Clemson highlights Georgia Tech's home schedule

ATLANTA -- A nationally televised Thursday night appearance by Clemson, the runner-up for the national championship this season, highlights a seven-game home schedule for the Georgia Tech football team in 2016.

The Yellow Jackets will meet Clemson for the 82nd time Sept. 22 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in a game that will be broadcast by ESPN. It will be Georgia Tech's 32nd overall appearance and 24th at home on Thursday night, both NCAA best.

Clemson has won three of the past four meetings and won 43-24 in 2015. Head coach Paul Johnson is 5-4 all-time against Clemson, including a win in the 2009 ACC championship game.

The other game expected to draw the most interest is the appearance of Miami on Oct. 1. This marks the return to Atlanta of former Georgia coach Mark Richt, who takes over as the head coach of his alma mater this fall after winning 145 games in 15 seasons with the Bulldogs. Richt was 13-2 against the Yellow Jackets during his stint at Georgia.

Georgia Tech leads the series with the Hurricanes 11-10 but has lost six of the past seven meetings. Miami won 38-21 in 2015.

The season opener, as previously announced, will be Sept. 3 when the Yellow Jackets travel to Dublin, Ireland, to play Boston College. The game will have a 7:30 a.m. kickoff and be broadcast by ESPN2.

Other ACC home games are Duke on Oct. 29 and Virginia on Nov. 19. Georgia Tech lost to both of those teams last season.

ACC road games include a visit to Pittsburgh on Oct. 8, a trip to play Coastal Division champion North Carolina on Nov. 5 and a trip to Blacksburg on Nov. 12 to meet Virginia Tech, which will be playing under first-year head coach Justin Fuente.

The non-conference schedule features home games against Mercer on Sept. 10, Vanderbilt on Sept. 17 and Georgia Southern on Oct. 15.

Georgia Tech is 11-0-1 in its past 12 meetings with Vanderbilt, including the most recent 56-31 win in 2009. Georgia Tech hung on to beat Georgia Southern 42-38 in 2014, the only meeting between the two programs. Georgia Tech is 13-1-1 all-time against Mercer, but they haven't played since 1938.

The lone non-conference road game occurs Nov. 26 when the annual game against Georgia returns to Sanford Stadium in Athens.

Georgia Tech's annual spring game will be April 23.

Georgia Tech 2016 schedule

Sept. 3 at Boston College, ESPN2, 7:30 a.m. (Dublin, Ireland)

Sept. 10 MERCER

Sept. 17 VANDERBILT

Sept. 22 CLEMSON, ESPN (Thu.)

Oct. 1 MIAMI

Oct. 8 at Pittsburgh

Oct. 15 GEORGIA SOUTHERN

Oct. 22 OPEN

Oct. 29 DUKE

Nov. 5 at North Carolina

Nov. 12 at Virginia Tech

Nov. 19 VIRGINIA

Nov. 26 at Georgia

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Clemson highlights Georgia Tech's home schedule ."