2009 Clemson Tigers football team
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Clemson Tigers
football team represented Clemson University
in the 2009 college football
season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney
, who was in his first full season as head coach. The Tigers played their home games in Memorial Stadium
. The Tigers won the ACC
Atlantic Division, but after securing the title lost to in–state rival South Carolina
in the Palmetto Bowl 34–17, before losing for the second time in the season to Georgia Tech
in the ACC Championship Game
. Clemson closed the season with a win over Kentucky
in the Music City Bowl
.
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).
On November 23, 2009, C.J. Spiller was named as one of the three finalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award
. Spiller, along with Mark Ingram
of Alabama and Toby Gerhart
of Stanford, was selected by a vote of the 130–member Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee. The Committee will cast a second vote to determine the recipient of the 2009 Doak Walker Award. The recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, December 10. The award will be presented at the 2009 Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in Dallas on Friday, February 19, 2010.
On December 2, 2009, Spiller was voted the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. The all-purpose threat was named as the league's top player following a vote of 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Spiller received 29 votes to outdistance Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who had eight. Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, the league's rookie of the year, had two votes and Yellow Jackets defensive end Derrick Morgan had one. Spiller was the nation's only player this season to account for touchdowns five different ways - rushing, passing, receiving, and on kick and punt returns - and had passing, rushing and receiving TDs in one game, a victory against North Carolina State. He returned four kickoffs and a punt for scores this year and has eight total returns for TDs during his career. He scored at least once in every game this season while leading Clemson to the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the league title game against Georgia Tech. Spiller led the ACC with an average of nearly 184 all-purpose yards and was the league's fourth-leading rusher, averaging 76 yards. Spiller is the seventh Tiger to be named player of the year and the first since Michael Dean Perry in 1987.
List of Players wearing #17 during the season:
Three of the players who will wear #17 (Korn, Diehl, and Dye) were also teammates with Hunter at James F. Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, SC. Stanley Hunter remains a member of the Clemson team, serving as a student-coach this season for the Tigers.
, whose normal number is #38, wore #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 #6 for Connecticut
and was murdered in the early morning of October 18 following UConn's game against Louisville
.
announced that they would retire the #28 jersey worn by C.J. Spiller at a ceremony when the Tigers play Maryland
at home on Oct. 16, 2010.
!colspan=8| Regular Season
|-
!colspan=8| Post Season
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
football team represented Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in the 2009 college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney
William Christopher "Dabo" Swinney is the head coach of the Clemson University Tigers football team; he was previously assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.-Playing career:...
, who was in his first full season as head coach. The Tigers played their home games in Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Clemson
Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, popularly known as Death Valley, is home to the Clemson University Tigers, a NCAA Division I-A football team, located in Clemson, South Carolina...
. The Tigers won the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Atlantic Division, but after securing the title lost to in–state rival South Carolina
2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2009 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team's head football coach was Steve Spurrier, who was in his fifth season at USC. The Gamecocks played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium in...
in the Palmetto Bowl 34–17, before losing for the second time in the season to Georgia Tech
2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2009 Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2009–2010 Football Season. The team was coached by second year head coach Paul Johnson...
in the ACC Championship Game
2009 ACC Championship Game
The 2009 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2009 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference. Georgia Tech defeated Clemson,...
. Clemson closed the season with a win over Kentucky
2009 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 2009 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Rich Brooks, in his seventh and ultimately final season at Kentucky, and played its home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The Wildcats competed...
in the Music City Bowl
2009 Music City Bowl
The 2009 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl was the twelfth edition of the college football bowl game, and will be played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. The game was played on Sunday, December 27, 2009 and was telecast on ESPN...
.
Notable
In the Tiger's 40–24 victory over the Florida State Seminoles on November 7, 2009, running backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
C.J. Spiller and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also an accomplished track and field athlete. He played college football as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University...
became the leading all-purpose yardage duo in NCAA history (a record previously held by Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
and Darnay Scott
Darnay Scott
Darnay Scott is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft.-High school career:...
of San Diego State).
On November 23, 2009, C.J. Spiller was named as one of the three finalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
. Spiller, along with Mark Ingram
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr. is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Ingram is the son of former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram, Sr....
of Alabama and Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart is a professional football player, a running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American running back at Stanford and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker...
of Stanford, was selected by a vote of the 130–member Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee. The Committee will cast a second vote to determine the recipient of the 2009 Doak Walker Award. The recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, December 10. The award will be presented at the 2009 Doak Walker Award Presentation Banquet in Dallas on Friday, February 19, 2010.
On December 2, 2009, Spiller was voted the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. The all-purpose threat was named as the league's top player following a vote of 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Spiller received 29 votes to outdistance Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who had eight. Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, the league's rookie of the year, had two votes and Yellow Jackets defensive end Derrick Morgan had one. Spiller was the nation's only player this season to account for touchdowns five different ways - rushing, passing, receiving, and on kick and punt returns - and had passing, rushing and receiving TDs in one game, a victory against North Carolina State. He returned four kickoffs and a punt for scores this year and has eight total returns for TDs during his career. He scored at least once in every game this season while leading Clemson to the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the league title game against Georgia Tech. Spiller led the ACC with an average of nearly 184 all-purpose yards and was the league's fourth-leading rusher, averaging 76 yards. Spiller is the seventh Tiger to be named player of the year and the first since Michael Dean Perry in 1987.
Incoming recruiting class
- Malliciah Goodman (DE; Florence, SC; West Florence HS)
- J.K. Jay (OL; Greenville, SC; Christ Church Episcopal School)
- Jonathan Meeks (S; Rock Hill, SC; Rock Hill HS)
- Tyler Shatley (FB; Valdese, NC; East Burke HS)
- Brandon Thomas (OL; Spartanburg, SC; Dorman HS)
- Bryce McNeal (WR; Minneapolis, MN; Breck HS)
- Roderick McDowell (RB; Sumter, SC; Sumter HS)
- Tajh Boyd (QB; Hampton, VA; Phoebus HS)
- Spencer Shuey (LB/DE; Charlotte, NC; South Mecklenburg HS)
- Quandon Christian (LB; Lake View, SC; Lake View HS)
- Corico Hawkins (LB; Milledgeville, GA; Baldwin HS)
- Darell Smith (TE/BAN; Gadsen, AL; Gadsen City HS)
- Taylor Ogle (QB; Gatlinburg, TN; Gatlinburg-Pittman HS)
Rankings
| Poll | |Week | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final | |
| AP | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 24 | 18 | 15 | 25 | NR | 24 |
| Coaches | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 19 | 16 | NR | NR | NR |
| Harris | Not released | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | 25 | 19 | 17 | NR | NR | |||||
| BCS | Not released | NR | NR | NR | 23 | 18 | NR | NR | ||||||||
#17 jersey
On July 25, it was announced that sophomore linebacker Stanley Hunter was forced to quit playing football due to medical reasons. Hunter, who led the 2008 team in fewest plays per tackle, was suffering from an increase in seizures due to epilepsy. On August 18, Coach Swinney announced that several players would alternate wearing #17 during the season as a way to honor Stanley Hunter.List of Players wearing #17 during the season:
- LB Brandon Maye
- QB Willy Korn
- FB Chad Diehl
- WR Xavier Dye
- WR Marquan Jones
- S DeAndre McDaniel
- RB Jamie Harper
- S Sadat Chambers
- S Rashard Hall
- CB Crezdon Butler
- LB Kavell Conner
- WR Jacoby Ford
Three of the players who will wear #17 (Korn, Diehl, and Dye) were also teammates with Hunter at James F. Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, SC. Stanley Hunter remains a member of the Clemson team, serving as a student-coach this season for the Tigers.
#6 jersey
Cornerback Chris ChancellorChris Chancellor
Chris Chancellor is a former American football defensive back for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2010...
, whose normal number is #38, wore #6, the normal number of wide receiver Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also an accomplished track and field athlete. He played college football as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University...
, 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
Jasper Howard
Jasper Tyrone Howard , was a cornerback for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2007 to 2009. He was fatally stabbed on October 18, 2009, hours after UConn's win over the Louisville Cardinals.- Early life :...
, a cornerback who wore #6 for Connecticut
2009 Connecticut Huskies football team
The 2009 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009 college football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...
and was murdered in the early morning of October 18 following UConn's game against Louisville
2009 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 2009 Louisville Cardinals football team represented the University of Louisville in the college football season of 2009–2010. The Cardinals were coached by Steve Kragthorpe, who was in his third season at Louisville. The Cardinals played their home games at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The...
.
#28 jersey
At the end of the season, Head Coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
William Christopher "Dabo" Swinney is the head coach of the Clemson University Tigers football team; he was previously assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.-Playing career:...
announced that they would retire the #28 jersey worn by C.J. Spiller at a ceremony when the Tigers play Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
at home on Oct. 16, 2010.
Schedule
|-!colspan=8| Regular Season
|-
!colspan=8| Post Season
Depth chart
These are the starters, primary backups, and key reserves as of September 2009.Coaching staff
- Dabo SwinneyDabo SwinneyWilliam Christopher "Dabo" Swinney is the head coach of the Clemson University Tigers football team; he was previously assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.-Playing career:...
- Head Coach - Billy Napier - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Kevin SteeleKevin Steele-External links:* *...
- Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers - Charlie Harbison - Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
- Danny Pearman - Assistant Head Coach/Tackles & Tight Ends
- Brad ScottBrad Scott (American football)Brad Scott was the associate head coach and offensive line coach for the Clemson Tigers football team. Previously, from 1994 to 1998, he was the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks.-Career:...
- Associate Head Coach/Offensive Guards and Centers - Dan Brooks - Defensive Tackles
- Andre Powell - Running Backs/Special Teams
- Chris Rumph - Defensive Ends
- Jeff Scott - Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers