Week 4 ACC Football Roundup

Usually at this point in the season we are asking if there are any ACC teams that are good other than Clemson.

This season we are just asking if there are any ACC teams that are actually good.

It doesn’t seem like it, because after Week 4, the ACC’s reputation across the country is at an all time low.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons 37 - Virginia Cavaliers 17

This wasn’t the high flying, everyone scores game most were expecting. Wake Forest got what they wanted thanks to another porous showing from the UVA defense, but the Cavaliers’ offense had their worst performance of the season putting up just 3 points in the first half. Brennan Armstrong continued to shine though amassing 407 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Syracuse Orange 24 - Liberty Flames 21

Shoutout the Orange for keeping the ACC’s head up and beating the team nobody should play. A last second field goal gave the Orange the W thanks to having a superious ground game and owning the possession clock. Syracuse passed for just 77 yards, but ran for 228 on 53 attempts.

Boston College Eagles 41 - Missouri Tigers 34

It looked like BC was going let Mizzou escape. The Eagles scored a TD with just 25 seconds left to take a 3 point lead. Three completions later, Mizzou hit a 56 yard field goal to force OT where BC was able to hang on for another ACC over SEC victory. The Eagles are now 4-0 and while they haven’t played much in terms of opponents, they’re a bright spot in this troubled conference.

Pittsburgh Panthers 77 - New Hampshire 7

Pitt took care of its business in its FCS game as they should have. The Panthers now hit the road for the next two weeks with game at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech which will likely decide the ACC Coastal race.

Virginia Tech Hokies 21 - Richmond 10

The Spiders are by no means world beaters in the FCS world which is why the Hokie faithful are that upset with the performance. The Hokies lead just 14-7 at half and scored just once more the entire game. Perhaps a bit of a look ahead game with the Hokies hosting Notre Dame in two weeks.

Miami Hurricanes 69 - Central Connecticut 0

Nice.

Miami has a pillow fight in Charlottesville on Thursday.

Duke Blue Devils 52 - Kansas Jayhawks 33

After a very competitive 24-21 first half that saw the Jawhawks leading, the Blue Devils put their foot down and scored 24 unanswered points to take control. A defensive masterpiece this was not with the two teams combining for 1137 yards. Duke is only 3-1 against a truly awful schedule, but they have 2 Power 5 wins (Northwestern and Kansas), which is tied with Wake for the most in the conference.

Louisville Cardinals 31 - Florida State Seminoles 23

It gets uglier in Tallahassee. This wasn’t even as close as the final 8 point margin suggests since the Cardinals were up 31-7 late in the 2nd quarter and coasted the rest of the way. Credit to the Noles for not quitting and making it somewhat competitive. McKenzie Milton had a decent game throwing for 248 yards and a touchdown, while Malik Cunningham continued to be impressive putting up 264 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air and 56 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 45 - North Carolina Tar Heels 22

So keeping the Tar Heels off the board on a drive is doable. Georgia Tech did it 10 times including 4 punts. UNC took an early 7-0 lead and then collapsed allowing the Jackets to go on a 27-0 scoring binge. The biggest win in Geoff Collins’ coaching tenure in Atlanta, the Tar Heels are now all but out of any ACC title discussion after coming into the season with playoff aspirations.

NC State Wolfpack 27 - Clemson Tigers 21

Clemson has now fallen from “certainly going to run through the ACC again and make the playoff” at the beginning of the season to “maybe they’ll win the ACC Atlantic.” Hate to see it. Meanwhile the Wolfpack now control their own destiny in the Atlantic race and look like they’re on a collision course with Wake at the beginning of November. To get there they’ll have to get through BC in three weeks first.