No. 2 Florida State 37, Florida 7
The Seminoles (12-0, 8-0 ACC) dismantled their in-state rivals to win the ACC Atlantic Division and secure themselves a spot in the ACC Championship Game. The Gators (4-8 )finished the season on a seven-game losing streak to finish with a losing record for the first time since 1979. Heisman candidate Jameis Winston finished with 327 yards passing and three touchdowns through the air—all of them to sophomore wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Benjamin racked up 212 yards receiving on the day, as he finished a remarkable month of November that included seven touchdown receptions. Florida State’s defense was dominant in this matchup, yielding only 193 total yards and squashing any chance of an upset. The Seminoles moved up to No. 1 in the AP Poll and BCS Standings after Alabama’s loss to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, and now Duke is the only team standing in their way of playing for the national championship.
No. 6 Clemson 17, No. 10 South Carolina 31
Six turnovers by Clemson (10-2, 7-1 ACC)—including four in the fourth quarter—proved to be too many to overcome against South Carolina (10-2). Despite the victory, the Gamecocks' hopes of playing in the SEC Championship Game were ruined when No. 5 Missouri defeated No. 21 Texas A&M to clinch their place in the conference championship game. Tiger quarterback Tahj Boyd threw two interceptions and committed a crucial turnover late in the game. With his team down by a touchdown and driving deep in Gamecock territory, Boyd fumbled and cost his team a great scoring opportunity. The Tiger defense held firm, but punt returner Adam Humphries fumbled the punt and South Carolina recovered. This time, the Gamecocks capitalized with a 26-yard touchdown catch by Brandon Wilds to put the game out of reach.
Syracuse 34, Boston College 31
The Orange (6-6, 4-4) rallied late to defeat the Eagles (7-5, 4-4) to earn their sixth win and become bowl eligible. After Boston College settled for a 21-yard field goal following an interception, Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt drove his team down the field for the winning touchdown—an eight-yard pass to Josh Parris. The Eagles lost more than just a football game in this one, as star running back Andre Williams—the nation’s leading rusher—left the game in the third quarter and did not return.
Maryland 41, N.C. State 21
In their final ACC game before they leave for the Big Ten next season, the Terrapins (7-5, 3-5) cruised past the Wolfpack (3-9, 0-8). Quarterback C.J. Brown threw for two touchdowns and ran for three more, amassing nearly 400 yards of total offense to lead Maryland’s attack. After N.C. State scored a touchdown on its opening drive, the Terrapins rattled off 34 unanswered points to essentially put the game out of reach by halftime. The Wolfpack finished the season on an eight-game skid, becoming the first team in school history to go winless in the ACC in over 50 years.
Wake Forest 21, Vanderbilt 23
The Deamon Deacons (4-8, 2-6) were unable to complete a Hail Mary as time expired against Vanderbilt (8-4). The Commodores kicked a 38-yard field goal with less than a minute left that proved to be the margin of victory. Jordan Matthews made a clutch acrobatic catch on fourth-and-11 during the final drive for Vanderbilt, allowing them to move the chains and ultimately kick the winning field goal. Senior quarterback Tanner Price finished his career at Wake Forest with 155 yards passing, as well as 47 yards and a touchdown on the ground. With the rushing touchdown, he tied the school record for total touchdowns accounted for.
Virginia Tech 16, Virginia 6
Despite being knocked out of contention for the ACC Championship Game, the Hokies (8-4, 5-3) ended the regular season on a high note by beating their in-state rivals for the 10th straight time. The Cavaliers (2-10, 0-8) are now 4-18 in their last 22 games overall, and were once again unable to muster anything offensively. The game’s lone touchdown was scored by running back Trey Edmunds with less than a minute left in the first half. Edmunds racked up 93 yards on just 11 carries, but the touchdown came on a short pass out of the backfield that he took 26 yards for the score. The second half became a struggle between the defenses, as Virginia Tech held onto their 10-point lead and held Virginia to only 120 yards after halftime.
Miami 41, Pittsburgh 31
Freshman wide receiver Stacy Coley hauled in two touchdown passes in the first four minutes of the game and scored another one on a 73-yard end around to lead the Hurricanes (9-3, 5-3) to a victory against the Panthers (6-6, 3-5). Miami quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and Pitt was never able to get it closer than 34-24 halfway through the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Allen Hurns racked up a career-high 173 yards for the Hurricanes, becoming one of only four players in team history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
No. 25 Georgia 41, Georgia Tech 34 (2 OT)
A 25-yard touchdown run by Todd Gurley in the second overtime gave the Bulldogs (8-4) their first lead of the day, but it turned out to be enough to defeat the Yellow Jackets (7-5, 5-3 ACC). Gurley ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns on the day, scoring two touchdowns in the overtime periods to key a big comeback for Georgia. The Bulldogs trailed by 20 in the first half, but rallied back to earn their fifth straight victory in this rivalry. Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee threw for a career-high 232 yards, but was unable to lead his team back into the endzone after Gurley scored to give Georgia the lead. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the second quarter, only to see the Bulldogs fight back with 17 unanswered points and eventually tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
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