It was an exciting weekend for ACC football. Eleven out of twelve teams were in action; some were a lot more successful than others. Let’s see how the teams did.
On Thursday night, Miami turned some heads in route to a convincing 34-17 win over a good Texas A&M team. The offense, especially Kyle Wright, who completed 21 of 26 passes for 275 yards showed great progress. The Canes look to be in good shape heading into conference play this weekend.
The offensive fireworks continued for Boston College this week, as the Eagles trounced Army 37-17. Matt Ryan continued to establish himself as one of the nation’s elite quarterbacks. The senior threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns. This BC offense has been virtually unstoppable all season. Their dominance should continue, as the Eagles next 3 games are almost guaranteed wins, (Umass, Bowling Green, and Notre Dame).
Maryland fell to Wake Forest 31-28 in overtime. The Terps blew a 21 point lead, suffering their first loss in Winston Salem in 10 years. It doesn’t get any easier for Maryland. This week, the Terrapins travel to number 10 Rutgers, hoping to avoid their third straight loss. Wake Forest on the other hand, looks to have things turned in the right direction. Quarterback Riley Skinner returned from a separated shoulder injury to lead the Demon Deacons back from a 3 touchdown deficit. Three of Wake’s next four games are very winnable (Duke, North Carolina, and Navy) A return trip to the Orange Bowl is highly unlikely, but a second straight bowl game is well within reach.
The Virginia Cavaliers extended their lead in the Coastal Division with an impressive 28-23 victory over Georgia Tech. Who would have thought, after the Wyoming disaster, that UVA would be first in the Coastal Division and heading in the right direction toward returning to a bowl game? Cedric Peermen continues to impress me. The Hoos lacked an offensive threat and they needed somebody to answer the call. Peermen has been doing that in a big way. As for the Jackets, this is their second straight defeat and the second straight game that they have given up more than 20 points. GT gets into the heart of their ACC schedule with 3 straight ACC games, 2 of which are on the road. This is critical stretch for the Jackets who are already 0-2 in the ACC. Some good news for the Wramblin Wreck, red shirt freshmen, Correy Earls was released from UVA hospital today, and is doing better.
Virginia Tech won their second straight game, defeating William and Marry 44-3. Now I know the opponent was terrible, but Beamer ball was out in full force. Brandon Flowers ran back an interception for a touchdown, and Eddie Royal returned a punt for a td. Freshmen quarterback, Tyrod Taylor continues to show progress as he moved the ball down the field both on the ground and through the air. A major flaw for the Hokies is their offensive line. I’m sorry but if they can barley overpower the William and Marry D-Line, what’s going to happen when they go against teams like Florida State, Miami, and Virginia, with strong defensive lines? Virginia Tech is finished with out of conference games and will now play 8 straight ACC contests beginning this week, against North Carolina.
Clemson defeated NC State 42-20 to move to 4-0 on the season. The combination of C.J Spiller and James Davis is arguably the best running back tandem in the nation right now. The duo combined for 310 yards on the ground and 4 total touchdowns. This 4-0 start by the Tigers has taken some of the heat off of head coach, Tommy Bowden, but once again his teams have never consistently stayed on top of their game all season. Last year, the Tigers were 6-1 and number 10 in the country, but ended up dropping 4 out of their last 5 contests. The tigers are back in ACC action this week at Georgia Tech. NC State is having a rough time this season. The Pack are 1-3 and 0-2 in the ACC. NC State allowed Clemson to rack up 608 total yards, the most at Cater Finley Stadium since 2001. Quarterback Harrison Beck went down with a knee injury in the first quarter, and the Pack never recovered. One bright spot for NC State yesterday was Darrell Blackmen. The senior scored two touchdowns including a 99 yard kick return. The pack step out of conference play next week to take on a desperate Louisville team.
Duke, oh Duke. Just when I though you would start winning more... The Blue Devils lost 46-43 to Navy in a last second field goal. Looking at the rest of their schedule, Navy was their best chance to pull off another win. UNC might present an opportunity for a win, maybe Notre Dame as well; ( I cant believe I just said that.)
North Carolina fell to South Florida 37-10. After 2 straight narrow defeats at hands of East Carolina and Virginia, the Tarheels were dominated from the opening whistle on. Quarterback T.J Yates finished 11 for 27, with four interceptions, yikes! It doesn’t get any easier for UNC either; their next 5 games are against bowl teams from last year. As I have said before, the Tarheels will struggle this season with a difficult schedule. But happier days are ahead for the Carolina football program. If Butch Davis keeps reeling in these strong recruiting classes, watch out for the Tarheels in years to come.
