As conference play starts to heat up, more clarity has emerged in the ACC. With another big win, Miami showed it is the team to beat in the Coastal Division, and although Clemson continues to dominate the Atlantic Division, a key injury could shake up its season.
Virginia 28, Duke 21
The Blue Devil defense largely did its job, limiting quarterback Kurt Benkert to just 182 yards and 4.2 yards per attempt. Safety Jeremy McDuffie even provided some offense, taking back an interception 42 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. But Duke's offense couldn't hold up its end of the bargain, especially quarterback Daniel Jones, who finished with two interceptions and just 124 yards on 14-of-42 passing. After the Blue Devils took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter, Virginia stormed back with 21 unanswered points behind Benkert’s 3 touchdown passes.
No. 16 Virginia Tech 23, Boston College 10
Bouncing back after a tough loss to No. 2 Clemson, the Hokies dominated the Eagles behind quarterback Josh Jackson’s 322 yards and 53-yard touchdown pass to receiver Sean Savoy, who had nine catches for 139 yards. Virginia Tech was in control from the very beginning, holding the Eagles to finish just two of 15 on third down and limiting Eagles quarterback Anthony Brown to just 166 yards on 13-of-30 passing.
No. 24 N.C. State 39, No. 17 Louisville 25
The Louisville defense had a tough time containing the Wolfpack, as running back Nyheim Hines rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Finley also finished with 367 yards through the air. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson played to his usual standards for most of the game, finishing with 427 total yards and three total touchdowns. Jackson had a chance to bring the Cardinals back and tie the game with three minutes left, but threw an interception returned 25 yards for a touchdown by Germaine Pratt.
Syracuse 27, Pittsburgh 24
After two straight losses, Syracuse entered this matchup against Pittsburgh having lost 11 of their past 12 matchups against the Panthers. But the Orange bounced back, as junior quarterback Eric Dungey finishing with 413 total yards and three touchdowns. The Orange defense showed up to play, preventing the Panthers from converting a third down until halfway through the 4th quarter and holding them to just 3-of-13 for the whole game. The Panthers made it interesting after a 19-yard rushing touchdown from Qadree Ollison and a successful two-point conversion made it 27-24, but Syracuse held on to come away with the win.
No. 2 Clemson 28, Wake Forest 14
Clemson took care of business at home, dispatching the Demon Deacons with a strong all-around effort. The Tiger’s didn’t let Wake Forest score until the 4th quarter and the offense finished with 453 yards of total offense. But the biggest news for Clemson fans came when quarterback Kelly Bryant exited with an ankle injury—his status going forward is uncertain.
No. 13 Miami 24, Florida State 20
In arguably the most exciting game of the week, the Hurricanes traveled to Tallahassee and stole a win in the final seconds against their rivals. Florida State won the battle in the trenches, outrushing the Hurricanes 203-83 and holding Miami to just 2.9 yards per carry. But Miami quarterback Malik Rosier did just enough to come away with the win. Down by three with 1:24 on the clock, Rosier engineered a 75-yard drive and capped it off with a 23-yard strike to Darrel Langham with six seconds left. The victory keeps Miami a perfect 4-0 on the season, while the loss for Florida State gave it its first 1-3 start since 1976.
No. 13 Notre Dame 33, UNC 10
In his first career start, sophomore quarterback Ian Book looked shaky, but Notre Dame ran all over the Tar Heels for 341 yards to drop North Carolina to 1-5. Josh Adams broke free for a 73-yard score and Deon McIntosh added two touchdowns of his own to seal the game for the Fighting Irish. On the other side of the ball, the Fighting Irish defense shut down the Tar Heels, allowing only 265 yards of offense and forcing three turnovers.
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