2009 Atlantic Coast Conference football season

The 2009 ACC football season was an NCAA football season that was played from September 3, 2009, to January 5, 2010. The Atlantic Coast Conference consists of 12 members in two divisions. The Atlantic division consists of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Coastal division consists of Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. The division champions met in the 2009 ACC Championship Game, where Georgia Tech defeated Clemson by a score of 39–34. Georgia Tech represented the ACC in the BCS, being invited to the FedEx Orange Bowl where they lost to Iowa. The ACC had a total of seven teams play in a bowl game and finished the bowl season with a record of 3–4.

Previous season
Boston College and Florida State tied for the Atlantic division championship. Boston College beat Florida State during the regular season so they represented the Atlantic division in the 2008 ACC Championship Game. A similar situation occurred in the Coastal division where Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech tied. Virginia Tech won the regular season meeting so they represented the Coastal division in the championship game. Virginia Tech would win the ACC championship game 30-12 over Boston College and would represent the ACC in the FedEx Orange Bowl where they would defeat Cincinnati, the champions of the Big East Conference, 20-7. The ACC would ultimately send 10 teams to bowl games, the most of any conference in 2008. Boston College (9-5) lost to Vanderbilt 16-14 in the Music City Bowl. Florida State (9-4) beat Wisconsin 42-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Georgia Tech (9-4) lost to LSU 38-3 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Maryland (8-5) beat Nevada 42-35 in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl. North Carolina (8-5) lost to West Virginia 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Wake Forest (8-5) beat Navy 29-19 in the EagleBank Bowl. Miami (7-6) lost to California 24-17 in the Emerald Bowl. Clemson (7-6) lost to Nebraska 26-21 in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl. North Carolina State (6-7) lost to Rutgers 29-23 in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. The only two teams not to go to a bowl game were Virginia (5-7) and Duke (4-8).

Preseason poll
The 2009 ACC preseason poll was announced at the ACC Football Kickoff meetings in Greensboro, North Carolina on July 27. Virginia Tech was voted to win Coastal division and the conference. Florida State was voted to win the Atlantic division. Jonathan Dwyer of Georgia Tech was voted the Preseason ACC Player of the Year.

Atlantic Division poll

 * 1) Florida State – 499 (56)
 * 2) Clemson – 387 (14)
 * 3) North Carolina State – 364 (10)
 * 4) Wake Forest – 295 (7)
 * 5) Maryland – 157
 * 6) Boston College – 145

Coastal Division poll

 * 1) Virginia Tech – 512 (78)
 * 2) Georgia Tech – 415 (9)
 * 3) North Carolina – 350
 * 4) Miami – 21
 * 5) Virginia – 148
 * 6) Duke – 120

Predicted ACC Championship Game Winner

 * 1) Virginia Tech–69
 * 2) Florida State–7
 * 3) Georgia Tech–7
 * 4) Clemson–2
 * 5) North Carolina State–2

Offense
QB Russell Wilson- NC State, RB Jonathan Dwyer- Georgia Tech, RB C. J. Spiller- Clemson, WR Demaryius Thomas- Georgia Tech, WR Jacoby Ford- Clemson, TE Greg Boone- Virginia Tech, OT Jason Curtis Fox- Miami, OT Anthony Castonzo- Boston College, OG Sergio Render- Virginia Tech, OG Rodney Hudson- Florida State, C Matt Tennant- Boston College, PK Matt Bosher- Miami.

Defense
DE Jason Worilds- Virginia Tech, DE Willie Young- NC State, DT Vince Oghobaase- Duke, DT Marvin Austin- North Carolina, LB Dekoda Watson- Florida State, LB Quan Sturdivant- North Carolina, LB Alex Wujciak- Maryland, CB Ras-I Dowling- Virginia, CB Kendric Burney- North Carolina, S Morgan Burnett- Georgia Tech, S Kam Chancellor- Virginia Tech, P Travis Baltz- Maryland, Specialist: C. J. Spiller- Clemson.

Regular season
All times Eastern time

Rankings reflect that of the USA Today Coaches poll until week eight when the BCS poll will be used.

Week One
ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Virginia Tech and Alabama.

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Week Two
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Week Three
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Week Four
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Week Five
ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts for the Boston College vs Florida State game. Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, the 2008 ACC Defensive player of the year who earlier in the year was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, announced he was now cancer free.

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Week Six
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Week Seven
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Week Eight
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Week Nine
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Week Ten
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Week Eleven
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Week Twelve
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Week Thirteen
ESPN's College Gameday broadcast from Gainesville, Florida for the Florida vs Florida State game. Players of the week:

First Team

 * Offense
 * QB Josh Nesbitt- Georgia Tech
 * RB Jonathan Dwyer- Georgia Tech
 * RB Ryan Williams- Virginia Tech
 * WR Demaryius Thomas- Georgia Tech
 * WR Donovan Varner- Duke
 * TE George Bryan- NC State
 * TE Michael Palmer – Clemson
 * OT Jason Curtis Fox- Miami
 * OT Anthony Castonzo- Boston College
 * OG Cordaro Howard- Georgia Tech
 * OG Rodney Hudson- Florida State
 * C Sean Bedford- Georgia Tech
 * PK Matt Bosher- Miami
 * PK Matt Waldron- Virginia Tech
 * SPEC C. J. Spiller- Clemson


 * Defense
 * DE Derrick Morgan- Georgia Tech
 * DE Robert Quinn- North Carolina
 * DT Nate Collins- Virginia
 * DT Allen Bailey- Miami
 * LB Cody Grimm- Virginia Tech
 * LB Luke Kuechly- Boston College
 * LB Quan Sturdivant- North Carolina
 * LB Alex Wujciak- Maryland
 * CB Kendric Burney- North Carolina
 * CB Brandon Harris- Miami
 * S DeAndre McDaniel- Clemson
 * S Deunta Williams- North Carolina
 * P Brent Bowden- Virginia Tech

Second Team

 * Offense
 * QB Thaddeus Lewis- Duke
 * RB C. J. Spiller- Clemson
 * RB Montel Harris- Boston College
 * WR Torrey Smith- Maryland
 * WR Jacoby Ford- Clemson
 * TE Greg Boone- Virginia Tech
 * OT Ed Wang- Virginia Tech
 * OT Chris Hairston- Clemson
 * OG Thomas Austin- Clemson
 * OG Sergio Render- Virginia Tech
 * C Matt Tennant- Boston College
 * PK Casey Barth- North Carolina
 * PK Will Snyderwine- Duke
 * SPEC Torrey Smith- Maryland


 * Defense
 * DE Ricky Sapp- Clemson
 * DE Willie Young- NC State
 * DE Jason Worilds- Virginia Tech
 * DT Marvin Austin- North Carolina
 * DT John Russell- Wake Forest
 * LB Vincent Rey- Duke
 * LB Darryl Sharpton- Miami
 * LB Bruce Carter- North Carolina
 * LB Colin McCarthy- Miami
 * LB Dekoda Watson- Florida State
 * CB Ras-I Dowling- Virginia
 * CB Patrick Robinson- Florida State
 * S Morgan Burnett- Georgia Tech
 * S Kam Chancellor- Virginia Tech
 * P Matt Bosher- Miami

Player of the year
C. J. Spiller- Clemson