2008 ACC football season
LeagueNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Sportfootball
DurationAugust 28, 2008 January 1, 2009
Number of teams12
Regular season
Season MVPTyrod Taylor
Atlantic championsBoston College
Coastal championsVirginia Tech
ACC Championship Game
ChampionsVirginia Tech
  Runners-upBoston College
2008 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Atlantic Division
Boston College xy  5 3   9 5  
No. 21 Florida State x  5 3   9 4  
Maryland  4 4   8 5  
Wake Forest  4 4   8 5  
Clemson  4 4   7 6  
NC State  4 4   6 7  
Coastal Division
No. 15 Virginia Tech xy$  5 3   10 4  
No. 22 Georgia Tech x  5 3   9 4  
North Carolina  0 4   0 5  
Miami (FL)  4 4   7 6  
Virginia  3 5   5 7  
Duke  1 7   4 8  

Championship: Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 12
  • $ BCS representative as conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • North Carolina vacated 8 wins, including 4 ACC wins
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference football season was the 56th season that the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) participated in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football. As a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference, the ACC's constituent members competed within the framework of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

The media widely recognized the 2008 season as one of the most chaotic in the conference's history.[1][2] At season's end, the ACC fielded an NCAA-record of ten bowl eligible teams from its twelve conference members.[3][4]

Virginia Tech secured its second consecutive conference championship when it won the 2008 ACC Championship Game against Boston College. Likewise, it was the second consecutive season that Boston College finished as the conference runner-up. Virginia Tech went on to represent the conference in its BCS game, the 2008 Orange Bowl, and, with a victory over Cincinnati, ended the ACC's eight-year BCS game slump.[5]

Statistical leaders

Passing
Player School Comp Att Yds TDs Int Rat
Russell Wilson N.C. State 150 275 1,955 17 1 133.9
Cullen Harper Clemson 221 360 2,601 17 14 126.2
Riley Skinner Wake Forest 232 363 2,347 13 7 126.2
Thaddeus Lewis Duke 224 361 2,171 15 6 123.0
Chris Turner Maryland 214 374 2,516 13 11 119.3
Rushing
Player School Att Yds Avg TDs
Jonathan Dwyer Georgia Tech 200 1,395 7.0 12
Da'Rel Scott Maryland 209 1,133 5.4 8
Darren Evans Virginia Tech 287 1,265 4.4 11
Cedric Peerman Virginia 153 774 5.1 7
Montel Harris Boston College 179 900 5.0 5
Receiving
Player School Rec YDs Avg TDs
Hakeem Nicks North Carolina 68 1,222 18.0 12
DJ Boldin Wake Forest 81 848 10.5 3
Kevin Ogletree Virginia 58 723 12.5 5
Aaron Kelly Clemson 67 722 10.8 4
Jacoby Ford Clemson 55 710 12.9 4
Tackles
Player School Solo Asst Total
Michael Tauiliili Duke 63 77 140
Alex Wujciak Maryland 56 77 133
Quan Sturdivant North Carolina 87 35 122
Mark Herzlich Boston College 81 29 110
Vincent Rey Duke 61 48 109
Sacks
Player School Solo Asst Yds
Everette Brown Florida State 13 1 97
Clint Sintim Virginia 9 4 86
Michael Johnson Georgia Tech 8 2 85
Jason Worilds Virginia Tech 8 2 85
B. J. Raji Boston College 7 1 48
Interceptions
Player School Int Yds TDs
Trimane Goddard North Carolina 7 156 1
Paul Anderson Boston College 6 149 1
Macho Harris Virginia Tech 6 142 2
Mark Herzlich Boston College 6 121 2
Michael Hamlin Clemson 6 111 0

Noteworthy games

  • East Carolina 27, Virginia Tech 22: Virginia Tech is defeated in its season-opener against Conference USA's ECU, which defeats a ranked opponent for a second consecutive game. East Carolina clinched the game after returning a blocked punt for a touchdown, and beat Virginia Tech at its own game of special teams-oriented "Beamer Ball."[6]
  • Wake Forest 30, Mississippi 28: With three seconds remaining, Wake Forest placekicker Sam Swank makes a field goal to clinch the victory. The win was Wake Forest's 400th in school history.[7]
  • Middle Tennessee 24, Maryland 14: The Sun Belt Conference's Middle Tennessee records it first-ever victory over an ACC team. It was just their fourth win against a BCS conference opponent, with the previous three all being against Vanderbilt.[8]
  • Boston College 34, Central Florida 7: In the first quarter, Boston College quarterback Chris Crane was booed off the field by the home crowd and replaced by back-up Dominique Davis. Crane, however, returns on the next series and leads Boston College to a rout over UCF.[9]
  • Duke 31, Virginia 3: With its first conference win since 2004, Duke ended a 25-game losing streak in ACC play. After a stalemate, 3–3, at halftime, Virginia quarterback Marc Verica threw four interceptions in the second half.[10]
  • Boston College 38, N.C. State 31: With 23 seconds remaining, Boston College quarterback Chris Crane scored on a 13-yard quarterback keeper for the go-ahead.[11]
  • Florida State 39, Colorado 21: Bobby Bowden coached Florida State to defeat Colorado in his 500th game as a head coach.[12]
  • Boston College 38, N.C. State 31: With 22.8 seconds remaining, Boston College quarterback Chris Crane scores the go-ahead on a quarterback keeper.[13]
  • Florida State 41, Miami 39: A total 80 combined points were the most points ever scored in the state rivalry.[14]
  • Boston College 28, Virginia Tech 23: Boston College, the only ACC team to have beaten Virginia Tech on the road since the Hokies joined the conference, did it a second time.[15]
  • Maryland 27, N.C. State 24: With six seconds remaining, Maryland placekicker Obi Egekeze makes a field goal to clinch the victory.[16]
  • Clemson 27, Boston College 21: Clemson's C. J. Spiller caught six receptions, a school record for a running back. Dabo Swinney recorded his first win as Clemson head coach.[17]
  • Virginia 24, Georgia Tech 17: After an abysmal 1–3 start to the season, Virginia beat Georgia Tech to temporarily assume first-place in the Coastal Division.[18]
  • Georgia Tech 31, Florida State 28: With 45 seconds remaining, Georgia Tech safety Cooper Taylor forced a Florida State fumble in the endzone to prevent an almost certain winning touchdown.[19]
  • Wake Forest 33, Duke 30: Wake Forest's back-up placekicker, Shane Popham, filled in for Sam Swank and kicked a field goal in overtime for the win.[20]
  • Florida State 41, Clemson 27: Florida State attained bowl eligibility for the 27th consecutive season on Bobby Bowden's 79th birthday.[21]
  • Boston College 17, Notre Dame 0: Boston College recorded the first shut-out on either side of the 18-game series against Notre Dame.[22]
  • Clemson 31, Duke 7: Clemson receiver Aaron Kelly caught ten passes and surpassed the all-time ACC record for career receptions with 217.[23]
  • Maryland 17, North Carolina 15: With 1:42 remaining, a Maryland field goal edged 16th-ranked North Carolina for the Terrapins' fourth win over a ranked opponent in 2008. Only Oklahoma and Florida, the two teams in the BCS Championship Game, exceeded the feat.[24]
  • N.C. State 41, North Carolina 10: By routing 21st-ranked North Carolina, N.C. State completes its run of the table on the Tobacco Road with wins over all four other FBS teams in the state.[25]
  • Boston College 24, Wake Forest 21: Boston College back-up quarterback Dominique Davis replaced an injured Chris Crane in the second quarter. With 1:12 remaining in the game, Davis scored a touchdown and kept Boston College in contention for a spot in the conference title game.[26]
  • Virginia Tech 17, Virginia 14: A fourth quarter field goal allowed Virginia Tech to edge Virginia in the Commonwealth Cup. The win ensured the Hokies a berth in the ACC Championship Game.[27]
  • Clemson 31, South Carolina 14: Clemson secured its tenth win in the last twelve games of the intrastate rivalry.[28]
  • Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42: Having trailed by 16 points at halftime, Georgia Tech outrushed Georgia 201 yards to one in the second half. It was Georgia Tech's first win in the Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry since 1999.[29]
  • Boston College 28, Maryland 21: Holder Billy Flutie, nephew of Doug Flutie, executed a pass during a fake field-goal attempt which proved to be the margin of victory in the game that clinched Boston College's trip to the ACC Championship Game.[30]
  • N.C. State 38, Miami 28: Quarterback Russell Wilson led N.C State from a 2–6 season start to bowl eligibility with its win over Miami.[31]
  • Florida 45, Florida State 15: Florida of the Southeastern Conference extends its winning streak to five in the rivalry.[32]

Awards

National awards

Conference awards

Awards selected by ACSMA (Atlantic Coast sports media association)

Honors

All-conference teams

Postseason awards are selected by the Atlantic Coast sports media association by votes

Offense

First team Second team
Pos. Selection School Votes Pos. Selection School Votes
QBRussell WilsonNC State106QBThaddeus LewisDuke28
RBJonathan DwyerGeorgia Tech134RBDarren EvansVirginia Tech58
RBDa'Rel ScottMaryland76RBC. J. SpillerClemson50
WRHakeem NicksNorth Carolina130WREron RileyDuke57
WRDJ BoldinWake Forest76WRAaron KellyClemson56
TEJohn PhillipsVirginia88TERyan PurvisBoston College45
OTEugene MonroeVirginia117OTGarrett ReynoldsNorth Carolina42
OTAndrew GardnerGeorgia Tech107OTAnthony CastonzoBoston College41
OGRodney HudsonFlorida State99OGSergio RenderVirginia Tech48
OGCliff RamseyBoston College78OGCordaro HowardGeorgia Tech45
CEdwin WilliamsMaryland62CThomas AustinClemson48

Defense

First team Second team
Pos. Selection School Votes Pos. Selection School Votes
DEEverette BrownFlorida State131DEOrion MartinVirginia Tech61
DEMichael JohnsonGeorgia Tech99DEJason WorildsVirginia Tech39
DTB. J. RajiBoston College103DTRon BraceBoston College52
DTVance WalkerGeorgia Tech62DTDarryl RichardGeorgia Tech50
LBMark HerzlichBoston College118LBClint SintimVirginia79
LBMichael TauiliiliDuke110LBAlex WujciakMaryland43
LBAaron CurryWake Forest106LBMark PaschalNorth Carolina40
CBAlphonso SmithWake Forest134CBRas-I DowlingVirginia49
CBVictor HarrisVirginia Tech125CBKendric BurneyNorth Carolina34
STrimane GoddardNorth Carolina105SMorgan BurnettGeorgia Tech85
SMichael HamlinClemson89SMyron RolleFlorida State55

Special teams

First team Second team
Pos. Selection School Votes Pos. Selection School Votes
KGraham GanoFlorida State127KMatt BosherMiami34
PTravis BaltzMaryland105PMatt BosherMiami60
SPC. J. SpillerClemson66SPMichael Ray GarvinFlorida State41

Source:[33]

ACC players in the NFL Draft

In the 2009 NFL Draft, 32 former ACC players were selected. The ACC was second only to the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which had 37 former players selected. The Big 12 and Big Ten each had 28 and the Big East had 27 former players selected. Of the ACC schools, Maryland and North Carolina tied for most former players selected at five. Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, and Virginia each had four former players selected.[34][35]

# Conference Players
selected
1SEC37
2ACC32
3Big 1228
3Big Ten28
5Big East27
6Pac-1023
7MWC16
8C-USA10
8MAC10
8WAC10
All others24
Player Position School Pick Round Team
Aaron CurryOLBWake Forest41Seattle Seahawks
Darrius Heyward-BeyWRMaryland71Oakland Raiders
Eugene MonroeOTVirginia81Jacksonville Jaguars
B. J. RajiDTBoston College91Green Bay Packers
Hakeem NicksWRNorth Carolina291New York Giants
Alphonso SmithCBWake Forest372Denver Broncos
Ron BraceDTBoston College402New England Patriots
Everette BrownDEFlorida State432Carolina Panthers
Clint SintimOLBVirginia452New York Giants
Richard QuinnTENorth Carolina642Denver Broncos
Michael JohnsonDEGeorgia Tech703Cincinnati Bengals
Kevin BarnesCBMaryland803Washington Redskins
Brandon TateNorth Carolina833New England Patriots
Dorell ScottClemson1034St. Louis Rams
Chip VaughnWake Forest1164New Orleans Saints
Stanley ArnouxWake Forest1184New Orleans Saints
Anthony HillNC State1224Houston Texans
Andre BrownNC State1294New York Giants
Garrett ReynoldsNorth Carolina1565Atlanta Falcons
Victor HarrisVirginia Tech1575Philadelphia Eagles
Brooks FosterNorth Carolina1605St. Louis Rams
Chris ClemonsClemson1655Miami Dolphins
Michael HamlinClemson1665Dallas Cowboys
Spencer AdkinsMiami1766Atlanta Falcons
Andrew GardnerGeorgia Tech1816Miami Dolphins
Cedric PeermanVirginia1856Baltimore Ravens
James DavisClemson1956Cleveland Browns
John PhillipsVirginia2086Dallas Cowboys
Vance WalkerGeorgia Tech2107Atlanta Falcons
Moise FokouMaryland2307Philadelphia Eagles
Darryl RichardGeorgia Tech2347New England Patriots
Jaimie ThomasMaryland2367Indianapolis Colts
Dan GronkowskiTEMaryland2557Detroit Lions

References

  1. Strelow, Paul. "ACC is a BCS mess" Archived 2009-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, The State. November 21, 2008. Accessed November 28, 2008.
  2. Latter, Sam. "ACC faces confusing playoff fight", The (Hanover) Evening Sun. November 21, 2008. Accessed November 28, 2008. Archived 2009-05-21.
  3. Prisbell, Eric (October 25, 2008). "Work of Art?". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 17, 2009.
  4. NCAA-Record 10 ACC Teams Head to Bowls, Atlantic Coast Conference, December 7, 2008, retrieved January 21, 2009. Archived 2009-05-21.
  5. Virginia Tech earns ACC's first BCS victory since' 99, ESPN, January 1, 2009.
  6. East Carolina turns back Virginia Tech with punt block for a TD, ESPN, August 30, 2008.
  7. Wake Forest edges Ole Miss with field goal in final seconds, ESPN, September 6, 2008.
  8. Craddock, Middle Tennessee surprise Maryland, ESPN, September 6, 2008.
  9. Cranes turns it around in second half as BC rolls, ESPN, September 20, 2008.
  10. Duke capitalizes on five second-half turnovers in rout, ESPN, September 27, 2008.
  11. Crane scores touchdown in final minutes as BC edges NC State, ESPN, October 4, 2008.
  12. Bowden gets Florida State past Colorado in 500th game, ESPN, September 27, 2008.
  13. Crane scores touchdown in final minutes as BC edges NC State, ESPN, October 4, 2008.
  14. FSU dumps Miami behind Smith's career-best four touchdowns, ESPN, October 4, 2008.
  15. QB Crane struggles, but Boston College beats Va. Tech behind stingy defense, October 11, 2008.
  16. Egekeze's field goal with 6 seconds remaining lifts Terps, ESPN, October 28, 2008.
  17. RB Spillers sets receiving record as Clemson interim coach Swinney gets first win, ESPN, November 1, 2008.
  18. Peerman carries load as Virginia continues hot streak, ESPN, October 25, 2008.
  19. Georgia Tech snaps 0-12 skid against Florida State, ESPN, November 1, 2008.
  20. Popham hits 28-yard field goal in OT to propel Wake Forest past Duke, ESPN, November 1, 2008.
  21. FSU bowl eligible for 27th straight season on Bowden's birthday, ESPN, November 8, 2008.
  22. Anderson helps Boston College extend streak to six over Irish, ESPN, November 8, 2008.
  23. Clemson lights up Duke as Kelly sets ACC mark for receptions, ESPN, November 15, 2008.
  24. "Maryland - Team Notes". USA Today. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  25. QB Wilson key as NC State easily upends No. 22 UNC, ESPN, November 22, 2008.
  26. BC sneaks past Wake Forest in final minutes to keep ACC title hopes alive, ESPN, November 22, 2008.
  27. Virginia Tech edges Virginia for spot in ACC championship game, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
  28. Davis' 3 TDs help Clemson drop South Carolina for 6th time in 7 games, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
  29. Ga. Tech overcomes 16-point halftime deficit, snaps 7-game skid to Georgia, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
  30. Another Flutie makes key play to carry BC into ACC championship, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
  31. Wilson key as NC State rebounds from 2-6 start to earn bowl eligibility, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
  32. Florida wins 8th straight while continuing dominance in intrastate rivalry, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
  33. Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association Announces 2008 All-ACC Football Teams, The Atlantic Coast Conference, December 1, 2008. Accessed 2009-03-22. Archived 2009-05-21.
  34. Draft picks by school, conference, The Baltimore Sun, April 27, 2009.
  35. ACC Again Scores Big At 2009 NFL Draft Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic Coast Conference, April 26, 2009.
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