2005 ACC Championship Game
The 2005 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game was the inaugural contest of the championship game for the recently expanded Atlantic Coast Conference. It was a regular season-ending American college football contest held at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles. The game decided the winner of the ACC football championship. Florida State University defeated Virginia Tech 27–22 in a game characterized by penalties, defense, and a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Virginia Tech. The game was the final contest of the regular season for the teams, as bowl games are not considered part of the regular season.
Virginia Tech entered the 2005 season having won the 2004 ACC Championship, the last to be awarded without playing a championship game at the end of the season. Tech won their first eight games and appeared to be on course to have an untroubled run to the ACC Championship Game. But against the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes, Tech suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 27–7 on November 5. Because each team had one ACC loss and the Hurricanes had the tie-breaking head-to-head win, Miami had the lead in the Coastal Division. But Miami later lost a second ACC game to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the Hurricanes were knocked out of contention for the Coastal Division title in favor of the Hokies, who lost only to Miami.
Florida State earned their bid to the ACC Championship Game by fighting through an Atlantic Division schedule that included several nationally ranked teams. After defeating ninth-ranked Miami in their opening contest, the Seminoles won their next four games before losing at Virginia in a close match. Additional losses to North Carolina State and Clemson at the end of the season almost eliminated the Seminoles from contention for a spot in the championship game. But losses by Clemson and the other Atlantic Division leaders gave the Seminoles a second chance and set up an ACC Championship Game between Florida State and Virginia Tech. They had previously played in the 2000 National Championship Game, and the rematch served as a point of public interest.
The first two quarters of the game were characterized by defense and penalties that stifled both teams' offenses. In the second half, Florida State took advantage of a punt return for a touchdown to begin a third-quarter surge. Although Virginia Tech made a late-game comeback, Florida State ran out the clock and secured a 27–22 victory. Florida State's win earned it the 2005 ACC Championship and a bid to the 2006 Orange Bowl against Penn State. Virginia Tech was awarded a bid to the 2006 Gator Bowl against Louisville. Following that game, Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was released from the team due to repeated violations of team rules and several legal infractions.
Selection process
The ACC Championship Game traditionally matches the winner of the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Before 2005, no championship game existed. The idea for a championship game originated with the league's 2004 expansion, which added former Big East members Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College. A request to the National Collegiate Athletic Association by conference officials to hold a championship game following the 2004 season was rejected because the ACC lacked the requisite 12 teams. The league's first championship game had to wait until after the addition of Boston College, which had been delayed by a year. Once they had been added, the ACC consisted of 12 teams, allowing it to hold a conference championship game under NCAA rules. Before the start of the 2005 season, both Virginia Tech and Florida State were picked as pre-season favorites to play in the championship game in an annual poll conducted by members of the media who cover the ACC.Virginia Tech
The Hokies began the 2005 regular season ranked eighth in the country and played their first game at ACC opponent North Carolina State. It was a close-fought game, but quarterback Marcus Vick threw a game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter and the defense slowed a late NC State rally as Virginia Tech earned a 20–16 win. Following the near loss to NC State, the Hokies blew out their next several opponents. Virginia Tech defeated Duke and Ohio by scores of 45–0 each. The Virginia Tech defense held Duke's offense to just 35 total yards, an NCAA record. Following those victories, Tech hosted 15th-ranked Georgia Tech, beating the Yellow Jackets by a score of 51–7. Tech's defensive success in those games was typical of the season as they won their first eight games.In their ninth game, however, the third-ranked team suffered their first loss. On a Thursday night game at home, the Hokies lost 27–7 to the fifth-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Normally, a loss to the division-rival Hurricanes would have knocked the Hokies out of contention for the ACC Championship Game, as Miami had the tie-breaking head-to-head victory and was expected to win the remainder of their games. But because Virginia Tech won the rest of their games and the Hurricanes lost two ACC contests—Virginia Tech's only ACC loss was to Miami—the Hokies won the Coastal Division championship and qualified for the championship game over Miami.
Florida State
The Seminoles, like Virginia Tech, were picked as pre-season favorites to win their division. Florida State opened their 2005 season against traditional rival Miami, ranked ninth in the country. In a defensive struggle, Florida State managed to upset the favored Hurricanes, 10–7. Following the victory, Florida State went on a four-game winning streak, defeating Syracuse, Boston College, Wake Forest and The Citadel en route to a 5–0 record.In the Seminoles' sixth season game they traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia, to face the Virginia Cavaliers. In a hard-fought game, the Seminoles lost, 26–21, earning their first loss of the season. After winning their next two games, Florida State lost to NC State, Clemson and 19th-ranked Florida, the first time they had suffered three consecutive losses since 1983. Florida State ended the regular season with a conference record of 5–3. Because one of those losses had been against a Coastal Division opponent, however, Florida State finished with the best Atlantic Division record and was named that division's representative to the ACC Championship Game.
Pre-game buildup
Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick was predicted to be the key player for the favored Virginia Tech Hokies in pregame discussion. He had led the Hokies to a fifth place national ranking and an offense that earned 610 rushing yards in the final two games of the regular season. Off the field, the matchup between head coaches also was a point of interest. At the time, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden had the most wins of any active head coach in college football. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer was ranked third. Beamer had never defeated Bowden in a game. Before the game, Beamer was named the ACC's 2005 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.In addition, the game was a rematch of the 2000 BCS National Championship Game. In that game, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Florida State defeated Virginia Tech 46–29, despite the performance of Hokie quarterback Michael Vick, who would later be selected as the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft. Vick's brother, Marcus, would be the Hokies' starter at quarterback for the 2005 ACC Championship Game.
Offensive matchups
Virginia Tech
Coming off a season-long suspension in 2004, Marcus Vick led the Virginia Tech offence throwing for 1,855 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions in the 2005 season leading up to the ACC Championship. Vick also ran for four touchdowns during the season and earned first-team All-ACC honors. Receiving his passes were a number of wide receivers and tight ends. Tight end Jeff King, a second-team All-ACC selection, had 20 receptions for 230 yards and five touchdowns for the season before the ACC Championship. Wide receivers Eddie Royal and David Clowney also had statistically significant seasons heading into the conference championship. Royal had 21 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season, while Clowney had 28 catches for 515 yards and three touchdowns.Virginia Tech's rushing offense was led by several running backs: Mike Imoh, Branden Ore, and Cedric Humes. In 2005, Hokie running back Cedric Humes had accumulated a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina in the Hokies' final regular-season game. Backup running back Branden Ore ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts, the second time in as many games that Humes and Ore ran for 100 yards or more in the same game. The Hokies ran 31 times in the second half and threw only two passes. A similar running game was predicted for the ACC Championship Game. Imoh, meanwhile, was limited by an ankle injury suffered during the course of the season. Heading into the conference championship game, he had rushed for 415 yards and three touchdowns.
Florida State
The day before the game, Florida State center David Castillo was named to ESPN The Magazines Academic All-America Second Team, which recognizes college football players who have achieved academic success. Writers and staffers at the magazine vote on a list of players who are separated into "teams" based on position and performance. Castillo, who was a key component of the Seminoles' offensive line, was also a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, informally known as the "academic Heisman".FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford recorded a statistically impressive year and was the top freshman quarterback in the nation in terms of passing yardage and passing touchdowns. Wide receivers Willie Reid, Greg Carr and Chris Davis were the primary beneficiaries of Weatherford's passing offense during the 2005 season. Carr, a freshman, caught 27 passes for 593 yards and a conference-leading nine touchdowns. Davis, a junior, caught more passes and recorded more receiving yards during the 2005 season than he had in both his previous seasons combined. Reid, the lone senior starting in the Florida State corps of wide receivers, played in a variety of positions on offense and held the Seminoles' team record for most punt return yardage.
The Seminoles' rushing offense was led by starting running backs Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker. Booker led the team in rushing yardage, rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns and average yards per game. Washington was the tenth-ranked rusher in Florida State history in terms of rushing yardage.