With the end of the regular season right around the corner, things are falling into shape in the ACC. North Carolina claimed the Coastal Division in dramatic fashion Saturday, setting up a date with No. 1 Clemson Dec. 5.
Virginia 42, Duke 34
Duke’s four-game losing streak started with the loss to Miami on Halloween, and the nightmare only continued. With starting quarterback Thomas Sirk returning from an upper body injury that forced him to miss one game, Duke battled back from a 22-point deficit to come into the Virginia 20 with a chance to tie the game, before turning over on downs with a well-defended pass attempt into the end zone. The Blue Devils could not overcome a strong day from Cavaliers quarterback Matt Johns who passed for a career high 344 yards—a feat made easier when Duke’s star safety Jeremy Cash was ejected in the third quarter on a targeting penalty.
No. 11 North Carolina 30, Virginia Tech 27 (OT)
In legendary head coach Frank Beamer’s final game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va, the No. 11 Tar Heels proved the spoiler, stealing a 30-27 win in overtime. North Carolina secured its tenth-straight win off of quarterback Marquise Williams' five-yard touchdown connection with receiver Quinshad Davis. The loss puts the Hokies at 5-6, despite storming back with 14 points to tie the game with 1:05 remaining. Virginia Tech meets Virginia in Beamer’s last game after 28 years at the helm.
No. 14 Florida State 52, Chattanooga 13
No. 14 Florida State rode a strong performance from running back Dalvin Cook en route to a 52-13 win over Chattanooga. The Seminoles exploded with 17 points in the second quarter and another 21 in the third, as quarterback Sean Maguire was nearly flawless going 12-17 with 152 yards and 2 touchdowns. The win puts Florida State at 9-2 on the year going into its rivalry game at No. 10 Florida.
No. 1 Clemson 33, Wake Forest 13
The No. 1 Tigers stayed undefeated with an easy victory over ACC cellar-dweller Wake Forest. Clemson’s Heisman candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson rolled over the Demon Deacons with 343 yards and three touchdowns through the air and ten carries for 44 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Clemson has now wrapped up the ACC Atlantic and awaits North Carolina in the ACC championship in Charlotte, N.C.
Miami 38, Georgia Tech 21
In an uncharacteristically poor season for Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets dropped to 1-7 in the ACC after losing to the Hurricanes. Miami has won three of its last four since firing head coach Al Golden, and rode a three-touchdown game from running back Mark Walton to a win that puts it at 7-4. In his second game back from a concussion, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya passed for 300 yards and one touchdown on only 16 completions as Georgia Tech managed two interceptions and only 59 yards from its quarterbacks.
No. 4 Notre Dame 19, Boston College 16
In a game that ended closer than expected on the reconfigured field at Fenway Park, Boston College was able to hang with the No. 4 Irish until the end of the game thanks to an uncharacteristic five Notre Dame turnovers. Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer had an uneven night, passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns but also giving up three interceptions. Boston College came back into the game with an 80-yard highlight-reel run from freshman quarterback Jeff Smith, but the failed two-point conversion all but ended the chance of an upset.
N.C. State 42, Syracuse 29
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for two touchdowns and the patchwork Wolfpack backfield ran for three more as N.C. State grabbed its seventh win of the year against the Orange Saturday. Syracuse dropped to 1-6 in conference play with the loss, putting head coach Scott Shafer's job in jeopardy.
Pittsburgh 45, Louisville 34
The Panthers picked up their sixth ACC win Saturday—the most conference wins in program history—as quarterback Nathan Peterman threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns to fuel the Pittsburgh offense. Qadree Ollison continued to fill in for the injured James Conner to the tune of 152 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Pat Narduzzi's vaunted defense gave up plenty of points but made enough stops to keep Pittsburgh in second place in the Coastal Division.
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