ACC Roundup | Clemson Still Head & Shoulders Above
Clemson 42, Miami 17: Well, we got our answer.
The U isn’t back, at least not yet.
The top-ranked Tigers jumped out to 21-3 lead in the second quarter and were actually looking to increase it with a long field goal as time ran out in the first half, but it was blocked and returned for a touchdown by the Hurricanes.
Miami’s offense wouldn’t score a touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach.
Clemson’s defense swarmed Miami quarterback D’Eriq King all night, limiting him to just 121 passing yards on 12 of 18 passing.
Trevor Lawrence on the other hand looked like Trevor Lawrence, completing 29 of 41 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns while Travis Etienne looked like Travis Etienne, rushing for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries while catching eight passes for another 73 yards.
Miami may be better than it’s been in a while, but the Hurricanes aren’t quite ready to return to the stage as one of the nation’s elite teams.
Clemson, meanwhile, proves it undoubtedly still belongs.
The Irish host Clemson on Nov. 7th.
Notre Dame doesn’t face Miami this year.
Georgia Tech 46, Louisville 27: This one was much closer than the final score would indicate.
Quarterback Malik Cunningham gave the Cardinals a 27-26 with an 11-yard run in the final seconds of the third quarter. But the Yellow Jackets dominated in the fourth with Jeff Sims hitting Jahmyr Gibbs and Malachi Carter with touchdown passes. After Louisville turned the ball over on downs deep in its own territory, Dontae Smith proved the final scoring with a 12-yard run with less than 30 seconds left to play.
Georgia Tech made Louisville pay for turning over the ball, scoring three touchdowns following three Cardinal fumbles.
Cunningham was 19-for-33 for 229 yards and two touchdowns while Javian Hawkins rushed for 155 yards on 26 carries. Marshon Ford caught five passes for 89 yards and a score while Tutu Atwell hauled in six for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Georgia Tech’s impressive freshman duo was impressive again with Sims passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 64 more yards and another score. Gibbs rushed for 61 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown while catching a pair of passes for 60 more yards and another score.
Notre Dame hosts Louisville this Saturday.
The Irish play at Georgia Tech on Oct. 31st.
Boston College 31, Pitt 30 (OT): Seems obvious by now, if BC is involved, the game will go down to the wire.
For the third straight game, the Eagles’ game came down to the final minute and for the second time during that stretch, they came out on top.
After former Irish quarterback Phil Jurkovec connected with Zay Flowers for a 25-yard touchdown on the first possession of overtime, Pitt’s Taysir Mack pulled in a three-yard pass from Kenny Pickett, but Alex Kessman missed what would have been the tying PAT. This after Kessman drilled a 58-yard field goal to force overtime.
Jurkovec finished 19-for-35 for 358 yards and three touchdowns. BC running backs combined for just 72 yards on 29 carries, but Jurkovec and the passing game led the BC offense. Flowers caught six passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns while tight end Hunter Long grabbed six passes for 93 yards.
Pickett completed 24 of his 47 pass attempts for 266 yards and two scores. The Panther rushing attack didn’t have much more success than the Eagles.
The Irish play at Pitt on Oct. 24th.
Notre Dame plays at Boston College on Nov. 14th.
North Carolina 56, Virginia Tech 45: The shootout of the weekend saw the Tar Heels jump out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and 35-14 halftime lead before the Hokies stormed back in the third quarter to make it a five-point game at 42-37.
Dazz Newsome gave the Tar Heels a cushion with a 12-yard touchdown reception before Michael Carter iced it with a 62-yard scoring run. Virginia Tech tight end James Mitchell caught his second touchdown of the day, but it was too little too late for the Hokies.
Hendon Hooker replaced Braxton Burmeister at quarterback in the second half and will remain the Hokies’ starting quarterback moving forward, according to head coach Justin Fuente. Hooker completed seven of 13 passes for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Khalil Herbert rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Mitchell finished with four receptions for 103 yards and the touchdown.
But the Tar Heel received mammoth performances from Carter and Javonte Williams at running back. The duo combined for 383 rushing yards and four touchdowns. North Carolina quarterback Sam Hewell finished with 257 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
Notre Dame plays at North Carolina on Nov. 27th.
The Irish won’t face Virginia Tech this season.
Duke 38, Syracuse 24: The Blue Devils finally got in the win column with a solid overall performance.
Meanwhile, the Orange may have lost their starting quarterback for the season when Tommy DeVito went down with a leg injury in the fourth quarter.
Duke quarterback Chase Brice threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-38 passing while Deon Jackson and Mataeo Durant combined for 332 rushing yards with Durant scoring twice.
DeVito passed for 255 yards and two scores before leaving with the injury. Taj Harris had a huge game, catching six passes for 138 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown pass.
The game was back and forth the entire lead and Duke’s final lead was its largest of the game.
Rex Culpepper is likely to become Syracuse’s starting quarterback for the rest of the year. He’s completed eight of 19 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in limited duty so far this season.
Notre Dame beat Duke 27-13 in the season-opener.
The Irish host Syracuse on Dec. 5th.
NC State 38, Virginia 21: It didn’t turn into the laugher it looked like it might when the Wolf Pack jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first half, but NC State maintained control throughout even when the Cavaliers twice cut the lead to 10.
Zonovan Knight rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns while Devin Leary was 11-for-25 for 184 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolf Pack, who also received a pick-six from Alim McNeill in the fourth quarter.
Lindell Stone completed 30 of his 54 pass attempts for 240 yards and three touchdowns for the Cavaliers. Terrell Jana caught nine passes for 111 yards while Billy Kemp IV, who is emerging as one of the league’s most underrated playmakers, pulled in 10 for 82 yards and a score.
The Irish aren’t scheduled to face either team this season.