ACC Championship Game: Miami Hurricanes vs Clemson: Game Info
For the first time in the history of the football program, the Miami Hurricanes are playing in the ACC Championship game. Lining up across from them will be the two-time defending ACC Champion Clemson Tigers.
The Miami Hurricanes enter the game as a prohibitive underdog. This is the first time that Miami has played Clemson since the Hurricanes suffered the worst loss in school history to the Tigers in 2015. Clemson won 58-0 at Hard Rock Stadium. That led to the ouster of Al Golden as Miami’s Head Coach.
A lot of the media and the fanbase point to that game as the beginning of the new era of Miami Hurricanes football. Larry Scott was named the interim coach for the remainder of the season. Three days after being fired from Georgia following the end of the Bulldogs season, Mark Richt was hired by Miami.
It was a home run hire. The Hurricanes won their first bowl game in ten years in 2016, defeated Florida State for the first time since 2010 this season and added their first ACC Coastal Division title.
The Hurricanes enter the game missing several key players. The two most prominent players that won’t play in Charlotte are wide receiver Ahmmon Richards and tight end Christopher Herndon IV.
Both teams enter the game with one loss on the season. Clemson suffered a loss in October at Syracuse when starting quarterback Kelly Bryant missed the entire second half with an injury.
Miami hopes to rebound from their only loss of the season last week at Pittsburgh. That loss means no wiggle room for the Hurricanes against Clemson.
They are likely now in a win or go home mode for the College Football Playoff. If they can upset Clemson, the Hurricanes will likely be spending the Holidays in New Orleans or Pasadena, California.
2017 ACC Championship Game
Saturday, December 2, 2017
8 p.m. ET | ABC
Charlotte, N.C.
Bank of America Stadium (75,525)
#7 MIAMI HURRICANES (10-1, 7-1 ACC)
HEAD COACH: Mark Richt (Miami, 1982) | CAREER: 164-56 (17th season) | AT MIAMI: 19-5 (second)
#1 CLEMSON TIGERS (11-1, 7-1 ACC)
HEAD COACH: Dabo Swinney (Alabama, 1993) | CAREER: 100-29 (ninth season) | AT CLEMSON: 100-29 (ninth)
On the Air:
Television (ABC)
• Chris Fowler (play-by-play)
• Kirk Herbstreit (color)
• Maria Taylor (sidelines)
• Tom Rinaldi (sidelines)
Flagship Radio (560 WQAM)
• Joe Zagacki (play-by-play)
• Don Bailey, Jr. (color)
• Josh Darrow (sidelines)
Spanish Radio (990 ESPN Deportes)
• “Chamby” Campos (play-by-play)
• Jose Martinez (color)
All-time series: Miami leads 6-4
This is only the third meeting between Miami and Clemson outside of the state of Florida. They have met seven times in Miami and once in Jacksonville. The two meetings outside of the Sunshine State were at Clemson.
Miami won both games at Memorial Stadium, also known as Death Valley. The last of those was in 2010. This is the Hurricanes and Tigers second meeting since then.
Clemson is appearing in its fifth ACC Championship game. Their only loss was against Georgia Tech in 2009.
Charlotte, NC
Saturday 6:00 PM
Cloudy
51
°F | °C
Precipitation: 6%
Humidity: 79%
Wind: 2 mph
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Although the weather will be colder than Miami is accustomed to, it should be good weather for football. It’s expected to rain in Charlotte earlier on Saturday. It’s not known how much the precipitation will impact the field.