2009 Football Schedule Announced

Feb. 12, 2009

ATLANTA – Georgia Tech’s 2009 football schedule, which includes eight games against 2008 bowl teams, three games against Southeastern Conference opponents and two nationally-televised Thursday night games, was officially announced today.

The Yellow Jackets’ 2009 schedule includes six road games and a challenging six-game home schedule that features 2008 bowl participants Georgia, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Georgia Tech opens the season September 5 at home against Jacksonville State.

Tech’s road slate includes non-conference tilts against SEC opponents Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The Yellow Jackets will also travel to Florida State, Miami, Virginia and Duke. Tech will play six road games for the first time since 2003 and will play two regular season games in the state of Florida for the first time ever.

“With 11 BCS opponents, including eight which played in bowl games last year, our schedule will be extremely challenging,” head coach Paul Johnson said. “At the same time, it’s a schedule our players and fans should be really excited about. The home schedule includes a number of big-time games and many of our road games are within driving distance for our fans.”

After opening the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Jacksonville State, Georgia Tech will play consecutive nationally-televised (ESPN) Thursday night games. The Yellow Jackets host Clemson Sept. 10 and travel to Miami Sept. 17 to play the Hurricanes at Dolphin Stadium. The game against Clemson will come on a short week, just five days after the Yellow Jackets open the season against Jacksonville State.

Tech will play in an ESPN Thursday night game for the 17th consecutive season. The Yellow Jackets have 21 ESPN Thursday night appearances, more than any team in the nation. The Jackets will play Clemson in an ESPN Thursday night game for the first time since 1998 and they will play Miami on Thursday night for the second straight season. The last time Tech had two nationally-televised Thursday night games in one season came in 2000.

The Yellow Jackets return home Sept. 26 to host North Carolina, Tech’s third consecutive ACC game and its second straight game against an ACC Coastal Division opponent.

In October, Georgia Tech will face a difficult stretch, playing four of five games on the road.

The Yellow Jackets begin October at Mississippi State (Oct. 3), where the Bulldogs are under the direction of new head coach Dan Mullen. A week later, Georgia Tech plays at Florida State (Oct. 10), the Jackets’ first trip to Tallahassee since 2003.

Georgia Tech’s lone October home game comes against two-time defending ACC champion Virginia Tech (Oct. 17). The following Saturday, the Yellow Jackets play at Virginia (Oct. 24), looking to win in Charlottesville for the first time since 1990. Tech closes October with a Halloween road game at Vanderbilt (Oct. 31), its first meeting with the Commodores since 2003.

The Yellow Jackets return home in November to face Wake Forest (Nov. 7), the first meeting between the two teams since the 2006 ACC Championship Game. The next Saturday, Tech travels to Duke (Nov. 14) to conclude ACC play.

The first and only open date on the schedule is Nov. 21. Georgia Tech closes the regular season against tradition rival Georgia (Nov. 28) at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Georgia Tech finished the 2008 season with a 9-4 record overall in Johnson’s first season on The Flats. The Yellow Jackets went 5-3 in ACC play, tying for the ACC Coastal Division title, and played in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Schedule notes:

— Georgia Tech will play 11 consecutive weeks before its first and only open date on Nov. 21.

— Tech will play three teams from the Southeastern Conference (Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Georgia). Last season the Yellow Jackets went 2-1 vs. SEC opponents, with one of those games (vs. LSU) coming in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

— The Yellow Jackets play two games in a five-day span to open the season and will play their first three games in a 12-day span.

Opponent notes:

CLEMSON
Finished 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC in 2008… lost to Nebraska in the Gator Bowl… Dabo Swinney’s first game as the Tigers’ head coach came last season against Georgia Tech… the Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 47-24-2… Tech has won the last two meetings and four of the last five meetings… Tech and Clemson will meet in an ESPN Thursday night game for the first time since 1998.

DUKE
Finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the ACC in 2008 under first-year Blue Devil coach David Cutcliffe… Georgia Tech won last year’s meeting, 27-0, in Atlanta… the Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 45-30-1… Tech has won the last five meetings and 13 of the last 14 meetings.

FLORIDA STATE
Finished 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC in 2008… FSU defeated Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl… last year’s meeting – a thrilling 31-28 Tech victory in Atlanta – was the first meeting between the two teams since 2003… the Yellow Jackets will travel to Tallahassee for the first time since a 14-13 loss to the Seminoles in 2003… Florida State is ranked 12th in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s early 2009 preseason poll.

GEORGIA
Finished 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the SEC in 2008… defeated Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl… Georgia leads the all-time series, 59-39-5… Georgia Tech won 45-42 last season in Athens, breaking a seven-year losing skid to the Bulldogs… Tech assistant coach Brian Bohannon played for the Bulldogs… Georgia is ranked in the top 10 in many of the early preseason polls for 2009.

JACKSONVILLE STATE
Finished 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference… closed the 2008 season with three straight victories… returns senior quarterback Ryan Perrilloux in 2009… last year’s season opener for both teams – a 41-14 Tech victory – was the first meeting ever between the two teams… the Gamecocks will kick-off Tech’s football season for the second straight year.

MIAMI
Finished 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC in 2008… lost to California in the Emerald Bowl… Tech won last year’s meeting, 41-23, in a nationally-televised ESPN Thursday night game in Atlanta… Tech has won four straight against the Hurricanes including the last two meetings in Miami… Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 10-4… the Yellow Jackets will play the Hurricanes in Dolphin Stadium for the first time in 2009… the Jackets and Hurricanes will meet in an ESPN Thursday night game for the second straight season.

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the SEC… the Bulldogs are under the direction of first-year coach Dan Mullen… the Yellow Jackets will make the trek to Starkville for the first time in school history… Tech leads the all-time series, 3-0, including a 39-7 victory last season in Atlanta.

NORTH CAROLINA
Finished 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC… lost to West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte… the Tar Heels handed Tech its worst regular season loss in 2008 (28-7)… Tech leads the all-time series, 23-18-3… the Yellow Jackets have won three of the last four meetings and nine of the last 11 meetings… Tech hasn’t lost to UNC in Atlanta since 1997… ranked 14th in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s early 2009 preseason poll and 21st in the early poll produced by NationalChamps.net.

VANDERBILT
Finished 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC… defeated Boston College in the Music City Bowl… Georgia Tech leads the all-time series, 18-15-3… the two teams will meet for the 37th time and the first time since 2003… the 2003 game, also played in Nashville, resulted in a 24-17 Tech overtime victory… the Yellow Jackets are 9-0-1 in their last 10 meetings with the Commodores… Vandy is ranked in the top 25 in almost every early preseason poll for 2009.

VIRGINIA
Finished 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the ACC… the Cavaliers spoiled Georgia Tech’s Homecoming last season, 24-17… Virginia leads the all-time series, 16-14-1… Virginia has defeated Tech in the last two meetings and in five of the last six meetings… the Yellow Jackets have not won in Charlottesville since 1990 – a streak of eight consecutive losses.

VIRGINIA TECH
Finished 10-4 overall and 5-3 in the ACC… went on to win the ACC championship, defeating Boston College, after winning the Coastal Division tie-breaker with Georgia Tech… defeated Cincinnati in the FedEx Orange Bowl… the Hokies handed Paul Johnson his first Georgia Tech loss last season, 20-17 in Blacksburg… Virginia Tech has won the last two meetings, including a Thursday night victory in Atlanta in 2007 (27-3)… Virginia Tech leads the all-time series, 4-2… ranked eighth in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s early 2009 preseason poll and 13th in a similar poll by NationalChamps.net.

WAKE FOREST
Finished 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC… defeated Navy in the Eagle Bank Bowl… the Yellow Jackets and Demon Deacons will meet for the first time since the 2006 ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville when Wake Forest won, 9-6… the two teams will meet in a regular season game for the first time since 2004, when Tech defeated Wake 30-17 in Atlanta… the Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 20-8.

ACC Composite Schedule

ACC Team Schedules

2009 Georgia Tech Football Schedule

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