In the words of Dabo Swinney, Clemson’s 23-3 victory over Virginia Tech on Oct. 1, “seems like a long time ago.”
That was the fifth consecutive victory to open the season for the Tigers, who appeared at that time to be the best team in the ACC.
Instead, that loss propelled Virginia Tech on a seven-game winning streak, while Clemson lost three of its final four regular-season games heading into the ACC Championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday (ESPN) in Charlotte.
The No. 5 Hokies (11-1) are going for their second consecutive ACC title and fifth since joining the conference in 2004. No. 20 Clemson (9-3) is shooting for its first since 1991.
We haven’t been ourselves the last three, four weeks,” Clemson offensive tackle Landon Walker said. “But the biggest thing I feel this team needs to do is just realize this is the postseason. ... We ended the season poorly. But obviously [this is the] postseason, and at any level, it’s a different mentality, the way you enter the postseason.”
Here’s a breakdown:
Quarterback trending
Logan Thomas started slowly, but has dominated during Virginia Tech’s seven-game winning streak. He has accounted for 23 touchdowns — 14 passes and nine running — and thrown only two interceptions since the Hokies were held to a field goal in their loss to Clemson. He played that game with a sore throwing shoulder, but is now healthy.
Other Hokies to watch
David Wilson, running back: He's fast and elusive, and with 1,595 yards rushing, is just 203 yards shy of the ACC's single-season rushing record of 1,798 yards, set by Virginia's Thomas Jones in 1999. Wilson averaged 6.2 yards per carry in the first meeting against Clemson, but fumbled once and didn't score.
Antone Exum, rover: Exum started the first 10 games at free safety, but moved to rover, where the Hokies could take more advantage of his playmaking and tackling skills. He'll be easy to spot without his helmet. Exum, who leads the Hokies with 75 tackles, has been sporting a blond Mohawk the past three weeks.
Kyle Fuller, Jayron Hosley, Chris Hill, cornerbacks: Fuller and Hosley were both second-team All-ACC selections this year, but Hill also was responsible for shutting down Clemson's Sammy Watkins in the first meeting Oct. 1. Hosley led the nation with nine interceptions in 2010 and had a pick in the loss to the Tigers.
Quarterback declining
Clemson's Tajh Boyd was selected as the All-ACC first-team quarterback in his first season as a starter, but has struggled in the past four games. Still, he leads the ACC in passing (3,338 yards) and total offense (291.3) and is tied for first in touchdown passes with 28. The Tigers average 33.2 points per game, second in the ACC.
Other Tigers to watch
Sammy Watkins, receiver: The electrifying freshman has dominated the ACC this season, setting rookie records with 72 catches for 1,073 yards, 10 touchdowns and all-purpose yards with 1,920. However, he struggled in the first meeting with Virginia Tech, finishing that game with a season-low three catches and 38 yards.
Andre Branch, defensive end: He dominated Virginia Tech's offensive line in the first game with 11 tackles, six for losses — including three sacks — and a forced fumble. He leads the ACC with 10 1/2 sacks and is second on the team with 71 tackles.
Brandon Thompson, nose guard: At 310 pounds, Thompson (Thomasville) is the only starter on Clemson's defensive front that weighs more than 300 pounds, so he'll be counted on to engage blockers and shut down running lanes so the Tigers can contain Wilson. He's also third on the team with 69 tackles.
Clemson will win if ...
Boyd reverts to early-season form and re-establishes his chemistry with Watkins. Boyd has thrown seven interceptions and four touchdown passes in the past four games after throwing 24 scoring passes and three picks in the first eight games.
Virginia Tech will win if ...
The Hokies keep handing the ball to Wilson. They haven’t rushed for fewer than 145 yards in a game since that loss to Clemson, and are second in the ACC with 199.8 yards on the ground. Clemson is 11th in the conference against the run, allowing 186.5 a game.
Local connections
There are 16 players on Clemson’s roster from Georgia, including four starters — Thompson, defensive tackle Rennie Moore (Camden County), linebacker Corico Hawkins (Baldwin) and punter Dawson Zimmerman (Brookwood).
Redshirt freshmen cornerbacks Detrick Bonner (Luella), who has started two games, and Carl Jackson (Woodward Academy) and freshman receiver Christian Reeves (Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy) are the only players from Georgia on Virginia Tech’s roster.
Quotable
“One of our goals was to win the state championship and beat South Carolina. But a bigger one, one that comes after that, is to win the ACC Championship. And winning the championship, which is something that hasn’t been done here in over 20 years, will wipe away the aches that we’ve been having with the taste of defeat the past couple of weeks.” — Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen
“Going into the Clemson game, everybody was on a high horse. It was a wake-up call. After that game we were like, this is ACC play. ... I guess we got caught off-guard for a little bit. But after that, everybody woke up, and we knew what we had to do the rest of the season. And that’s why we’ve been winning since.” — Virginia Tech safety Eddie Whitley
By the numbers
2 Virginia Tech receiver Danny Coale is one of only two players in the FBS to both punt and return at least five punts this season. He's punted six times for a 42-yard average and returned eight for 52 yards.
63 Rushing yards needed by Clemson running back Andre Ellington to reach 1,000 this season. It would give the Tigers a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver for only the second time in school history (2007).
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