Around the ACC: Week 2 Recap

Wake Forest - 41 | Rice - 21

Believe it or not, this game was actually pretty close for a while. At the end of the first quarter, this game was tied at 14. And then it became a completely different game. The Demon Deacons started to dominate in every facet of the game, offensively and defensively. Quarterback Jamie Newnan led the way on offense, finishing 21-of-27 for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Newnan was aided on the ground and through the air. On the ground, freshman Kenneth Walker III ran the ball for 125 yards, including a 96-yard touchdown run. Through the air, Scotty Washington hauled in seven receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns.

Wake Forest plays again Friday night against North Carolina.

William & Mary - 17 | Virginia - 52

The Cavaliers came out swinging in this game, leading 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. Bronco Mendenhall’s defense held William & Mary to just 170 yards of total offense, while the Cavs scored on offense, defense, and special teams. Bryce Perkins was okay in this game, collecting 266 total yards and three touchdowns, but he also turned the ball over twice. Cornerback Nick Grant had a pick-six and return man Joe Reed (who already has three career touchdown returns) added another one here. The Cavs weren’t perfect though, as they had a punt bounce right out of their hands. (#goacc)

If I’m being perfectly honest, this isn’t the most #goacc-worthy thing in the world, but I’m writing this portion before the Saturday slate, so I want to make sure there’s at least one candidate.

Virginia plays again Saturday against Florida State.

Ohio - 10 | Pitt - 20

Pitt made pretty quick work of Ohio behind a strong performance from Kenny Pickett and a good defensive performance. Pickett finished 26-of-37 for 321 yards and a touchdown, and the Panthers defense limited Ohio to just 169 total yards on offense. Senior Maruice Ffrench (yes, that’s how you spell it #goacc) was Pickett’s favorite target yesterday. He had 10 receptions for 138 yards and a long 74-yard touchdown.

Pitt plays again Saturday at Penn State.

Old Dominion - 17 | Virginia Tech - 31

Wow, this was a lot closer than the 28.5-point spread that was predicted for this game, so I’d like to take a second to gloat about me calling this in last week’s episode of the podcast. Anyway, in this game Virginia Tech was doing fine early, leading 17-3 at halftime, but the Monarchs just wouldn’t quit, and both teams scored 14 in the second half. The Hokies struggled to put the game away due to a poor rushing performance from the whole team. The team as a whole had just 131 yards on the ground, compared to Old Dominion’s 202.

Virginia Tech plays again Saturday against Furman.

Syracuse - 20 | Maryland - 63

Oof. So, uhh, Syracuse was supposed to be a pretty solid team this year. Doesn’t look like that’s happening. The Orange defense looked bad in this game, allowing first-year head coach Mike Locksley and the Terrapins have their way early and often. Honestly, this game was over almost as soon as it started.

Syracuse plays again Saturday against Clemson.

Western Carolina - 0 | NC State - 41

This game changed a lot after a first quarter that saw NC State only score three points. Quarterback Matt McKay had a solid game, throwing for 200 yards and a touchdown, but it was the Wolfpack’s running game and defense that won the afternoon. Zamir Knight led the way with 119 yards and two touchdowns, as the whole team put up 309 rushing yards. The Wolfpack defense held the Catamounts to just 92 yards of total offense, including just eight yards rushing.

NC State plays again Saturday at West Virginia.

South Florida - 10 | Georgia Tech - 14

Well, as much as they didn’t seem like they wanted to, Georgia Tech won behind a strong defensive effort. On offense, Georgia Tech couldn’t seem to get much going, outside of Jordan Mason, who ran for 99 yards and a touchdown. Once again, Tech played three quarterbacks, and once again, none of them really stood out in their passing (or got the chance to). The defense looked much improved, though, with an impressive goal line stand that saw DT TK Chimedza force a fumble as USF was about to score the go-ahead touchdown.

Georgia Tech plays again Saturday against The Citadel.

Texas A&M - 10 | Clemson - 24

The only thing surprising about this game is that Clemson didn’t score more. But tbh Clemson always takes a little while to get going. Travis Etienne looked a little more human this week, rushing for just 53 yards on 16 attempts, but the Clemson defense made sure that the offense didn’t need to do a whole lot. They allowed just 275 total yards to the Aggies while also forcing two turnovers.

Clemson plays again Saturday at Syracuse.

Richmond - 13 | Boston College - 45

Boston College took care of business against Richmond, beating them handily. The Eagles’ rushing attack was on fire this weekend, as they had three different rushers go for at least 80 yards: David Bailey (97 yards), Zay Flowers (92 yards, one touchdown), and AJ Dillon (86 yards, two touchdowns). Quarterback Anthony Brown had a solid day as well, completing eight passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns.

Boston College plays again Saturday against Kansas.

Louisiana-Monroe - 44 | Florida State - 45 (OT)

This whole game is #goacc tbh. And I think this tweet illustrates that very well.

Florida State plays again Saturday at Virginia.

North Carolina A&T - 13 | Duke - 45

Duke tripped out the gate with this one. At the beginning of the second quarter, NC A&T was actually winning 10-7. And then, all within the last few minutes of the first half, Duke scored three unanswered touchdowns and not look back. Quarterback Quentin Harris was the star for the Blue Devils. Through the air, Harris completed 30 of his 42 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns. He also added another 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Freshman Jalon Calhoun had a big game for the Blue Devils, hauling in eight catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

Duke plays again Saturday at Middle Tennessee.

Eastern Kentucky - 0 | Louisville - 42

Louisville seems to be much improved from the Bobby Petrino-induced dumpster fire they were last season. They took care of business against Eastern Kentucky, and really dominated the game in nearly every aspect of the game. The Cardinals didn’t need to pass much, because their running game was so good. They ran for 322 yards on the day, with Javian Hawkins leading the way with 123 yards on 11 carries. On defense, the Cardinals pitched a solid shutout and held Eastern Kentucky to just 131 yards of total offense.

Louisville plays again Saturday against Western Kentucky.

Miami - 25 | North Carolina - 28

UNC started this game off really well, having a 17-3 lead at the end of the first. The Hurricanes than proceeded to come back and make it a game. But true freshman quarterback Sam Howell led an incredible game-winning drive for the Tar Heels to take the victory. He finished the game with 274 passing yards and two touchdowns. UNC struggled to run the ball, though, with right under 100 rushing yards.

The Hurricanes, despite the loss, played pretty well in this game. Jarren Williams had a 300-yard, two-touchdown performance, and Deejay Dallas ran for 107 yards. What killed Miami, though, were stalled drives. The Canes went just 3-for-11 on third downs and committed seven penalties.

North Carolina plays again Friday night at Wake Forest. Miami plays again Saturday against Bethune-Cookman.

#goacc Moment of the Week

Well in a runaway, the Florida State fumble recovery debacle is our Week 0/1 #goacc Moment of the Week! So let’s see that play again:

This week, though, we’ve got a new list of Moments to choose from! It’s a pretty easy decision for me, but let me know what you think!