By Trey McCurry.
By Trey McCurry
The ACC has 10 members in action this week, with all matchups conference contests. Virginia Tech travels to Miami (FL) on Thursday to kick off the action, a game featuring the two most successful ACC programs on ESPN’s Thursday Night Package. In Saturday action, Georgia Tech is at Maryland, Virginia heads down to NC State, and Boston College takes on Wake Forest. #9 Clemson wraps up the ACC weekend at Duke as Florida State and North Carolina have open dates.
Boston College 2-6 (1-4)
Last Week: 20-17 win over Maryland
This Week: Saturday, November 3 @ Wake Forest (3:30PM on RSN)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 vs. #3 Notre Dame (TBA)
Notes: WR Alex Amidon had 137 receiving yards against Maryland, his 5th 100-plus yard receiving game of the season and most in the ACC. Amidon has 943 receiving yards this season, third all-time in a single season at BC. LB Kevin Pierre-Louis had his 3rd double-digit tackle game of the season with 10 tackles against the Terps. PK Nate Freese is a perfect 12-for-12 on FGs under 50 yards this season.
Duke 6-3 (3-2)
Last Week: 48-7 loss at #10 Florida State
This Week: Saturday, November 3 vs. #9 Clemson (7:00PM on ESPN2)
Up Next: Open Date
Notes: Duke recovered four FSU fumbles last week, giving them 11 defensive fumble recoveries on the season. WR Conner Vernon extended his own school record streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 44, one shy of the ACC record, and his streak of 24 straight games with at least two receptions is 3rd in Duke history. WR Desmond Scott is the 3rd player in ACC history with 1000 rushing, 1000 receiving, and 1000 KOR yards.
Florida State 8-1 (5-1) #9 in BCS, #9 in AP & #7 in USA Today
Last Week: 48-7 win over Duke
This Week: Open Date
Up Next: Thursday, November 8 @ Virginia Tech (7:30PM on ESPN)
Notes: The Seminoles have scored 29 rushing TDs this season, just 6 scores from tying the all-time FSU record for rushing TDs in a season. DE Bjoern has an ACC-leading 12.5 TFLs, good for 16th in the FSU single season record books and his 29.5 career TFLs is 15th in Seminole history. PK Dustin Hopkins kicked a career-best 56-yard FG against Duke and set a new ACC record for career FGs (81), good for 4th in NCAA history.
Georgia Tech 3-5 (2-3)
Last Week: 41-17 loss to BYU
This Week: Saturday, November 3 @ Maryland (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 @ North Carolina (TBA)
Notes: DB Jamal Golden’s 97-yard KOR for a TD against BYU was Tech’s first kick return for a score since October 31,1998 (a streak of 178 games). The Jackets have had at least 1 INT in 7 straight games, including S Isaiah Johnson’s 22-yard pick-6 against the Cougars, the 11th defensive TD scored by Tech in Paul Johnson’s 5 seasons. The Jackets did not score an offensive TD for the first time in a game since the 2008 Chick-Fil-A Bowl against LSU.
Maryland 4-4 (2-2)
Last Week: 20-17 loss at Boston College
This Week: Saturday, November 3 vs. Georgia Tech (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 @ #9 Clemson (TBA)
Notes: The Terps have lost 4 QBs, 3 in the span of just over a week, to season-ending injury. QB Caleb Rowe, making his first career start, completed 23 of 42 passes for 240 yards before suffering an ACL injury. WR Stefon Diggs has already cracked the top 20 on the Maryland single-season receiving yards list. Diggs had 152 yards against BC and has 670 on the season, which ranks 16th. The Terps held the Eagles to 8 net rushing yards.
Miami (FL) 4-4 (3-2)
Last Week: Open Date
This Week: Thursday, November 1 vs. Virginia Tech (7:30PM on ESPN)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 @ Virginia (TBA)
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. In each of Miami’s four wins, the Canes made up a deficit of at least seven points to come back and win. LB Denzel Perryman has 47 tackles this season with 31 coming in the last 3 games. S Deon Bush and LB Eddie Johnson each have 3 FF this season, tied for the lead among ACC defenders.
NC State 5-3 (2-2)
Last Week: 43-35 loss at North Carolina
This Week: Saturday, November 3 vs. Virginia (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 vs. Wake Forest (TBA)
Notes: QB Mike Glennon threw for a career-best 467 against the Tar Heels and tied his career high (and a school record) with 5 TD passes. WR Bryan Underwood extended his own school record to 8 straight games with at least 1 TD catch. Underwood is the only player in the nation to have a TD catch in every game this season and is one game shy of the ACC record for consecutive games with a TD catch.
North Carolina 6-3 (3-2)
Last Week: 43-35 win over NC State
This Week: Open Date
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 vs. Georgia Tech (TBA)
Notes: TD Gionvani Bernard’s 74-yard PR for the game-winning TD against NC State was his second of 2012, tying a school record. Bernard had a career-best 304 all-purpose yards against the Wolfpack and leads the nation in all-purpose yards per game (214.0). He has 1498 all-purpse yards this season, 9th-most in school history. TE Eric Ebron extended his single-season UNC record for yards by a TE to 546 and is one catch shy of the school record.
Virginia 2-6 (0-4)
Last Week: Open Date
This Week: Saturday, November 3 @ NC State (12:30PM on ACC Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 vs. Miami (FL) (TBA)
Notes: RB Perry Jones is just the 4th Cavalier, and 12th player in ACC history, with 1000 career receiving yards and 1000 career rushing yards. Jones is the 31st player in UVA history with 1000 receiving yards and is tied for 11th all-time at UVA in receptions (108). WR Tim Smith later became the 32nd player in Cavalier history with 1000 receiving yards, joining his high school teammate Jones. The UVA defense has allowed just 448 yards its last 2 games.
Virginia Tech 4-4 (2-2)
Last Week: Open Date
This Week: Thursday, November 1 @ Miami (FL) (7:30PM on ESPN)
Up Next: Thursday, November 8 vs. #7 Florida State (7:30PM on ESPN)
Notes: The Hokies are making their 25th appearance on ESPN Thursday Night Football and are 19-5 in their previous 24 appearances. Playing on Thursday used to be routine for Tech as they met VMI (in Roanoke) every Thanksgiving afternoon except for 2 from 1913-1969 and are 65-32-5 all-time on Thursdays. Since joining the ACC in 2004, the Hokies have lost just 2 of their 27 league games in November.
Wake Forest 4-4 (2-4)
Last Week: 42-13 loss to #13 Clemson
This Week: Saturday, November 3 vs. Boston College (3:30PM on RSN)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 @ NC State (TBA)
Notes: The Demon Deacons lost their first game (in 5 contest) on ESPN’s Thursday night package. QB Tanner Price completed passes to 8 different receivers against the Tigers. FB Tommy Bohanon had 3 catches for 29 yards and 2 TDs and leads the team with 5 TD catches. WR Michael Campanaro returned from a broken hand and had 6 receptions for 52 yards. CB Kevin Johnson had 4 PBUs, giving him a team-high 9 on the season.
Future ACC Teams:
Notre Dame 8-0 #3 in BCS, #4 in AP, & #4 in USA Today
Last Week: 30-13 win at #7 Oklahoma
This Week: Saturday, November 3 vs. Pittsburgh (3:30PM on NBC)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 @ Boston College (TBA)
Notes: The Irish held the Sooners to their lowest rushing total (15 net yards) in a home game in 10 years and the 7th-fewest rushing yards in Oklahoma history. DE Stephon Tuitt is tied for 8th in the nation with 8.5 sacks, 6th in single-season school history. LB Manti Teo leads Notre Dame with 5 INTs, tied for the most in a single season by a Irish LB. Teo leads all FBS LBs in INTs and is tied for 2nd in INTs overall.
Pittsburgh 4-4 (1-3 Big East)
Last Week: 47-17 win over Temple
This Week: Saturday, November 3 @ #5 Notre Dame (3:30PM on NBC)
Up Next: Friday, November 9 @ Connecticut (8:00PM on ESPN2)
Notes: The Panthers 47 points against Temple were there most against an FBS opponent at Heinz Field. QB Tino Sunseri has thrown for 13 TDs against just two INTs this season, the fewest interceptions of any Big East starter. RB Ray Graham rushed for 2 TDs and caught a TD against the Owls. He leads all active Big East players with 32 career TDs and 28 career rushing TDs. WR Devin Street had a career-high 140 yards on 6 receptions against Temple.
Syracuse 4-4 (3-1 Big East)
Last Week: 37-36 win at South Florida
This Week: Saturday, November 3 @ Cincinnati (12:00PM on Big East Network)
Up Next: Saturday, November 10 vs. #10 Louisville (TBA)
Notes: The Orange overcame a 20-point halftime deficit (and 9-point 4th quarter deficit) in their win at USF. The 20-point comeback was the largest for Syracuse in a game that it won. QB Ryan Nassib threw for 328 yards and 4 TDs against the Bulls, his 5th 300-yard game of the season. RB Jerome Smith rushed for 127 yards against USF, his second straight 100-yard game. WR Alec Lemon caught the winning TD against the Bulls with 3 seconds left.