2022 SUBWAY ACC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME
Saturday, Dec. 3 Time, TV SiriusXM App/Web
No. 9 Clemson (10-2, 8-0) vs. No. 23 North Carolina (9-3, 6-2) 8 p.m., ABC 80 80
Series: Clemson leads 38-19-1; Last Meeting: Clemson 21, North Carolina 20 (2019)
Broadcast Information
ABC: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
ESPN Radio: Sean Kelley (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (analyst), Kelsey Riggs (sideline)
ACC NOTES
2022 SUBWAY ACC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FEATURES BATTLE OF TOP 25 TEAMS
No. 9 Clemson and No. 23 North Carolina meet in the 2022 Subway ACC Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. on ABC. For the 12th time in the 18-year history of the event, the ACC title game will be played in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers.
North Carolina clinched the Coastal Division with a 36-34 win at Wake Forest (Nov. 12), while Clemson earned the Atlantic Division crown on Nov. 5. This was the earliest the matchup was known since 2017 when Miami and Clemson clinched on Nov. 11.
Including shared titles, Clemson has earned nine Atlantic Division titles – 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Clemson also earned an ACC Championship Berth in a 2020 when the league competed without divisions. Clemson has won 20 ACC titles, including six in a row from 2015-2020.
North Carolina won the Coastal Division for the second time. In 2015, the No. 8 Tar Heels earned the Coastal Division title and faced No. 1 Clemson in the championship game, falling 45-37. Carolina has won five ACC titles, but the last came in 1980.
The 2022 Subway Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game is the final title game between division champions. A new football scheduling model will go into effect beginning with the 2023 season that eliminates divisions. The new model is based on a 3-5-5 structure whereby each team will play three primary opponents annually and face the other 10 league teams twice during the four-year cycle, once at home and once on the road. The schedule allows for each team to face all 13 conference opponents home and away at least once during the four-year cycle.
This is the 13th time in the last 14 years that the game will be held in prime time, and 12 different teams have competed in the game since it began in 2005. Last season, No. 15 Pitt, behind the play of ACC Player of the Year Kenny Pickett, captured its first ACC football title with a 46-21 victory over No. 16 Wake Forest.
Bank of America Stadium, home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, has been the site of 11 of the last 12 ACC Football Championship Games. In 2018, the ACC and the Charlotte Sports Foundation reached an agreement to keep the game in Charlotte through 2030. Not including the 2020 game, which had limited attendance due to the pandemic, ACC Football Championship Games played at Bank of America Stadium have had an average attendance of nearly 70,000 fans. The ACC has the second-highest average attendance of any Power 5 conference championship game since 2010.
Atlantic Division vs. Coastal Division Notes:
• .537 – Atlantic Division owns a .537 winning percentage over the Coastal Division all-time, the closest record between Power 5 divisions.
• Atlantic Division has won 11 of the 16 ACC Championship Games
• All seven Coastal Division teams have reached the ACC Championship Game, and four Atlantic Division schools played in the game
NINE FROM ACC SECURE BOWL ELIGIBILITY
Nine ACC teams – Clemson (10-2), Duke (8-4), Florida State (9-3), Louisville (7-5), North Carolina (9-3), NC State (8-4), Pitt (8-4), Syracuse (7-5) and Wake Forest (7-5) – are bowl eligible this season.
The ACC has earned at least six bowl bids in 22 consecutive seasons. Not including the pandemic-affected 2020 season, the ACC has sent at least 10 teams to a bowl every year since 2016. Since 2013, the ACC is second among all conferences with 91 postseason appearances.
The ACC’s current bowl lineup through 2025 includes the Cheez-It Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Wasabi Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl Presented by Peraton, Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. In addition, the ACC will send a team to the ReliaQuest Bowl if the league’s opponent in a non-semifinal Capital One Orange Bowl is from the Big Ten.
ACC NOTES
The ACC, which plays arguably the most difficult nonconference schedule in the country every season, has the second-most non-conference wins through the end of the regular season.
The ACC has nine bowl eligible teams, which ties for second among all conferences.
The ACC Atlantic Division has six teams with a winning record, which is more than any other division in the country.
The ACC has 42 wins against teams with a .500 record-or-better, which ranks second among all Power 5 conferences.
The ACC has the best non-conference opponents record (by win total) of any Power 5 conference.
ACC defenses have played well this year ranking:
• First in sacks
• First in tackles for loss
• First in turnovers gained
• Second in total defense
Twenty-three of the ACC’s 56 conference games this season were decided by 7 points or fewer.
FOUR ACC TEAMS IN CFP TOP 25 RANKINGS
Four ACC teams are ranked in the CFP Top 25 rankings, released Tuesday, Nov. 29 – No. 9 Clemson, No. 13 Florida State, No. 23 North Carolina and No. 25 NC State.
Three ACC teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll (Nov. 20) – No. 10 Clemson, No. 14 Florida State and No. 24 North Carolina. NC State and Pitt are also receiving votes.
In the USA TODAY AFCA coaches poll, Clemson is No. 11, followed by No. 14 Florida State and No. 22 North Carolina. NC State, Pitt, Duke and Wake Forest are receiving votes.
ALBERTO RIVERON NAMED ACC SUPERVISOR OF FOOTBALL OFFICIALS
Alberto Riveron has been named the ACC’s new Supervisor of Football Officials. Riveron, who served as the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Officiating from 2017-20 and currently works as an NFL Rules analyst, has compiled a distinguished 30-year career as both an on-field official and an officiating administrator in the NCAA and NFL.
Among his duties, Riveron will be responsible formanaging the oversight, supervision, leadership, training and development of an ACC officiating staff that includes on-field officials, instant replay officials, instant replay communicators, position coaches, evaluators and assistant supervisors. He will also serve as the day-to-day administrator of the ACC’s Football Officiating Alliance and will develop conference football officiating schedules and assignments.
UNC’S TYLEE CRAFT NAMED DISNEY SPIRIT AWARD RECIPIENT
North Carolina wide receiver Tylee Craft has been named the recipient of the 2022 Disney Spirit Award just eight months after nearly losing his life to lung cancer. Craft, 20, is now working to resume his playing career while also supporting other people going through similar medical struggles. The Disney Spirit Award has been presented by Walt Disney World Resort every season since 1996 and seeks to honor the most inspirational figure in college football. Craft embodies the essence of the award after being diagnosed with stage 4 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare form of lung cancer, on March 14, 2022. According to his family, doctors said he was just weeks away from dying when they realized he was sick and took him to the hospital. Doctors at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center immediately started Craft on an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
With the support of his family, his UNC teammates and coaches and his medical team, Craft has seen positive progress in his condition. His cancer has stabilized and now he visits cancer patients at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center every Friday before home games. He is also serving as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Project which raises awareness for lung cancer and provides support for those fighting the disease. It is these actions, combined with his courage and perseverance, that made Craft the right choice to receive this year’s Disney Spirit Award.
ACC RECORD SETTERS
In 2022, NC State place-kicker Christopher Dunn became the ACC career record-holder with 93 field goals. He passed Florida State’s Dustin Hopkins who had 88 from 2009-12. Dunn has also converted 200 of 200 career extra point attempts. He is the only player in ACC history to make 100 percent of his extra points with at least 200 attempts. Roberto Aguayo, Florida State, 2013-15 (made 198 of 198) and Nick Sciba, Wake Forest, 2018-21 (made 193 of 193) are the only other players in league history with 100 percent made and at least 190 attempts.
Dunn also has the ACC career record for points (479), surpassing Clemson running back Travis Etienne’s previous mark of 468 points.
Clemson place-kicker B.T. Potter holds the ACC career record with 230 extra points made. Earlier this year, he moved past Clemson kicker Greg Huegel who made 218 from 2015-18.
RECORD CHASE – SAM HARTMAN, WF
Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman is tied with former Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd (2010-13) for the ACC career record for touchdown passes with 107. Hartman and Boyd are the only two ACC players with more than 100 career touchdown passes.
Career Passing Touchdowns
Rk. Player, School Years TDs
- Tajh Boyd, Clemson 2010-13 107
Sam Hartman, WF 2018-present 107 - Philip Rivers, NC State 2000-03 95
- Sam Howell, North Carolina 2019-21 92
- Deshaun Watson, Clemson 2014-16 90
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson 2018-20 90 - Kenny Pickett, Pitt 2017-21 81
- Chris Weinke, Florida State 1997-00 79
- Russell Wilson, NC State 2008-10 76
- Jacory Harris, Miami 2008-11 70
Malik Cunningham, UL 2018-present 70
Hartman is one of just six players in the country with 30-or-more touchdown passes this season, and he has played the fewest number of games. Hartman is averaging more than three TD passes per game.
Hartman has accounted for at least one touchdown in 33-straight games, which is the longest active streak in the nation.
Hartman is Wake Forest’s all-time passing leader and has now thrown for 12,687 career passing yards, which ranks second in ACC history.
Career Passing Yards
Rk. Player, School Years Yards
- Philip Rivers, NC State 2000-03 13,484
- Sam Hartman, Wake Forest 2018-present 12,687
- Kenny Pickett, Pitt 2017-21 12,303
- Tajh Boyd, Clemson 2010-13 11,904
- Ryan Finley, NC State 2016-18 10,505
- Sam Howell, North Carolina 2018-21 10,283
- Deshaun Watson, Clemson 2014-16 10,163
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson 2018-20 10,098
- Thaddeus Lewis, Duke 2006-09 10,065
- Brad Kaaya, Miami 2014-16 9,968
Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman is second in the ACC in career total offense, just 55 yards shy of NC State’s Philip Rivers (2000-03). Louisville’s Malik Cunningham is sixth.
AROUND THE ACC
Boston College: First-team All-ACC WR Zay Flowers broke every major receiving record at BC in his senior season; pushing to the top of the chart in receptions (200), receiving yards (3,056) and receiving touchdowns (29).
Clemson: Clemson won 10 games for a school-record 12th consecutive season. Clemson became only the third FBS program ever to post 11 consecutive 10-win seasons alongside Florida State (14 from 1987- 2000) and Alabama (14 from 2008-21).
Duke: QB Riley Leonard is the first player in program history to record 10-plus rushing and 20-plus passing touchdowns in a single season. Leonard leads all ACC quarterbacks in rushing yards.
Florida State: Florida State is one of three teams, along with No. 1 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama, ranked in the top-15 nationally in both yards per play on offense and defense.
Georgia Tech: LB Ayinde Eley finished the season with 118 tackles, which are the most by a Yellow Jacket since P.J. Davis in 2014 (119 in 14 games). Eley is one of only three Yellow Jackets since 2000 with as many as 118 tackles in a season (Julian Burnett – 120 in 2011 and Davis).
Louisville: DE Yasir Abdullah was a dominating force on a defense that finished second nationally in the ACC in sacks. He was second in the league with 8.0 sacks and seventh in the conference with 13.0 tackles for loss.
Miami: First-team All-ACC safety Kam Kinchens tied for the nation’s lead in interceptions during the regular season and paced the Hurricanes with 59 tackles. His six picks trail only Bennie Blades (10) and Sean Taylor on Miami’s single-season interception list.
North Carolina: North Carolina has six road wins in a season for the first time ever. The Tar Heels were 6-0 in league play for the first time going 8-0 in 2015.
NC State: LB Drake Thomas leads the Wolfpack with 90 tackles and ranks first among all ACC defensive players with 13 tackles for loss in conference games. Thomas also ranks second in the ACC with 6.5 sacks in ACC contests.
Pitt: ACC DPOY Calijah Kancey is the only student-athlete in the country who has been named a finalist for both the 2022 Outland Trophy (top interior lineman) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player). He has compiled 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games played.
Syracuse: First-team All-ACC TE Orande Gadsden set single-season program records for receptions (54) and receiving yards (891) this season. He leads the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns by a tight end, and is sixth in the ACC in receiving yards by any player regardless of position.
Virginia: Brennan Armstrong broke the ACC’s record for passing yards by a left-handed quarterback against Pitt. Armstrong’s 9,034 career passing yards are the 12th most by a left-handed QB in FBS history.
Virginia Tech: Running back Jalen Holston had a career-high 26 carries in the win over Liberty and racked up a career-best three touchdowns and career-high 99 rushing yards. It marked his first multi-touchdown performance since Nov. 14, 2020 versus then-No. 9 Miami (Fla.) in Blacksburg.
Wake Forest: First-team WR A.T. Perry has totaled 70 catches for 980 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He has recorded 28 career touchdown receptions, the most by a WF wideout in program history
