Although there was only one conference matchup in week 2, ACC teams had their share of close calls and blowouts this weekend. The Blue Zone takes a look at how all 15 ACC teams performed this weekend:
Duke 55, NCCU 0
The Blue Devils home opener in newly renovated Wallace Wade Stadium went just as planned as Duke pulled away early and shut out its opponent for the first time since they last played N.C Central in 2013. Duke’s defense allowed only nine first downs in the contest and forced the Eagles to go 1-of-14 on third downs. Thomas Sirk had another strong game at quarterback, throwing for 315 yards and three touchdowns—punctuated by an 89-yard toss to running back Shaun Wilson in the third quarter. Sirk also showed off his versatility by racking up 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
No. 9 Notre Dame 34, Virginia 27
Notre Dame backup quarterback DeShone Kizer was forced into action after starter Malik Zaire suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the second half. Kizer made a name for himself when he fired a 39-yard touchdown pass to Will Fuller with 12 seconds left to help the Fighting Irish stave off the upset. Quarterback Matt Johns performed well for Virginia with 289 yards passing and two touchdowns, and helped set up Albert Reid who ran into the end zone with less than two minutes left in the game, giving the Cavaliers the lead and a chance to shock the college football world. However, Virginia’s defense could not get the stop they needed and the Cavaliers fell in a heart-breaking fashion.
Houston 34, Louisville 31
Houston came away with a major upset on Louisville’s home field after a back-and-forth game that featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals benched starting quarterback Lamar Jackson—who threw two interceptions—in favor of Kyle Bolin to start the fourth quarter. Bolin was more effective and lead Louisville on two touchdown drives. But the Cougars’ offense responded every time and quarterback Greg Ward threw a touchdown pass with 3:15 left in the game to give Houston the lead. The Cardinals had one last chance with a 53-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing drive to force overtime that was blocked, dropping the team to 0-2 on the seaosn.
Syracuse 30, Wake Forest 17
Conference play opened with a matchup between two perennial bottom-dwellers with the winner having the rare opportunity sit atop the Atlantic division standings for a week. Syracuse kept the Demon Deacons off the scoreboard in the second half to come away with the victory. Quarterback Eric Dungey threw two long second-half touchdown passes, including an 83-yard connection with wide receiver Brisly Estime in the third quarter to give the Orange the lead for good.
North Carolina 53, N.C. A&T 14
North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams bounced back from his costly end-zone interception in the closing minutes of the Tar Heels’ Week 1 loss to throw for two touchdowns and run for another in a blowout win Saturday. North Carolina jumped out to a 36-0 haltime lead and never looked back. Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky added two more touchdowns in the second half, and sophomore running back Elijah Hood overpowered the Aggies’ defense on the ground and found the end zone twice as well.
Pittsburgh 24, Akron 7
Pittsburgh received devastating news at the beginning of the week when it was announced that running back James Conner—last year’s ACC Player of the Year—will be out for the season with a torn ACL. But backup Qadree Ollison performed well as the new starter against Akron, running for 81 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers trailed 7-3 early in the contest, but used their defense to stay in the game. Pittsburgh's defense was strong all day, holding the Zips to just 110 yards of total offense.
No. 15 Georgia Tech 65, Tulane 10
Georgia Tech became the second straight Coastal division team to cruise past the Green Wave, exploding for 65 points in a blowout victory Saturday. Quarterback Justin Thomas threw two touchdown passes and six different Yellow Jacket players ran for a touchdown, as Tulane never found an answer for Georgia Tech’s option offense. Georgia Tech racked up 439 total rushing yards and controlled possession with a 34-26 advantage. The Yellow Jackets face a major test next week on the road against No. 8 Notre Dame.
No. 11 Florida State 34, South Florida 14
Senior Everett Golson struggled at quarterback for the Seminoles, but running back Dalvin Cook picked up the slack to carry the team to a victory against in-state rival South Florida. Cook’s 266 yards and three touchdowns helped Florida State break a 7-7 tie at halftime and dominate the second half. All three touchdown runs were of at least 20 yards with no run being more impressive than Cook's 74-yard scamper through the entire Bulls defense in the first half.
Miami 44, Florida Atlantic 20
Five costly turnovers doomed Florida Atlantic’s quest to challenge in-state foe Miami on Friday night, as the Hurricanes pulled away late for a comfortable win. After an Owls field goal tied the score at 20 early in the second half and put the pressure on heavily favored Miami, the Hurricanes rattled off 24 unanswered points to close out the game. Running back Joseph Yearby led the way for Miami with 146 yards rushing along with 97 yards through the air to go along with two touchdowns.
No. 12 Clemson 41, Appalachian State 10
Clemson scored four touchdowns in the second quarter to jump out to a 31-point halftime lead, effectively sealing the win early on. Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns to lead his team’s offense and the Clemson defense forced the Mountaineers into three turnovers to fuel the dominant performance by the home team. The Tigers now have a short rest before hitting the road for a tough Thursday night matchup against Louisville.
Boston College 76, Howard 0
The Eagles dominated their overmatched FCS opponent in every phase of the game, scoring six touchdowns in the first quarter on their way to a 62-0 halftime lead. Howard managed only two first downs and 11 yards of offense the entire game, going backwards on the vast majority of their possessions. No Eagles player passed or ran for over 100 yards, as they were able to spread the wealth and get their reserves into the game early.
N.C. State 35, Eastern Kentucky 0
The Wolfpack defense fueled the team to an easy win against Eastern Kentucky, shutting out the Colonels and holding them to just 112 yards of offense. Junior running back Matt Dayes led N.C. State’s offense for the second straight week, running for 116 yards and three touchdowns. Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett also had a solid game, completing 17 of 22 passes with one touchdown.
Virginia Tech 42, Furman 3
Virginia Tech rebounded from a loss to top-ranked Ohio State to play a strong, mistake-free game this week against Furman. New starting quarterback Brendan Motley threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns as the Hokies scored 21 points in the third quarter to break the game wide open. Meanwhile, Furman's quarterback Reese Hannon never found an offensive rhythm, completing just 9 of 21 passes and throwing two interceptions.
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