2009 Clemson Tigers football team

2009 Clemson Tigers football
ACC Atlantic Division champion
Music City Bowl champion
ACC Championship Game, L 34–39 vs. Georgia Tech
Music City Bowl, W 21–13 vs. Kentucky
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
DivisionAtlantic Division
Ranking
APNo. 24
Record9–5 (6–2 ACC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBilly Napier (1st season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorKevin Steele (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Atlantic Division
No. 24 Clemson x   6 – 2     9 – 5  
Boston College   5 – 3     8 – 5  
Florida State   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Wake Forest   3 – 5     5 – 7  
NC State   2 – 6     5 – 7  
Maryland   1 – 7     2 – 10  
Coastal Division
No. 13 Georgia Tech * x$   7 – 1     11 – 3  
No. 10 Virginia Tech   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 19 Miami (FL)   5 – 3     9 – 4  
North Carolina *   0 – 4     0 – 5  
Duke   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Virginia   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Championship: Georgia Tech 39, Clemson 34
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • North Carolina vacated 8 wins, including 4 ACC wins.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2009 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by Dabo Swinney in his first full season as head coach, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 9–5 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, winning the ACC's Atlantic Division title. Clemson advanced to the ACC Championship Game, where the Tigers lost Georgia Tech. Clemson closed the season with a win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. The team played home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

In the Tigers' 40–24 victory over the Florida State on November 7, running back C. J. Spiller and wide receiver Jacoby Ford became the leading all-purpose yardage duo in NCAA history, a record previously held by Marshall Faulk and Darnay Scott of San Diego State. Spiller was named as one of the three finalists for the Doak Walker Award along with Mark Ingram II of Alabama and Toby Gerhart of Stanford. On December 2, Spiller was voted the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year. He was the nation's only player i 2009 to account for touchdowns five different ways—rushing, passing, receiving, and on kick and punt returns—and had passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in one game, a victory against NC State. He returned four kickoffs and a punt for scores in 2009, and had eight total returns for touchdowns during his career. He scored at least once in every game during the season. Spiller led the ACC with an average of nearly 184 all-purpose yards per game and was the league's fourth-leading rusher, averaging 76 yards per game.[1]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 56:00 p.m.Middle Tennessee*
ESPN360W 37–1478,371
September 107:30 p.m.at No. 15 Georgia Tech
ESPNL 27–3052,029
September 1912:00 p.m.Boston College
RaycomW 25–777,362
September 263:30 p.m.No. 15 TCU*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (Football Reunion Weekend)
ESPN360L 10–1471,869
October 312:00 p.m.at Maryland
ESPNUL 21–2446,243
October 1712:00 p.m.Wake Forest
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (IPTAY Day)
RaycomW 38–374,298
October 243:30 p.m.at No. 8 Miami (FL)
ABC, ESPNW 40–37 OT43,778
October 311:30 p.m.Coastal Carolina*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC
ESPN360W 49–374,429
November 77:45 p.m.Florida State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (rivalry, Solid Orange Day)
ESPNW 40–2476,656
November 1412:00 p.m.at NC StateNo. 24
RaycomW 43–2357,583
November 213:30 p.m.VirginiaNo. 18
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Clemson, SC (Military Appreciation Day)
ABC, ESPNW 34–2177,568
November 2812:00 p.m.at South Carolina*No. 15
ESPNL 17–3480,574
December 58:00 p.m.vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech*No. 25
ESPNL 34–3957,227
December 277:30 p.m.vs. Kentucky*
ESPNW 21–1357,280
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[2][3][4][5]

Rankings

See also: 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP———RV————RVRV24181525RV24
CoachesRVRV——————RVRVRV1916RVRVRV
HarrisNot released———RVRVRV251917RVRVNot released
BCSNot released————2318——Not released

Game summaries

at South Carolina

See also: 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
Game Twelve– No. 18 Clemson Tigers (8-3) at South Carolina Gamecocks (6-5) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 18 Clemson 7 0 01017
South Carolina 14 3 71034

at Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina

  • Date: Saturday, November 28, 2009
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather: Clear
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Brian Griese
Game information
First quarter
  • (14:41) CLEM – CJ Spiller 88-yard kickoff return (Richard Jackson kick) (Clemson 7-0)
  • (5:21) SC – Brian Maddox 1-yard run (Spencer Lanning kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:23; Tied 7-7)
  • (2:01) SC – Weslye Saunders 9-yard pass from Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:45; South Carolina 14-7)
Second quarter
  • (10:44) SC – Spencer Lanning 47-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:03; South Carolina 17-7)
Third quarter
  • (7:47) SC – Tori Gurley 14-yard pass from Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:26; South Carolina 24-7)
Fourth quarter
  • (11:23) CLEM – Richard Jackson 45-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 1:52; South Carolina 24-10)
  • (5:22) SC – Spencer Lanning 38-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 6:01; South Carolina 27-10)
  • (3:46) CLEM – Michael Palmer 22-yard pass from Kyle Parker (Richard Jackson kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:36; South Carolina 27-17)
  • (2:40) SC – Weslye Saunders 1-yard pass from Stephen Garcia (Spencer Lanning kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:06; South Carolina 34-17)
Statistics CLEM SC
First downs 14 21
Total yards 61–260 80–388
Rushing yards 19–48 58–223
Passing yards 226 175
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22–42–1 11–22–1
Time of possession 14:09 27:54
Team Category Player Statistics
Clemson Passing Kyle Parker 22/42, 212 yards, TD, INT
Rushing CJ Spiller 9 carries, 18 yards
Receiving Michael Palmer 8 receptions, 106 yards, TD
South Carolina Passing Stephen Garcia 10/21, 126 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Kenny Miles 17 carries, 114 yards
Receiving Alshon Jeffery 4 receptions, 65 yards


Jersey numbers

No. 6

Cornerback Chris Chancellor, whose normal number was No. 38, wore No. 6, the normal number of wide receiver Jacoby Ford, for the Miami game. Under college football rules, two or more players on a team can wear the same number as long as only one is on the field at a time. Chancellor, a native of Miami, made the change with the blessing of both Ford and Swinney in memory of his former high school teammate Jasper Howard, a cornerback who wore No. 6 for Connecticut and was murdered in the early morning of October 18 following UConn's game against Louisville.[6]

No. 17

On July 25, it was announced that sophomore linebacker Stanley Hunter was forced to quit playing football for medical reasons. Hunter, who led the 2008 team in fewest plays per tackle, was suffering from an increase in seizures due to epilepsy.[7] On August 18, head coach Dabo Swinney announced that several players would alternate wearing No. 17 during the season to honor Hunter.[8]

The following players wore No. 17 during the season:

Three of the players who wore No. 17 (Korn, Diehl, and Dye) were also teammates with Hunter at James F. Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Hunter remained a member of the Clemson team, serving as a student-coach the Tigers.

No. 28

At the end of the season, Swinney announced that Clemson would retire the No. 28 jersey worn by C. J. Spiller at a ceremony when the Tigers play Maryland at home on October 16, 2010.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Depth chart

These are the starters, primary backups, and key reserves as of September 2009.

Recruiting class

  • Malliciah Goodman (DE; Florence, South Carolina; West Florence HS)
  • J. K. Jay (OL; Greenville, South Carolina; Christ Church Episcopal School)
  • Jonathan Meeks (S; Rock Hill, South Carolina; Rock Hill HS)
  • Tyler Shatley (FB; Valdese, North Carolina; East Burke HS)
  • Brandon Thomas (OL; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Dorman HS)
  • Bryce McNeal (WR; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Breck HS)
  • Roderick McDowell (RB; Sumter, South Carolina; Sumter HS)
  • Tajh Boyd (QB; Hampton, Virginia; Phoebus HS)
  • Spencer Shuey (LB/DE; Charlotte, North Carolina; South Mecklenburg HS)
  • Quandon Christian (LB; Lake View, South Carolina; Lake View HS)
  • Corico Hawkins (LB; Milledgeville, Georgia; Baldwin HS)
  • Darell Smith (TE/BAN; Gadsden, Alabama; Gadsden City HS)
  • Taylor Ogle (QB; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Gatlinburg-Pittman HS)
  • Octavius Lewis(SS;Orlando, FL Maynard Evans HS)

2010 NFL draft

Clemson had five players selected in the 2010 NFL draft. C. J. Spiller went in the first round as the ninth overall pick.

Player Team Round Pick # Position
C. J. Spiller Buffalo Bills 1st 9th RB
Jacoby Ford Oakland Raiders 4th 108th WR
Ricky Sapp Philadelphia Eagles 5th 143th DE
Crezdon Butler Pittsburgh Steelers 5th 164th DB
Kavell Conner Indianapolis Colts 7th 240th LB

References

  1. ^ "C. J. Spiller Named 2009 ACC Player of the Year". Atlantic Coast Conference. December 2, 2009. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
  2. ^ "Clemson Tigers Schedule 2009". ESPN. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  3. ^ "2009 Clemson Tigers Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  4. ^ "2009-10 Football Schedule". Clemson University. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  5. ^ "2010 Clemson Football Media Guide" (PDF). Clemson University. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  6. ^ "Chancellor to wear No. 6 as tribute". ESPN. Associated Press. October 20, 2009. Archived from the original on October 23, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  7. ^ Melton, Kevin (July 25, 2009). "Clemson's Stanley Hunter forced to quit football". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Archived from the original on July 31, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  8. ^ "Clemson Football Practice Report: Day 13". Clemson Athletics. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
  9. ^ a b "2011 Tiger Football - Clemson Post-Spring Depth Chart" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2012.
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