Bank of America Stadium

My visit to Bank of America Stadium came on December 6, 2014, for the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte. Undefeated Florida State faced Georgia Tech with a conference title on the line and a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff hanging in the balance for the Seminoles.

Georgia Tech came out running and did not stop. The Yellow Jackets opened the game with 26 straight running plays and scored on long drives of 71, 75 and 75 yards. They finished with 331 rushing yards, and Synjyn Days ran for three touchdowns.

Florida State had an answer every time. Jameis Winston threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, and he led a 75-yard drive late in the first half that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Greene. That gave the Seminoles a 28-21 lead at the break. Greene finished with seven catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and freshman Dalvin Cook piled up 220 yards from scrimmage in his first college start. Florida State great Derrick Brooks was also honored on the video board during the game.

The finish was tense. Georgia Tech came up short on a fourth-and-5 near midfield, and Roberto Aguayo kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 37-28 with 4:28 left. LaMarcus Brutus intercepted Justin Thomas on another fourth-down try, and even after Thomas hit Darren Waller for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:47 left, Florida State recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

The 37-35 win was Florida State’s 29th straight and its third straight ACC title. The Seminoles finished the regular season 13-0, and the next day they were selected for the first College Football Playoff.