In the Tiger's 40–24 victory over the Florida State Seminoles on November 7, 2009, running back C. J. Spiller and wide receiverJacoby Ford became the leading all-purpose yardage duo in NCAA history. C. J. Spiller was named as one of the three finalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award. Spiller, along with Mark Ingram of Alabama and Toby Gerhart of Stanford, was selected by a vote of the 130–member Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee. On December 2, 2009, Spiller was voted the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. The all-purpose threat was named as the league's top player following a vote of 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Spiller received 29 votes to outdistance Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who had eight. Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams, the league's rookie of the year, had two votes and Yellow Jackets defensive end Derrick Morgan had one. Spiller was the nation's only player this season to account for touchdowns five different ways – rushing, passing, receiving, and on kick and punt returns – and had passing, rushing and receiving TDs in one game, a victory against North Carolina State. He returned four kickoffs and a punt for scores this year and has eight total returns for TDs during his career. He scored at least once in every game this season while leading Clemson to the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the league title game against Georgia Tech. Spiller led the ACC with an average of nearly 184 all-purpose yards and was the league's fourth-leading rusher, averaging 76 yards. Spiller is the seventh Tiger to be named player of the year and the first since Michael Dean Perry in 1987.
Incoming recruiting class
Malliciah Goodman
J.K. Jay
Jonathan Meeks
Tyler Shatley
Brandon Thomas
Bryce McNeal
Roderick McDowell
Tajh Boyd
Spencer Shuey
Quandon Christian
Corico Hawkins
Darell Smith
Taylor Ogle
Octavius Lewis
Rankings
#17 jersey
On July 25, it was announced that sophomore linebacker Stanley Hunter was forced to quit playing football due to medical reasons. Hunter, who led the 2008 team in fewest plays per tackle, was suffering from an increase in seizures due to epilepsy. On August 18, Coach Swinney announced that several players would alternate wearing #17 during the season as a way to honor Stanley Hunter. List of Players wearing #17 during the season:
Three of the players who wore #17 were also teammates with Hunter at James F. Byrnes High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Stanley Hunter remains a member of the Clemson team, serving as a student-coach this season for the Tigers.
#6 jersey
Cornerback Chris Chancellor, whose normal number is #38, wore #6, the normal number of wide receiver Jacoby Ford, for the Miami game. Chancellor, a native of Miami, made the change with the blessing of both Ford and Swinney in memory of his former high school teammate Jasper Howard, a cornerback who wore #6 for Connecticut and was murdered in the early morning of October 18 following UConn's game against Louisville.
#28 jersey
At the end of the season, Head Coach Dabo Swinney announced that they would retire the #28 jersey worn by C. J. Spiller at a ceremony when the Tigers play Maryland at home on Oct. 16, 2010.
Schedule
Depth chart
These are the starters, primary backups, and key reserves as of September 2009.
Coaching staff
Dabo Swinney – Head Coach
Billy Napier – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Kevin Steele – Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
Charlie Harbison – Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Danny Pearman – Assistant Head Coach/Tackles & Tight Ends
Brad Scott – Associate Head Coach/Offensive Guards and Centers
Dan Brooks – Defensive Tackles
Andre Powell – Running Backs/Special Teams
Chris Rumph – Defensive Ends
Jeff Scott – Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers
