Georgia Tech-Clemson: A recent history

Sports

Georgia Tech-Clemson: A recent history

One of college football's fiercest rivalries dates as far back to 1898 and is waged by two ACC teams, Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Long before the schools were members of the ACC, Georgia Tech and Clemson developed a fierce rivalry. The Jackets and Tigers first played in 1898, and have played annually since 1983. In the 15 meetings from 1996 to 2009, the game was decided by five points or less 12 times. Here's a look back at every game since 2001 and how it shaped each team's season.

Clemson 47, Georgia Tech 44 (OT), 2001, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Since 1996, each game between the foes was decided by 3 points. Eleventh-ranked Tech entered the game in 2001 undefeated, while the No. 25 Tigers had just lost a close game to Virginia. Georgia Tech took a 38-34 lead in the fourth quarter on a leaping score by Jackets' tailback Sidney Ford. Clemson jumped ahead to a 41-38 lead, with 1:58 left on the clock. Behind quarterback George Godsey, Tech led a march downfield to a game-tying field goal that forced overtime. Tech managed another field goal in OT, but could not stop Clemson quarterback Woody Dantzler from driving in for the win.

Clemson 47, Georgia Tech 44 (OT), 2001, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Georgia Tech's defense, guided by then (and now) defensive coordinator Ted Roof, had a hard time stopping Clemson quarterback Woody Dantzler, who passed for 254 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Clemson 24, Georgia Tech 19, 2002, at Memorial Stadium: Clemson led from start to finish. The Tigers' first touchdown (on their second possession) was a 77-yard scamper by running back Derrick Hamilton. Hamilton had a career day against Tech, posting 256 all-purpose yards Tight end Bobby Williamson caught a 2-yard pass in the closing seconds of the first half to give Clemson a 17-6 lead.

Clemson 24, Georgia Tech 19, 2002, at Memorial Stadium: Georgia Tech running back Tony Hollings (24) had two touchdowns, including a 72-yard run, in the losing effort.

Clemson 39, Georgia Tech 3, 2003, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Clemson posted their largest victory over the Yellow Jackets since 1903 when the Tigers drubbed Tech 73-0. The Tigers' defense limited the Tech quarterback Reggie Ball to 19-of-42 passes and 248 yards in 39-3 loss in Atlanta.

Clemson 39, Georgia Tech 3, 2003, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Georgia Tech running back P.J. Daniels was limited to 34 yards on 16 carries in the loss.

Georgia Tech 28, Clemson 24, 2004, at Memorial Stadium: A bad snap on a punt attempt put the Yellow Jackets in position to win with less than a minute to play and put Calvin Johnson on the map. With 11 seconds to go, the Jackets' freshman took off to the left sideline just over the goal line and leaped over Justin Miller for his second touchdown catch of the game, upsetting the No. 20 Tigers.

Georgia Tech 28, Clemson 24, 2004, at Memorial Stadium: Georgia Tech's quarterback Reggie Ball looks hand off to P.J. Daniels in the closing quarter. Ball recovered from an awful performance the previous season, completin 20 of 36 passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns. Daniels, the ACC's leading rusher the previous year, ran for 103 yards on 24 carries after being held to just 34 yards against the Tigers in 2003.

Georgia Tech 10, Clemson 9, 2005, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: The game was tied at 3 after three quarters as Clemson was hurt by three first-half fumbles. With Georgia Tech holding to a 1-point lead in the closing minutes, the Jackets' Dawan Landry (20) intercepts Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst last pass to seal the 10-9 victory. Whitehurst had completed 19-of-29 passes for 180 yards. Tech's Reggie Ball completed 14-of-24 passes for 126 yards with an interception.

Georgia Tech 10, Clemson 9, 2005, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Tech running back Tashard Choice (22) had 44 yards on 6 carriers to supplement P.J. Daniels' 100 yard-game against Clemson. Daniels scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.

Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 7, 2006, at Memorial Stadium: Behind James "Thunder" Davis, C.J. "Lightning" Spiller (28) and a defense that held Georgia Tech star Calvin Johnson without a catch for the first time in his career, the 12th-ranked Tigers got a surprisingly easy victory over the 13th-ranked Yellow Jackets. Spiller had a 50-yard touchdown run and a 50-yard TD catch. It was the first time in Clemson history in which two backs rush for one hundred and two hundred yards in same game.

Clemson 31, Georgia Tech 7, 2006, at Memorial Stadium: Georgia Tech quarterback Reggie Ball threw for 117 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Clemson outgained Georgia Tech 426 yards to 205.

Georgia Tech 13, Clemson 3, 2007, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Georgia Tech's defense shut down Thunder and Lightning. James "Thunder" Davis (1) rushed for 60 yards, while C.J. "Lightning" Spiller was held to 2 on nine carries -- the dynamic duo coming up 270 yards short of their performance a year ago in a 31-7 rout of the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech 13, Clemson 3, 2007, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Georgia Tech running back Tashard Choice, who rushed for 145 yards despite a sore hamstring, scored the game's only touchdown as the Jackets snapped a two-game losing streak and avoided its first 0-3 start in league play since 1994 with a 13-3 win over No. 13 Clemson. Tigers' kicker Mark Buchholz missed field-goal tries from 30, 48, 47 and 50 yards.

Georgia Tech 21, Clemson 17, 2008, at Memorial Stadium: Behind Jonathan Dwyer's fifth 100-yard-plus game of the season, Georgia Tech won its fourth-straight game against the ACC favorite Clemson. Tech rushed for 207 yards.

Georgia Tech 21, Clemson 17, 2008, at Memorial Stadium: Georgia Tech's Dominique Reese gets the Jackets on the board first with a 34-yard interception return - the Jackets' first such score in two years. It also one of six turnovers committed by the Tigers. Without C.J. Spiller, Georgia Tech held Clemson and its once vaunted run game to 18 yards in the first 30 minutes.

Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27, 2009, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker, a redshirt freshman making only his second college start, threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns before Tech's defense toughened up.

Georgia Tech 30, Clemson 27, 2009, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: The 15th-ranked Yellow Jackets raced to a 24-0 lead 4 1/2 minutes into the second quarter. The scores inluded an 85-yard punt return (Tech's longest since 1972) and an 82-yard touchdown run. But Clemson scored 27 unanswered points, taking its first lead of the night 27-24 with 11:33 left in the game. Georgia Tech's offense, which was stoic through most of the second half, put together two drives for field goals that secured the win - Tech's fifth in its last six games against Clemson.

Georgia Tech 39, Clemson 34, 2009 ACC Championship Game, at Tampa, Fla.: This was an offensive battle in which neither team punted and every drive ended in a score or a turnover. Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt (9) both rushed for over 100 yards for the Yellow Jackets. The win put the 10th-ranked Yellow Jackets in their first major postseason appearance since the 1966 season - the Orange Bowl.

Georgia Tech 39, Clemson 34, 2009 ACC Championship Game, at Tampa, Fla.: In just his second season as Georgia Tech's head coach, Paul Johnson led the Jackets to their first outright ACC championship since 1990. Georgia Tech, however, was forced to vacate the victory and the conference title in 2011 due to sanctions stemming from an NCAA investigation. 091205 - Tampa - GA Tech's coach Paul Johnson celebrates with his players after winning the ACC Championship on Saturday, December 5, 2009 in Tampa, FL. Johnny Crawford.jcrawford@ajc.com

Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 13, 2010, at Memorial Stadium: Clemson's Andre Ellington (23) rushed for a career high 166 yards and two long touchdowns as Clemson ended a four-game losing streak to Georgia Tech. Clemson's defense did its share in shutting down the Yellow Jackets' ACC-leading rushing attack to 242 yards, nearly 100 fewer than their average. Georgia Tech's point total was its lowest of the season.

Georgia Tech 31, Clemson 17, 2011, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: The Yellow Jackets raced to a 24-3 halftime lead and held off Clemson, which was off to its best start since 2000, The Tigers had climbed to fifth in the BCS standings. Clemson, which had scored 115 points in its two previous games, turned it over four times. Overall, Georgia Tech finished with 383 yards on the ground, compared to 95 for Clemson.

Georgia Tech 31, Clemson 17, 2011, at Bobby Dodd Stadium: Tech A-back Orwin Smith (17) scored the first of his two TDs on a fourth-down run from the 1. The Jackets' offense was powered by junior quarterback Tevin Washington, who had runs of 46 and 56 yards and touchdown among his 27 carries.

Clemson 47, Georgia Tech 31, 2012, at Memorial Stadium: The 15th-ranked Tigers' offense ran 93 plays and gained 601 yards behind quarterback Tajh Boyd, who had a career night, throwing for 397 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 63 yards and a score on 15 carries. Sammy Watkins caught six passes for 42 yards and ran twice for 4 yards. Georgia Tech's loss gives it a 2-4 start, its worst since 1994.

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Long before the schools were members of the ACC, Georgia Tech and Clemson developed a fierce rivalry. The Jackets and Tigers first played in 1898, and have played annually since 1983. In the 15 meetings from 1996 to 2009, the game was decided by five points or less 12 times. Here's a look back at every game since 2001 and how it shaped each team's season.

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