Now before we get too excited about the new look ACC, we had better take a step back and look at what happened on the weekend. I suggested at the beginning of the campaign that the ACC had five teams that, with a few breaks, could be considered contenders. I also stated that the ACC had a soft underbelly and that might hurt the ACC as a whole. Well lo and behold we now have Georgia Tech and NC State at 3-0 and Syracuse at 2-0 to strengthen the middle of the pack. This of course comes at the expense of Louisville and Virginia Tech. So let’s take a quick peek at what the ACC put on the table this week.
Virginia Tech was all-world last week, marching into the Horseshoe and laying a beating on then #7 Ohio State. The Buckeyes got a black eye during Big Ten demolition weekend and now we have a role reversal, with Virginia Tech taking it on the chin from a very good East Carolina team. It was 21 -0 before the hometown Hokies got comfortable in their seats in Lane Stadium. Quarterback Shane Carden sliced and diced VT for 427 yards to seven different receivers and favorite receiver Cam Worthy caught 6 passes for 224 yards. Mix in another 25 running plays and a casual untouched touchdown in the fourth quarter, and you have a recipe for a Pirates upset. The last touchdown with 17 clicks on the clock sealed Virginia Tech’s fate. Quarterback transfer Michael Brewer filled the air with footballs for Virginia Tech, attempting 56 passes, but was harassed all afternoon by a very determined front seven for East Carolina. The Hokies moved up the polls last week and just as quickly disappeared from the top 25.
Meanwhile, in another part of Virginia, Louisville was playing their second ACC conference game, this time in Charlottesville, the home of the Cavaliers. Virginia coach Mike London has been on the hot seat since last season, and even with a gritty performance against UCLA in the opener, there was no security promised. Saturday afternoon, however, was a little old fashioned redemption. Virginia played a tight, tough game where the total yardage stats were fairly equal (282-285). There were no interceptions, but 4 fumbles were thrown in for good measure. What I did notice was the tenacity of the Cavaliers, even in the fourth quarter, when Louisville feverishly attempted that comeback. This is coach London’s first conference win in two years and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Louisville, like Virginia Tech, will probably exit the polls this week.
Boston College, yes that Boston College, pulled off a thrilling upset. The home of Doug Flutie and Matt Ryan and apparently an inspired and exciting Eagles squad shocked the nation. BC welcomed #9 USC to Chestnut Hill and extracted some demons from Week 2 on the Trojans. As you may recall, USC upset Stanford last week and made a nice jump in the polls and probably was counting on an easy little east coast swing. Well, the ACC can tip their hats to this Massachusetts school, as the Eagles vanquished the Trojans 37-31 in fine style. Florida transfer quarterback Tyler Murphy seemed to think he was a running back, ripping off 25- and 27-yard runs to get Boston College into field goal range late in the fourth quarter, then scampered for another 66 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory and hold Cody Kessler and the Trojans to 14 points in the second half. There is a really good chance that Boston College could be 4-1 entering October.
I wonder if the ACC will continue to schedule Georgia Southern so quickly in the future. In Week 1, the Eagles took a bite out of the Wolfpack, but lost by just one. During this weekend, Georgia Southern got to mix it up with in-state rival Georgia Tech. The buzz was all about the Yellow Jackets in the first half, as the Ramblin’ Wreck put up 35 solid points and looked like they were on cruise control entering the second half. Perhaps someone forgot to let the Eagles know that the game should have been over or just maybe Georgia Southern doesn’t read press clippings. Quarterback Kevin Ellison came off the bench and passed for 164 yards and ran at the Yellow Jackets for another 107 yards to almost cap a terrific comeback. Georgia Tech moves up to a very quiet 3-0 and faces Virginia Tech next week.
North Carolina State is 3-0 and after another solid win at South Florida, coach Dave Doeren may be on to something. Yes, it takes time to mold a team into your likeness with your players, and to be sure NC State hasn’t played a conference foe yet. However, the Wolfpack is cutting their teeth and learning their trade really fast on the job. Coach Doeren was not really happy about the listless 3-9 record from 2013, and his 0-8 record in conference play last year was unsettling. This occurred just after leading Northern Illinois to the Orange Bowl and getting his crack in the ACC. Another Florida transfer, Jacoby Brissett, completed over 66 percent of his passes Saturday for 266 yards to nine different receivers and coach Doeren kept everyone involved, as 10 players had running plays for positive yardage. The hapless Bulls could only muster 159 net yards for the afternoon. North Carolina State should be 4-0 in late September when they face Florida State and Clemson back to back.
The Pittsburgh Panthers are in the driver’s seat, and another solid running display from James Connor solidifies that statement. With memories of Ron Dayne from his Wisconsin days swimming in my head, I watched Connor lug the pigskin 31 times for another 177 yards and lead the Panthers to a strong 3-0 start. Then, of course, the other Panthers from Florida International made some noise early to scare the Pitt faithful. Quarterback Alex McGough and FIU scored 16 unanswered points in the first quarter to take the crowd right out of the game. Then the human wrecking ball took over, as James Connor ripped open the FIU defense time and again, and added another three touchdowns to his fast growing legacy. Pittsburgh looks to go 5-0 with Iowa and Akron rolling into steel town the next two weeks.
Yes it’s early, and the two marquee teams from the ACC had a bye week. Although the ACC lost two teams from the polls, they brightened their future.
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