Around the ACC: Week 14 Recap

Virginia Tech - 30 | Virginia - 39

I’m not a huge Bronco Mendenhall fan, but he’s done something at Virginia that no coach has done in a very long time. He beat Virginia Tech, and he deserves some praise for that. The Hokies couldn’t do much to contain UVA quarterback Bryce Perkins, as he passed for 311 yards and a touchdown while also running for another 164 yards and two touchdowns, meaning that Perkins accounted for 475 of the Cavaliers’ 484 yards of offense. Man, I really wonder what that offense is going to look like next season.

Georgia - 52 | Georgia Tech - 7

Game? What game?

Clemson - 38 | South Carolina - 3

Well at least one ACC team beat their SEC rival. Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence was the team’s leading passer (295 yards and three touchdowns) and rusher (66 yards) as Clemson routed South Carolina before they get ready to take on Virginia in the ACC Championship. The Clemson defense held the Gamecocks’ offense to just 161 yards and a nice 69 rushing yards.

Louisville - 13 | Kentucky - 45

Well, Louisville kept things interesting in the first half, but ended up getting blown out in the second half as Kentucky scored four more touchdowns. And the Wildcats mostly did it on the ground, as they went for 517 yards on the ground. They also scored three touchdowns that went for 40 or more yards. Lynn Bowden, Jr. was the guy for the Wildcats, going for 284 yards and four touchdowns. He was also the leading passer, going 1-for-2 for four yards. No, I’m not joking.

Wake Forest - 30 | Syracuse - 39

It was a game that saw both teams’ back-up quarterbacks, but surprisingly, it was the Orange that pulled this one out. Senior quarterback Clayton Welch led his team to victory, going for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Wake Forest sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman also played well in relief of Jamie Newman, who was injured during the second quarter. Hartman went for 350 yards and two touchdowns. it was an ugly game with a lot of penalties and a lot of turnovers.

Boston College - 26 | Pitt - 19

Boston College reaches bowl eligibility thanks to a heavy dose of the running game and a whole bunch of Pitt turnovers. AJ Dillon was a monster, going for 178 yards and a 61-yard touchdown run. The Eagles defense forced four turnovers, so Pitt’s offense struggle to get anything going for too long. Kenny Pickett was fine, but couldn’t find the endzone all day.

Miami - 17 | Duke - 27

It was a nasty game that saw both teams combine for less than 500 yards total. Duke was able to do just enough on offense to pull out the victory, but neither team looked particularly great in this game.

North Carolina - 41 | NC State - 10

Well this was another game that started off close before being blown wide open in the second half. The Wolfpack went into halftime with a 10-6 lead. Through a whole bunch of turnovers and general ineffectiveness by the defense, the Wolfpack allowed UNC to score 35 unanswered to points, including 28 in the fourth quarter. Sam Howell went off (again) for 400 yards and three touchdowns through the air as part of the Tar Heels’ 600-yard offensive performance.

Florida State - 17 | Florida - 40

Well this one only stayed close for the first quarter, which ended in a 7-7 tie. Florida proceeded to score 23 unanswered points in the second quarter to put the game out of reach. Cam Akers had a solid day, going for 102 yards and a touchdown, though the touchdown went for 50 yards. The team’s rushing numbers were also hampered by James Blackman who was credited for -40 yards, leaving the team with just 69 rushing yards. The FSU defense couldn’t get any pressure on Florida’s quarterbacks, and they tore the defense apart for almost 400 yards through the air.

#goacc Moment of the Week

Miami won it last week. It wasn’t really close, so let’s re-live it with some highlights.

Let’s see how the standings look now.

• Florida State - 3
• Georgia Tech - 3
• Miami - 3
• Duke - 2
• #goaccRefs - 1
• Boston College - 1
• North Carolina - 1
• NC State - 1
• Pittsburgh - 1

It’s a three-way tie for first place. Of course it is. Be sure to leave your nominees for this week in the comments, even though I have a pretty good idea who is going to win it! If you see the moment you’d like to nominate, please be sure to rec the comment!

What’s your #goacc Moment of the Week this week?