Saturday’s top-5 showdown with Florida State and Clemson is the biggest in the ACC in a years. How long depends on your age and perspective.
The 1981 Clemson-North Carolina game was the biggest in ACC history leading up to that point. And the 1997 Florida State-North Carolina game was billed at the time as the biggest in league history.
So it's no surprise that many fans and college football analysts feel Saturday's Florida State-Clemson game trumps them all.
However you view it, Saturday's showdown of No. 5 Florida State (5-0) at No. 3 Clemson (6-0) is a rarity. This is just the 11th time in league history that two ACC teams that are both in the top 10 are facing off. And it’s just the fourth time that a pair of top-5 ACC teams have matched up.
Florida State has been involved in six of the previous top-10 matchups, going 5-1 overall.
Here’s a look back at the 10 games between ACC teams that were both in the top 10, along with their records going into the game:
Nov. 7, 1981 – No. 2 Clemson 10, No. 8 North Carolina 8: In a defensive battle, Clemson won on the road as Jeff McCall had 84 rushing yards and a 7-yard touchdown run in the first half as Clemson (7-0) edged North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Tigers’ defense held UNC (7-1) to just 263 offensive yards and forced the Tar Heels to punt seven times.
Nov. 8, 1997 – No. 3 Florida State 20, No. 5 North Carolina 3: In a matchup of 8-0 teams that was billed as the biggest game in ACC history at the time, Florida State used nine sacks to stuff UNC at Chapel Hill. Thad Busby had a pair of touchdown passes, one each to Melvin Pearsall and E.G. Green.
Sept. 11, 1999 – No. 1 Florida State 41, No. 10 Georgia Tech 35: Chris Weinke passed for 262 yards and three touchdowns as Florida State (1-0) held off Georgia Tech (0-1) in Tallahassee. Peter Warrick had a TD reception and a TD run as Florida State won for the 42nd straight time at home. Joe Hamilton completed 22 of 25 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets.
Nov. 4, 2000 – No. 4 Florida State 54, No. 10 Clemson 7: Chris Weinke completed 27 of 43 passes for 521 yards and two touchdowns as Florida State (8-1) routed Clemson (8-1) in Bowden Bowl II in Tallahassee. Weinke sold a play-action fake on the goal line, then found Snoop Minnis for a 98-yard catch-and-run TD. Florida State also ran for 250 yards as the Seminoles improved to 37-0 in ACC home games.
Sept. 10, 2004 – No. 5 Miami 16, No. 4 Florida State 10 (overtime): Both
offenses were flat in a game that was postponed four days by Hurricane
Frances. Florida State managed just 165 offensive yards, scoring its
only touchdown on Antonio Cromartie’s 61-yard fumble return on Sept. 10
in Miami in the season opener for both teams. Florida State had the ball first in overtime but Chris
Rix fumbled on third down. The Hurricanes won on Frank Gore’s TD
run.
Oct. 16, 2004 – No. 7 Florida State 36, No. 6 Virginia 3: Wyatt
Sexton completed 20 of 26 passes for 275 yards, and Lorenzo Booker and
Leon Washington combined for 191 yards and three touchdowns as Florida
State (4-1) cruised at home. Marques Hagans completed 20 of
30 passes for 214 yards for Virginia (5-0), but the Cavaliers could only
manage a field goal.
Dec. 4, 2004 – No. 10 Virginia Tech 16, No. 9 Miami 10: Bryan Randall threw two touchdown passes and the Hokies’ defense held the Hurricanes to just 190 offensive yards in Miami (8-2). Virginia Tech (9-2) clinched its first ACC title in the program’s first year after moving from the Big East.
Nov. 5, 2005 – No. 5 Miami 27, No. 3 Virginia Tech 7: The Hurricanes (6-1) upset Virginia Tech (8-0), forcing Marcus Vick into six turnovers at Blacksburg. Kyle Wright had a TD pass, Charlie Jones had a TD run and Kareem Brown recovered one of the fumbles in the end zone for a third-quarter touchdown that put Miami up 27-0.
Oct. 25, 2007 – No. 2 Boston College 14, No. 8 Virginia Tech 10: The Eagles were a perfect 7-0 going into the game at Blacksburg, and Matt Ryan threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Andre Callender with 11 seconds left to seal the win for Boston College over the Hokies (6-1). Virginia Tech won the rematch 30-16 in the ACC championship game in December.
Sept. 22, 2012 – No. 4 Florida State 49, No. 10 Clemson 37: EJ Manuel passed for a career-high 380 yards and ran for 102 yards as Florida State racked up 667 yards of total offense to hang on for the win in Tallahassee. Florida State (3-0) ran for 287 yards and had five rushing touchdowns – including two each by James Wilder and Chris Thompson – as the Seminoles hammered away at Clemson (3-0) for 221 rushing yards. Florida State’s defense struggled against Clemson early, but in the second half the Seminoles forced four punts and had an interception.
Contact Bob Ferrante at bobferrante17@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @bobferrante
