.1 141.2 137.9 134.9 126.5 125.7 112.2

TOTAL OFFENSE TEAM CL G 1 Tajh Boyd CU So 2 Logan Thomas VT So 3 Sean Renfree DU Jr 4 EJ Manuel FS Jr 5 Jacory Harris UM Sr 6 Tanner Price WF So 7 Mike Glennon ST Jr 8 Bryn Renner NC So 9 Tevin Washington GT Jr 10 Michael Rocco VA So

RUSH PASS PLAYS TOTAL YDS/G 12 158 3338 545 3496 291.3 12 414 2525 444 2939 244.9 12 58 2891 492 2833 236.1 11 163 2417 380 2580 234.5 11 88 2486 353 2574 234 12 29 2803 446 2774 231.2 12 113 2790 469 2677 223.1 12 99 2769 361 2670 222.5 12 890 1515 357 2405 200.4 12 23 2359 363 2382 198.5

PUNT RETURN AVG 1 T.J. Graham 2 Jayron Hosley 3 Greg Reid 4 Tony Logan

TEAM ST VT FS MD

CL Sr Jr So Sr

G 12 11 10 11

RECEIVE YDS/GAME 1 Chris Givens 2 Sammy Watkins 3 Dwight Jones 4 Conner Vernon 5 Tommy Streeter 6 Kris Burd 7 Stephen Hill 8 DeAndre Hopkins 9 Danny Coale 10 Michael Campanaro

TEAM WF CU NC DU UM VA GT CU VT WF

CL Jr Fr Sr Jr Jr Sr Jr So Sr So

RET 16 17 35 16

YDS TD 193 1 204 0 398 1 96 0

G RED YDS TD LONG AVG/C 12 74 1276 9 79 17.2 11 72 1073 10 65 14.9 12 79 1119 11 66 14.2 12 70 956 6 53 13.7 12 46 811 8 57 17.6 12 60 810 1 38 13.5 12 26 785 4 82 30.2 12 55 779 4 50 14.2 12 50 776 3 63 15.5 11 63 705 2 41 11.2

SCORING TEAM CL G 1 Dustin Hopkins FS Jr 12 2 Chandler Catanzaro CU So 12 3 Cody Journell VT So 11 4 Jimmy Newman WF Jr 12 5 Giovani Bernard NC Fr 12 6 Tevin Washington GT Jr 12 7 Justin Moore GT So 12 8 Orwin Smith GT Jr 11 9 Robert Randolph VA Sr 12 10 Jake Wieclaw UM Jr 12

TD 0 0 0 0 14 14 0 12 0 0

ALL PURPOSE 1 Sammy Watkins 2 David Wilson 3 T.J. Graham 4 Giovani Bernard 5 Lamar Miller 6 Travis Benjamin 7 Orwin Smith 8 Chris Givens 9 Perry Jones 10 Andre Ellington

RUSH RCV 174 1073 1595 112 5 641 1222 326 1272 85 19 609 616 306 71 1276 883 416 937 114

TEAM CU VT ST NC UM UM GT WF VA CU

CL Fr Jr Sr Fr So Sr Jr Jr Jr Jr

LONG AVG 82 12.1 55 12 83 11.4 24 6

G 11 12 12 12 12 11 11 12 12 11

XPT FG 20 44 19 44 13 42 16 37 0 0 0 0 9 53 0 0 15 29 11 39 PR 12 0 193 0 0 121 0 15 47 0

YDS/G 106.3 97.5 93.2 79.7 67.6 67.5 65.4 64.9 64.7 64.1

2XP PTS PTS/G 0 104 8.7 0 101 8.4 0 81 7.4 0 85 7.1 0 84 7 0 84 7 0 80 6.7 0 72 6.5 0 74 6.2 0 72 6 KR 661 376 923 0 162 592 352 18 0 131

YDS 1920 2083 1752 1548 1519 1341 1274 1380 1346 1182

AVG/G 174.5 173.6 146 129 126.6 121.9 115.8 115 112.2 107.5

theACC.com

ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

DAVID WILSON VIRGINIA TECH

54 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

ACC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LUKE KUECHLY BOSTON COLLEGE theACC.com

ACC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

SAMMY WATKINS CLEMSON

56 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

ACC DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

MERRILL NOEL WAKE FOREST theACC.com

ACC COACH OF THE YEAR

MIKE LONDON VIRGINIA

58 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

THE JIM TATUM AWARD

DANNY COALE

VIRGINIA TECH

Virginia Tech senior wide receiver Danny Coale, who graduated in the fall of 2010 with a degree in Finance and is currently pursuing a second undergraduate degree in marketing management, is the recipient of the of the 2011 James Tatum Award, which is given annually to the ACC’s top football scholar-athlete. A native of Lexington, Virginia, Coale ranks second at Virginia Tech in career pass receptions (153) and pass receiving yardage (2,515). His receiving yards total is the 19th-best career total in ACC history and he’s combined with fellow senior wide receiver Jarrett Boykin to record 5,267 yards, the most reception yardage by two receivers in ACC history. This year, Coale leads Virginia Tech and ranks 6th in the ACC in reception yardage with 761 yards and a 15.9 yards-per catch average and becomes the first Virginia Tech player to be honored with the Tatum Award after graduating with a GPA of 3.34. Named to the 2010 All-ACC Academic Football team, Coale was also selected at Tech to be a member of the Student Endowment for Educational Development, the largest student-run investment portfolio in the nation.

THE TATUM AWARD is given annually in memory of the late Jim Tatum to the top senior student-athlete, in athletic eligibility, among the league’s football players. Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the fifties at both Maryland and North Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete. PREVIOUS TATUM AWARD WINNERS 1990 Charlie Cobb, NC State 1991 not available 1992 Steve Ainsworth, Wake Forest 1993 Tom Burns, Virginia 1994 Ed Glenn, Clemson

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Russell Babb, North Carolina Daryl Bush, Florida State Stephan Phelan, Virginia Ebenezer Ekuban, North Carolina Noel LaMontagne, Virginia Louis Marchetti, North Carolina

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Kyle Young, Clemson Jeremy Muyres, Georgia Tech Chris Douglas, Duke Nick Novak, Maryland Brendan Dewan, Duke David Castillo, Florida State

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Josh Wilson, Maryland Tom Santi, Virginia Darryl Richard, Georgia Tech Riley Skinner, Wake Forest Christian Ponder, Florida State

theACC.com

THE PICCOLO AWARD

GIOVANI BERNARD

NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina redshirt freshman tailback Giovani Bernard, who rebounded from a severe knee injury to become the nation’s leading freshman rusher, is the recipient of the 2011 Brian Piccolo Award. Bernard suffered a severe knee injury, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament on the third day of pre-season practice prior to the start of the 2010 football season which forced him to miss all of last year. After a year of rehabilitation, Bernard returned to lead North Carolina in rushing this year with 1,222 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He ranks third in the ACC in rushing and has more rushing yards than any other freshman nationally. Earlier this season, he became the first Tar Heel football player since 1984 to record five consecutive games with 100 or more yards in rushing and currently has seven 100-yard performances to his credit. Coincidentally, Bernard played his prep football at the same high school as Piccolo, who led the nation in rushing in 1965 with 1,044 yards. Bernard becomes the fifth UNC student-athlete to receive the Piccolo. THE PICCOLO AWARD has been given annually since 1972 in memory of the late Brian Piccolo to the “most courageous” football player in the ACC. Piccolo was the ACC Athlete of the Year in 1965 and played for the Chicago Bears before his career was cut short when he was stricken with cancer. His courageous fight against that disease was an inspiration to the Bears and the entire football community. 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980

Paul Miller, QB, North Carolina Jim Webster, LB, North Carolina Mark Johnson, QB, Duke Al Neville, QB, Maryland David Visaggio, DG, Maryland Scott Gardner, QB, Virginia Jeff Green, DE, Duke Ralph Stringer, DB, NC State Rex Varn, DB, Clemson not available Jack Cain, DB, Clemson

1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

Aaron Stewart, DB, Duke Kenny Duckett, WR, Wake Forest John Piedmonte, OLB, Wake Forest JD Maarleveld, T, Maryland Danny Burmeister, DB, N Carolina Ray Williams, WR, Clemson no recipient Jerry Mays, TB, Georgia Tech Michael Anderson, RB, Maryland Marc Mays, WR, Duke Scott Adell, T, NC State

60 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Dan Footman, DE, Florida State Randy Cuthbert, TB, Duke Scott Youmans, DL, Duke Chris Harrison, T, Virginia Warren Forney, DT, Clemson John Lewis, RB, Wake Forest Sam Cowart, LB, Florida State Anthony Poindexter, DB, Virginia Corey Simon, DT, Florida State Chris Weinke, QB, Florida State Ed Wilder, FB, Georgia Tech

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Matt Crawford, T, Maryland Anquan Boldin, WR, Florida State Kevin Bailey, OL, Virginia Frank Gore, RB, Miami Ryan Best, S, Virginia Glenn Sharpe, Miami Matt Robinson, DE, Wake Forest Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina Toney Baker, RB, NC State Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College Nate Irving, LB, NC State

THE JACOBS BLOCKING AWARD

BLAKE DECHRISTOPHER

VIRGINIA TECH

A 6-5, 312-pound fifth-year senior, Blake DeChristopher has been a four-year starter for Virginia Tech at tackle, was a 2nd-team All-ACC honoree in 2010 and earned Honorable Mention All-ACC accolades as a sophomore in 2009. The Midlothian, Va., native was named ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice during the 2011 season: first for his play on Oct. 8 against Miami, in the Hokies’ dramatic 38-35 win over the Hurricanes, and then for his play on Nov. 17 in Virginia Tech’s 24-21 win over North Carolina. He has started 49 games in his career and will make his 50th career start in the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game. Tech is 38-11 in games he has started. He has graded out to 91 percent on the season with a team-high 117 knockdown blocks. He graded at 90 percent or better in 11 of his 12 games this year.

THE JACOBS BLOCKING TROPHY has been awarded annually since 1953 to the player voted the most outstanding blocker in the ACC by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators. The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina Bill Wohrman, FB, South Carolina Bob Pellegrini, C, Maryland Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke Hal McElhaney, FB, Duke John Saunders, FB, South Carolina Doug Cline, FB, Clemson Dwight Bumgardner, T, Duke Art Gregory, T, Duke Jim LeCompte, G, North Carolina Art Gregory, T, Duke Chuck Walker,T, Duke Eddie Kesler, FB, North Carolina John McNabb, G, Duke Wayne Mass, T, Clemson

1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981

Harry Olszewski, G, Clemson Greg Shelly, T, Virginia Ralph Sonntag, T, Maryland Dan Ryczek, C, Virginia Geof Hamlin, FB, North Carolina Ron Rusnak, G, North Carolina Bill Yoest, G, NC State Ken Huff, G, North Carolina Billy Bryan, C, Duke Billy Bryan, C, Duke Joe Bostic, G, Clemson Jim Ritcher, C, NC State Jim Ritcher, C, NC State Ron Wooten, G, North Carolina Lee Nanney, T, Clemson

1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Dave Pacella, T, Maryland James Farr, G, Clemson Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia Jim Dombrowski, T, Virginia Paul Kiser, G, Wake Forest John Phillips, G, Clemson Jeff Garnica, C, North Carolina Chris Port, T, Duke Ray Roberts, T, Virginia Ray Roberts, T, Virginia Ben Coleman, T, Wake Forest Mark Dixon, G, Virginia Clay Shiver, C, Florida State Clay Shiver, C, Florida State no recipient

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Tra Thomas, T, Florida State Craig Page, C, Georgia Tech John St Clair, C, Virginia Tarlos Thomas, T, Florida State Brett Williams, T, Florida State Brett Williams, T, Florida State Elton Brown, G, Virginia Elton Brown, G,Virginia Eric Winston, T, Miami Josh Beekman, G-C, Boston College Steve Justice, C, Wake Forest Eugene Monroe, T, Virginia Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State Rodney Hudson, G, Florida State

theACC.com

FIRST TEAM

SECOND TEAM

HONORABLE MENTION

QB RB RB WR WR TE OT OT OG OG C PK SP

QB RB RB WR WR TE OT OT OG OG OG C PK SP

RB TE OT OT OG C PK SP SP

OFFENSE

Tajh Boyd, Clemson (71) David Wilson, Virginia Tech (90) Giovani Bernard, North Carolina (66) Sammy Watkins, Clemson (86) Chris Givens, Wake Forest (69) Dwayne Allen, Clemson (78) Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech (86) Zebrie Sanders, Florida State (46) Austin Pasztor, Virginia (49) Omoregie Uzzi, Georgia Tech (45) Dalton Freeman, Clemson (44) Dustin Hopkins, Florida State (75) T.J. Graham, NC State (45)

DEFENSE DE DE DT DT LB LB LB CB CB S S P

Andre Branch, Clemson (79) Quinton Coples, North Carolina (64) Joe Vellano, Maryland (68) Matt Conrath, Virginia (55) Luke Kuechly, Boston College (90) Sean Spence, Miami (82) Zach Brown, North Carolina (48) David Amerson, NC State (86) Chase Minnifield, Virginia (47) Matt Daniels, Duke (80) Josh Bush, Wake Forest (41) Shawn Powell, Florida State (85)

OFFENSE

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (49) Lamar Miller, Miami (62) Andre Ellington, Clemson (26) Dwight Jones, North Carolina (58) Conner Vernon, Duke (34) George Bryan, NC State (29) Oday Aboushi, Virginia (43) James Hurst, North Carolina (30) Jaymes Brooks, Virginia Tech (35) Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina (31) Joe Looney, Wake Forest (31) Tyler Horn, Miami (32) Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (37) Sammy Watkins, Clemson (33)

DEFENSE DE DE DT DT LB LB LB CB CB S S P

62 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Brandon Jenkins, Florida State (51) James Gayle, Virginia Tech (25) Brandon Thompson, Clemson (43) Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (30) Terrell Manning, NC State (44) Julian Burnett, Georgia Tech (34) Steve Greer, Virginia (23) Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech (36) Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech (34) Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech (33) Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (23) Alex King, Duke (22)

OFFENSE

Perry Jones, Virginia (16) Cooper Helfet, Duke (25) Landon Walker, Clemson (29) Phillip Price, Clemson (12) Greg Nosal, Virginia Tech (10) Anthony Mihota, Virginia (21) Cody Journell, Virginia Tech (10) Greg Reid, Florida State (27) T.J. Thorpe, North Carolina (22)

DEFENSE DE DE DT DT LB LB LB LB LB CB CB S S S S P

J.R. Collins, Virginia Tech (17) Bjoern Werner, Florida State (13) Tydreke Powell, North Carolina (17) Everett Dawkins, Florida State (18) Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech (16) Nigel Bradham, Florida State (20) Audie Cole, NC State (19) Demetrius Hartsfield, Maryland (11) Bruce Taylor, Virginia Tech (11) Merrill Noel, Wake Forest (30) Rod Sweeting, Georgia Tech (13) Antone Exum, Virginia Tech (15) Rodney McLeod, Virginia (17) Earl Wolff, NC State (12) Brandon Bishop, NC State (19) Dawson Zimmerman, Clemson (15)

2010 CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

BOBBy DODD STADIUM, GEORGIA TECH

2010 CHICK-FIL-A KICKOFF GAME

ACC CHAMPIO

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECORDS TOTAL OFFENSE PLAYS 83 YARDS 469 AVERAGE 8.12

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (376 yards), 2005 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson (469 yards), 2009 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson (83 plays), 2009 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech (51 for 414), 2009

RUSHING CARRIES YARDS TDS

65 333 5

Georgia Tech vs. Clemson (333 yards), 2009 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson (65 attempts), 2009 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009

PASSING ATTEMPTS 52 COMPLETIONS 33 COMP. PERC. 71.8 YARDS 335 TD (TIE) 3

Boston College vs. Va. Tech (33 completions, 305 yards), 2007; Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (26 completions, 335 yards), 2005 Boston College vs. Va. Tech (52 attempts, 305 yards), 2007 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (23 of 32), 2010 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (26 of 52), 2005 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007; Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2010

FIRST DOWNS TOTAL RUSHING PASSING

28 23 16

Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech, 2007

8 0 0 340 50.0

Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (340 yards), 2005 Clemson, Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 2009 Georgia Tech, Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (8 punts), 2005 Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest (5 for 250), 2006

PUNT RETURNS YARDS AVERAGE

KICKOFF RETURNS YARDS AVERAGE

MOST POINTS MOST TDS MOST FGS

44 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2010 6 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2010 4 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009

DEFENSE LEAST POINTS ALLOWED 6 LEAST RUSH YARDS ALL. 41 LEAST PASS YARDS ALL. 84 LEAST TOTAL YARDS ALL. 234 MOST INTERCEPTIONS 2 MOST TURNOVERS FORCED 4 MOST PENALTIES 17 MOST PENALTY YARDS 143 TIME OF POSSESSION 37:17 ATTENDANCE 72,749

WHAT GAME RECORDS WILL FALL THIS YEAR? 64 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

183 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (7 attempts), 2010 26.3 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College (3 for 79), 2008

SCORING

PUNTING MOST PUNTS FEWEST PUNTS YARDS AVERAGE

98 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (3 attempts), 2005 32.7 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech (3 for 98), 2005

Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech, 2006 Florida State vs. Virginia Tech, 2005 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech, 2008 Boston College vs. Virginia Tech, 2008 Virginia Tech vs. Boston College, 2007, 2008; Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009; Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2010 Virginia Tech vs Boston College, 2008 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2005 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State (17), 2005 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson, 2009 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 2005

ONSHIP RECORDS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RECORDS TOTAL OFFENSE

PLAYS 69 YARDS 346 AVG/PLAY 7.4 TDR 4

RUSHING

CARRIES 31 YARDS 233 AVERAGE 11.65 LONG RUN 54

ALL-PURPOSE YARDS

301

Marcus Vick, VT (52 pass, 17 rush) vs. FSU, 2005 Marcus Vick, VT (335 pass, 11 rush) vs. FSU, 2005 Tyrod Taylor, VT (39 for 287) vs. FSU, 2010 (minimum 10 plays) Tyrod Taylor, VT (3 pass, 1 run) vs. FSU, 2010 Darren Evans, VT (114 yards) vs. BC, 2008 C.J. Spiller, CL (20 rushes) vs. GT, 2009 C.J. Spiller, CL (20 for 233) vs. GT, 2009 (minimum 10 carries) C.J. Spiller, CL vs. GT, 2009 C.J. Spiller, Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 2009

ATTEMPTS 52 Matt Ryan, BC (33 completions, 305 yards) vs. VT, 2007 Marcus Vick, VT (26 completions, 335 yards) vs. FSU, 2006 COMPLETIONS 33 Matt Ryan, BC (52 attempts, 305 yards) vs. VT, 2007 CONSEC. COMPL. 8 Matt Ryan, BC (4th quarter) vs. VT, 2007 COMP. % 74.2 EJ Manuel, FSU (23 of 31) vs. VT, 2010 YARDS 335 Marcus Vick, VT (26 of 52) vs. FSU, 2005 TD PASSES (TIE) 3 Sean Glennon, VT vs. BC, 2007; Tyrod Taylor, VT vs. FSU, 2010 INTERCEPTIONS 2 Matt Ryan, BC vs. VT, 2007 Reggie Ball, GT vs. WF, 2006 Dominique Davis, BC vs. VT, 2008 Kyle Parker, CL vs. GT, 2009 EJ Manuel, FSU vs. VT, 2010 LONG PASS 70 Joshua Nesbitt to Demaryius Thomas, GT vs. CL, 2009 PASS EFF. 178.54 Tyrod Taylor, VT vs. FSU, 2010 (Min. 20 attempts) REC. 13 YARDS 143 AVERAGE 24.3 TDS 1

POINTS TD FG ATTEMPTS FGS MADE LONG FG PAT ATTEMPTS PAT MADE POINTS/KICKING

Andre Callender, BC (92 yards) vs. VT, 2007 Danny Coale, Virginia Tech (6 catches) vs. Florida State Willie Idelette, WF (3 receptions, 73 yards) vs. GT, 2006 Chris Davis, FSU vs. VT, 2005; Josh Morgan, VT vs. FSU, 2005; Josh Morgan, VT vs. BC, 2007; Eddie Royal, VT vs. BC, 2007; Josh Hyman, VT vs. BC, 2007; Rich Gunnell, BC vs. VT, 2008; Demaryius Thomas, GT vs. CL, 2009; Chris Thompson, FSU vs. VT, 2010; Danny Coale, VT vs. FSU, 2010; David Wilson, VT vs. FSU, 2010; Jarrett Boykin, VT vs. FSU, 2010.

24 4 4 4 4 50 6 5 15

PUNTING

PUNTS 8 YARDS 340 PUNT AVERAGE 50.0 LONG PUNT 61

PUNT RETURNS

PASSING

RECEIVING

SCORING

PR YARDS AVERAGE LONG

4 98 32.7 83

KICKOFF RETURNS

KICKOFF RETURNS 6 YARDS 117 AVERAGE 30.5 LONG 42

INTERCEPTIONS

INTERCEPTIONS 1 YARDS RETURN 50 TD (TIE) 1 LONG RETURN 50

FUMBLES

LONG RETURN 51 RETURN/TD 1

C.J. Spiller, CL (4 TDs), vs. GT, 2009 C.J. Spiller, CL vs. GT, 2009 Sam Swank, WF (3 made) vs. GT,2006; Scott Blair, GT (4 made) vs. CL, 2009 Scott Blair, GT (4 attempts) vs. CL, 2009 Dustin Keys, VT vs. BC, 2008. Chris Hazley, VT (5 made) vs. FSU, 2010 Chris Hazley, VT (6 attempted) vs. FSU, 2010 Scott Blair, GT (4 FGs, 3 PATs) vs. CL, 2009 Chris Hall, FSU (340 yards) vs. VT, 2005 Chris Hall, FSU (8 punts) vs. VT, 2005 Durant Brooks, GT (5 punts, 250 yards) vs. WF, 2006 (min. 5 punts) Durant Brooks, GT vs. WF, 2006 Eddie Royal, VT (23 yards) vs. FSU, 2005 Willie Reid, FSU (3 returns) vs. VT, 2005 Willie Reid, FSU (3 ret., 98 yards) vs. VT, 2006 Willie Reid, FSU vs. VT, 2005 Orwin Smith, GT (117 yards) vs. CL, 2009 Orwin Smith, GT (6 returns) vs. CL, 2009 Alphonso Smith, WF (2 returns, 61 yards) vs. GT, 2006 Lemarcus Joyner, FSU vs. VT, 2010 Pat Watkins, FSU vs. VT (0 yds), 2005; Aaron Curry, WF vs. GT (30 yds), 2006; Riley Swanson, WF vs. GT (0 yds), 2006; Vince Hall, VT vs. BC(6 yards), 2007; Xavier Adibi, VT vs. BC (40 yds), 2007; Jamie Silva, BC vs. VT (0 yds), 2007; Stephan Virgil, VT vs. BC, 2008; Brett Warren VT vs. BC, 2008; Paul Anderson, BC vs. VT, 2008; Jerrard Tarrant, GT vs. CL (50 yds), 2009; Dominique Reese, GT vs. CL (0 yds), 2009; Davon Morgan, VT vs. FSU, 2010; Jeron Gouveia-Winslow, VT vs. FSU, 2010. Jerrard Tarrant, GT vs. CL, 2009; Xavier Adibi, VT vs. BC (40 yards), 2007; Jeron Gouveia- Winslow, VT vs. FSU, 2010 Jerrard Tarrant, GT vs. CL, 2009 Jamie Silva, BC vs. VT, 2007 Jamie Silva, BC vs. VT (51 yards), 2007 Orion Martin, VT vs . BC (17 yards), 2008 theACC.com

ACC MAKES MULTIMEDIA WAVES BY MICHAEL SMITH

66 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

t was 18 months ago, under the swaying palm trees at Amelia Island, Fla., that ACC Commissioner John Swofford shook hands with ESPN executives on a new media contract that would secure the conference’s financial future. The 12-year deal was the culmination of a long negotiation that involved multiple networks in pursuit of the ACC’s coveted TV rights. But it also represented a new beginning for the conference as it embarked on a new comprehensive media strategy to give its teams the greatest exposure of any conference in the country. In the old days – like five-to-10 years ago in our ever-changing new media world – the commissioner’s job was largely done once he negotiated the TV contract, which is far and away the largest source of revenue for a conference.

Thought Equity Motion), all of which have greatly expanded the conference’s branding opportunities. In fact, the conference has even branded this approach by calling it “ACCess” on its official website, TheACC.com, putting it at the forefront of media innovation across the college landscape. One of the most critical additions was the launch of the ACC Digital Network on TheACC.com. “The ACC Digital Network provides a new platform within the digital space that will showcase more content, in more places, than we’ve ever experienced before,” Swofford said. “The depth and reach of the network, including the multitude of platforms, has our league well positioned as we look toward the future. We’re really pleased with the tremendous progress that has been made and also pleased with how much this will mean to our fans.”

But now, the TV contract is just a piece – albeit a critical piece – of a larger media approach that must take into consideration all other digital formats, such as online, mobile and tablets. See, there’s not much that’s more important to a conference than its exposure. The more the ACC’s schools are seen, the better they recruit and the more they build their brand. That’s one of the reasons the ACC’s coaches lobbied so staunchly in favor of ESPN versus other networks. They believe that if their games are not on the “Worldwide Leader,” they won’t receive the kind of visibility that’s so important in the recruiting battles. And with that exposure comes the ability for the institution to stay in the public consciousness and market itself to future students in the general population, a facet of athletics that’s often overlooked. Many administrators describe athletics as the sales and marketing division of the university, and to do its job, those teams must be as widely seen as possible. Under Swofford’s guidance in the last 18 months, the ACC has taken giant strides to ensure that the conference’s teams can be seen by just about anyone, anywhere, and any time of the day, providing the league and its schools with important brand extensions that aid their visibility. It has become a reality with new mobile applications, a new online network and improved use of archives in its ACC Vault (a partnership with Denver-based

With the help of the ACC’s partner Silver Chalice, a widely influential technology company based in Chicago, and longtime production partner, Charlotte-based Raycom Sports, the conference began branding the ACC Digital Network in October. The idea behind the network is simple – to create a fully programmed video network that makes ACC games and other shows available online and on mobile devices. Can’t be at the stadium or in front of a TV to catch your favorite ACC team? No problem. You can still watch on your smart phone or your tablet. That’s the concept behind creating the most widely distributed ACC programming as possible. The ACC Digital Network has its own programming, its own studio based in Charlotte, and its own talent. Kyle Montgomery was hired from NBA-TV to host studio programming, while former Georgia Tech running back Dorsey Levens is one of the football analysts and former Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner contributes as well. The long-term goal for the ACC is that fans will eventually tune in to the ACC Digital Network’s own gameday each Saturday morning to prepare for a full day of college football. Importantly to fans, access to the ACC Digital Network is free. The online strategy serves as a complement to what Swofford and the ACC’s partners have created on TV.

theACC.com

MAKING MULTIMEDIA WAVES The branding that comes with the ACC Digital Network gives the league an even stronger presence online and follows its overall branding strategy that first began in 2010. That’s when Raycom Sports, which produces and syndicates an ACC football game of the week and multiple basketball games per week, began referring to the “ACC Network” as opposed to ACC games on Raycom Sports. ESPN also puts the ACC name and logo out front of the conference games that it broadcasts by calling it the “ACC on ESPN.” It might be a subtle thing, but it’s an angle all college conferences and professional leagues have pursued to give their own brand more visibility on those broadcasts. While ESPN’s broad distribution on TV and online gives the conference maximum exposure, Raycom has also driven the ACC games it produces to a wider audience than ever before. In the old media contract, Raycom could not distribute games outside of the ACC’s current seven-state footprint (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts). That limited the ACC’s syndicated package of games to a regional audience. The new TV contract enables the ACC’s syndicated games to go anywhere in the country. The 13-week package of football games can now be found in 40 new markets and stretches from California to New York and most markets throughout the Southeast. Those telecasts are now in six of the top 10 TV markets, 13 of the top 25, and 25 of the top 50. The broadcasts were in 14 of the top 50 markets last year. Overall, the network coverage has nearly doubled from 28 million households to 53 million in the last year, or about 46 percent of the U.S. TV households. “We’re going into markets now that we never dreamed of and that’s all new exposure for the ACC,” said Ken Haines, the CEO at Raycom Sports. “It certainly has taken the ACC to a wider audience.” Raycom has enhanced its offering this season with a new studio show called “ACC Blitz” that features Danielle Trotta and former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden talking ACC football pregame

68 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

and halftime. Those shows originate out of the NASCAR Media Group’s studio in Charlotte. In keeping with the ACC’s “TV Everywhere” approach, that studio and game programming can be found on the digital network, as well as the mobile applications that the league has launched in the last year. The iPhone and iPad apps, sponsored by Havoline, hit the market in the fall of 2010. Then the conference came back this fall with enhanced apps that work on the Android market as well. Silver Chalice has been a partner on those technology initiatives as well. “We saw tremendous success with the app last year and it’s exciting to launch a new app for the Apple and Android markets,” Swofford said. “These platforms represent an important opportunity for the ACC to reach its fans and to continue our conference initiative to offer more conference content than ever before.” Being at the forefront of landscape-changing media initiatives is nothing new for Swofford. He was the commissioner in charge of the BCS when it negotiated a new four-year media contract with ESPN, which is in its second year. That was a game-changing deal because it brought the BCS conferences a 50-percent raise over its previous contract and it took the games exclusively to cable TV, something that had never been done before. At the time, it was seen as something as a risk, but it eventually became part of a trend that has seen more big events move to cable, largely because of cable’s evergrowing distribution and the ability to drive more revenue to the college game. Through the ACC’s own deal with ESPN, Raycom and new technology partners like Silver Chalice, Thought Equity Motion and NASCAR Media Group, Swofford has again positioned the ACC as a leader in the media space, providing the conference with greater exposure than it’s ever enjoyed before.

theACC.com

Charlotte Collegiate Football, a non-profit organization, owns and operates the Belk Bowl and serves as the local organizing committee for the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game. Will Webb is the Executive Director.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Heather Ackerman

Kendall Alley

Jeff Beaver

Johnny Belk

HA Events

Wells Fargo

Charlotte Regional Sports Commission

Belk

David Darnell

Sheldon Francis

Bank of America

Babson Capital Management

Raycom Sports

Danny Morrison

Mike Crum CRVA

Carol Hevey

Steve Luquire

Lincoln Harris

Time Warner Cable

Luquire George Andrews

Tim Newman

David Singer

Tom Skains

Synderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-Lance

Piedmont Natural Gas

Johnny Harris

CRVA

70 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Ken Haines

Carolina Panthers

Will Webb Charlotte Collegiate Football

theACC.com

ATLANTIC DIVISION

BOSTON COLLEGE

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Boston College was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus to serve the sons of Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Irish immigrants and was the first institution of higher education to be founded in the city of Boston. Originally located on Harrison Avenue in the South End of Boston, the College outgrew its urban setting toward the end of its first 50 years. A new location was selected in Chestnut Hill and ground for the new campus was broken on June 19, 1909. During the 1940s, new purchases doubled the size of the main campus. In 1974, Boston College acquired Newton College of the Sacred Heart, 1.5 miles away. With 15 buildings on 40 acres, it is now the site of the Law School and residence halls. In 2004, Boston College purchased 43 acres of land from the archdiocese of Boston; this now forms the Brighton campus.

40 REV. WILLIAM P. LEAHY PRESIDENT

ROBERT TAGGART JR. FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

GENE DEFILIPPO

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

LUKE KUECHLY LINEBACKER | JUNIOR

FRANK SPAZIANI

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

72 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

ATLANTIC DIVISION

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

CLEMSON

Clemson University is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina near the Georgia border, and the tiger paws painted on the roads make the return to I-85 easier. The school is built around Fort Hill, the plantation home of John C. Calhoun, Vice President to Andrew Jackson. His son-in-law, Thomas Clemson, left the land to be used as an agricultural school, and in 1893 Clemson opened its doors as a land grant school, thanks to the efforts of Ben Tillman.

40 JAMES F. BARKER PRESIDENT

JANIE HODGE

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

ANDRE BRANCH DEFENSIVE END | SENIOR

TERRY DON PHILLIPS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

DABO SWINNEY

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

74 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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COASTAL DIVISION

DUKE

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Duke University was founded in 1924 by tobacco magnate James B. Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. Originally the school was called Trinity College, a Methodist institution, started in 1859. In 1892, Trinity moved to west Durham where the east campus with its Georgian architecture now stands. Nearby are Sarah P. Duke gardens, and further west the Gothic spires of Duke chapel overlook the west campus.

MATT DANIELS SAFETY | SENIOR

RICHARD BRODHEAD PRESIDENT

MARTHA PUTALLAZ

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

KEVIN WHITE

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

DAVID CUTCLIFFE

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

76 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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ATLANTIC DIVISION

FLORIDA STATE

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Florida State University is one of 11 universities of the State University System of Florida. It was established as the Seminary West of the Suwannee by an act of the Florida Legislature in 1851, and first offered instruction at the post-secondary level in 1857. Its Tallahassee campus has been the site of an institution of higher education longer than any other site in the state. In 1905, the Buckman Act reorganized higher education in the state and designated the Tallahassee school as the Florida Female College. In 1909, it was renamed Florida State College for Women. In 1947, the school returned to a co-educational status, and the name was changed to Florida State University.

E.J. MANUEL QUARTERBACK | JUNIOR

ERIC J. BARRON PRESIDENT

PAM PERREWE

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

RANDY SPETMAN ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

JIMBO FISHER

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

78 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Virginia Tech’s David Wilson

ACC FUELS AMERICA’S TEAM BY JOSH WEINFUSS • USA FOOTBALL

of American Football (IFAF) World Team that featured Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner, who also played for Germany in 2009.

They’re star running backs. They’re ACC players of the week. They’re emerging freshmen. And they’re all Team USA alums. For three ACC standouts, their road to college football success started after they graduated high school and before they enrolled at their respective colleges. For the last three years, some of the best American high school football players have gathered in Canton, Ohio (2009), Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (2010), and Austin, Texas (2011). Selected by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, they represented their country as part of the U.S. Under-19 National Team against international competition that spanned the globe. In 2009, Virginia Tech running back David Wilson and Virginia offensive lineman Oday Aboushi were National Team teammates at the IFAF U-19 World Championship in Canton. Wilson was named the tournament’s MVP after running for 427 yards and eight touchdowns on 33 carries. In 2010, NC State receiver/running back Tony Creecy helped lead Team USA to a win in the International Bowl, a game pitting the United States against an International Federation

All three agreed that playing for Team USA helped them transition from high school football to college. “It prepared me and helped me a lot,” Creecy said. “During our week together on the National Team, we had a lot of film study – just like you do in college. I also played with and against the greatest athletes in the country – going up against [them] in practice made me better.“ “All the guys were great, and the coaching was excellent. It lifted my game, and it was exciting to play for the United States and have the flag on our uniform.” Even though they were together less than a month, the bonds from their experience on the National Team are still strong. Regardless of the color of the jerseys, the players still take time to say hello before or after games. Or in the case of the ACC, during games – 20 National Team alumni can be found on ACC rosters. “Now, seeing them on Saturdays, I remember when first getting to know them,” Aboushi said. “It was a great time, and eventually those guys became my brothers. It’s definitely

20 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI CAN BE FOUND ON ACC ROSTERS. a memory of a lifetime. “I’ll talk to them during pregame warm-ups if I see them, and we’ll catch up with each other. We are all on different teams, but we still get together and talk about 2009.” Wilson and Hokies’ teammate Tariq Edwards were 2009 U.S. teammates as well, an experience neither would trade. The opportunity to play for the National Team went beyond football, Wilson said. “I just thought, ‘Is there anything more American than representing your country through football?’” Wilson said. “It’d be like a runner turning down a chance to go to the Olympics. “If you love football, then you love this country. It should be something you shouldn’t have to think about at all.” To learn more about the U.S. National Team program in football, visit: www.usafootball.com/teamusa.

MIAMI Keion Payne, CB, 2010 Ben Hopfinger, K, 2010 NORTH CAROLINA Kiaro Holts, OT, 2011 Tommy Heffernan, LB, 2010 NC STATE A.J. Ferguson, DE, 2009 Tony Creecy, WR, 2010 Hakeem Flowers, WR, 2011

VIRGINIA Oday Aboushi, OL, 2009 Corey Lillard, S, 2009 VIRGINIA TECH David Wilson, RB, 2009 Tariq Edwards, LB, 2009 Zack McCray, DE, 2010 Kris Harley, DT, 2011

Left: NC State’s Tony Creecy Right: Virginia’s Oday Aboushi

U-19 NATIONAL TEAM PLAYERS IN THE ACC BOSTON COLLEGE Steele Divitto, LB, 2010 Nick Lifka, LB, 2011 DUKE Will Monday, K/P, 2011 FLORIDA STATE Dan Foose, OG, 2010 MARYLAND Titus Till, CB, 2010 Tyler Smith, QB, 2010 Clarence Murphy, DE, 2010

COASTAL DIVISION

GEORGIA TECH

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Next to I-85 in downtown Atlanta stands the Georgia Institute of Technology, founded in 1885. Its first students came to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, the only one offered at the time. Tech’s strength is not only the red clay of Georgia, but a restored gold and white 1930 model A Ford Cabriolet, the official mascot. The old Ford was first used in 1961, but a Ramblin’ Wreck had been around for over three decades. The Ramblin’ Wreck fight song appeared almost as soon as the school opened, and it is not only American boys that grow up singing its rollicking tune, for Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev sang it when they met in Moscow in 1959.

G.P. BUD PETERSON PRESIDENT

SUE ANN BIDSTRUP ALLEN FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

RODDY JONES RUNNING BACK | SENIOR

DAN RADAKOVICH ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

PAUL JOHNSON

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

80 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

ATLANTIC DIVISION

MARYLAND

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

The University of Maryland opened in 1856 as an agricultural school nine miles north of Washington, D.C., on land belonging to Charles Calvert, a descendant of Lord Baltimore, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founding father. The school colors are the same as the state flag: black and gold for George Calvert (Lord Baltimore) and red and white for his mother, Alice Crossland. Maryland has been called the school that Curley Byrd built, for he was its quarterback, then football coach, athletic director, assistant to the president, vice-president, and finally its president. Byrd also designed the football stadium and the campus layout, and suggested the nickname Terrapin, a local turtle known for its bite, when students wanted to replace the nickname Old Liners with a new one for the school.

WALLACE D. LOH PRESIDENT

JOE VELLANO DEFENSIVE LINEMAN | JUNIOR

NICHOLAS HADLEY

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

KEVIN ANDERSON ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

RANDY EDSALL

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

82 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Your Official Tailgating Headquarters!

COASTAL DIVISION

MIAMI

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

The University of Miami was chartered in 1925 by a group of citizens who felt an institution of higher learning was needed for the development of their young and growing community. Since the first class of 560 students enrolled in the fall of 1926, the University has expanded to more than 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from every state and more than 114 nations from around the world. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colors, representative of the Florida orange tree, were selected in 1926. Orange symbolizes the fruit of the tree, green represents the leaves and white, the blossoms.

12 DONNA E. SHALALA PRESIDENT

CLYDE MCCOY

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

JACORY HARRIS QUARTERBACK | SENIOR

SHAWN M. EICHORST ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

AL GOLDEN

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

84 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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COASTAL DIVISION

NORTH CAROLINA

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

The University of North Carolina, located in Chapel Hill, has been called “the perfect college town,” making its tree-lined streets and balmy atmosphere what a college should look and feel like. Its inception in 1795 makes it one of the oldest schools in the nation, and its nickname of Tar Heels stems from the tar pitch and turpentine that were the state’s principal industry. The nickname is as old as the school, for it was born during the Revolutionary War when tar was dumped into the streams to impede the advance of British forces.

83 HOLDEN THORP CHANCELLOR

DWIGHT JONES WIDE RECEIVER | SENIOR

LISSA BROOME FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

DICK BADDOUR

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR EMERITUS

BUBBA CUNNINGHAM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

EVERETT WITHERS INTERIM HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

86 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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ATLANTIC DIVISION

NC STATE

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

More than a century after its establishment as a land-grant institution in 1887, North Carolina State University continues to follow the mission upon which it was founded —to provide teaching, research, and extension services to the people of North Carolina. NC State—formerly known as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts—has over 34,000 students and is the largest institution of high learning in the state. The university and its alumni provide $7.3 billion in economic impact for North Carolina. The athletic programs were called the Aggies or Farmers until in 1922, a fan compared State’s football players to a ‘pack of wolves,’ - the nickname stuck and now all 22 varsity teams are known as the Wolfpack.

AUDIE COLE LINEBACKER | SENIOR

RANDY WOODSON CHANCELLOR

SAM PARDUE

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

DEBORAH A. YOW ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

TOM O’BRIEN

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

88 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

oUR alUmni accoUnt foR $5.6 billion of income in noRth caRolina. go wolfpack. >>ncsu.edu

COASTAL DIVISION

VIRGINIA

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is one of three things on his tombstone for which he wanted to be remembered. James Madison and James Monroe were on the board of governors in the early years. The Rotunda, a half-scale version of the Pantheon which faces the Lawn, is the focal point of “the Grounds,” as the campus is called. Jefferson wanted his school to educate leaders in practical affairs and public service, not just to train teachers.

TERESA SULLIVAN PRESIDENT

CAROLYN CALLAHAN

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

CHASE MINNIFIELD CORNERBACK | SENIOR

CRAIG LITTLEPAGE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

MIKE LONDON

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

90 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

CELEBRATING 16 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP

Jack Linehan, Boston College

Wayne Crawford, NC State

JOIN US. GET INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. LEND A HAND TO ONE AND

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COASTAL DIVISION

VIRGINIA TECH

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Founded in 1872 as a land-grant institution named Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, Virginia Tech is now a comprehensive, innovative research university with the largest number of degree offerings in Virginia, more than 125 campus buildings, a 2,600-acre main campus, offcampus educational facilities in six regions, a study-abroad site in Switzerland, and a 1,700-acre agriculture research farm near the main campus. The campus proper is located in the Town of Blacksburg in Montgomery County and is 38 miles southwest of Roanoke, in the New River Valley. Through a combination of its three missions of teaching and learning, research and discovery, and outreach and engagement, Virginia Tech continually strives to accomplish the charge of its motto: Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). Total enrollment on and off campus is slightly over 31,000.

4 CHARLES STEGER PRESIDENT

LARRY KILLOUGH

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

DAVID WILSON RUNNING BACK | JUNIOR

JIM WEAVER

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

FRANK BEAMER

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

92 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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ATLANTIC DIVISION

WAKE FOREST

SCHOOLS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

Wake Forest University was started on Calvin Jones’ plantation amid the stately pine forest of Wake County in 1834. The Baptist seminary is still there, but the school was moved to Winston-Salem in 1956 on a site donated by Charles H. and Mary Reynolds Babcock. President Harry S. Truman attended the groundbreaking ceremonies that brought a picturesque campus of Georgian architecture and painted roofs. Wake’s colors have been black and gold since 1895, thanks to a badge designed by student John Heck, who died before he graduated.

CHRIS GIVENS WIDE RECEIVER | JUNIOR

NATHAN O. HATCH PRESIDENT

RICHARD CARMICHAEL FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

RON WELLMAN

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

JIM GROBE

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

94 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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HOME FIELDS OF THE ATLA BOSTON COLLEGE

ALUMNI STADIUM Built originally for $275,000, Alumni Stadium opened on September 26, 1957, with an original seating capacity of 26,000. The stadium accommodates 44,500 fans. Alumni Stadium is unique in that it connects with Conte Forum, home of the BC basketball and ice hockey teams.

CLEMSON

MEMORIAL STADIUM Clemson’s Memorial Stadium opened in 1942 and is

currently the 16th largest on-campus facility in the country. It was built originally for $125,000 with a seating capacity of 20,000. Known as one of the loudest stadiums in the world, more than 80,000 fans attending a 2005 Miami Hurricanes-Clemson matchup hit 126 decibels, louder than a jet engine at takeoff.

DUKE

FLORIDA STATE

October 5, 1929, it was renamed Wallace Wade Stadium in 1967 for its legendary coach. The stadium is a part of college football lore — it’s the only facility outside of Pasadena, Calif., to host the Rose Bowl. The stadium’s current capacity is nearly 34,000.

Opened on October 7, 1950, the stadium is named for the former FSU president; the playing field is named for the legendary coach Bobby Bowden. Original capacity of the stadium was 15,000. Fourteen expansions later, Campbell Stadium holds more than 83,000 fans.

WALLACE WADE STADIUM Known as Duke Stadium when it opened on

GEORGIA TECH

BOBBY DODD STADIUM AT HISTORIC GRANT FIELD Built in

1913 by members of the student body, it was named Grant Field after a gift from a member of the Board of Trustees. In April 1988, it was officially named Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in honor of the legendary coach. It is the oldest on-campus facility in Division I-A. In 2003, a $75 million expansion project at the stadium increased the seating capacity to 55,000. Tech has won more games in its current stadium than any team in college football.

98 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

BOBBY BOWDEN FIELD AT DOAK S. CAMPBELL STADIUM

MARYLAND

CAPITAL ONE FIELD AT BYRD STADIUM Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium, nestled in the corner of the University of Maryland’s campus, has been home to the Terps for over half a century, but remains in state-of-the-art form. The recently completed $50.8 million upgrade to Byrd began in 2007 and included the expansion of Tyser Tower. There were 64 suites added to the structure, as well as close to 500 mezzanine seats and a University suite for 200 guests. In addition, the expansion, which was completed prior to the 2009 season, included a state-of-the-art scoreboard and increased the stadium’s capacity to 54,000

ANTIC COAST CONFERENCE MIAMI

NORTH CAROLINA

SUN LIFE STADIUM Sun Life Stadium is home to not only the Miami Hurri-

canes but also the Miami Dolphins. The stadium has been host to the 2009 BCS National Championship Game and the 2010 Super Bowl, and will continue to host the Discover Orange Bowl. Sun Life Stadium boasts one of the largest hi-definition video boards in professional sports and the world’s longest LED ribbon display. It was opened in 1987 and currently has a 72,424 seating capacity for Canes games.

KENAN STADIUM Named for Carolina alumnus and benefactor Frank H. Kenan, the circa 1927 Kenan Stadium is considered one of the most beautiful college football stadiums in the country. The original seating capacity of 24,000 has grown to 63,000 over the last 80 years. The latest change is the addition of the Loudermilk Center for Excellence in the west end zone, a $70 million facility that houses the academic support center and premium seating options.

NC STATE

VIRGINIA

CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM Jointly named for textile executives Harry and Nick Carter, along with Raleigh philanthropist A.E. Finley, the stadium opened for competition in 1966 on land donated by the state Department of Agriculture. Today, the stadium bears little resemblance to the original as more than $100 million has been spent on upgrades to the complex in the past 10 years and now boasts a capacity of 57,583.

SCOTT STADIUM Built in 1931 with an original capacity of 25,000, The Carl Smith Center and David A. Harrison, III, Field at Scott Stadium is the oldest Division I football stadium in the state. Its name reflects the three major benefactors behind its construction. A donation in 1995 for grass to be reinstalled on the field allowed the team’s Cavalier mascot to once again ride into the stadium.

VIRGINIA TECH

WAKE FOREST

LANE STADIUM / WORSHAM FIELD Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium/ Worsham Field is named for university benefactors Edward H. Lane and Wes and Janet Worsham. The stadium opened in 1965, but was not fully finished until four years later. More than $85 million has been spent on improvements and expansions to Lane Stadium in the last 10 years.

BB&T FIELD Groves Stadium took a new name — BB&T Field — in the fall of 2007, only months after the Demon Deacons became the smallest school to participate in the Bowl Championship Series. BB&T Field opened in 1968 after a $1.5 million investment in its construction. Deacon Tower houses a new press box and luxury suites as well as an improved grandstand. A new high-def video board made its debut in 2011. theACC.com

FROM UNRANKED TO

NATIONAL CHAMPION

THE 1981 CLEMSON TIGERS WERE NEVER SATISFIED ON THEIR RUN TO GREATNESS

1981 CLEMSON FOOTBALL TEAM

BY WILL VANDERVORT

t was the night before the big game with archrival South Carolina and things in Tigertown the week leading up to Clemson’s annual clash were tense at best. Local sports radio had the demise of Danny Ford already in sight, especially after the Tigers were humiliated the week before by Maryland, 34-7, in College Park, Md. Clemson was a 5-5 football team, and it was about to host a South Carolina team that was 8-2 coming in and ranked 14th in the country. “I think Clemson people were disappointed at the time because they had a little taste of winning under Coach (Charlie) Pell and then all of a sudden he left, and I’m young, and they didn’t know if they did the right thing,” said Ford, who was only 33-years old in 1981 and is still the youngest head coach to win a national championship. The Gamecocks were led by All-American running back George Rogers, who was leading the nation in rushing and would eventually end up as the Heisman Trophy winner. Everything on November 21, 1980 was pointing to a South Carolina victory and a possible coaching change at Clemson. But just after the team meal from its Anderson, SC area hotel, something happened that changed the course of history and ushered in one of the greatest runs in Clemson and Atlantic Coast Conference football history.

100 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

“We knew something was up, but we didn’t really know what,” said running back Cliff Austin, Clemson’s leading rusher in 1981. That something was a pair of Orange Pants that Ford held up and said, “This is what we are wearing tomorrow.” “It was the shot in the arm we needed,” Austin said. Austin remembers how the room went from being very silent, to all of a sudden into a frenzy. “We knew right then we were going to win the game,” he said. That next day, Clemson came out for warm-ups wearing their traditional orange jerseys with white pants on. But no one, including South Carolina noticed there was no thigh, knee or hip pads in the pants. “Coach told us to put all of our pads in the orange pants, and when we came back in for warm-ups, we would switch pants and load the buses,” Austin recalled. “We warmed up in the white pants, but we all knew we were going to change into the orange pants when we got back into the locker room, so throughout warm-ups we were pumped and ready to go,” said Jeff Davis, Clemson’s All-American linebacker in 1981. “We knew how excited the fans would get when they first saw us come to the top of the Hill wearing nothing but orange.”

None of the 63,000 in Death Valley knew what was about to take place, except the few hundred fans or so that were still walking around the west end zone locker room as the Tigers boarded the buses to travel around Memorial Stadium to the east side where they did their traditional running down the Hill entrance. “I mean we had the orange helmet, the orange jersey and the orange pants,” Davis said. “The only thing we had on that was not orange was our shoes. When the fans saw us get to the top of that hill, they went crazy. We knew right there we were going to win.” Ford’s motivational tactic worked. The orange pants seemed to have given Clemson some special powers of some sort as the Tigers shut down Rogers and the Gamecocks’ powerful rushing attack. When South Carolina tried to pass, defensive back Willie Underwood, playing in his last game at Clemson, stole the show, literally. The senior picked off two passes—the only two of his career—including one he returned 37 yards for a touchdown as the Tigers rolled through South Carolina, 27-6. “What Willie did, and that game, motivated us the entire off-season,” Austin said. “We were changing. That spring, we were changing from being a loser to a winner. We were fueled by our upset win over South Carolina to end the season and it just kept going. “We came out of that spring a better football team. Our confidence level was high. That was the roughest spring, but the best spring that I went through during my time at Clemson.” When the Tigers got back to Clemson that summer, the tough times continued in camp as they prepped for the upcoming season. The offense was led by a potent rushing attack that featured Austin, Jeff McCall, Kevin Mack and Chuck McSwain. Then there was All-ACC quarterback Homer Jordan and AllAmerican wide receiver Perry Tuttle that gave the Tigers just enough of a passing threat to keep defenses honest.

AM ALL-AMERICAN IN 1981

JEFF DAVIS (45) WAS A FIRST-TE

M-HIGH 19 TACKLES FOR LOSS

HOMER JORDAN WAS A

JEFF BRYANT RECORDED A TEA FIRST-TEAM ALL-ACC QU ARTERBACK IN 1981

IN 1981

theACC.com

101

The defense was led by Davis, defensive tackle Jeff Bryant, defensive tackle William Devane, defensive tackle Dan Benish and AllAmerican safety Terry Kinard. Clemson also had a freshman phenom at nose guard named William “The Refrigerator” Perry, who dominated opposing centers with his raw and dynamic athletic ability. Overall, the Tigers finished second nationally in scoring defense, seventh in rushing defense, seventh in turnover margin and eighth in total defense. Clemson led the ACC in total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense and interceptions. In a 13-3 victory over No. 4 Georgia in Week 3, they forced nine turnovers, still a Clemson record for one game. “I can remember when we played that if the offense lost the ball we go tell them that we are going to get the ball back,” Davis said. “I can remember that most of the time, that is exactly what happened.” Overall, Clemson only allowed three teams to score more than 10 points in 1981—Wake Forest, South Carolina and Nebraska—and it went 18 quarters without giving up a touchdown during one stretch. “We didn’t want people to score on us, and we wanted to physically dominate people,” Davis said. “In a sick way, that was our joy. Yeah, we may not have beaten everybody by 21 points, but your body and your mental state of mind said we beat you by 21 points. “That’s the kind of football we played.” No team felt the Tigers’ physical mentally more than North Carolina. In a matchup of the ACC’s first top 10 teams in Week 9, No. 2 Clemson and the No. 8 Tar Heels battled through one of the more physical football games in the history of the conference. “(North Carolina) came to play,” recalled Bryant, a senior. “They were at home and they were a top 10 team. We both were striving for that goal which was to win the ACC and take it further from that. “It was a very physical game. I can remember being sore for a couple of days after that.” Clemson won the game 10-8, and a few weeks later, following wins against Maryland and South Carolina, moved to No. 1 in the national rankings before playing No. 4 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl with the National Championship at stake. Though no one gave them much of a chance against Tom Osborne’s powerful Nebraska team, the Tigers beat the Cornhuskers to complete a dream season that has not been matched at Clemson since. The Tigers entered the 1981 season unranked and went on to become the second ACC school to win a national championship in football. “We earned that thing,” Davis said. “Not in a sense that we just beat everybody or were more talented, but we earned that thing on the practice field. That’s where we won our national championship. “Coach Ford worked us. If I could say anything that would define us, I would say that was it. We knew how to work. When you know how to work, there is no giving up and there is no satisfaction.”

102 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

HEAD COACH DANNY FORD

HEAD COACH DANNY FO

TERRY KINARD WAS INDUCTED INTO THE CLEMSON RING OF HONOR IN 2001

FSU, ACC CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY BY IRA SCHOFFEL

hen he was inducted into the Florida State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991, Dr. Bernard Sliger was honored as an effective leader and a “universally popular” human being. But his lasting legacy as Florida State’s 10th president, the university proclaimed at the time, was that he helped FSU shed “its independent status and aligned itself with the nation’s most highly regarded academic and athletic conference, the ACC.” Twenty years later, Sliger’s efforts are still paying dividends for the Seminoles and the entire conference. “I don’t think there is any question that the addition of Florida State to the ACC 20 years ago was extremely beneficial to both parties,” FSU athletics director Randy Spetman said. “The ACC has provided Florida State with absolute top-notch competition in every single sport, and I truly believe that our most recent across-the-board success in terms of overall program excellence can be attributed to some degree to the conference. “By the same token, the ACC has benefitted from the national brand of Florida State and probably grown further and faster in both prestige and influence than it would have without the expansion.” Before it joined the ACC in 1991, Florida State operated as an independent in football while participating in other sports through the now-defunct Metro Conference. Through its 1991 marriage with the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Seminoles’ athletic program was able to attain the financial stability that comes with competing in a premier basketball and football league, while also benefitting from the ACC’s superior academic reputation. And at the same time, the conference gained football credibility by adding an emerging national power. Under legendary coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles claimed their first national championship in school history in 1993, just two years after joining the league. And in 1999, FSU won its second national title by becoming the first football team in the country to go “wire to wire” - starting a season ranked No. 1 in the country and then going undefeated. “ACC football was always really good,” Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher said. “But I think Florida State brought the level of it up, and brought the importance of it to the forefront a little bit. I think that’s one of the reasons you’re seeing so many NFL players coming out of this league. “Football always was important to the ACC. But Florida State was so dominant back then on the national level that you had to catch up or get rolled over. And I think the rest of the league has done a

tremendous job of improving and getting better right there with us.” Indeed, Florida State claimed or shared ACC football championships in 11 of its first 12 seasons in the conference. But the Seminoles won just one of the next seven titles, and they weren’t able to earn a spot in this year’s conference championship game, either. But this marriage was about much more than football. Since joining the ACC, Florida State also has been able to make giant leaps in the breadth of its entire athletic program. During these past 20 years, the Seminoles have blossomed into national contenders in golf, tennis, cross country, swimming and other sports, which served to complement their already successful baseball, track and field, basketball and softball programs. FSU added women’s soccer as its 17th varsity sport in 1998, and the Seminoles have only added strength to the nation’s top conference for that sport. So it is no coincidence that as Florida State approached its 20th anniversary in the ACC, the Seminoles enjoyed their best two finishes in the Directors Cup standings, which measure the overall success of collegiate athletic programs. FSU finished at No. 5 in the country following the 2009-10 academic year, and the Seminoles were No. 9 this past year. “Florida State is woven into the fabric of the Atlantic Coast Conference both academically and athletically,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “They continue to garner national prominence year in and year out.” Added Spetman: “It has been a great 20 years, and the future for both us and the ACC seems as bright as ever.” theACC.com

103

OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

STEPHEN BOYD

BOSTON COLLEGE

PERRY TUTTLE CLEMSON

BEN BENNETT DUKE

ANDRE WADSWORTH FLORIDA STATE

LUCIUS SANFORD GEORGIA TECH

RICH NOVAK MARYLAND

he 2011 ACC Football Legends, a group of 12 former gridiron standouts from current ACC schools, is led this year by two members of the Professional Football Hall of Fame in former North Carolina linebacker Chris Hanburger and former Miami center Jim Otto and two-time ACC Player of the Year Ben Bennett of Duke. The group includes two former ACC players of the Year, three consensus first-team All-Americas, five firstteam All-Americas, and eight players who combined for 74 years in the National or American Football League and a total of 94 years of professional football experience in either the NFL, AFL, Canadian Football League, World League of American Football or the Arena Football League. Nine of the Legends were drafted into the NFL or AFL, including four first-round draft choices. In all, the collection of players combined for a national championship, a Canadian Football League Grey Cup, nine ACC team titles and three NFL Super Bowl appearances. All stories written by Rob Daniels.

JIM OTTO MIAMI

CHRIS HANBURGER NORTH CAROLINA

MARC PRIMANTI NC STATE

CHRIS SLADE VIRGINIA

MIKE JOHNSON VIRGINIA TECH

LARRY RUSSELL WAKE FOREST

BOYD LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

STEPHEN BOYD

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LINEBACKER | BOSTON COLLEGE 1991-94 | VALLEY STREAM, NY

oston College linebacker Stephen Boyd never

played in the ACC, which is not to say he lacked

make a momentum-seizing play early in the game to

impact on the conference’s football tradition.

pacify the crowd. After a third- down stop, Boyd re-

“Remember Kez McCorvey, the receiver from Florida

Among themselves, the Eagles spoke of a need to

mained on the field as the Eagles prepared for the Irish

State?” Boyd said by phone from Long Island. “We played

field-goal attempt.

on the Lions in my last two years in the NFL. He used to

thank me. Every day.”

field goal,” Boyd said. “I’m not the tallest guy and I’m not

“I’m not the guy who’s going to block the

The gratitude stemmed from Nov. 20, 1993, when

coming off the edge because I don’t run a 4.4 (40-yard

Boyd swatted a Notre Dame field-goal attempt in a game

dash). But the message — and this is what the coaches al-

his Boston College Eagles eventually won on their own

ways said — that if you go hard all the time and everybody

game-ending kick. That result knocked the Fighting Irish

takes care of his responsibility ….

from No. 1 in the land and ultimately facilitated FSU’s as-

cension to the national championship.

waste.”

The moment is Boyd’s contribution to ACC history.

“If I had taken that play off, it would have been a Boyd swatted the kick, picked up the resulting loose

And while it seems somewhat vicarious, it hinted at the

ball and returned it far enough to set up the Eagles’ three-

attributes that would make BC a member of the league a

pointer. A message was delivered: the visitors weren’t go-

dozen years later. It also helps explain why ACC Legends

ing to cooperate with the common storyline.

come from all current institutions.

shook things up.

Boyd came to BC from Valley Stream, N.Y., and was

BC’s victory a few hours later was the event that

quickly indoctrinated into a culture of accountability

under coach Tom Coughlin, who took over after Boyd’s

ACC, they are consistent with an ethos that stresses across-

redshirt freshman season. Early-morning runs in the chill

the-board commitment. Years later, the win at Notre Dame

of winter and other rigorous workouts heralded the new

remains at the forefront of BC football history along with

regime’s arrival and instilled the importance of details.

Doug Flutie’s game-ending heave to Gerard Phelan in the

Orange Bowl in 1984 and the Matt Ryan-led comeback in

“That helped us get so much more mentally tough,”

While the values in the Boyd play are not unique to the

Boyd said. “We worked hard and learned how to work.

the final three minutes at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Not that it didn’t exist before because it did. But this was

a different approach and because we had so many guys of

having espoused a core belief that made BC attractive to

great character and leadership, we were able to start to do

the ACC in its expansion efforts.

some good things.”

He graduated with a degree in human development,

“I remember one of the upperclassmen, Mark Borelli,

By 1992, Boyd’s redshirt sophomore season, things

told me, ‘You go to every class and if you have trouble, do

were coming together. The Eagles went 8-3-1, posting the

not hesitate to see the professor at office hours.’ And it was

program’s first winning season since 1986. The following

so true,” Boyd recalled. “Learning’s always easier when

fall, they changed the course of the college football season.

you communicate back to the teacher and display a sense

of urgency and a sense that you care.”

On Nov. 13, 1993, the Irish knocked off the visiting

Seminoles, then in their second year of ACC membership,

to claim No. 1. A presumed win over Boston College in

relationship, where he is his ninth year and the third as

These days, he is on the other side of the educational

the regular-season finale would put them in position for

head football coach at Chaminade High School in Mine-

another national title.

ola, N.Y.

106 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

BY THE NUMBERS

25 28 13 TACKLES MADE AT VIRGINIA TECH ON SEPT. 17, 1994

EAGLES’ WIN TOTAL IN BOYD’S FOUR ACTIVE SEASONS

EAGLES’ WIN TOTAL IN THE FOUR PREVIOUS SEASONS

HOW HAS FOOTBALL CHANGED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FROM YOUR PLAYING DAYS? Speed. Especially with these spread, up-tempo offenses everybody runs. But defense will come back. Defenses are starting to figure out how to stop it.”

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS HAVE CHANGED THE MECHANICS OF COACHING. OR HAVE THEY?

“I still do it the way I’ve always done it; it’s the only way to learn football. I draw up every play on a board and how we’re going to block it. The only way you can teach is if you draw it up.”

IS THERE A PARTICULAR CONCEPT OR OBJECT FROM YOUR COLLEGE DAYS THAT SYMBOLIZES WHAT YOU WERE ABOUT AS A TEAM?

We used to have a ‘concentration line’ that was actually on the field. It’s a line we crossed before we went to practice. It was about the attention to detail and how valuable each day is.”

TUTTLE LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

BY THE NUMBERS

3 2 4,702

STANDING – 30 COUNTRIES YEARS AFTER FINAL IN WHICH HIS CLEMSON GAME TEAMS HAVE WON – ON THE TIGERS’ NATIONAL CAREER RECEIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS YARDAGE LIST

DISTANCE, IN MILES, HE WAS FROM HIS HOMETOWN OF LEXINGTON, N.C., WHEN HE FIRST SAW HIS PICTURE ON THE COVER OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IN JANUARY OF 1982

WHAT IS YOUR MOST INTERESTING OR UNIQUE FOOTBALL MOMENT?

I remember my first year in the CFL, we won the Grey Cup and what an experience that was. It’s not like a Super Bowl, but any time you can hear the applause of 80,000 people, it’s a big deal.

WHAT WAS THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BEST TEAM YOU PLAYED ON?

In my freshman year, 1978, with Steve Fuller, Jerry Butler and the Bostics, that team was a lot more talented than the 1981 team. But the interesting thing about 1981 – and this is going to sound cheesy – is that we really did love each other.

DO YOU MAINTAIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PROGRAM?

Dabo has made it very easy for guys like me to come back. You really don’t have to jump through hoops to stick your head in and say hello to the coaches.

PERRY TUTTLE

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WIDE RECEIVER | CLEMSON 1978-81 | LEXINGTON, NC

t’s Perry Tuttle’s Muhammad Ali-over-Liston moment.

and who returns out of loyalty regularly.

His Beatles-strolling-across-Abbey-Road image. And

30 years after it graced the cover of Sports Illustrated

ended and another door didn’t open for another two years.

in recognition of Clemson’s national championship, Tuttle’s

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL called in March of

teammates can’t seem to stop teasing him about it.

1986, and Tuttle brought his skills northward, catching 83

passes in his first season in the wide-open, pass-friendly

“Jeff Davis swears I’m the only guy who can make a

That’s another of Tuttle’s traits. In 1984, his NFL career

living off one catch,” Clemson’s 2011 ACC Legend said re-

league.

cently.

thing that would eliminate blocking for me, I was all for it.

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, of course. It would

“The game itself is fun,” he said. “Three downs. Any-

also be unfair to suggest Tuttle has crassly capitalized on

a collective effort for massive personal gain. If anything,

had a hard decision. I didn’t have a great NFL career. As a

the former wide receiver has spent his pro career and his

matter of fact, they considered me a bust. After that (1986)

nominal retirement years using the moment to advocate

year, I got calls from NFL teams to come back and play, but

for a variety of pursuits from fatherhood to constructive

that year was so much fun that I decided to stay.”

dialogue on race relations to the values of his alma mater

and its conference.

the employ of a football team. Tuttle lived in Winnipeg

on a full-time basis, and two of his children were born in

“It’s one thing to be branded as a football player, but

“I signed a one-year contract, and after that season, I

And by staying, he didn’t mean simply remaining in

the exciting thing, to be branded with Clemson, is far bet-

Canada.

ter,” Tuttle said. “That has required me, when I’m out in

public, to represent Clemson and my family and the ACC

amazing,” he said.

to the best of my ability.”

production – 321 catches for 5,817 yards over six seasons –

When Clemson fans see the SI cover, which portrays

“The weather was not my favorite, but the people were Tuttle helped the Bombers win two Grey Cups, and his

Tuttle holding the ball after a touchdown, they might

secured his spot in the team’s Hall of Fame in 1997.

reasonably assume it depicts a tie-breaking, last-minute,

game-winning play in the Tigers’ 22-15 victory over Ne-

the chance to be an active dad and husband and to write

braska on Jan. 1, 1982. The truth: The play came midway

and speak about important topics that take him anywhere

through the third quarter and gave the Tigers a 19-7 lead.

groups are eager to hear a message.

No matter. Thirty years later, it’s still beloved by the

Tiger populace, which will descend upon Tuttle’s current

His CFL success is one of the things that affords him

“Coach Ford did a great job of letting the seniors dic-

tate the mood of practice and the whole vision of the sea-

hometown of Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game.

son,” Tuttle said.

They’ll have much to discuss. Before Tuttle’s teammate

Tuttle and coach Dabo Swinney have become good

Jerry Butler arrived and earned the distinction in 1978, no

friends, and the coach invited the author of that Orange

Clemson player had led the ACC in receptions. Tuttle’s de-

Bowl catch to address the current Tigers the day before

velopment was important it suggested the Tigers could, in

they played North Carolina in October.

fact, effectively respond to recent rules changes that had

taken the shackles off the passing game. If you were going

chance to reflect on 1981 and to mingle with fans at the

to win in the 1980s and beyond, balanced offense would be

Night of Legends, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 2 at the Char-

vital, and Tuttle’s All-ACC season of 1980, in which he led

lotte Convention Center. It’s a task he’s proud to undertake.

the league in catches and yardage, was a good omen. He

repeated the All-ACC designation a year later, and he’s still

ACC and to do that in a way that would honor not only the

in the Top 5 of most Clemson career receiving lists.

school but the ACC,” Tuttle said. “I don’t think I’m old, but

I must be if they’re going to call me a Legend, huh?”

It will be a short but enjoyable trip for the player who

The Championship weekend will afford Tuttle a

“There are a number of guys who want to represent the

ventured to Tigertown years ago from Lexington, N.C.,

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108 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

BENNETT LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

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BY THE NUMBERS

9,614 2,998

HIS CAREER NUMBER OF YARDS BY PASSING YARDAGE WHICH HE EXCEEDED FIRST-TEAM TOTAL AT DUKE ALL-ACC THE PREVIOUS ACC (NCAA RECORD IN 1983) CITATIONS CAREER PASSING RECORD WHAT WERE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DAYS LIKE?

I played football and basketball every year, and in the spring, I did something different: baseball one year, tennis another, track in another.

NOBODY DOES THAT ANYMORE. WHY ALL THIS SPECIALIZATION TODAY?

It works for some people. I think you lose some experiences by sticking to one sport. I had fun. I was always out and always very competitive.

ANY FAVORITE ROAD TRIP STORIES FROM LIFE IN ARENA FOOTBALL?

Imagine a 10-hour ride on a bus with no air conditioning.

rom a strictly numerical standpoint, ACC football’s greatest trend-setter came from California, threw for Duke and never played in a bowl game. Don’t believe it? Consider what football was like when Ben Bennett began as a Blue Devil and how it developed in his time and since. To call him the Potentate of Pass sounds a bit bombastic. Until you look at context. Bennett, the Blue Devils’ ACC Legend for 2011, graduated as the NCAA’s record-holder in passing yards with 9,614. And just as he predicted, he’s nowhere to be found on that chart, which stops at 20th place, these days. “I knew it wouldn’t (last),” he said from Orlando, Fla., where he has lived the past 20 years. “When I was a junior in high school, we were one of the pass-happiest teams in the area and we threw it 16 times a game. In my senior year, we were throwing it 19 times a game. When I got to Duke, the biggest day I ever had was as a freshman against Wake Forest. Went 38-for-62 or something. Now you’ve got teams that throw it 50 to 60 times on a regular basis. The evolution of the passing game meant that eventually, the dinosaur would be buried, and that was me.” When Bennett enrolled at Duke in the fall of 1980, the ACC’s career passing mark had stood for a dozen years. Leo Hart, another Blue Devil, racked up 6,116 yards in three seasons, his numbers depressed by the freshman ineligibility standard of the time (1968-70). Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the ACC was a running league, statistically dominated by such greats as NC State’s Ted Brown and Steve Atkins of Maryland. Brown’s still the conference’s career rushing champion, in fact. But there was something brewing in Durham. An aggressive, confident quarterback from Sunnyvale, Calif., had arrived on the scene, having become the latest of millions to learn that mom knows best. “My mother had gone to Duke, and when I was going through the recruiting process, she asked me to save a trip out there,” Bennett said. “First thing I told her: ‘I’m not playing basketball, mom. I’m playing football.’ As it turned out, I took the trip, had the time of my life and fell in love with the place.” By magnificent coincidence, Bennett would be assigned to work with a former Heisman Trophy winner with a growing reputation in coaching circles as an innovative, aggressive, confident offensive coordinator who trashed convention like 1960s radicals in Chicago. Steve Spurrier and Ben Bennett became ACC football’s slightly imperfect storm. “I was his first quarterback, and he was my first coach,” Bennett said. “It went pretty much like you would think it

BEN BENNETT

QUARTERBACK | DUKE 1980-83 | SUNNYVALE, CA might. I thought I knew everything, and it took me a while to figure out that Steve did, in fact, know everything.” The numbers quickly became eye-catching. Bennett threw for more than 2,000 yards as a freshman, putting up the second-highest total in Duke history for a season. That included the 38-of-62, 469-yard day against Wake in which he set NCAA freshman records in all three categories. Bennett missed two games the following year but never missed a call thereafter. If you look at his game-by-game figures today, you’re not necessarily blown away. But for the time, this stuff was radical. Bennett broke Hart’s ACC mark with a game and a half to go in his junior year, during which Duke (6-5) posted a second straight winning season for the first time in a decade and only the second time since 1960-62. What happened thereafter burned the books. His 3,086 passing yards in his senior season of 1983 took his total to 9,614 – or 57 percent above Hart’s figure. Freshman eligibility had been around for nearly a decade when Bennett arrived, and in that time, nobody had seriously approached Hart. It’s not quite Ruthian in comparison to one’s predecessors, but it’s close. And the world did notice. In 1983, a fledgling cable outfit from Atlanta, TBS, came up with the wacky idea of playing games on Thursday nights for the benefit of a nationwide audience. On Thursday, Nov. 10, 1983, Duke hosted its first night game when trucks hauled in temporary lights. They weren’t there for the competition as such. The teams were a combined 5-13 at kickoff. They wanted to see a march toward history. Ten days later, those lights and the truck stuck around the area and went to Chapel Hill. This, remember, was an era when televised college football was a relatively rare event. Bennett moved on to a pro career that included time in the USFL, one NFL game, a few more in the World League and the friendliest league numerology could ever have, Arena Football. In 10 summers with six teams from 1988-97, Bennett threw for 14,168 yards and 267 touchdowns on 50-yard fields. Bennett then got into coaching, riding unreliable busses over long stretches of the nation’s Interstate highway system. To this day, he has a cell number he acquired while running a team in New Hampshire. He made so many calls on it in search of players years ago that everybody knew it as his number, and he has kept it. Bennett’s latest project involves an attempt to bring the indoor version of football back to the Raleigh-Durham area. His nature suggests he won’t rest for a while.

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WADSWORTH LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

ANDRE WADSWORTH

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DEFENSIVE END | FLORIDA STATE 1994-97 | ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS

ndre Wadsworth is a former Seminole who can sell cars to Gators. In Gainesville. He went from seventh string on his own college team to third overall in the

NFL Draft.

So by comparison, building a church and a ministry

from the ground up just might be child’s play as well as the Lord’s work.

“With a pro career and the car business, I was able to

give seven figures to start,” Wadsworth said. “My life was impacted by the church, and I want the same thing to happen to other people.”

Wadsworth, who came to Florida State as an unre-

cruited walk-on, will enjoy the first weekend in December as his school’s ACC Legend and a man best known for a wise sense of priorities. Only in pursuit of the opponent’s scrambling quarterback did he deviate from a straight and narrow path.

An occasional wide receiver, tight end, quarterback

and anything else his small high school needed, Wadsworth developed into one of the most feared and disruptive pass-rushers in ACC history as a defensive end. In 1997, he recorded 16 sacks, a figure no subsequent player has matched. His teams lost exactly one ACC game in four years.

And he wasn’t even the most famous native of the U.S.

Virgin Islands in ACC sports at the time. That distinction belonged to Tim Duncan, the youth swimmer who discovered basketball and Wake Forest in that order. The two shared more than a birthplace; their emergence from anonymity created compelling stories.

Wadsworth and his family moved to South Florida

when he was 5. His parents immediately enrolled him in Florida Christian High School, known entirely for academic disciplines, not blocking or tackling. He was an accomplished prep player, but practically nobody thought a 215-pound kid without an obvious position could make it in big-time college ball. Even his coach was less than sold.

“Chuck Amato came to my high school once,” Wad-

sworth said, referring to the former FSU assistant. “And my coach said, ‘You could look at him.’ No one from my school had ever gone to a Division I college.”

Wadsworth enrolled with no promises, four future

NFL players at his position and no real appreciation of how long his odds were. Together, Greg Spires, Reinard Wilson, Peter Boulware and Julian Pittman played in 335 NFL games and won two Super Bowls. But he stuck on the scout team for a year and in 1994, coach Bobby Bowden summoned him to his office. This couldn’t be good. Could it?

It was. Wadsworth had a scholarship.

“I was so taken aback and shocked,” he recalled. “I

was still seventh-string. You have to understand there were still blue-chippers in front of me.”

Injuries popped up. Coaches were dismayed by oth-

ers’ lapses. On Sept. 3, 1994, Wadsworth entered the season-opener with Virginia, immediately sacked quarterback Symmion Willis and caused a fumble that the Seminoles recovered and took inside the Cavalier 10.

A few games later but still a redshirt freshman, he

had a starting spot that he never gave up. In all, he had 42 starts to his name when he finished a career in which his Seminoles never finished lower than fourth in the national polls.

His NFL career was truncated by a series of injuries

that limited him to 36 games over three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (1998-2000), but Wadsworth left the game with a business acumen and resources.

knowing, once you get it, you can’t go crazy.” He owned six Florida car dealerships in Ocala, Destin

and even Gainesville, home to the University of Florida. He sold them in early 2010 and decided to create Impact Church in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he has lived since the Cardinals drafted him.

Wadsworth’s days are full. When not developing the

church, he’s with his wife, Subyn, and four daughters: Sophia, 8; Sarah, 6; Selah, 4; and Sahmone, 1. The girls won’t be making the trip to Charlotte. They’ve got school. The priorities are still in line.

As for his newest venture, Wadsworth said there are

similarities between it and the improbable football career that made it possible.

0 6 3

SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS AHEAD OF OFFERS HE HIM ON THE FSU DEPTH HAD OUT OF CHART AT HIS POSITION HIGH SCHOOL UPON HIS ARRIVAL

OVERALL PICK NUMBER THE ARIZONA CARDINALS USED TO SELECT HIM IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 1998 NFL DRAFT

“No one can prepare himself to sign a contract,” he

said. “I worked hard leading up to that, but the key is

BY THE NUMBERS

“Opportunity meets preparation,” he said. “And God

obviously has a big part in that.”

110 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST TRANSITION YOU HAD TO MAKE IN FOOTBALL?

Coming from a small high school where we played in front of 200, 300 or maybe 500 tops to playing in front of 75,000 was really big.

SO WHY DID YOU BOTHER WITH WALKING ON AND TRYING TO WORK YOUR WAY UP THE DEPTH CHART? I loved my high school. I went there from kindergarten because my parents put me there. But coming from there, I was naïve. I didn’t know that my chances of playing weren’t really that good.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR FIRST GAME AGAINST MIAMI EARLY IN YOUR CAREER AT FSU? People were jumping offsides. Two or three calls. The coaches basically put me in the game because they were upset with that.

SANFORD LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

LUCIUS SANFORD

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ndependence sounds like a great con-

cord. His four-year figure of 433 is still fourth in the pro-

cept. A hunger for it created this country.

gram’s history.

In the modern world of college foot-

BY THE NUMBERS

433 350 3 APPROXIMATE COUNT TACKLES AS A OF CURRENT TECH YELLOW JACKET (SCHOOL RECORD ATHLETES HIS OFFICE AT THE TIME; STILL ASSISTS IN HIS ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF FOURTH) STUDENT LIFE

STUDENTS INCLUDING HIM, WHO SERVED ON AN ADVISORY BOARD THAT DISCUSSED TECH’S CONFERENCE AFFILIATION OPTIONS BEFORE IT JOINED THE ACC

WHAT’S ONE OF THE MORE UNDERRATED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLEGE FOOTBALL OF THE 1970S AND THE MODERN VERSION?

Back then, a 7-4 record would get you a seat right in front of the television over the holidays.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BIT OF ADVICE TO MODERN PLAYERS?

It’s not just about going out on the field or the court or the venue and doing a great job there; you have to recognize your role as an individual, as a student, as an athlete, as a friend.

ANY OTHER LEGENDS YOU’RE ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING?

Former teammates like Mike Johnson in Cleveland and Perry Tuttle in Buffalo. Plus, there are legends like Chris Hanburger, guys who really helped build the (NFL).

As a result, he was named a team captain as

ball, however, it’s often scary and impracti-

a senior. And because of that, he was one of only

cal. Lucius Sanford figured this out decades

three students selected for an athletics department

ago, which is why his office door is always

advisory panel. This was 1977-78, and the institute

open these days.

LINEBACKER | GEORGIA TECH 1974-77 | MILLEDGEVILLE, GA

was trying to plan its long-term future. Once a member of

Georgia Tech’s ACC Legend for 2011

the SEC, Tech left that league for football independence af-

is among those who played at his

ter the 1963 season and could see the landscape changing.

institution before it joined the

“I got to be a part of the meetings when they were talk-

conference, but he foresaw membership up close, and

ing about what conferences they should consider,” Sanford

he helps current Yellow Jackets navigate their various re-

said. “Should it be the ACC? Should it be the SEC? The an-

sponsibilities as Tech’s director of student life.

swer was the ACC because of its academic standards. That’s

“It’s about helping them understand there’s light at the

one of those things Georgia Tech does not want to lose: its

end of the tunnel,” Sanford said. “Sometimes, the demands

mystique as an institution. It’s not a football school. It’s not

of the daily life of an athlete can get you bogged down.

a basketball school. It’s an academic institution.”

Sometimes, you need someone to be there.”

If you go it alone, do so at your own peril.

a national title in football and made a Final Four in men’s

Sanford has been a presence in and around Georgia

basketball. It’s fair to say that everything has worked out

In its first decade of football membership, Tech won

Tech since he arrived as a linebacker for coach Pepper

quite nicely.

Rodgers in 1974. He made an immediate impact in his first

preseason practices but didn’t really know if he’d be a fix-

enjoyed a 10-year career marked by consistency of effort

ture in the Jacket defense from the start. The Jackets were

and performance. From 1978-81, he started 63 straight

opening with defending national champion Notre Dame,

games for the Buffalo Bills. He remains fourth in games

the No. 2 team in the land at the start of 1974.

played by a Bills linebacker.

Rodgers started a senior that day but quickly went to

Sanford became a fourth-round NFL draft pick who

Upon retirement from football, Sanford spent nine

his impressive freshman, telling him simply to trust him-

years in the financial services industry before feeling a call

self. Sanford went in as a reserve and left 14 tackles later.

to return to his alma mater. In 1998, he accepted a position

helping student-athletes in life skills; career planning and

“The thing I got from that one game was that once you

get the first hit, you have a little success and you read your

job interviewing; and community service.

keys, football is football,” he said. “In playing against the

national championship team from the year before, I knew

There’s no such thing as a free ride. When coaches recruit

I could play.”

you, the expectation of performance is imminent. And in

terms of going out and succeeding, that’s what it’s all about.

Sanford proved it over that and the next three seasons,

“It’s not a free ride,” he said. “That’s a misnomer.

leading the Yellow Jackets in tackles in 1975, ’76 and ’77.

You work for every penny of your scholarship.”

His record of 124 stops as a freshman remains a Tech re-

And it’s OK to form a partnership or two along the way.

theACC.com

111

NOVAK LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

RICH (DICK) NOVAK

QUARTERBACK | MARYLAND 1959-61 | UNIONTOWN, PA

ike so many in a 50-mile radius of Pittsburgh, Rich Novak was born with Penn State, Pitt or West Virginia football on the brain. He’d have gladly played

for any of the three. When they all came to the same independent conclusion, Novak took his 5-foot-8, 158-pound frame to the University of Maryland, where convention mattered less than conviction.

And if nothing else, Rich Novak was convinced in

1958 that he could play college football. The fit turned out to be tight and lifelong for the quarterback-turned-executive, who thrived in the relatively new thing called the I-formation and in the business world thereafter. And as the 70-year-old will still admit, his size wasn’t conducive to pro football.

“I broke any number of bones,” recalled Novak,

Maryland’s ACC Legend for 2011. “I suppose maybe it would have been nice to have the luster of playing at the highest level. But a huge regret? No.”

It’s not that Novak lacked suitors. By national stan-

dards, he was heavily pursued. Most of the Ivy League, Army and Navy offered. Even Arizona State, represented by a newly promoted son of Pennsylvania named Frank Kush, made a home visit to Uniontown, Pa.

But when the locals declined, Novak followed a pipe-

line of sorts to College Park, where five friends from his youth would wind up starting along with him. All he wanted was a shot, which was appropriate for a guy born six miles from the town of Fairchance, Pa.

As it turned out Maryland was one of the best options

available to any prospect. The Terrapins had won the national championship only a few years earlier, in 1953, and had spent four more weeks at No. 1 in 1955.

By the time he first took the field in 1959, Novak was

under the direction of two esteemed offensive leaders. Tom Nugent, whom most historians credit with creating the I-formation, was the head coach. His assistant in charge of quarterbacks was a 24-year-old iconoclast from Miami named Lee Corso. Together, they found ways to maximize Novak’s talent.

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“As a 5-9 drop-back passer, it was difficult to see over

the line,” Novak said. “I would roll out and have the option to throw or run. My passing stats were no great deal, but I could run the ball.”

The I-formation was considered revolutionary in

some quarters but not at Maryland, where they weren’t averse to much of anything.

“Nugent was a creative guy,” Novak said. “The I-for-

mation was cool. And then we had that huddle kickoff, which was crazy.”

In that chaos, several Terps would congregate around

the ball as it neared the ground to confuse the defense about who would take it out. On a half-dozen occasions, Novak remembers, he came out with it, dashed up the sideline and again pondered his options.

On Nov. 19, 1960, it worked to perfection.

“All I did was receive it,” he said. “I ran up to the 10-

yard line, and with everyone running after me, I threw it across the field to Dennis Condie.”

Condie caught the ball back at the goal line and went

all the way for the first 100-yard kickoff return in ACC history. In the record books, both men are credited with the play.

“We did that four or five other times, and I was always

annihilated,” Novak said.

Things were more benign in traditional offense, as

Novak helped the Terrapins to an 18-12 record in three

BY THE NUMBERS

3 100 5

MARYLAND WINS AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA IN NOVAK’S THREE SEASONS

LENGTH, IN YARDS, OF THE KICKOFF RETURN ON WHICH HE TEAMED WITH DENNIS CONDIE FOR A TD ON NOV. 19, 1960

STARTERS ON THE 1960 TERPS (INCLUDING NOVAK) WHO GREW UP WITHIN A 20-MILE RADIUS OF ONE ANOTHER

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS?

I’m very involved in giving back to the business school and to the athletic programs. It’s a big part of what we do. I was fortunate to have success — particularly at LabCorp.

seasons. Splitting time with another acclaimed player, Dick Shiner, who represented Maryland in the ACC’s 2007 Class of Football Legends, that limited his individual numbers, but he did lead the team in total offense in 1959.

In all, 12 of Novak’s teammates went on to play in the

NFL, and he had a chance to try out for a Canadian Football League team but declined. He figured he had maximized this football thing, and he went into the working world. Jobs in various commercial products took him and his wife to Washington, Cleveland, New York, St. Louis, San Francisco, New York (again), Indiana, Philadelphia, North Carolina and now Greenwich, Conn.

112 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

WHAT WAS THE KEY TO THE START OF YOUR CAREER AT MARYLAND? I could play defense, and that was the reason I started. I could play, but did I like it? No.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES?

In my first game against West Virginia, we beat them 27-7 and I threw three touchdown passes. As an 18-year-old, playing in that game was a vivid memory. West Virginia had said I was too small to play for them.

OTTO LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

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BY THE NUMBERS

308 00 1 CONSECUTIVE PROFESSIONAL GAMES PLAYED BY JIM OTTO

OTTO’S JERSEY NUMBER WITH THE RAIDERS; IT’S A PLAY ON THE “DOUBLEO” IN HIS LAST NAME

OTTO WAS THE FIRST FORMER HURRICANE INDUCTED INTO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME (1980)

ARE YOU STILL AN AVID HUNTER AND FISHERMAN EVEN WITH THE RESTRICTIONS OF AN ARTIFICIAL LIMB?

I’ve had problems with balance. My wife, who I love dearly, is after me to discontinue some of these things.

ANY ADVENTURES OF NOTE?

In Alaska in September, I laid on the tundra for an hour and a half before someone noticed I was missing. They found me sitting on the ground and laughing. Above the Arctic Circle.

SO YOU’RE IN THE HALL OF FAME. YOU HAVE A SUMMER HOME IN IDAHO. STILL WORK FOR THE RAIDERS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BEING AN ACC LEGEND? To me, it’s a tremendous honor because if you look at the years the athletes from the other schools played, I’m the oldest guy on there.

ou don’t have to be an avid football historian to know Jim Otto’s name or his travails in playing a game that took his right leg as compensation. The lesser recognized part of a remarkable story is where it really got going. What made a kid from Wausau, Wisc., pick the University of Miami? Well, one thing is rather obvious. “The day I came to Miami for my visit, it was 35 degrees below zero when I left Wausau,” the Hurricanes’ 2011 ACC Legend said recently. “I got off the plane and I thought, ‘Wow. This is different.’ “ As is Otto, whose long-term approach involved far more than tropical climes and helped him start a Hall of Fame career. It wasn’t so apparent back in 1956. If the Midwest didn’t own college football at that point, it had a pretty heavy investment and the South’s stronghold on the sport was a few years away. The Hurricanes had plenty of good teams, but when Otto was ready to make his college decision, the program wasn’t what it is now. It was a football independent, a status that nearly every program has abandoned in the name of conference membership. Otto looked at the B side. “I would have the opportunity to play against teams from all conferences – from the Southwest Conference, the ACC, the SEC, the Big Ten,” he said. “And there would be a lot of different types of football I’d play and see.” Sure enough, his first game in 1957 was at Houston. North Carolina, NC State and Maryland, residents of this newfangled thing called the ACC, came to town later that year. So did Kansas and Pittsburgh. The following season, LSU and Oregon paid visits to the Orange Bowl, then a state-of-the-art facility. The Canes played at Boston College and Florida State, among other places. Television wasn’t yet part of the cultural mainstream in American sport, but pro scouts were scattered around the country. And that was very appealing to Otto. “I had that dream as a 6-year-old,” he said. “I told my grandfather, ‘Someday, I’m gonna play for the Packers.’ I never missed a day of practice at the high school. I used to go with the big boys and follow whatever they did. I’d have overalls on and would come home with holes in the knees.” Otto’s was an era of playing on both sides of the ball. No breaks. No specialists. No questions asked. He was a

JIM OTTO

CENTER | MIAMI 1957-59 | WAUSAU, WI linebacker. He was a center. And it was all fine with him. Andy Gustafson, who might have been one of the best known coaches in the game if television had arrived, used him all over the place.

In the spring of 1960, the new, pesky kid in pro football’s subdivision, the American Football League, began operations. Minneapolis was due to have a team, and it liked the thought of a reasonably local (Wisconsin) guy on the roster. It drafted the Miami man. But this being the AFL, things didn’t go entirely according to plan. The Minnesota team folded and relocated to Houston, where new management kept the draftees it liked and let everybody else go. Otto fell into the latter category. Otto wasn’t without hope. Out in Oakland, they were assembling a team, too, and the coach, Eddie Erdelatz, had heard of a smart linebacker who made two interceptions against Navy in 1959. Erdelatz wasn’t there that day, but he had recruited the quarterback who threw the passes and everybody else on the Navy team, having left the academy after the 1958 campaign. Erdelatz contacted Otto. The rest – ultimately dozens and dozens of consecutive games played – can be seen at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio: starts in 210 consecutive games and in 308 pro contests overall; All-AFL citations in all 10 years of the league; All-Pro designation after the merger with the NFL; and a lot of memories. The phrase “body of work” has multiple connotations with Otto, for his human body has endured myriad operations. The trauma of 14 seasons’ worth of constant pounding exacted a heavy price, but nothing surprised Otto. And he knew he had made a good decision in going to Miami, where they’d take on everybody from Annapolis to Eugene. “They gave me a tremendous opportunity,” Otto said. “I learned so much without learning, if that makes any sense. I learned about our society, about psychology, about so many things I hadn’t paid much attention to but which did enter my cranium anyway.” Upon retiring shortly before the start of the 1975 season, Otto wrote NFL team owners individual letters thanking them for funding the league that had given him a living. Not even the amputation of a leg deterred him. He’s 73 now and resides in California.

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HANBURGER LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

CHRIS HANBURGER

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n a spring day in 1965, Chris Hanburger returned to the campus of the University of North Carolina after a weekend break, and he learned something

interesting. At least it was interesting to his teammates.

“Did you know you had been drafted by the Red-

skins?” one asked.

No clue, the linebacker said. And it wasn’t just because

he was a lightly regarded prospect. The very existence of the NFL draft was news to him.

“I had never kept up with pro football,” the Tar Heels’

ACC Legend for 2011 said recently. “I guess it was a couple of days later that the Redskins called and made arrange-

BY THE NUMBERS

2 3 244

YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE THAT PRECEDED HIS ENROLLMENT AT UNC

DAYS THAT PASSED BEFORE HE LEARNED HE HAD BEEN DRAFTED BY THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS

PLAYERS CHOSEN BEFORE HIM IN THAT DRAFT

WHAT HAS THIS YEAR, WHICH INCLUDED THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTION, BEEN LIKE FOR YOU? It has been a little hectic. It’s not me. I’m a pretty laid-back guy and I don’t really care about being out in public. It has been a change for me.

WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU GRADUATED FROM UNC AND ENTERED THE NFL?

ments for my wife and I go to go D.C. to see about signing and all that.”

Over time, “all that” wound up encompassing more

than the vast majority of players achieved. In 14 years with the Redskins, he made nine Pro Bowls and helped the team achieve its first stretch of excellence. And he did it all while barely paying attention to the acclaim.

Hanburger was inducted into the Pro Football Hall

of Fame over this past summer and is therefore the third Legend enshrined in Canton in the ACC Championship Game’s seven years. He joins Randy White of Maryland (2006 Legend, 1994 Hall) and Miami’s Jim Kelly (2007 Legend, 2002 Hall). Really.

“It’s been a little hectic,” Hanburger said.

That’s one understated way to put it.

The truth is that Hanburger’s story has always been

different. Like some other prep seniors, he wasn’t sure

I certainly wanted to play at least five years and to be on the active roster in three games each year. That would qualify me for a pension. One year led to the next. You go to training camp every year, and there are people who are better than you; you just hope they don’t show up in your training camp.

what his first post-graduate move would be. The nuance

YOU LIVE ON A GOLF COURSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SO HOW’S THE GOLF GAME?

whose elevator has trouble getting all the way to the top,

My game is in the middle of South America right now. When I got here, I was playing pretty well. Shooting in the 80s then. Of course, I’m too proud to go and take a lesson.

is that he recognized his shortcomings before leaving Hampton (Va.) High School. “I knew I wasn’t ready to go to college,” he said. “That’s for sure. I barely got out of high school. I’m one of those so to speak.”

So he enlisted in the Army and did a two-year state-

side stint that prepared him for what would follow. Recruiters didn’t forget about him. A year into his hitch,

LINEBACKER | NORTH CAROLINA 1962-64 | FAYETTEVILLE, NC

coaches began calling and encouraging him to enroll then and finish the military thing later. He declined.

After arriving in Chapel Hill, he spent summers at a

base in South Carolina and served in the reserves. As a result, Hanburger was never out of shape and always ready for the next challenge.

Those challenges included play on both sides of the

ball. Hanburger was a center and linebacker for the Tar Heels, who went 9-2 with a share of the ACC championship in 1963. That success brought a postseason bid with it, and that, too, was something of a surprise. Weeks earlier, Hanburger had gotten engaged, presuming he and Evelyn, now his wife of 48 years, would spend some time together over the holiday break.

“We played in the Gator Bowl against Air Force after

that season,” Hanburger said, “and that was our honeymoon.”

Hanburger was an All-ACC center in 1963 and 1964,

but NFL teams — at least the one that was most interested — saw him as an outside linebacker. And even the Redskins took their sweet time in displaying their curiosity.

His name wasn’t called until the 18th round — not

that he heard it, mind you — and that may be even more remote than it sounds. Hanburger was the 245th player selected out of 280 that year.

Ignorance was bliss.

“I figured it was a great opportunity and I’d try to

make the best of it,” Hanburger said. “And so I went to D.C. and signed the day before a game. They gave me a couple of tickets to the game. I walked out the front door and gave the tickets to some guy on the street.”

Hanburger was not casual about fulfilling his actual

responsibilities on the field, however. He was a four-time All-Pro who was named the NFL’s defensive MVP in 1972 as the Redskins advanced to the Super Bowl against the Miami Dolphins, who would go on to become the first — and so far only — undefeated team in modern NFL history.

Hanburger retired and proceeded into a quiet retire-

ment that he maintains to this day — first in Maryland and for the past five years in Darlington, S.C.

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PRIMANTI LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

MARC PRIMANTI

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PLACEKICKER | NC STATE 1995-96 | COATESVILLE, PA

ure, going 31-for-33 on field goals is great. That accuracy rate may never be touched in ACC football history. But for NC State’s Marc Primanti, simply getting on the field had longer odds than a 50-yarder into the November wind. Long before his kicks became as consistent as the Pittsburgh sandwiches that bear his family name, Primanti had to detour, defer, wonder and wait. ACC Legend? He’d have happily settled for far less. “I went out there like it was my last opportunity to play,” Primanti said from his home in Raleigh, N.C. “And I kept that mentality the whole way through.” Years after their final games, some athletes have tales of relentless recruitment, second chances and borderline entitlement. The specifics of Primanti’s tale may never have a sequel. Generally speaking, he wasn’t supposed to be there. In Western Pennsylvania, the Primanti name is spoken with great reverence. In 1933, Joe Primanti along with siblings Dick and Stanley started a deli that has grown into an institution. Its sandwiches are known as Grinders, a term that would take on appropriate significance with the persistence of Dick Primanti’s grandson Marc. In high school near Philadelphia, to which his part of the family had migrated, Marc Primanti started in four sports, even juggling tight schedules in football (normally Fridays) and soccer (generally Saturday mornings.) “I’d come off a football game on a Friday night when I was trying to kick it high and then play a soccer, where you’re staying down and over top of the ball, the next morning,” he recalled. “I would drive some coaches crazy. They’d say, ‘No, the goal here is to put the ball on the goal, not over it.’ “ He planned on attending Towson University near Baltimore as a soccer player, but relatively late in his senior year, he had to regroup when he learned that opportunity was no longer available. A high school friend, Larry Austin, was going to NC State on a football scholarship, and that proved to be Primanti’s entrée into a new world. Unlike in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, the kicker’s name had no cachet in Raleigh. He’d have to earn everything. It helped that the NCAA didn’t limit squad sizes in football in 1992, so Primanti had a locker and a jersey and a nominal spot on a crowded roster. He was one of 15

punters, kickers and long-snappers in the fold that fall, and with Steve Videtich locking down the kicking job, Primanti wasn’t getting on the field. Officially, he was a fifth-stringer. “I knew it was an uphill battle,” Primanti said. “It was about getting knocked down and built back up. But I knew I wasn’t ready. Especially at that level. I joked with Steve just recently that I never once beat him in practice.” Literally nothing was certain. Before the 1993 season, the NCAA enacted legislation that capped rosters at 105, including walk-ons. Suddenly, some of Primanti’s buddies were gone. “My number could have been pulled, and I could have been done after my freshman year,” he said. “I was very fortunate to stick around.” This didn’t mean he was appreciably closer to seeing competition, however. For two more years, Primanti showed up at practice, kept his grades up and waited for the gig to come open. It didn’t happen until Thursday, Aug. 24, 1995. Coach Mike O’Cain informed the team that Primanti, a fourth-year junior, would be the starter. Having learned never to presume, Primanti never relaxed. He made 11-of-13 field goals as a junior. The only real limitation on his production was opportunity. In 1996, nothing derailed Primanti, who attempted 20 field goals and made them all. No kicker in NCAA before or since has been perfect with that many tries. “I would have traded all 31 (career) field goals for some more wins,” Primanti said, referencing State’s 3-8 finishes in his two seasons of play. “I would have rather gone to a few more bowl games than have the personal success I had.” Primanti’s number ultimately did come up a couple of years before O’Cain and a cast that included future AllPro Torry Holt got the Pack back to postseason play. But who can say things haven’t turned out well? While at State, Primanti met his wife, Julie. A few years later, Jason Biggs, the Pack’s punter in the early 1990s, approached the kicker about starting a business that would administer triathlons and other road races. “We were weekend warriors at that point,” Primanti said. “One event went to two and we basically started acquiring equipment. We exceeded our five-year plan in the second year.”

116 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

BY THE NUMBERS

20 3 4

FIELD GOALS HE MADE – AND ATTEMPTED – IN HIS NCAA-RECORD-SETTING SEASON OF 1996

YEARS ON THE SQUAD BEFORE HE MADE HIS FIRST GAME APPEARANCE

SPORTS HE PLAYED IN HIGH SCHOOL

OTHER THAN FAMILY AND TEAMMATES, WHO HELPED YOU STICK WITH THIS FOOTBALL THING?

Coach (Dick) Sheridan allowed me to walk on. Coach (Mike) O’Cain is the one who offered me the scholarship. I owe them a big thank you. Without their support, it wouldn’t have happened.

ARE YOU RELATED TO THE PRIMANTI BROTHERS WHO FOUNDED THE SANDWICH SHOP CHAIN IN PITTSBURGH? Yes. My grandfather was (co-founder) Richard Primanti, but I’ve only been there a handful of times.

AND YOUR FAVORITE SANDWICH?

Pastrami and cheese. Maybe corned beef and cheese.

SLADE LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

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BY THE NUMBERS

7,317 1 6 NUMBER OF DAYS SLADE’S ACC SACK RECORD HAS BEEN ACTIVE FOR AS OF DEC. 3, 2011

NATIONAL RANKING SLADE’S VIRGINIA CAVALIERS OCCUPIED FOR THREE WEEKS IN 1990

CURRENT ACC HEAD COACHES OPPOSED BY SLADE IN AT LEAST ONE COLLEGE OR NFL GAME

SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO HAVE PLAYED FOR ACCLAIMED COACHES LIKE GEORGE WELSH AND BILL BELICHICK?

Both run a tight ship. You have no doubt who the boss is. George didn’t have much of a relationship with us as players, but we respected him and he was absolutely great on game day. Belichick? Same way. Doesn’t talk a lot, but when he talks, you listen.

AS THE SIDELINE REPORTER FOR VIRGINIA’S RADIO BROADCASTS, YOU’VE SEEN THE ACC UP CLOSE THIS SEASON. WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ON THE COMPETITIVE BALANCE IN THE LEAGUE?

It’s good for the conference. When I played, it was basically FSU and the Seven Dwarfs. And that’s the way the conference was for 10 years

WHAT COLLEGE CLASS DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOST?

Probably sociology and statistics. It’s memorable because I had to have that one to graduate. But it was fun to take part in that class and just to learn.

n sports, we like our favorite records to last a while, but we know most of them have the longevity of the average boy band. So by that standard, Chris Slade’s ACC mark for career sacks is classic rock. Nearly 20 years after Slade played his final game as a Virginia Cavalier, his grip on the record is as firm as the one he administered on quarterbacks to get his spot in history. Of the most recognized individual distinctions-citations for yards and touchdowns in rushing, passing and receiving, interceptions, tackles and the like--Slade’s is second in seniority, outranked only by the mark for rushing yardage held by NC State’s Ted Brown in 1978. “I’m sort of glad in a selfish way,” Slade, Virginia’s ACC Legend for 2011, admitted from his home in Atlanta. “Sooner or later, some guy will stay four years or have three really dynamic seasons and break it.” Since Slade made the last of his 40 sacks in 1992, some other big names have come and gone from various statistical lists in other disciplines. NC State’s Torry Holt gave way – after one year – to Peter Warrick of Florida State in receiving yards; Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke of FSU held the passing yardage mark for all of three years before the Wolfpack’s Philip Rivers put a claim on it; and Dre Bly of North Carolina was tops in interceptions for a decade until Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest established the new mark. So why the longevity of this Cavalier, none of whose seasons was cavalier? Advanced weight training means young linemen don’t necessarily have to perform years of apprenticeship before they’re ready to at the ACC level. A cultural shift that often compels high school graduates to move almost immediately onto campus and start summer school brings the weight work into play. With that combination, many of the most elite players are prepared to put up big numbers early and sniff a college degree a semester or more before previous generations did. Before they’re ready to challenge Slade’s stats, they’re bound for the pros. Peter Boulware of Florida State and Julius Peppers of North Carolina immediately come to mind as early-entry draft candidates who would have challenged Slade. “When I read that J.J. Redick finally broke the ACC basketball scoring record, I remember chuckling,” Slade said, referencing the fall of a mark that had lasted more than 50 years. “If guys keep leaving school early, I’ll never get my record broken. There are some guys who would have had a chance to break (Redick’s) record, and maybe that same deal applies to mine.” Nonetheless, the numbers Slade put up would look good in any era. The NCAA didn’t begin tracking sacks as

CHRIS SLADE

DEFENSIVE END | VIRGINIA 1989-92 | NEWPORT NEWS, VA

an official statistic until 2000, several years after the ACC started the practice. And in past decade, only one man, Terrell Suggs of Arizona State, has surpassed 40. Suggs had 44 in a three-year career that ended in 2002. For Slade, the other part of the explanation is context. Slade grew up near a military base in Virginia’s Tidewater region, fertile recruiting territory that had been owned by North Carolina and Virginia Tech and others throughout the 1970s. When coach George Welsh moved from Navy to take the Virginia job in 1982, he put his best man on the job, so to speak. An offensive line coach named Tom O’Brien was assigned to patrol Slade’s part of the state, and he did so in a manner Slade found endearing. Midway through Slade’s sophomore season, 1990, Virginia vaulted to No. 1 in the polls for three weeks. There were no BCS crowns to be chased back then, but the excitement from that period is still evident to Slade as he conducts youth football camps and discusses college football as a broadcaster on television and the Virginia radio network. “You almost felt like a rock star,” he said. “Everybody on Grounds knew you--and they--were a part of history. It made me realize why I had come to school there. Whenever I walk around today in Atlanta, I walk with my chest out. People always want to talk about that 1990 game.” That November day in 1990 was one of the most important in ACC history. Georgia Tech came into Scott Stadium and shocked the Cavaliers 41-38 on a field goal in the final minute. While the result knocked the Cavs out of the title hunt, it elevated Tech. The Jackets won the UPI (coaches) championship and took second in the AP survey by winning the rest of their games. As for Slade, he enjoyed a nine-year NFL career that mirrored his college days. The New England Patriots were among the league’s bottom-feeders in the early 1990s, but their draft class in 1993 included Slade and quarterback Drew Bledsoe. By 1996, Slade was on his way to a sevensack season and his team was headed to the Super Bowl. A season later, the Pro Bowl beckoned for the outside linebacker and defensive end. Slade graduated from UVa in 1993, juggling NFL workouts with classes in sociological statistics, among other things. He lives with his wife, Talisa, and anticipates relatives from Virginia and North Carolina will make the trip to Charlotte, N.C., for the Legends and other ACC Championship Game events. The concept of the ACC Championship Game was still more than a decade from fruition when Slade played his final game, and he’d have jumped at such a platform in his Cavalier days. “Chance to play on a big national stage? I’m glad they’re doing it now,” he said. “I’d have loved it.”

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JOHNSON LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

MIKE JOHNSON

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LINEBACKER | VIRGINIA TECH 1980-83 | LANDOVER, MD

esign offices by night, destroy offenses by day. Virginia Tech linebacker and architecture major Mike Johnson had the angles on just about everything, which explains his status as the Hokies’ ACC Legend for 2011. “I was a nerd who could play football, and that’s been me for my entire life,” said Johnson, a Hokie from 198083, a member of the USFL’s small but intriguing alumni society and a 10-year NFL star. Johnson put everything in into his task at the moment, and that left relatively few moments for, say, sleep. Oh, yeah, Billy Hite knew. The assistant coach who recruited Johnson to Tech from Maryland’s suburbs of Washington, D.C., heard and occasionally saw his team’s starting middle linebacker breaking curfew like a feeble slice of wood. And he did nothing to stop it. “Used to sneak out every day to go back to the architecture building,” Johnson said. “I thought I was being surreptitious, but he knew about it all the time. He knew I wasn’t going to a party.” For his final two college football seasons, Johnson’s day consisted of work in the architecture studio from 1 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. He’d get out, proceed to practice with a good excuse for lateness and go through the preparation work for Tech’s upcoming opponent. On the field, he would have been known as the best Hokie defender of his day if not for Bruce Smith, a terror off the edge both at Tech as an Outland Trophy-winner and in a Hall of Fame NFL career. Together, Smith and Johnson, two common names, made for a most uncommon group. In 1983, the Hokies allowed only one opponent to score more than 14 points in a 9-2 season. Through his four seasons with the Hokies, Johnson and his teammates went 31-14. In his final two seasons, Johnson averaged nearly 13 tackles per game – a figure that would have been good enough to lead the ACC in four of its first six seasons as a 12-member conference. Johnson was an Academic All-American whose senior thesis was a project that sought to integrate commercial real estate and residential space in a blighted area of D.C. The general topic has been his professional passion, and it actually helped him meld the disparate worlds of urbane thought and chaotic rambling on a field. “To be able to design, you have to understand space conceptually, but to do that well, it has to tie into people, to the individuals who inhabit that space,” he said. “Un-

derstanding people has been the connection.” Playing for coach Jim Mora and beside linebacker Sam Mills, both of whom would also enjoy NFL success, Johnson helped the Stars to league titles in the final two years of its three-year run. In 1984, the team represented Philadelphia. The following year, it existed under the Baltimore name but retained its operating base in Pennsylvania and played its home games in an ACC venue, the University of Maryland’s Byrd Stadium. When the USFL went under, Johnson found opportunity with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, for whom he played in 1986 and 1987. In the offseason, he kept his head in the design game by working for a protégé of Buckminster Fuller, the futuristic architect best known for advancing the geodesic dome. During Johnson’s career, the NFL became a yearround time commitment with mini-camps and conditioning sessions, and he embraced it. In his decade in the league, 1986-95, only two linebackers exceeded Johnson’s total of 13 interceptions league-wide. For his efforts, he was twice honored with Pro Bowl appearances in his eight seasons with the Detroit Lions. “To be a really good pro football player, you have to put a lot of yourself into it,” he said. “I had to back away from design and construction and thoughts and ideas and focus on football. You’ve got to let part of yourself sleep for a while.” Johnson started 125 games in his NFL tenure, and three of his eight Lions teams won 10 or more games. Eventually, the craziness came to a satisfying ending. After retirement, Johnson moved to Columbia, Md., and resumed his architecture career. This fall, he juggled projects ranging from a church to an office development. News of his choice as Tech’s honoree surprised him for reasons beyond the fact that Tech didn’t join the ACC until 2004. “Legend? Wow,” he said. “Maybe you want to call me just some old guy.” As long as you include the part about smarts.

118 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

BY THE NUMBERS

13 5 7.75 TACKLES HE AVERAGED PER GAME OVER HIS FINAL TWO VIRGINIA TECH SEASONS

APPROXIMATE HOURS PER DAY SPENT IN THE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO AS A TECH UNDERGRAD

HOKIES’ AVERAGE ANNUAL WIN TOTAL IN JOHNSON’S FOUR SEASONS

WHY DID YOU ELECT TO MAJOR IN ARCHITECTURE WHILE PLAYING COLLEGE FOOTBALL?

I didn’t know how daunting it was going to be when I chose it. But I had to make a serious commitment. Fortunately, I don’t sleep much anyway.

DO YOU HAVE AN ESPECIALLY VIVID MEMORY OF LIFE IN THE NFL?

We played Denver, and this was after (the Browns) had lost two of the three AFC championship games to them. Denver was coming into our end zone, and (the fans) started throwing batteries. And all the batteries went over our heads. An A, B or C battery from that distance is dangerous. So the referees just took everybody and moved to the other side of the stadium like it was a change of the quarter.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR REPUTATION AMONG YOUR TEAMMATES? If anybody had a problem on the field, I probably knew what you were supposed to do.

RUSSELL LEGENDS OF THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE

LARRY RUSSELL

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BY THE NUMBERS

304 3 15 WAKE’S RUSHING YARDS PER GAME IN 1971; THE FIGURE STOOD AS AN ACC RECORD UNTIL 2010

BASEBALL SEASONS RUSSELL PLAYED FOR WAKE

RUSSELL’S TOTAL OF RUSHING TDS IN 1971; THE FIGURE STOOD AS AN ACC RECORD UNTIL 2009

HOW DOES A GUY FROM NEW ENGLAND WIND UP AT WAKE FOREST IN THE 1960S, WHEN IT WASN’T AS NATIONAL A UNIVERSITY AS IT IS NOW?

I was told I could play baseball and football. I wanted to go where I could play both, and they allowed me to do that. Actually loved baseball more than football.

YOU GUYS WON THE ACC TITLE IN 1970 AND DIDN’T GO TO A BOWL GAME. THAT SOUNDS ABSURD TO THE MODERN AUDIENCE. WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED?

We were picked to finish last, and you have to remember we weren’t a bastion of football. And back in those days, there were only five or six bowl games.

DO YOU RETAIN TIES TO WAKE FOREST? COLLEGE?

I think a lot of the school. I endowed a scholarship a long time ago. You hear of Tim Duncan graduating in economics. Athletes there have to meet the same requirements as anybody else.

QUARTERBACK | WAKE FOREST 1969-71 | NEWBURYPORT, MA

arry Russell chuckles when asked if his children have

been able to watch highlights of his Wake Forest play-

spired in part by similar tragedy. A few weeks before that

Some 36 years later, Wake’s run to a title would be in-

ing career.

season’s start, linebacker Jon Abbate lost a brother in an

He knows such footage might as well be hand-held,

auto accident. He asked to wear 6, his brother’s number, in

one-camera cinematography of the Yeti in Nepal.

tribute.

The images are old but misleading, for they suggest

During that run, somebody gave Abbate an old No. 6

guys like Russell and his 1970 ACC championship team

practice jersey.

can’t be linked to the modern age without raising Kevin

Bacon to the eighth power. Although Russell still lives in

gave it to him had stolen it from the equipment room.”

“It was actually my jersey,” Russell said. “The guy who

the New England community in which he was born and

raised, he has maintained substantial ties to his Demon

ground-hugging, option-based attack in which the quarter-

The 1970 Deacs had installed the Veer offense, a

Deacons, whose ACC title season of 2006 reminded him

back has an especially heavy responsibility for analysis and

of his teammates’ successes.

quick decision-making. The onus fell to Russell, who had a

“Our coach, Cal Stoll, was great,” Russell said. “He

good enough arm to play three seasons of baseball for the

used to say we were small, slow and not very strong, yet

Deacons but whose best attribute might have been his head.

we found a way to win games.”

Russell, a financial advisor who resides in Newbury-

throwing for 671 yards the whole season. When he didn’t

port, Mass., and works across the border in New Hamp-

pitch the ball to Larry Hopkins, Wake’s 2010 Legend, he

shire, is Wake’s ACC Legend for 2011. He accepts the

often kept it, He held conference standards for rushing

honor as an emissary of his comrades.

yards by a QB for several years after his graduation.

The 2006 Deacs, coming off consecutive 4-7 seasons,

Russell was a first-team All-ACC performer while

“Many times, I’d just call a play at the line,” Russell

were picked for the cellar of the relatively new inven-

said. “It was pretty simple. And we had some real track

tion known as the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Their break-

meets.”

through performance was greeted with amazement.

But for even greater shock value, turn back the clock.

more. Wake, which had had never won more than four

When it took the field in 1970, Wake had produced two

conference games in an season, went 5-1 in 1970, secur-

winning seasons in 17 tries in ACC play. That included the

ing the championship with a 16-13 win over NC State in

1963 squad, which went scoreless for six straight weeks.

November.

Russell’s team was the consensus choice for irrel-

His team was off and running. And running some

One difference between the eras is the list of benefits

evance, and when it lost the season’s first three games, it

associated with a conference championship. The 2006

was even further buried in public thought.

Deacons’ reward was a trip to the Orange Bowl. For Rus-

As it turns out, the Deacs weren’t that bad. They gave

sell’s crew? Pride and perhaps some jewelry. Back then,

eventual national champion Nebraska a fight in the open-

there were just as many teams playing major college

er and nearly knocked off Florida State, which would go

football (123 to the current 120) but only 11 bowl games,

on to post a 7-4 record.

about one-third of today’s count. Tie-ins and guaranteed

spots for conference champs were a decade or more away.

The Deacs broke through for a win at Virginia in their

fourth game. Russell’s girlfriend had made the drive from

Penn State and was on the way back to Winston-Salem

previously scheduled regular-season game at Houston.

when she was killed instantly in a single-car crash.

year,” Russell said. “That was our goal, and fortunately, we

The Deacs rallied around No. 6, a shocked and sad-

dened teammate, and took off without a backward glance.

Wake’s 1970 season ended with a loss at Houston in a “We just wanted to win the ACC championship that

were able to do that.”

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ACC PLAYERS IN THE NFL BY PATRICK STEVENS

he ACC’s 12 schools have a strong history in recent years of exporting players to the NFL. The numbers are there — 180 players drafted between 2006 and 2010, the most Pro Bowlers over the last two years, the largest contingent of linebackers of any conference — but the individual stories are perhaps a better reflection of the conference’s impact on the sport at its highest level. Take Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the ACC’s player of the year in 2006 while at Georgia Tech. The explosive wideout led the NFL with 11 receiving touchdowns as of the end of Week 10. Or San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, an N.C. State product who completed Week 10 in the top five in the NFL in passing yardage. The 2004 ACC athlete of the year is a three-time Pro Bowl selection. He isn’t the only quarterback thriving at the pro level. Ex-Boston College star Matt Ryan has led Atlanta to a 33-13 record as the franchise’s starter over his first three years in the league, and the Falcons are again in contention for a playoff berth this season. Then there’s Jimmy Graham, who played basketball for much of his time at Miami before giving football a look in his fifth year in Coral Gables. Two years into his pro career with New Orleans, Graham leads all NFL tight ends in receptions (62) and receiving yardage (873). Other receivers stand out as major contributors as well. Former North Carolina receiver Hakeem Nicks has caught 21 touch-

JIMMY GRAHAM MIAMI

downs in his first three years in the NFL, all with the New York Giants. Few players are more reliable than ex-Florida State star Anquan Boldin, a Baltimore wideout now on pace for his sixth 1,000-yard season in nine pro seasons. There’s impact on defense as well. Former Maryland star D’Qwell Jackson, the ACC’s 2005 defensive player of the year, ranks sixth in the NFL in tackles. Another reliable tackler this season is ex-Clemson linebacker Kavell Connor, who has remained among the top 10 in the NFL in that category throughout most of the year while playing for Indianapolis. Aaron Curry, one of the major cogs in Wake Forest’s resurgence under Jim Grobe and the 2008 Butkus Award winner, has settled in as a starter at linebacker for Oakland while helping the Raiders chase their first AFC West title in nearly a decade. The ACC’s Old Dominion schools also offer significant defensive influence. Chris Long, a consensus first team All-America pick in 2007 while at Virginia, has eight sacks this year and is one of St. Louis’ franchise cornerstones. Former Virginia Tech star Brandon Flowers ranks among the NFL’s leaders in interceptions while starring for Kansas City. There’s also special teams help. Duke product Patrick Mannelly is in his 14th season as Chicago’s long snapper and holds the franchise record for games played in Chicago. The numbers don’t lie about the ACC’s impact on the NFL. Neither does a look at individual subplots.

CALVIN JOHNSON GEORGIA TECH

MATT RYAN

BOSTON COLLEGE

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IA TECH

KELLY PHILLIPS, VIRGIN

IA TECH

A TRADITION OF

BY DAVID TEEL

he numbers are impressive. Promise. But before quantifying the Atlantic Coast Conference’s collective academic excellence, consider some of the young men and women behind the statistics. These few examples are among thousands who embody a standard that dates to the ACC’s 1953 founding. Virginia Tech pole-vaulter Kelly Phillips, a two-time ACC champion indoors, was a finalist for the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year award and a first-team Academic All-American. She was a double major in biology and human nutrition, foods and exercise, and plans to enter medical school next fall after competing in the U.S. Olympic trials. Christian Ponder not only quarterbacked Florida State to last season’s ACC championship game, but also earned academic honors while completing an undergraduate degree in finance and master’s in business administration. He was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings and starts this year as a rookie.

122 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry bypassed the NFL following his junior year to return and complete his degree in sociology. He graduated, became the Deacons’ highest draft choice in 48 years – No. 4 overall to the Seattle Seahawks – and received a shout-out from Wake Forest’s commencement speaker: Vice President Joe Biden. “As a student of history, it’s the history behind me and the people in front of me that give me such a degree of optimism,” Biden said during his speech. “It’s about Aaron Curry, a scrawny freshman linebacker recruited by only two schools, who worked his rear off, became a top-five pick, and is walking off this stage into an opposing NFL backfield. Aaron, I heard you wanted to go to law school. … So I’m sure there’s a scholarship there if you want it.” Phillips, Ponder and Curry are hardly alone, as the following attests. • The NCAA’s most recent Graduation Success Rates, for athletes who enrolled from 2001-04, show Duke and Boston College at 97 percent, second nationally. Ten ACC schools exceed the national Division I average of 80 percent. • Three ACC football programs – Boston College, Duke and Miami – rate among the Bowl Subdivision’s top-10 nationally in GSR, more than any other conference. • In a program that dates to 1981, the American Football

Coaches Association annually honors programs that graduate at least 75 percent of their players. ACC schools have been cited a record 101 times, and five conference teams – Boston College, Duke, Miami, Virginia and Wake Forest – have earned No. 1 national honors. No other league boasts more than two winners. • Seven ACC schools rank among U.S. News and World Report’s top 38 universities, three more than any other conference. Moreover, the ACC and Big Ten are the only leagues to have each of its members among the top 101. While ACC institutions compete in athletics, they cooperate in academics. The conference’s International Academic Collaborative awards grants for overseas research and service, and has been honored by the New York-based Institute of International Education for innovation in globalizing campus life. The IAC coordinates PhD student exchanges, a roundtable of chief technology officers and an annual conference where undergraduate research projects are presented. And bringing us full circle: A primary funding source for the IAC is the ACC Football Championship Game, yet another example of the league’s meshing of athletics and academics.

Seven ACC schools rank among U.S. News and World Report’s top 38 universities, three more than any other conference.

CHRISTIAN PONDER, FLORIDA STATE

AARON CURRY, WAKE FOREST

CHRISTIAN PONDER, FLORIDA STA TE AARON CURRY, WAKE FOREST

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ACC HOOPS CONTINUES TO SET THE STANDARD

BY MATT WINKELJOHN

ive times previously the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament has come to Atlanta, yet upon returning March 8-11 for a sixth time nobody will be able to say, “Been there, done that.” Eight of 12 coaches are new to the ACC since it last gathered in the Peach State, in 2009, and the venue — Philips Arena — will be new even to the league’s four elder sideline statesmen. Sometimes, smaller is better. The Omni was home to the tournament in 1983, ’85 and ’89. In the Dome in 2001, the ACC set NCAA conference tournament average attendance records for session (36,505) and total (182,525). The second-highest set of NCAA marks came when the ACC was in the Dome in ’09 (26,352 and 158,112). In ’09, conference officials chose Philips over the Dome for the ’12 ACC Tournament, as Commissioner John Swofford said the ACC opted for a cozier feel, “to protect the

124 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

tournament’s brand and atmosphere.” The venue won’t be all that’s new; eight ACC head coaches will have been in the conference three years or less. Georgia Tech (Brian Gregory), Miami (Jim Larranaga), NC State (Mark Gottfried) and Maryland (Mark Turgeon) are new this season. Last season, Boston College’s Steve Donahue, Wake Forest’s Jeff Bzdelik and Clemson’s Brad Brownell debuted in the ACC. Virginia’s Tony Bennett is in his third campaign. “It appears to be a sign of the times,” said Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton, who is second in ACC tenure in his 10th season at FSU. “There has been a lot of movement in college basketball for whatever reasons.” Only Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (29 years as an ACC head coach), Hamilton (10), North Carolina’s Roy Williams (nine) and Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg (eight) have taken teams to Atlanta for previous ACC Tournaments. They’ll be as new as everyone else to Philips, which opened in ‘99 with a basketball seating capacity of 18,729 where the Omni once stood.

“I think it’s good to move it around to expose our product to different parts of the country,” Hamilton said. “I think it’s nothing but good.” No newcomer will more welcome the opportunity to play in Philips than Tech’s Gregory. The Yellow Jackets’ campus is a mile from the Arena, and while Tech’s basketball arena is being renovated, the Jackets will play ACC games in Philips. “Atlanta’s a world-class city,” Gregory said. “The more people that come to Atlanta, and the more people who talk about the ACC, the better.” The ACC will return to Greensboro for the ’13, ’14 and ’15 tournaments.

ACC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: A CUT ABOVE THE REST

BY DAVID DROSCHAK

Atlanta Sports Council (ASC) officials believe their city is more than ready. Atlanta has played host to two Super Bowls, an Olympiad, the 2007 Final Four and more. The 2013 Final Four will be in Atlanta, too, at the Georgia Dome. “We’ve got over 10,000 hotel rooms within eight blocks [of Philips],” said ASC vice president Ken Chin. “When you look at shopping, hotels, restaurants and other attractions within walking distance . . . and given the number of ACC alums in metro Atlanta, and the access that Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport gives, we’re we think we’re well positioned to host this event. “We know that the ACC has a great home in Greensboro, but when they decide to go on the road, we’d love for them to come to Atlanta.”

here are numerous debates across college athletics; however, there is little argument and universal agreement among college coaches and administrators that the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament is the premier event of its kind. The ACC Women’s Tournament will celebrate its 35th anniversary this March as a proud pioneer of the sport and as a progressive basketball tournament other leagues across the nation try to emulate. That wasn’t always the case. Few probably remember the early days of the tournament in the late 1970s and early ‘80s when and sport was in its growing stages and crowds were sparse. “They would give out tickets at Hardees and McDonalds just to get bodies in the seats,” added longtime North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell. “Now, it’s a hot ticket.” The tournament’s permanent move to the Greensboro Coliseum in 2000 on the heels of an exciting NCAA Regional Tournament proved to be a stroke of genius by ACC Commissioner John Swofford, who was a major proponent of raising the profile of the league’s women’s programs. “That Duke-Tennessee NCAA game helped springboard our thought process that we could excite the region to follow ACC Women’s Basketball,” said Greensboro Coliseum managing director Matt Brown. And then there was John Swofford’s commitment to women’s basketball. So, it all came together in a venue that was open and receptive to wanting to support the development of women’s basketball.” Since 2000, the championship game in Greensboro has drawn more than 8,000 fans annually, while an innovative partnership with local school districts to reward kids who achieve academic goals with tickets has repeatedly sold out. “I have actually taken ear plugs with me to that

game because the kids just scream non-stop, they don’t care which team wins,” Hatchell said. “That’s a pretty special atmosphere and time.” “People forget that we were faced with a challenge of having an early game and what do we do with it,” Brown added. “Well, we took a challenging opportunity and turned it into a huge success by reaching out to the regional school districts and offering them a chance to come and support ACC teams. The success of those games has been renowned nationally by other conferences, and even the NCAA has watched those games on TV with awe that we’ve got a sold-out 11,000-seat arena filled with kids at 11 am.” The ACC and Brown have even gone as far as having a mascot night and a concert at halftime of a title game. “When we committed to a long-term contract I told the ACC and the women’s coaches they would never be treated differently than the men when the come to Greensboro,” Brown added. “They didn’t believe me, but when they saw the same accommodations of locker rooms, the same VIP treatment, they all sensed there was a pretty good partnership here and that they had finally found a home.” The ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament will be played in Greensboro through at least 2015. “When you win the tournament in Greensboro it is so special because the balloons are coming down from the top of the coliseum and the music is playing,” said Hatchell, who has played for the championship 14 of the last 18 seasons. “Even when we don’t win, we usually stay out there during the festivities because I want my players to see what happens when you win the ACC Tournament, how the champions are honored because it is just so firstclass. When you win that championship it is just an incredible thing — as good as or better than the national championship.”

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126 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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ocated in the western portion of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex’s Special Events Center, the ACC Hall of Champions opened on March 3, 2011. The ACC Hall of Champions celebrates past, present and future conference success through the design and use of interactive displays, unique institutional exhibits and multipurpose program space that showcases the league’s 58 years. The Hall features a combination of content that honors the academic and athletic accomplishments and highlights the ACC’s continuing promise of a “Tradition of Excellence…Then, Now and Always”. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • Four-foot, 360-degree, state-of-the-art video globe that will amaze and delight guests with a unique, multi-media display of conference highlights • Historical timeline of the ACC’s founding in Greensboro, NC in 1953 through today that highlight the early years, media, integration, academics, ACC Championships , women’s sports and expansion. • Historical memorabilia cases that highlight Football, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball and the 2009-10 NCAA Championships • Individual member school kiosks including historical artifacts • Photos of all current ACC Champions and interactive video display with highlight videos • Life-size ACC school mascot exhibits • A “You Call the Play” interactive broadcasting booth • Interactive multi-player ACC trivia and take down your ACC rival • And much more memorabilia, trophies and historical event photos.

For more information, visit ACCHallofChampions.net 128 2011 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game

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January 4, 2012 • Sun Life Stadium • orangebowl.org