After another week of exciting conference play, the ACC pecking order slowly seems to be taking form. With Florida State cruising towards the Atlantic Division title, control in the chaotic Coastal Division is still up for grabs.
Duke 31, Georgia Tech 25
On the back of a punishing running game and an opportunistic defense, the Blue Devils (5-1, 1-1 in the ACC) snapped a 10-year losing streak with an impressive 31-25 victory against the Yellow Jackets (5-1, 2-1). The win was Duke’s first win in Atlanta since 1994 and vaulted the Blue Devils back into contention in the Coastal Division.
After taking a 14-12 lead into halftime, Duke was forced to sit through a 75-minute weather delay. But the Blue Devil defense unleashed a storm of its own on the Yellow Jackets early in the third quarter. After a forced fumble by Jamal Bruce and interceptions by Xavier Carmichael and Jeremy Cash, the Duke offense was able to consolidate the turnovers into 17-unanswered points and an insurmountable 31-12 lead.
The Blue Devil offense—which struggled mightily in the ACC opener in Miami—rushed for 242 yards and didn’t commit a single turnover, managing the clock and giving its defense a breather. The Blue Devils now face a crucial challenge against Coastal Division leader Virginia Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium in the team's homecoming game.
No. 1 Florida State 38, Syracuse 20
The Seminoles (6-0, 4-0) refused to fall in a classic trap-game situation just a week before a showdown against Notre Dame in Tallahassee, building a commanding 24-6 halftime lead before cruising to a 38-20 win against the Orange (2-4, 0-2) at the Carrier Dome. Star quarterback Jameis Winston was once again the subject of off-field distractions stemming from a sexual assault allegation, but his play showed no side effects. Winston was 30-of-36 for 317 passing yards and three touchdowns and was the driving force behind his 19th consecutive victory as a starter. The Seminoles also received key contributions from running back Dalvin Cook who carried the ball 23 times for 122 yards and a touchdown.
But despite the easy victory, Florida State lost its top spot in this week's AP Poll to upstart Mississippi State, which has knocked off three consecutive top-10 SEC opponents. Nonetheless, if the Seminoles get past the fifth-ranked Irish next week, they will definitely still be on track to earn one of the spots in the inaugural College Football Playoff.
No. 6 Notre Dame 50, North Carolina 43
The Fighting Irish (6-0) were able to overcome early miscues by quarterback Everett Golson and a poor defensive performance to escape with a 50-43 home victory at home against the Tar Heels (2-4, 0-2). Two early turnovers interceptions by Golson put Notre Dame in an early 14-0 hole, but the Fighting Irish offense was able to get on track and take a 28-26 lead into halftime.
But turnovers would continue to plague Golson in the third quarter and North Carolina capitalized on an early fumble by the quarterback to take a 36-35 lead after three quarters. Notre Dame would respond using two lengthy 81-yard drives which consumed much of the game clock and gave the Fighting Irish a 50-36 lead they would never relinquish. It remains to be seen whether Notre Dame can shore up their turnover issues and busted coverages before taking on the Seminoles next week, but if the Fighting Irish upset the Seminoles, they could go undefeated with very few tough games remaining on their scheduled.
Clemson 23, Louisville 17
The Tigers (4-2, 3-1) were able to withstand the loss of starting freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson and get a key defensive stand late to come away with a 23-17 victory against the Cardinals (5-2, 3-2). Clemson’s potent offense struggled to get the ball moving throughout the game and finished with a meager 229 yards of offense. But Louisville also had offensive struggles of their own and wasn’t able to move the ball until backup quarterback Will Gardner came into the game after halftime.
A 23-yard field goal by the Tigers appeared to have clinched the game for Clemson, which held a 23-17 lead with just 1:20 left to go in the game, but Gardner’s 73-yard strike to James Quick had the Cardinals at the Clemson eight-yard line just 12 seconds later. The Tiger defense stood tall, though, stuffing Louisville with a dramatic goal line stand to earn a key win in the race for second in the Atlantic Division. But with Watson likely being limited with his broken finger, it remains unclear how Clemson will adjust to having a pedestrian offense in future contests.
Boston College 30, N.C. State 14
Behind an overpowering rushing attack led by quarterback Tyler Murphy and running back Jon Hilliman, Boston College (4-2, 1-1) controlled much of the game in a 30-14 victory against the Wolfpack (4-3, 0-3). A 310-43 advantage in rushing yards and a 17:26 advantage in time of possession were key indicators of the Eagles' rout on the road. Murphy’s 132 yards on the ground helped him maintain his absurd rushing totals as the leader in rushing yards for quarterbacks in the nation.
Miami 55, Cincinnati 34
An offensive explosion fueled by explosive running back Duke Johnson and freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya helped the Hurricanes (4-3, 1-2 ACC) dismantle Cincinnati 55-34 at home. Johnson dazzled with 162 yards on the ground on only 10 carries and a highlight-reel 80-yard touchdown run full of evasive moves by the shifty running back. The Miami running back became the school leader in all-purpose yards and still has five games to add to his total. The Hurricanes blew open the game on a 79-yard strike from Kaaya to Phillip Dorsett, which gave Miami a four-touchdown lead late in the third quarter.
Byes: Virginia, Wake Forest
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