Around the ACC: Week 6

With chaos churning across the football landscape Saturday, results in the ACC went pretty much as expected. The Blue Zone takes a spin around the conference action:

Georgia Tech 28, Miami 17: The Yellow Jackets picked up one rushing touchdown in each quarter to pace Georgia Tech to a methodical 28-17 triumph against Miami. Justin Thomas completed just 4-of-7 passes for 53 yards, but the ground game gashed the Hurricanes for 318 yards as Georgia Tech improved to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the ACC, giving the Yellow Jackets an early edge in the wide-open ACC Coastal Division and a berth in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season.

No. 1 Florida State 43, Wake Forest 3: After a slow start, Jameis Winston and the top-ranked Seminoles got it going in Tallahassee, scoring 43 unanswered points to dismantle the Demon Deacons after trailing 3-0 going into the second quarter. Winston threw for 297 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score to lead Florida State, which was one of just three top-eight teams that managed to avoid an upset this weekend. Saturday was the first time all season the Seminoles had been shut out in the opening 15 minutes.

Clemson 41, N.C. State 0: The Wolfpack looked to be poised to upset the top-ranked team in the nation last weekend in Raleigh, but were a far cry from their best Saturday in Death Valley. The Tigers pounced on N.C. State for 21 points in the first quarter, as true freshman quarterback DeShaun Watson continued to shine, tossing a pair of touchdown passes for Clemson. Wolfpack signal-caller Jacoby Brissett had an afternoon to forget, completing just 4-of-18 passes for 35 yards and no scores—a quarterback rating of 2.2.

Virginia Tech 34, North Carolina 17: Marquise Williams passed for 187 yards and rushed for 94 more for the Tar Heels, but it wasn't enough to get past the Hokies, who doubled up North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Williams' squad could not solve the Virginia Tech defense on third down, going 2-of-13, and a 47-yard Kendall Fuller interception return just before halftime put the momentum squarely in the Hokies' corner, as its 24-3 halftime lead proved to be more than enough to hold off the Tar Heels.

Louisville 28, Syracuse 6: The Cardinals got the ACC football weekend started with a comfortable 22-point win at the Carrier Dome Friday night. Sophomore tailback Brandon Radcliff rushed for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns to pace Louisville, which also recorded a pair of safeties in what was a sloppy game by both teams.

Virginia 24, Pittsburgh 19: The surprise team in the ACC Coastal so far, Mike London's Cavaliers improved to 2-0 in conference play with a five-point win against Pittsburgh. Kevin Parks did the heavy lifting for Virginia, rushing for 169 yards and a touchdown as part of a 21-point second quarter, and the Cavalier defense did a solid job on the Panthers' powerful tailback James Conner, holding the sophomore to 83 yards on 21 carries. Virginia finished last in the division last season but has gotten off to a 4-2 start this year in a season that many feel will determine London's fate in Charlottesville.

Byes: Duke, Boston College