2020 ACC Championship Game

The 2020 ACC Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 19, 2020, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.[2] This was the 16th ACC Championship Game and determined the 2020 champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. This season, the ACC used a one division format.[3] Instead of representatives from two divisions, the two teams with the best conference records earned a spot in the game.[4] Sponsored by restaurant chain Subway, the game was known as the ACC Championship Game presented by Subway.

For the ACC men's basketball championship, see 2020 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament.
2020 ACC Championship Game
Conference Championship
Clemson Tigers Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(9–1) (10–0)
34 10
Head coach: 
Dabo Swinney		 Head coach: 
Brian Kelly
APCoachesCFP
433
APCoachesCFP
222
1234 Total
Clemson 71773 34
Notre Dame 3007 10
DateDecember 19, 2020
Season2020
StadiumBank of America Stadium
LocationCharlotte, North Carolina
MVPTrevor Lawrence, Clemson
FavoriteClemson by 11[1]
RefereeJeff Heaser
Attendance5,240
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
AnnouncersChris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color), Maria Taylor (sideline)
2020 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
No. 5 Notre Dame y^  9 –0     10 –2  
No. 3 Clemson y$^  8 –1     10 –2  
No. 22 Miami (FL)  7 –2     8 –3  
No. 18 North Carolina  7 –3     8 –4  
NC State  7 –3     8 –4  
Boston College  5 –5     6 –5  
Pittsburgh  5 –5     6 –5  
Virginia Tech  5 –5     5 –6  
Virginia  4 –5     5 –5  
Wake Forest  3 –4     4 –5  
Georgia Tech  3 –6     3 –7  
Louisville  3 –7     4 –7  
Florida State  2 –6     3 –6  
Duke  1 –9     2 –9  
Syracuse  1 –9     1 –10  
Championship: Clemson 34, Notre Dame 10
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll.

The game was originally scheduled for December 5. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the game back to either December 12 or 19 when the revised ACC schedule was released[5] and subsequently to December 19.[6] Attendance for the game was capped at 5,240, or 7% of the capacity of Bank of America Stadium due to Governor Roy Cooper's Order limiting outdoor stadiums to 7% capacity.[7]

Previous season

The 2019 ACC Championship Game featured Clemson against Virginia. It was Virginia's first appearance in the conference title game. In the championship game, Clemson was victorious by a score of 62–17, winning its fifth consecutive ACC conference championship and 19th overall.[8] Virginia went on to play in the 2019 Orange Bowl, while Clemson went on to play in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Teams

Clemson
Main article: 2020 Clemson Tigers football team

Clemson entered the championship game with a record of 9–1 (8–1 in conference play). Their only defeat of the season was to Notre Dame on November 7, a double-overtime loss in a game played without starting Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence.[9] Clemson had a record of 6–1 in prior ACC Championship Games, having won each of the prior five games (2015–2019) and having only lost in 2009.

Notre Dame
Main article: 2020 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Notre Dame entered the championship game with a record of 10–0 (9–0 in conference play). Their narrowest margin of victory, outside of the double-overtime contest with Clemson, was a 12–7 win over Louisville in mid-October. Notre Dame historically competes in football as an independent, but played the 2020 season as a member of the ACC following a delayed start to the season and factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this was Notre Dame's first appearance in an ACC Championship Game.

Game summary
2020 ACC Championship Game
1 2 34Total
No. 3 Clemson 7 17 7334
No. 2 Notre Dame 3 0 0710

at Bank of America Stadium • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: Saturday, December 19, 2020
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Wind: SE 4 mph
  • Referee: Jeff Heaser
  • TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color), Maria Taylor (sideline)
  • [10]
Game information
First quarter
  • (8:16) ND – Jonathan Doerer 51 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 46 yards, 6:44; Notre Dame 3–0)
  • (0:41) CLEM – Amari Rodgers 67 yard pass from Trevor Lawrence, B.T. Potter kick (Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:01; Clemson 7–3)
Second quarter
  • (9:24) CLEM – E.J. Williams 33 yard pass from Trevor Lawrence, B.T. Potter kick (Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:44; Clemson 14–3)
  • (4:28) CLEM – B.T. Potter 27 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 2:37; Clemson 17–3)
  • (0:21) CLEM – Travis Etienne 44 yard rush, B.T. Potter kick (Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 1:49; Clemson 24–3)
Third quarter
  • (3:43) CLEM – Trevor Lawrence 34 yard rush, B.T. Potter kick (Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 2:35; Clemson 31–3)
Fourth quarter
  • (10:31)CLEM – B.T. Potter 37 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 6:22; Clemson 34–3)
  • (8:09) ND – Chris Tyree 21 yard rush, B.T. Potter kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:22; Clemson 34–10)

Statistics
StatisticsCLEMND
First downs2318
Plays–yards66–54158–263
Rushes–yards27–21930–44
Passing yards322219
Passing: Comp–Att–Int25–39–120–28–0
Time of possession28:0831:52
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
ClemsonPassingTrevor Lawrence25/36, 322 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
RushingTravis Etienne10 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingAmari Rodgers8 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD
Notre DamePassingIan Book20/28, 219 yards
RushingKyren Williams15 carries, 50 yards
ReceivingBen Skowronek4 receptions, 54 yards

See also

References
  1. "ESPN Game Summary - Clemson vs. Notre Dame - December 19, 2020". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  2. "ACC Football Championship Game Set for Dec. 19". theacc.com.
  3. "ACC Unveils 2020 Football Schedule". theacc.com.
  4. "2020 ACC Football Tiebreaker Policy". theacc.com.
  5. "ACC Unveils 2020 Football Schedule". theacc.com.
  6. "ACC Football Championship Game Set for Dec. 19". theacc.com.
  7. "Capacity Set for ACC Football Championship Game". theacc.com. The Atlantic Coast Conference. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  8. "Clemson vs. Virginia - Game summary". ESPN.com.
  9. Selbe, Nick (November 8, 2020). "Ian Book, Notre Dame Outlast No. 1 Clemson, D.J. Uiagalelei in Double-Overtime Victory". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  10. Crumpton, Tony (November 14, 2020). "TV announcers for Clemson-Notre Dame". tigernet.com. TigerNet. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
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