Tigers claim division crown

CLEMSON, S.C. --- This was why C.J. Spiller came back to Clemson.

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Associated Press

Clemson's Kevin Alexander sacks Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell during the third quarter. The Tigers have won their past six games.

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Associated Press

Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker looks for running room during Saturday's game. He threw for 234 yards and two TDs.

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The Tigers' star senior awaited a Virginia punt in the fourth quarter with Clemson's 34-21 victory all but secure when the crowd of 77,000 at Death Valley broke into chants of his name.

"One of the referees came over and told me he got chills," a smiling Spiller said Saturday.

There might be more special moments ahead for Spiller and the 18th-ranked Tigers, who advanced to their first Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

The drama was over before kickoff, when Boston College lost 31-13 to North Carolina. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney reversed course and congratulated his team for winning the Atlantic Division before taking the field.

"But there's no celebrating," he said. "You're division champs, but champions take care of business, and you've got business out on that field."

The Tigers (8-3, 6-2 ACC) won their sixth in a row since starting the season 2-3. Now, after facing state rival South Carolina on Saturday, they will head to Tampa, Fla., to take on Coastal Division winner Georgia Tech in two weeks.

Spiller had a 4-yard touchdown run and set the ACC's single-season all-purpose yardage mark, surpassing the 2,059 of Virginia's Thomas Jones in 1999.

Virginia (3-8, 2-5) kept things close in the first half, its 21 points more than it had put up in any of its previous five games. But the Cavaliers were shut out the final 30 minutes and lost their fifth consecutive game.

"Unfortunately, we had some mistakes against a team that can now be called championship caliber, having won their division," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

It will be Clemson's first visit to the title game after years of near misses. In 2006, Clemson lost four of its last five to fall from contention. A year after that, the Tigers were beaten by Boston College 20-17 in a division showdown. This time, Spiller got to hold his hand up in triumph as he jogged off the field to the adoring calls of the Death Valley crowd.

Earlier, fans sang Happy Birthday to Swinney, who turned 40 on Friday. When the game ended, spectators filled the field to join in a celebration not seen around Death Valley since Clemson's last ACC title in 1991.

"This is just an extremely special day," Swinney said. And a profitable one for Clemson's coach. Reaching the ACC title game kicked in a contractual bonus that will raise Swinney's salary from the league bottom at $800,000 to the median of all ACC coaches -- around $1.8 million annually.

"We're happy, very happy," said Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips, given a game ball by Swinney.

Spiller had been on a Heisman-type tear in Clemson's win streak, posting record-setting performances of 310 and 312 all-purpose yards in victories over Miami and Florida State.

But Virginia had Spiller's number -- again. After holding him to just 18 yards rushing a season ago, the Cavaliers never let Spiller break free for one of his highlight reel romps. He finished with 58 yards rushing and 114 all-purpose.