By Trey McCurry.

By Trey McCurry

Around the ACC

The ACC has two exciting weekends of football left in 2012. The Atlantic Division will be decided this weekend as Florida State travels to Maryland and Clemson hosts NC State. If the Seminoles win, they will be the Atlantic Division representatives in the ACC Championship game. A FSU loss combined with a win over the Wolfpack would give Clemson its second-straight Atlantic Division title and ACC Championship game appearance. The Coastal Division is still completely up for grabs and the big game this week features Duke traveling to Georgia Tech. In other ACC action, North Carolina travels to Virginia Thursday night while Virginia Tech is at Boston College. Miami (FL) and Wake Forest step out of conference this weekend, with the Hurricanes hosting in-state foe South Florida and the Deacons traveling to #3 Notre Dame.

Boston College      2-8 (1-5)

Last Week: 21-6 loss to #4 Notre Dame

This Week: Saturday, November 17 vs. Virginia Tech (12:30PM on ACC Network)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 @ NC State (TBA)

Notes: WR Alex Amidon set the single-season Boston College record for receiving yards with 84 yards against Notre Dame to bring his total to 1,156 yards on the season. LB Steele Divitto forced and recovered a fumble against the Irish, his third of the season and fifth of his career. PK Nate Freese is 7-for-7 in 30-39 yard field goals this season and also hit a 45-yarder, marking the fifth game this season with multiple field goals.

Duke                     6-4 (3-3)

Last Week: Open Date

This Week: Saturday, November 17 @ Georgia Tech (3:30PM on ESPNU)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. Miami (FL) (TBA)

Notes: The Blue Devils have totaled 307 points this season, just the 10th team in school history with 300 or more points in a season. WR Conner Vernon has caught a pass in 45 consecutive games (every game of his Duke career), the longest active streak in the FBS, and is tied for the ACC record. Vernon holds the ACC record with 257 receptions and is fourth in yardage (3,483), 35 shy of the ACC record. PK Ross Martin has a team-leading 83 points.

Florida State         9-1 (6-1)       #10 in BCS, #10 in AP & #6 in USA Today

Last Week: 28-22 win at Virginia Tech

This Week: Saturday, November 17 @ Maryland (12:00PM on ESPN)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. #6 Florida (3:30PM on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)

Notes: FSU is 9-1 for the first time since the 2000 team that played for the national title. QB EJ Manuel, who recorded his first career game-winning TD pass on the final drive of a game, threw for over 300 yards for the third time this season while WR Rashad Greene, who caught the winning pass, caught two TDs for the second time in his career. DE Tank Carradine registered his ACC-leading ninth QB sack while setting a career high in tackles (11).

Georgia Tech        5-5 (4-3)

Last Week: 68-50 win at North Carolina

This Week: Saturday, November 17 vs. Duke (3:30PM on ESPNU)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 @ #4 Georgia (12:00PM on ESPN)

Notes: The 118 points combined in Tech’s 68-50 win at North Carolina set an ACC record but was 18 points shy of the NCAA record (set by Johnson’s Navy team in a 74-62 win over North Texas in 2007). RB Robert Godhigh entered the UNC game with 3 career TDs and matched that total in one quarter against the Tar Heels. PK Chris Tanner, who had not attempted a PAT since 2009 and FG since high school, had 14 points (8 PATs, 2 FGs) in the game.

Maryland               4-6 (2-4)

Last Week: 45-10 loss at #8 Clemson

This Week: Saturday, November 17 vs. #6 Florida State (12:00PM on ESPN)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 @ North Carolina (TBA)

Notes: RB Brandon Ross had 100 yards on 16 carries against Clemson, becoming the second Terp with a 100-yard rushing game this season. Ross also recorded Maryland’s longest run of the season with a 44-yard gain. LB L.A. Goree (9 solo, 1 assisted) and DB Matt Robinson (10 solo) each had 10 tackles against the Tigers. DT Joe Vellano recovered his first fumble of the season and third of his career in the Clemson game.

Miami (FL)            5-5 (4-3)

Last Week: 41-40 loss at Virginia

This Week: Saturday, November 17 vs. South Florida (3:00PM on RSN)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 @ Duke (TBA)

Notes: Miami (FL) needs one more win to become bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season and eighth time since joining the ACC in 2004. The Hurricanes have converted 18 consecutive red zone trips in ACC play, including 13 TDs. RB Duke Johnson has 11 of Miami’s 16 longest plays this season and currently ranks third in the ACC in kick returns (35.41) and ninth in all-purpose yards (168.8). PK Jake Wieclaw is 72-for-72 on career PATs.

NC State               6-4 (3-3)

Last Week: 37-6 win over Wake Forest

This Week: Saturday, November 17 @ #9 Clemson (3:30PM on ABC/ESPN2)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. Boston College (TBA)

Notes: The Wolfpack are bowl-eligible for the third straight yeard and fourth time in five seasons. NC State also improved to 8-1 at home against in-state opponents under O’Brien. RB Shadrach Thornton had 110 yards rushing on 27 carries against Wake while S Brandan Bishop recorded his 11th career INT against the Deacons. WR Tobias Palmer returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 100-yard TD.

North Carolina      6-4 (3-3)

Last Week: 68-50 loss to Georgia Tech

This Week: Thursday, November 15 @ Virginia (7:30PM on ESPN)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. Maryland (TBA)

Notes: The Tar Heels 50 points against Georgia Tech were the most UNC has ever scored in a loss and also the most points in a loss in an ACC game in history. RB Gionvani Bernard has rushed for 1,000 yards for the second straight season and is the first Tar Heel to accomplish the mark since the 1991-92 seasons. TE Eric Ebron set a single-season UNC record for receptions by a tight end with 37 and has 568 receiving yards this season.

Virginia                 4-6 (2-4)

Last Week: 41-40 win over Miami (FL)

This Week: Thursday, November 15 vs. North Carolina (7:30PM on ESPN)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 @ Virginia Tech (TBA)

Notes: The Cavaliers 21 points in the first quarter against Miami (FL) were the most UVA has scoring in an opening quarter since September 2007. QB Michael Rocco threw a career-high four TDs against the Canes while also completing a school-record 18 consecutive pass attempts during the game. WR Dominique Terrell set career-highs with 9 receptions and 127 against Miami (FL) while RB Perry Jones moved into 7th place at UVA in receptions (121).

Virginia Tech        4-6 (2-4)

Last Week: 28-22 loss to #6 Florida State

This Week: Saturday, November 17 @ Boston College (12:30PM on ACC Network)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. Virginia (TBA)

Notes: The Hokies must win their last two games to extend its bowl streak to 20 years in a row as only Florida State (31) and Florida (23) have longer active streaks. QB Logan Thomas has 18 career rushing TDs, the third-most in school history by a QB, and ranks sixth in career passing yards (5,227) at Tech. The Hokies held FSU to -15 yards rushing, equaling the third-lowest rushing total allowed in Beamer’s tenure in Blacksburg.

Wake Forest          5-5 (3-5)

Last Week: 37-6 loss at NC State

This Week: Saturday, November 17 @ #3 Notre Dame (3:30PM on NBC)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. Vanderbilt (TBA)

Notes: WR Michael Campanaro recorded five receptions against NC State and has now caught a pass in 20-straight games. Campanaro also threw a TD pass against the Wolfpack making him 4-of-5 passing for 145 yards and 3 TDs in his career. The Wake defense has a sack in every game this season after totaling only 11 total sacks last season. AJ Marshall & Daniel Mack each recorded a career-high 10 tackles in the NC State game.

Future ACC Teams:

Notre Dame          10-0             #3 in BCS, #3 in AP, & #3 in USA Today

Last Week: 21-6 win at Boston College

This Week: Saturday, November 17 vs. Wake Forest (3:30PM on NBC)

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 @ #18 Southern Cal (8:00PM on ABC)

Notes: The Irish host Wake Forest for the first time in school history. Notre Dame is 10-0 for the eighth time in school history. Of the previous seven teams, five captured national championships and two others finished #2. In nine November games under Brian Kelly, the Irish are 8-1 after going 1-8 in the nine November games prior to his arrival. LB Manti Teo leads the team with six INTs, setting the school single-season record for INTs by a LB.

Pittsburgh             4-6 (1-4 Big East) 

Last Week: 24-17 loss at Connecticut

This Week: Open Date

Up Next: Saturday, November 24 vs. #20 Rutgers (TBA)

Notes: The Panthers must win their final two games to earn bowl eligibility for the fifth straight season. Pittsburgh outscored UCONN 17-0 in the second half last week. The Panthers have played five consecutive games without committing a turnover. QB Tino Sunseri has thrown for 16 TDs and just two INTs, the fewest of any Big East starter this season. RB Ray Graham leads all active Big East players with 33 career TDs and 29 career rushing TDs.

Syracuse               5-5 (4-2 Big East)

Last Week: 45-26 win over #9 Louisville

This Week: Saturday, November 17 @ Missouri (7:00PM on ESPNU)

Up Next: Friday, November 23 @ Temple (TBA)

Notes: The Orange, who were 1-6 in the Big East last year, have clinched a winning record in Big East play. The win against #9 Louisville marked the second straight season in which Syracuse defeated a top-25 team (49-24 win over #11 West Virginia in 2011). QB Ryan Nassib has set a Big East record with 738 career completions and needs just seven yards to set Syracuse’s career passing record of 8,466 yards.