By Trey McCurry.
By Trey McCurry
The ACC kicks off its Thursday night package this week and has an unlikely meeting of division leaders. #13 Clemson & Wake Forest get the week started Thursday night in Winston-Salem with four games on tap for Saturday. Coastal Division leader Duke travels to Atlantic Division leader and tenth-ranked Florida State while NC State makes the trip to archrival to North Carolina for the 102nd meeting in the series. In other action, Maryland is at Boston College while Georgia Tech steps out of conference, welcoming BYU to Atlanta.
Boston College 1-6 (0-4)
Last Week: 37-17 loss at Georgia Tech
This Week: Saturday, October 27 vs. Maryland (1:00PM on ESPN3)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 @ Wake Forest (3:30PM on RSN)
Notes: After playing on the road the last three weeks, the Eagles will host three of their final five games. QB Chase Rettig threw for 264 yards at Georgia Tech, moving him within 101 yards of having 5,000 yards of total offense. WR Alex Amidon is tied for fourth nationally in receiving yards per game (115.14) and 17th nationally in receptions per game (6.86). LB Nick Clancy ranks third nationally with 84 tackles in seven games (12.0 per game).
Duke 6-2 (3-1)
Last Week: 33-30 win over North Carolina
This Week: Saturday, October 27 @ #10 Florida State (3:30PM on ESPNU)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 vs. #13 Clemson (7:00PM on ESPN2)
Notes: The Blue Devils are bowl eligible for the first time since the 1994 season. Duke totaled 510 yards against UNC, its highest output of the year and second 500-yard game of the season, including 234 yards rushing (a program high under David Cutcliffe). WR Conner Vernon’s 3,424 receiving yards are a Duke record and leave him 93 yards short of the ACC record. On defense, S Jordan Byas set a career high with 12 tackles against UNC.
Florida State 7-1 (4-1) #12 in BCS, #11 in AP & #10 in USA Today
Last Week: 33-20 win at Miami (FL)
This Week: Saturday, October 27 vs. Duke (3:30PM on ESPNU)
Up Next: Open Date
Notes: With the win at Miami (FL), the Seminoles have not lost to a team from Florida in over 1,000 days. RB Devonta Freeman, filling in for injured Chris Thompson, had 70 yards rushing with 2 TDs against the Canes. DE Tank Carradine recorded his eighth sack of the season against Miami (FL) and leads the ACC in sacks. PK Dustin Hopkins scored 15 points against the Canes, moving him into fifth place on the NCAA all-time scoring list (417 points).
Georgia Tech 3-4 (2-3)
Last Week: 37-17 win over Boston College
This Week: Saturday, October 27 vs. BYU (3:00PM on RSN)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 @ Maryland (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Notes: The Jackets now have more than 400 yards of total yards in six of their seven games this season and have scored 30-plus points five times. Tech’s 91 plays against BC were the most plays under Johnson without committing a turnover. QB Tevin Washington became just the fourth QB in ACC history to rush for 2,000 career yards and has also thrown for over 2,500. Defensively, the Jackets limited the Eagles to just a single third down conversion.
Maryland 4-3 (2-1)
Last Week: 20-18 loss to NC State
This Week: Saturday, October 27 @ Boston College (1:00PM on ESPN3)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 vs. Georgia Tech (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Notes: The Terps racked up a season best 462 yards of total offense against NC State despite QB Perry Hills sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the game. RB Wes Brown had 121 yards rushing with a TD on 25 carries, the most yards on the ground by a Maryland player this season. LB Demetrius Hartsfield matched a season high with 13 tackles as the Terps held their opponent under 100 yards rushing for the fourth time this season.
Miami (FL) 4-4 (3-2)
Last Week: 33-20 loss to #10 Florida State
This Week: Open Date
Up Next: Thursday, November 1 vs. Virginia Tech (7:30PM on ESPN)
Notes: The Hurricanes have scored in less than two minutes in 13 of their 30 scoring drives this season, including five that have needed less than 60 seconds. RBs Mike James & Duke Johnson have combined for 882 of Miami’s 1,014 rushing yards on 178 carries this season while QB Stephen Morris has thrown for 2,214 on the season. Defensively, the Canes recorded six PBUs against FSU, the third time in four home games with five or more.
NC State 5-2 (2-1)
Last Week: 20-18 win at Maryland
This Week: Saturday, October 27 @ North Carolina (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 vs. Virginia (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Notes: NC State snapped a streak of 16 straight road losses to ACC Atlantic Division opponents at Maryland. QB Mike Glennon finished with 307 yards passing, his fifth career game over 300 yards. WR Bryan Underwood extended his own school record with his seventh straight game with a TD catch while CB David Amerson recorded his 17th career INT, most in NC State history and tops among active NCAA players.
North Carolina 5-3 (2-2)
Last Week: 33-30 loss at Duke
This Week: Saturday, October 27 vs. NC State (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Up Next: Open Date
Notes: The Heels have won five games by a combined 167 points while their three losses are by nine total points. TB Gionvani Bernard had his third consecutive 100+ yard rushing game and leads the ACC (fifth in the nation) with 132.5 yards per game. Despite playing in just six games, Bernard is second in the ACC with 12 TDs and third nationally with 12 points per game.
Virginia 2-6 (0-4)
Last Week: 16-10 loss to Wake Forest
This Week: Open Date
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 @ NC State (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Notes: RB Perry Jones became just the fourth Cavalier, and 12th ACC player, with 1,000 career receiving yards and 1,000 career rushing yards. Jones is only the second active FBS player to reach that mark. WR Tim Smith also joined former high school teammate Jones with 1,000 career receiving yards. Despite losing its last two games, the UVA defense has played well allowing only 448 yards (an average of 224 per game).
Virginia Tech 4-4 (2-2)
Last Week: 38-17 loss at #13 Clemson
This Week: Open Date
Up Next: Thursday, November 1 @ Miami (FL) (7:30PM on ESPN)
Notes: The Hokies are off this weekend before playing consecutive Thursday night games at Miami (FL) and at home against #10 Florida State. Tech has scored in a school-record 224 straight games dating back to the 1995 season. QB Logan Thomas is in the top-10 among active ACC players in four offensive categories: total offense (4th, 5,819 yards), passing TDs (7th, 32), passing yards (8th, 5,030), and TDs scored (9th, 17).
Wake Forest 4-3 (2-3)
Last Week: 16-10 win at Virginia
This Week: Thursday, October 25 vs. #13 Clemson (7:30PM on ESPN)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 vs. Boston College (3:30PM on RSN)
Notes: The Demon Deacons have won all four of their previous appearances on ESPN’s Thursday night package. WR Lovell Jackson had a career-best 60-yard punt return against UVA while catching a career-high tying 3 passes for a season-high 37 yards. For the second straight game, Wake held its opponent under 60 yards rushing (48 yards on 32 carries). PK Chad Hedlund was 3-for-3 on FGs against UVA, his first three attempts of the season.
Future ACC Teams:
Notre Dame 7-0 #5 in BCS, #5 in AP, & #5 in USA Today
Last Week: 17-14 win over BYU
This Week: Saturday, October 27 @ #7 Oklahoma (8:00PM on ABC)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 vs. Pittsburgh (3:30PM on NBC)
Notes: The Irish are 8-1 all-time against Oklahoma and will be making their first appearance in Norman since 1966. Notre Dame has been carried by its defense all season. The Irish have not allowed a rushing TD this season, only the third team since 1996 to not allow a rushing TD in the first seven games of a season. Notre Dame is 4-0 in games decided by seven points or less this year, tied for the fourth most wins in school history in a single-season by a TD or less.
Pittsburgh 3-4 (0-3 Big East)
Last Week: 20-6 win at Buffalo
This Week: Saturday, October 27 vs. Temple (12:00PM on Big East Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 @ #5 Notre Dame (3:30PM on NBC)
Notes: The Panthers improved to 29-3 all-time against MAC opponents with the win at Buffalo. QB Tino Sunseri has thrown for 10 TDs against just two INTs this season, the fewest interceptions of any Big East starter. RB Ray Graham rushed for 74 yards with a TD in the win against the Bulls. Graham leads all active Big East players with 29 career TDs and 26 career rushing TDs.
Syracuse 3-4 (2-1 Big East)
Last Week: 40-10 win over Connecticut
This Week: Saturday, October 27 @ South Florida (7:00PM on ESPN3)
Up Next: Saturday, November 3 @ Cincinnati (12:00PM on Big East Network)
Notes: The Orange are 3-1 at home and 0-3 on the road this season. Syracuse has gained at least 500 yards in three of their seven games this season. WR Alec Lemon, who has at least one catch in 22 consecutive games, had eight catches for 166 yards & a TD against the Huskies. RB Jerome Smith rushed for a career-high 133 yards against UCONN. The Orange held the Huskies to -6 yards rushing in the contest.