The 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
between the
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies are the athletic teams representing the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in intercollegiate athletics. The Hokies participate in the NCAA's Division I Atlantic Coast Conference in 22 v ...
and the
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity college athletics, intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in NCAA Division I, ...
played on December 31, 2009, in the
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...
. With sponsorship from
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A ( , a play on the American English pronunciation of " filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain which is the country's largest which specializes in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in College Park, Georgia, Chick-fil-A op ...
, it was the 42nd edition of the game known throughout most of its history as the
Peach Bowl
The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Atlanta, Georgia since December 1968. Since 1997, it has been sponsored by Chick-fil-A and is officially known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. From 2006 to 2013, it was officially ...
. Virginia Tech defeated Tennessee 37–14. The game was part of the
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
and was the concluding game of the season for both teams. The game was televised in the United States on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
and the broadcast was seen by an estimated 4.87 million viewers.
Each participating team was selected by the bowl game's selection committee, which had paid contracts with the participating football conferences. The Chick-fil-A Bowl had the second pick of bowl-eligible teams from the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
and the fifth pick from eligible teams in the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...
. In picking Virginia Tech and Tennessee, the selection committee bypassed teams with better or similar records in order to create a matchup appealing to television audiences. Pregame media coverage focused on the close geographic rivalry between the two teams and the success of Tennessee head coach
Lane Kiffin
Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin formerly was the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program represent ...
in reversing his team's poor fortune from the previous season.
The game
kicked off at 7:37 p.m.
EST and Virginia Tech jumped to an early lead with a first-quarter
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
. Tennessee replied in the second quarter with two touchdowns of their own, but Virginia Tech kept the lead by scoring 10 points in the quarter. At
halftime, Tech led 17–14. In the second half, Virginia Tech pulled away from Tennessee, scoring 20 unanswered points to win the game 37–14.
In recognition of his performance during the game, Virginia Tech
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
Ryan Williams was named the game's
most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
. By the end of the game, he had set a school record for most rushing yards in a season and conference records for most rushing touchdowns and most total touchdowns. Following the game, Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin resigned to become head coach of the
University of Southern California Trojans football team. Several players from each team participated in postseason all-star games and a handful were selected to play in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
through the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the fir ...
.
Team selection
Beginning with the 2006 game, the Chick-fil-A Bowl purchased the right to select the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team after representatives from the
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of American college football, includin ...
made their selection. The contract was renewed in 2009, extending that right through 2013. According to the official selection rules used in the 2009–10 season, the team chosen to represent the ACC in the Chick-fil-A Bowl had to be within one conference victory of the remaining highest-ranked conference team or ranked more than five spaces ahead of the ACC team with the best conference record available in the final BCS standings. Following the conclusion of the
2009 college football regular season, the Chick-fil-A Bowl selection committee bypassed the
ACC Championship Game
The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
loser,
Clemson, in order to pick Virginia Tech, which had the same conference record. The committee believed a game featuring Virginia Tech would draw more television viewers and in-person attendance than Clemson, even though the Chick-fil-A Bowl was the third time that season Virginia Tech played a game in Atlanta.
In choosing the SEC opponent, the Chick-fil-A Bowl selection committee had the right to select the first SEC school after the Bowl Championship Series,
Cotton Bowl Classic
The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium in ...
,
Capital One Bowl
The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic.
The gam ...
, and
Outback Bowl made their selections. Just as in the ACC, the selection committee could not select an SEC team with two fewer losses than the highest available team. After the 2009 regular season ended, SEC champion
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
was selected for the
national championship game, and SEC runner-up
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
was picked by the
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
to fill the SEC's BCS tie-in.
[Low, Chris]
"SEC bowl lineup is set"
, ESPN.com. December 6, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2011. The Cotton Bowl selected
Ole Miss,
the Capital One Bowl picked
LSU,
and the Outback Bowl took
Auburn.
For its pick, the Chick-fil-A Bowl bypassed local team
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
(No. 2 in the SEC's eastern division) for Tennessee (No. 3 in the division) in order to set up a game against two geographic rivals and because Tennessee had defeated Georgia in a head-to-head matchup.
[King, Randy]
"Hokies accept bid to play in Chick-fil-A"
, ''The Roanoke Times''. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
The bowl earned the right to select these teams via its multimillion-dollar payout system, which guarantees a certain amount of money to the participating conferences. Before 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl (then known as the Peach Bowl) matched the No. 5 team in the SEC versus the No. 3 team in the ACC. After the bowl increased its payout to $2.8 million per squad, it then was given the second pick from the ACC, with the Gator Bowl dropping to third.
["Georgia-Va Tech In Peach Bowl Just About Set" AOL Sports](_blank)
The Fanhouse, AOL Sports, November 30, 2006. Accessed October 30, 2007. After 2006, the Chick-fil-A Bowl has steadily increased its payouts in order to keep pace with the trend across college football. In the 2009 game, the ACC and SEC split a payout of $6.02 million, with the ACC receiving more because it offered an earlier selection.
["Chick-fil-A Bowl: 2010 Annual Report" (PDF)](_blank)
Chick-fil-abowl.com. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies went 10–4 in 2008, concluding the season with a 20–7 win in the
2009 Orange Bowl
The 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl was the 75th edition of Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It pitted the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) champion Virginia Tech Hokies against the Big East Conference champion Cincinnati Bearcats ...
. Before the 2009 season started, Virginia Tech accepted an invitation to play
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
in the
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game is an annual series of college football games played on the opening weekend of the NCAA Division I FBS season in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized by the Peach Bowl, the event coincides with Labor Day weekend in the United ...
, a game organized by the Chick-fil-A Bowl to pit two high-profile teams against each other to create a bowl game-like atmosphere in the
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...
at the start of the season. Virginia Tech was ranked No. 7 in the preseason polls, while Alabama was No. 5; the game was forecast as a competition between two possible national championship contenders. Alabama defeated Virginia Tech 34-24 and ultimately went on to win the national championship.
Tech recovered from the loss by winning its next five games, including a last-second victory over 19th-ranked
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
and a 31-7 blowout victory over No. 9
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
.
["Virginia Tech Hokies Schedule - 2009"](_blank)
, ESPN.com. Retrieved March 9, 2011. The victories brought Tech to a 5–1 record and a No. 4 national ranking. On October 17, Virginia Tech traveled to Atlanta for the second time that season, this time to play 19th-ranked
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
. For the first time since 1962, Georgia Tech defeated a top-five team, beating Virginia Tech 28–23. Georgia Tech's win gave it a tiebreaker against Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, but Virginia Tech made the tiebreaker moot by losing its next game, an ACC contest against
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
. Georgia Tech lost only one ACC game all season, a record that won it the ACC's Coastal Division and the accompanying spot in the ACC Championship Game ahead of Virginia Tech, which was No. 2 in the division.
Virginia Tech broke its two-game losing streak by defeating non-conference foe
East Carolina
East Carolina University (ECU) is a public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina.
Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from its origi ...
on November 5. The victory was the start of a four-game win streak that brought Virginia Tech to the end of the regular season and restored its national ranking to No. 12 after falling to No. 23 following the North Carolina loss.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers entered the 2009 season following a 2008 campaign that ended with a bowl-ineligible 5–7 record. After the 2008 season ended, Tennessee fired head coach
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Edward Fulmer Sr. (born September 1, 1950) is a former American football player, coach, and athletic director at the University of Tennessee. He served as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team from 1992 to 2008, compiling ...
and replaced him with
Lane Kiffin
Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin formerly was the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program represent ...
, who promised to turn the program around. Kiffin made an offseason splash by breaking the social norms among SEC head football coaches and violating a handful of NCAA rules. In a season-opening win over Western Kentucky, Kiffin appeared to have made a difference for Tennessee, as the Volunteers had their largest margin of victory in nine years.
That victory was followed by consecutive losses, however, against
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
and No. 1-ranked
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
.
[The Associated Press]
"Tebow, Florida's stingy defense deny Tennessee upset"
, ESPN.com. September 19, 2009. Retrieved March 9, 2011. Tennessee ended its losing streak with a win against
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, then began alternating wins and losses. The victory against Ohio was followed by a loss to
Auburn. A win against
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
preceded a loss to No. 2 Alabama on a last-second blocked field goal and a win against No. 22
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. After South Carolina, Tennessee beat
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
to create its first winning streak of the season. That streak abruptly ended the following week, when Tennessee lost to
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
.
The Volunteers won their last two games of the regular season—against
Vanderbilt and
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
—bringing them to a record of 7–5. At no time during the season was Tennessee ranked in the national top-25 polls, and Tennessee was never in consideration to play in the
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regul ...
because of its early loss to Florida.
Pregame buildup
In the weeks before the game, media coverage focused on the geographic rivalry between the two teams, the controversies surrounding Lane Kiffin, and the performances of the players on each team. Virginia Tech played in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
, losing to
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
31–24, and the 2009 game was its fourth appearance in the game.
It was Tennessee's fifth appearance in the game, and the Volunteers had most recently lost to
Clemson in the
2004 contest, 27–14. Entering the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Virginia Tech was 0–2 in games held in Atlanta during 2010, it had lost four consecutive games to SEC foes, and it had never won back-to-back bowl games (Tech won the 2009 Orange Bowl).
[Dinich, Heather]
"Chick-fil-A Bowl a must-win for Hokies"
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2011. Despite those factors, Virginia Tech was an early 4.5-point favorite
[King, Randy]
"Subplots abound for Tech"
, ''The Roanoke Times''. December 22, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2011. and was listed as a 5.5-point favorite by
spread bettors on the day before the game.
Geographic rivalry
The University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech are separated by only by road,
[Dinich, Heather]
"GT, VT and FSU by the numbers"
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2011. and no major university lies between the two, creating an intense geographical rivalry in that region of the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...
. As Virginia Tech linebacker
Cody Grimm said before the game, "(In) Southwest Virginia, you are either a Tennessee fan or a Tech fan. Now we actually get a chance to play them."
Despite the proximity of the two schools, the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl was only their eighth football meeting.
[Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department]
"Virginia Tech football opponent history: Tennessee"
, Hokiesports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2011. Tennessee held a 5–2 advantage in the series, but before 1994, the last meeting between them was in 1937.
The 1994 meeting was in the
1994 Gator Bowl
The 1994 Gator Bowl was an American college football bowl game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on December 30, 1994. The game was the final contest of the 1994 NC ...
, which the Volunteers won 45–23.
Each school rapidly sold its allotment of 17,000 tickets, and publicly available tickets were sold out before the matchup was announced. This gave the Chick-fil-A Bowl its 13th consecutive sellout.
Tennessee coaching turmoil
In the weeks leading up to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the number of controversies surrounding Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin continued to grow. Throughout the regular season, he was linked to violations of NCAA rules and actions that appeared to fall outside the norm for SEC coaches.
[Evans, Thayer and ]Pete Thamel
Victor Pete Thamel (born 1977) is an American sports reporter for ESPN. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated, and the New York Times.
Early life
Thamel was born in Ware, Massachusetts to Peter V. Thamel. He was the sport ...
"N.C.A.A. Puts Tennessee's Recruiting Under Scrutiny"
, ''The New York Times''. December 8, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2011. He was mentioned in a rap song by
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
, and his combative attitude toward opposing coaches caused friction within the SEC.
In the second week of December, he was connected to an ongoing scandal in which Tennessee hostesses allegedly helped lure recruits to Tennessee, violating NCAA rules.
Despite these problems, he was a successful recruiter, and gained commitments from sought-after recruits in the leadup to the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
[Low, Chris]
"Chick-fil-A Bowl preview"
, ESPN.com. December 30, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
In addition to the off-the-field issues, Tennessee underwent a pair of coaching changes in the weeks before the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Wide receivers coach Frank Wilson and running backs coach Eddie Gran each decided in the first days of December to leave Tennessee for other SEC teams. In interviews, Kiffin said the coaching changes and stories surrounding him were not a distraction from his team's bowl preparation.
Virginia Tech offense
During the 2009 season, Virginia Tech was 28th nationally in scoring offense (number of points scored) and 55th in
total offense
Total offense (or total offence) is a gridiron football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player. Total offense differs from yards from scrimmage, which gives credit for passing yardage to the ...
. Most of the Hokies' success came on the ground: Tech was 16th nationally in rushing offense but 98th in passing offense.
[Virginia Tech Athletics Communications Department]
"Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee Game Notes" (PDF)
, UTsports.com. Retrieved April 11, 2011. A large reason for Virginia Tech's offensive success was running back
Ryan Williams, who broke Virginia Tech's single-season rushing record that year. Entering the Chick-fil-A Bowl, he had 1,538 yards,
only 110 short of the record.
Tech running back
Darren Evans
Darren Evans (born November 9, 1988) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Early years
Evans attended Warren Centra ...
, who tore his left
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formati ...
before the season began, was held out of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, even though his recovery had progressed to the point that he could have participated.
Virginia Tech also was rated higher than Tennessee in every major
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
category. The Hokies were in the top 25 in both kickoff return yardage defense and kickoff returns and were No. 16 nationally in turnover margin.
Tennessee offense
At the conclusion of the 2009 regular season, Tennessee's offense was the 32nd most successful squad in the nation, scoring an average of 30.58 points per game. In terms of yardage gained, Tennessee was 48th. There wasn't much difference between the success of the rushing offense (43rd) and the passing offense (47th).
Tennessee quarterback
Jonathan Crompton, after struggling in 2008, improved significantly in 2009, when he passed for 2,565 yards and 26 touchdowns. In 2008, the Volunteers were 11th in the SEC in offense, averaging 145.8 yards per game. In 2009, they were third, averaging 225.6 yards per game. In addition to Crompton, running back
Montario Hardesty
Montario Hardesty (born February 1, 1987), is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the running backs coach at the University of South Carolina. Hardesty played college football at the University of Tennessee, where he a ...
also improved his performance from 2008 to 2009. In the season leading up to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, he had 1,306 rushing yards,
just 158 short of the single-season Tennessee record, and 12 touchdowns. Entering the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Hardesty hoped to match the team's rushing record, but doubted he would be able to because of past knee injuries that made it difficult to run on
artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commerc ...
. Volunteers tight end
Luke Stocker
Lucas Aaron Stocker (July 17, 1988) is an American football tight end and fullback who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL D ...
, who caught 27 passes for 370 yards and six touchdowns in 2009, was a player Virginia Tech's defense focused on in pregame preparation.
[Rucker, Wes]
"Hokies giving respect to Stocker"
, ''Chattanooga Times Free Press''. December 30, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
Because Tennessee's placekicking had been erratic during the regular season, Tennessee's head coach held an open competition among his three kickers to compete for the starting placekicking job in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
[Ward, Austin]
"Vols focused on tale of the tape"
, ''Knoxville News-Sentinel''. December 21, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
Virginia Tech defense
In 2009, Virginia Tech was ranked 14th in
total defense
Total defence is a defence policy combining and extending the concept of military defence and civil defence. It has been adopted by several countries: for example Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, ...
,
sixth in passing defense, and 52nd in rushing defense. In scoring defense, the Hokies were 11th nationally, permitting an average of 15.75 points per game.
The top individual performer on the defense was linebacker
Cody Grimm, who tied for the most forced fumbles in college football during the regular season, with seven.
In recognition of the achievement, he earned the
Dudley Award The Dudley Award, named after former Virginia running back Bill Dudley
William McGarvey "Bullet Bill" Dudley (December 24, 1921 – February 4, 2010) was an American professional football player in the National Football League for the Pitt ...
, given annually to the top Division I football player in Virginia, and was named a first-team All-ACC and third-team All-America player. Cornerback Stephen Virgil, a starter for the Hokies in 10 of their regular-season games, was declared ineligible for the Chick-fil-A Bowl because of poor grades. Defensive coordinator
Bud Foster
Robert Eugene "Bud" Foster Jr. (born July 28, 1959) is a retired American college football coach and former player. He currently serves as a Special Assistant to Athletics Director Whit Babcock. Following the 2006 season, he received the Frank B ...
was wooed by several other teams between the conclusion of the regular season and the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but Foster remained at Tech after the school created an
annuity
In investment, an annuity is a series of payments made at equal intervals.Kellison, Stephen G. (1970). ''The Theory of Interest''. Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc. p. 45 Examples of annuities are regular deposits to a savings account, ...
for Foster, granted if he remained with the team for five more years.
Tennessee defense
![Eric berry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Eric_berry.jpg)
Tennessee's defense was prized for its success against opponents' passing game. In 2009, the Volunteers were 10th nationally against the pass, permitting an average of 165.92 yards per game. Against the run, they were 58th. When both facets were combined, the defense was 16th, permitting an average of 308.83 yards per game.
Much of the reason for Tennessee's success against the pass was star safety
Eric Berry
James Eric Berry (born December 29, 1988) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and r ...
, only the second player in Tennessee history to be named a unanimous
All-American twice.
He won the
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...
, given each year to the best defensive back in the nation. Joining Berry in the defensive secondary was
Janzen Jackson, who returned to the field following three missed games caused by his alleged involvement in an armed robbery. Countering Jackson's return, Tennessee lost defensive back Brent Vinson, who was dismissed from the team for reasons unrevealed at the time. Two months after the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Vinson was charged with tampering with evidence related to a murder investigation. Tennessee defensive coordinator
Monte Kiffin
Monte George Kiffin (born February 29, 1940) is an American football coach. He is currently a player personnel analyst at Ole Miss for his son, Lane Kiffin. He is widely considered to be one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern f ...
, interviewed 10 days before the game, said Virginia Tech's offensive strength presented problems for Tennessee.
Game summary
The 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl
kicked off at 7:37 p.m.
EST on December 31, 2009, in the
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...
,
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
. Bowl officials announced 73,777 people attended the game, but that figure was based on the number of tickets sold rather than actual turnstile attendance. That attendance figure was the fourth-largest in Chick-fil-A Bowl history, including when the game was known as the Peach Bowl, and it was the 13th consecutive sellout for the game. The game was broadcast in the United States by
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, and was watched by an estimated 4.87 million people, earning it a
Nielsen Rating
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
of 4.2. That figure was the 10th highest among bowl games that season, and was a 36 percent increase from the previous year's rating. The
sportscasters for the broadcast were
Sean McDonough
Sean McDonough (born May 13, 1962) is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN and WEEI Red Sox Radio Network.
Early life
The son of ''Boston Globe'' sportswriter Will McDonough, McDonough graduated from the S. I. Newhouse Sch ...
,
Matt Millen
Matthew George Millen (born March 12, 1958) is a former American football linebacker and executive. Millen played 12 years in the National Football League for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins, ...
, and
Holly Rowe
Holly Rowe (born June 16, 1966) is an American sports telecaster currently working for the sports television network ESPN. Rowe is best known as a sideline reporter for college football games which are telecast on ESPN. Rowe made Utah Jazz team ...
. Because the game was played indoors, weather was not a factor.
The ceremonial playing of the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
was performed by trumpeter
Dan Oxley. The game's referee was Ed Ardito, its umpire was Greg Adams, and its linesman was Jim Laborde, all of
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are ...
.
["Virginia Tech 37, Tennessee 14"](_blank)
, Hokiesports.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2011. A military veteran from each school was invited to the ceremonial pregame
coin toss
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to ...
to determine first possession.
First quarter
Tennessee won that ceremonial coin toss and chose to kick off to begin the game, ensuring the Volunteers received the ball to begin the second half. Tennessee
placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
S ...
Chad Cunningham delivered the ball from the tee, and Virginia Tech's Dyrell Roberts returned it to the Tech 26-yard line, where Virginia Tech began the game's first offensive drive. Two running plays by Tech's Ryan Williams gained 4 yards, then Tech quarterback
Tyrod Taylor
Tyrod Diallo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to the 2009 Orange Bowl as a Sophomore ...
completed a seven-yard pass for the game's initial first down. Tech advanced as far as its 43-yard line, but a five-yard false-start penalty prevented the Hokies from gaining another first down. They punted the ball to Tennessee, which began its first drive of the game from its 11-yard line.
["1st Quarter Play by Play"](_blank)
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
Two running plays gained 11 yards and a first down, then Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton began throwing the ball. His first pass the game fell incomplete, and his second was intercepted by Virginia Tech defender
Rashad Carmichael
Rashad Bernard "Roc" Carmichael (born September 9, 1988) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Early years
Carmic ...
, who ran it back to the Tennessee 44-yard line. Tech's second drive of the game thus began in Tennessee's defensive half. The first play of the drive was a 20-yard throw from Taylor to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin. That completed pass was the longest play of the drive, which continued through short rushes and passes. On the seventh play after the interception, Williams ran the ball forward one yard, crossing the goal line for the game's first touchdown. Tech placekicker Matt Waldron successfully converted the extra point, and with 6:56 remaining in the first quarter, Tech led 7–0.
Virginia Tech's post-score kickoff was returned to the Tennessee 25-yard line, but the Volunteers failed to gain a first down on their second drive of the game, going
three-and-out
A down is a period in which a play transpires in gridiron football. The down is a distinguishing characteristic of the game compared to other codes of football, but is synonymous with a "tackle" in rugby league. The team in possession of the f ...
. They punted, returning the ball to Virginia Tech at the Hokies' 31-yard line. Taylor completed a 14-yard pass to Roberts and a 10-yard throw to Marcus Davis for two first downs, advancing the Hokies into Tennessee's half of the field, but Virginia Tech's drive petered out after Williams was tackled for a three-yard loss and the Hokies were unable to regain the lost yardage. Tech punted to the Tennessee 10-yard line, where the Volunteers took over on offense with 1:16 remaining in the quarter. Crompton completed a passing play that lost three yards, then Tennessee regained two of those yards with a running play as time expired in the quarter with Tech leading, 7–0.
Second quarter
The second quarter began with Tennessee facing third down and 11 from its 9-yard line. The first play of the quarter ended in a two-yard loss for Tennessee, and the Volunteers punted after their second consecutive three-and-out. Starting at Tennessee's 46-yard line after the punt, Tech quarterback Taylor completed a 42-yard pass to Danny Coale on the Hokies' first play of the quarter, giving Virginia Tech a first down at the Tennessee 4-yard line. There, however, Tennessee's defense stiffened. Tech was stopped for no gain on consecutive plays, but on third down the Volunteers committed a facemask penalty, giving Virginia Tech a first down at the 1-yard line. Even then, it took Ryan Williams two plays to gain the momentum needed to cross the goal line for Virginia Tech's second touchdown. The score and subsequent extra point gave the Hokies a 14–0 lead with 11:56 remaining before halftime.
["2nd Quarter Play by Play"](_blank)
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
Virginia Tech's kickoff was downed for a
touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead on or behind a team's own goal line (i.e., in their end zone) and the opposing team gave the ball the momentum, or impetus, to trav ...
, and Tennessee started its drive from its 20-yard line. On the second play of the possession, Crompton completed a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Denarius Moore. The play gave Tennessee its first plays inside Virginia Tech territory, and the Volunteers capitalized on the field position. After two rushing plays were stymied for no gain or losses, Crompton completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Gerald Jones. Crompton was sacked on the next play, but two plays later completed a 20-yard throw to Jones, who ran out of bounds at the Tech 4-yard line, giving Tennessee another first down. Two plays later, running back Montario Hardesty ran forward four yards into the end zone, halving Virginia Tech's lead. After the extra point, Virginia Tech still led, 14–7, with 6:43 remaining in the first half.
Following Tennessee's score, the two teams traded possessions as each offense went three-and-out. Virginia Tech's offense then began a drive from its 40-yard line with 3:21 remaining in the half. Williams gained a first down with a pair of five-yard running plays, and Taylor gained 21 yards on another running play. Tech advanced to the Tennessee 31-yard line, where Taylor was sacked for a loss of nine yards. In an effort to recover the lost field position, Taylor threw a pass downfield, but the ball was intercepted by Tennessee's Janzen Jackson, who returned it to the Tech 48-yard line. Tennessee's offense entered the field of play with 1:11 remaining in the quarter, and it moved quickly. On the first play of the drive, a Crompton pass was caught by Hardesty for a 47-yard gain. Two plays later, Crompton completed a two-yard toss to Moore for a touchdown. The extra point tied the game at 14 with 18 seconds remaining before halftime.
Tennessee's post-touchdown kickoff was returned to the Tech 33-yard line, but Virginia Tech decided to not run an inconsequential play to drain the final seconds from the clock and enter halftime. On the first play after the kickoff, Taylor threw a surprise pass downfield to Boykin, who was tackled at the Tennessee four-yard line. Instant replay revealed there were two seconds remaining on the game clock after the play, and Virginia Tech placekicker Matt Waldron came onto the field to complete a 21-yard field goal as time expired.
[Dinich, Heather]
"Instant Analysis: Virginia Tech 37, Tennessee 14"
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 9, 2011. The Hokies thus regained a 17–14 lead at halftime.
Third quarter
Because Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the game, Tennessee received the ball to begin the second half. After a short return, Tennessee's offense started the half from its 30-yard line. Crompton completed passes of 11 and 8 yards, then Virginia Tech's defense halted the Tennessee advance and forced a punt. Virginia Tech's offense began its first drive of the second half at its 26-yard line, with 13:02 remaining in the quarter. From the 26, Tech began an eight-play drive that saw Ryan Williams carry the ball on seven consecutive plays. Only the final play of the drive, a one-yard touchdown run by Tyrod Taylor, didn't feature the Tech running back. Williams opened the drive with a 21-yard sprint and had a 32-yard run during the possession that ended with Taylor's touchdown at the 8:42 mark in the quarter. The touchdown and extra point extended Tech's lead to 24–14.
["3rd Quarter Play by Play"](_blank)
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
Tennessee attempted to answer Tech's score in its following possession. The Hokies' kickoff resulted in a touchback, so the Volunteers began from their 20-yard line. Montario Hardesty gained a first down with a 10-yard run, then Crompton gained another first down with an 11-yard pass. Tennessee continued to advance on running plays and a 14-yard pass by Crompton, pushing the ball inside the Tech 30-yard line. Once there, however, the Hokies rallied by sacking Crompton for a seven-yard loss. A two-yard run and an incomplete pass kept Tennessee from gaining another first down, setting up a fourth down. Rather than try an offensive play and possibly gain a first down or turn the ball over on downs, Tennessee punted, forcing Virginia Tech's offense to start from its 11-yard line.
Building on the rushing success of its previous drive, Virginia Tech used
fullback Josh Oglesby in tandem with Williams, who also figured prominently in the team's second possession of the half. The two men combined for 19 yards on the first three plays of the drive, then Williams exited the game because of an injury.
After play resumed, Taylor gained 10 yards on a rushing play and completed a 23-yard pass before Oglesby carried the ball again. When the third quarter ended, Virginia Tech faced second down at the Tennessee 30-yard line, still leading 24–14.
Fourth quarter
Virginia Tech began the quarter in possession of the ball in Tennessee territory, attempting to capitalize upon a drive begun in the third quarter. Tennessee's defense, however, allowed only one yard on the first two plays of the quarter, and Tech placekicker Waldron returned to the field to convert a 46-yard field goal, extending Virginia Tech's lead to 27–14 with 13:33 left in the game.
["4th Quarter Play by Play"](_blank)
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
After Virginia Tech's post-score kickoff and a short return, Tennessee's offense started from its 31-yard line. A five-yard penalty against Virginia Tech was followed by a five-yard first-down run by Hardesty. Tennessee attempted to move its offense quickly in order to maximize the chances of closing Virginia Tech's lead by scoring fast. Crompton completed an 18-yard pass, advancing the Volunteers into Tech territory, but he was sacked by the Tech defense and Tennessee committed a five-yard false start penalty, forcing the Volunteers to punt. The kick rolled into the end zone for a touchback, and Tech's offense returned to the field at its 20-yard line.
As in the previous two drives, Virginia Tech relied upon its rushing offense: The first five plays of the drive were runs by David Wilson, who gained 26 yards. The Hokies then switched gears, surprising Tennessee, whose defense allowed a 30-yard pass completion from Taylor to Boykin. Tech reverted to running plays, but Tennessee again allowed a long gain, as Roberts advanced 21 yards on a run, then Wilson ran three yards into the end zone. The touchdown and extra point gave Virginia Tech a 34–14 lead with 5:14 remaining in the game.
Tech's kickoff was returned to the Tennessee 25-yard line, but on the first play of the Volunteers' drive, Crompton was sacked by Jason Worilds and
fumble
A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...
d the ball. The loose ball was recovered by Virginia Tech's John Graves at the Tennessee 13-yard line. The Hokies' offense returned to the field and began
running out the clock
In sports, running out the clock (also known as running down the clock, stonewalling, killing the clock, chewing the clock, stalling, time-wasting (or timewasting) or eating clock) is the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire thr ...
with running plays, which keep the game clock ticking as long as the ball carrier is tackled in the field of play. Three rushing plays failed to gain a first down, but they drained more than two minutes from the game clock, and Tech's Waldron extended the Hokies' lead to 37–14 with a 22-yard field goal.
Tennessee had one final opportunity to score after receiving Virginia Tech's kickoff with 2:38 remaining. Jonathan Crompton threw several passes downfield, completing throws of 9, 9, 8, and 26 yards, advancing the Volunteers toward the end zone. Inside the Virginia Tech
red zone, however, the Volunteers found less success. They committed a false start penalty, advanced the ball with a five-yard run, then Crompton threw two incomplete passes. On fourth down, Crompton was sacked for a 14-yard loss, the Volunteers' final play of the game. Virginia Tech
knelt on the ball to run the final seconds off the clock and clinch the 37–14 victory.
Scoring summary
Statistical summary
In recognition of his performance, Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams was named the game's
most valuable player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
.
[The Associated Press]
"Va. Tech's Williams sets school single-season rushing record in win"
, ESPN.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2011. On 25 carries, Williams accumulated 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Williams also caught two passes: one that gained six yards and one that lost six yards.
Williams' performance, coupled with success early in the season, allowed him to set Tech's single-season rushing record with 1,655 yards. The game was Williams' 10th of at least 100 yards that season. Williams also set two ACC records: His touchdowns gave him 21 rushing touchdowns on the season and 22 total touchdowns.
[Robertson, Jimmy]
, Hokiesports.com. January 1, 2010. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
Alone, Williams had more rushing yards than all of Tennessee's players combined. Tennessee's leading rusher was Montario Hardesty, who carried the ball 18 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. Hardesty had 1,345 rushing yards on the season, the fourth-highest season total for any player in Tennessee's history.
, UTsports.com. December 31, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2011. Tennessee's No. 2 rusher was Tauren Poole, who gained 15 yards on 3 carries. Collectively, Tennessee had just five yards net rushing, the second-least ever in a Tennessee bowl game and the least allowed by Virginia Tech in a bowl game.
Most of Tennessee's rushing gains were negated when quarterback Jonathan Crompton was sacked six times, losing 55 yards.
Though ineffective on the ground, Crompton outperformed Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the passing game. Crompton completed 15 of 26 pass attempts for 235 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Crompton finished the season with 27 touchdown passes, third-most in school history, and had the fourth-most pass attempts, ninth-most completions, and eighth-most yards for a Tennessee season.
Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 10 of 17 passes for 209 yards and one interception.
Tennessee's Herman Lathers led all defenders with 12 total tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, both career highs.
The game's No. 2 tackler was Tennessee's Dan Williams, who tied a career-high by recording nine tackles, including half a sack. Virginia Tech's leading tackler was Lyndell Gibson, who had eight tackles, including half a tackle for loss. Virginia Tech's John Graves, participating in his first game of the season, had two tackles for loss, including a sack, and forced a fumble.
Virginia Tech's other forced turnover was an interception caught by cornerback
Rashad Carmichael
Rashad Bernard "Roc" Carmichael (born September 9, 1988) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Early years
Carmic ...
. Tennessee's Janzen Jackson had the Volunteers' only interception.
Virginia Tech kicker Matt Waldron set a school record for most field goals in a bowl game (3) and tied the school record for the longest bowl-game field goal with his 46-yard kick.
Postgame effects
Virginia Tech's victory gave the team its sixth consecutive 10-win season and brought the Hokies to a final 2009 record of 10–3. It was the first time in school history that Tech won bowl games in consecutive years.
Tennessee's loss dropped it to 7–6, and the Volunteers remained unranked in the final college football polls of the year. Virginia Tech was credited for its bowl-game win and rose to 10th in both the Associated Press and coaches' polls. Visiting fans generated an estimated $31.2 million in business for the Atlanta area.
Several players from each team participated in all-star games following the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Virginia Tech's Kam Chancellor, Sergio Render and Stephan Virgil played in the 2010
East–West Shrine Game
East West (or East and West) may refer to:
* East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture
Arts and entertainment
Books, journals and magazines
*''East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...
. Tennessee's Morgan Cox, Chris Scott and Dan Williams played in the
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
, while Jonathan Crompton and Vladimir Richard participated in the
Texas vs The Nation game. These all-star games were a chance for graduating players to highlight their skills before the
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the fir ...
, which took place in April. A handful of players from each team were selected through the draft to play for National Football League teams.
Tennessee had six players selected, including two in the first round: safety Eric Berry was the fifth selection overall, followed by Dan Williams (26), Montario Hardesty (59), Jacques McClendon (129), Chris Scott (151), and Jonathan Crompton (168). Virginia Tech had five players selected:
Jason Worilds was picked 52nd overall, followed by Kam Chancellor (133), Ed Wang (140), Brent Bowden (172), and Cody Grimm (210).
In addition to player changes, Tennessee saw coaching changes. Two weeks after the Chick-fil-A Bowl defeat, Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin announced he was leaving the team to become the new head coach of the
University of Southern California football team.
[ESPN.com News Services]
"Kiffin to coach USC after 1 Vols season"
, ESPN.com. January 13, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2011. The decision shocked Tennessee administrators and fans, who believed Kiffin would stay longer than one season. To replace Kiffin, Tennessee hired
Derek Dooley, who had been coaching football at
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...
. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator
Ed Orgeron
Edward James Orgeron Jr. (; born July 27, 1961) is an American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), a position he held from midway through the 2016 season until the 2021 season. Orge ...
also left with Kiffin.
They were replaced by
Justin Wilcox and Chuck Smith, respectively.
Dooley also changed position coaches, naming
Terry Joseph defensive backs coach and
Eric Russell special teams coach. To coach quarterbacks, he brought in
Darin Hinshaw of
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
.
["Vols Add Baggett, Chaney Remains Offensive Coordinator"](_blank)
, UTsports.com. January 22, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2011. He hired
Charlie Baggett to coach wide receivers and serve as assistant head coach, and added assistant coach
Harry Hiestand
Harry Hiestand (born November 19, 1958) is a former American football coach who last was the offensive line coach at the University of Notre Dame. Hiestand earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg Univer ...
and strength and conditioning coach
Bennie Wylie.
"Vols Add Assistant Coach, Football Head Strength Coach"
, UTsports.com. January 30, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2011. He retained offensive coordinator Jim Chaney
James Allen Chaney (born January 12, 1962) is an American football coach and former player who is an offensive analyst for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He previously served as an offensive analyst for the New Orleans Saints of the National F ...
from Kiffin's staff.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Peach Bowl
Virginia Tech Hokies football bowl games
Tennessee Volunteers football bowl games
December 2009 sports events in the United States
Bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
includin ...
2009 in Atlanta