The 2018 ACC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2018. It was the 14th annual ACC Championship Game. The Clemson Tigers and the Pittsburgh Panthers played to determine the 2018 champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The game was held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Clemson emerged victorious and became the 2018 ACC champions, beating Pitt 42–10.
History The 2018 Championship Game was the 14th in the Atlantic Coast Conference's 66-year history. Last season, the ACC Championship Game featured the Clemson Tigers, champions of the Atlantic Division, and the Miami Hurricanes, champions of the Coastal Division. Clemson won the game 38–3 and went on to the 2017 College Football Playoff.
Teams Clemson
The Clemson Tigers finished the season with a 12–0 undefeated record. This is the Tigers' fourth straight appearance in the championship game. They have won the previous three championship games. During the season, they defeated Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Wake Forest, NC State, Florida State, Louisville, Boston College and Duke in conference play. Their season was also highlighted by 2 wins over SEC teams (Texas A&M and South Carolina). The Tigers come into the game ranked #2 in both the AP and Coaches poll.
Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Panthers finished the season with a 7–5 overall record and a 6–2 record in ACC play. This is Pitt's first appearance in the championship game. During the regular season, they defeated Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest in conference play. They lost to North Carolina and Miami (FL) in conference play. The Panthers come into the game unranked in both the AP and Coaches poll.
Clemson vs. Pittsburgh series history This matchup was the third all-time meeting between the Tigers and Panthers. They last played on November 12, 2016, when Pitt upset No. 2 Clemson at Memorial Stadium, kicking the winning field goal with 6 seconds remaining to defeat Clemson by a final score of 43–42. The win brought Clemson its first (and ultimately, only) loss of the season, as the Tigers went on to win the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Game summary Scoring summary
Statistics
Statistics CLEM PITT First downs 13 11 Plays–yards 59–419 64–200 Rushes–yards 35–301 48–192 Passing yards 118 8 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–24–0 4–16–1 Time of possession 25:16 34:44
Team Category Player StatisticsClemson Passing Trevor Lawrence 12–24, 118 yards, 2 TDs Rushing Travis Etienne 12 carries, 156 yards, 2 TDs Receiving Tee Higgins 3 receptions, 36 yards, 2 TDsPittsburgh Passing Kenny Pickett 4–16, 8 yards, 1 INT Rushing Darrin Hall 14 carries, 86 yards Receiving Rafael Araujo-Lopes 2 receptions, 10 yards
References