No. 8 Clemson 38, No. 5 Georgia 35
In what was one of the premier games of college football's opening week, the Tigers made a statement for the ACC against a high-powered SEC foe. Quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more and running back Roderick McDowell ran for 132 yards in a game that had no shortage of offense, with both teams combining for 1,012 yards under the lights in Death Valley.
No. 6 South Carolina 27, North Carolina 10
The Gamecocks threw for a 65-yard touchdown pass on their third play from scrimmage and jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. South Carolina never looked back, disposing of the Tar Heels in their season-opener. Sophomore Mike Davis led the way for the Gamecocks with 115 yards on 12 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown scamper to ice the game.
Georgia Tech 70, Elon 0
Duke did not provide the most lopsided result in the ACC's first week of action—rather, it was the Yellow Jackets who drubbed Elon 70-0. Georgia Tech averaged 7.2 yards per carry and racked up 557 yards of total offense, but perhaps the biggest surprise was quarterback Vad Lee's big-play ability through the air, throwing for 189 yards and two touchdowns on 7-of-11 passing.
Virginia 19, BYU 16
The Cavaliers were on upset alert late in their season-opener against the Cougars, but a 13-yard touchdown run by Kevin Parks with 2:36 to play was enough to give Birginia its first win of the year. Amassing just 223 yards in the game, the Cavalier offense looked anemic at times, and Virginia also struggled to stop BYU running back Jamaal Williams, who ran for 144 yards on the game.
No. 1 Alabama 35, Virginia Tech 10
The Hokies never had much of a chance against the defending national champions. Head coach Nick Saban's squad marched into Lane Stadium and struggled at times on offense, but superb special teams play allowed the Crimson Tide to run away with a victory. Wide receiver Christion Jones opened the scoring for Alabama with a 72-yard punt return touchdown and added a 94-yard kickoff return for a score in the second quarter. Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas struggled, completing just 5-of-26 passes.
Penn State 23, Syracuse 17
In a tale of two quarterbacks true freshman Christian Hackenberg earned the first win of his college career against one of the ACC's newest members while senior Drew Allen struggled in his first start for Syracuse. The Nittany Lions managed just 1-of-16 on third down, but were still able to come away with the win as the defense held off the Orange at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands.
Wake Forest 31, Presbyterian 7
The Demon Deacons held the Blue Hose to just two—yes, two—first downs in a 31-7 thumping at BB&T Field. Presbyterian managed just 151 yards of offense, including just 49 through the air. Wake Forest struggled as well in its season opener, managing just 3.5 yards per carry despite running the ball 54 times against a weak FCS opponent.
Miami 34, Florida Atlantic 6
Duke Johnson opened his sophomore year the same way he closed his freshman campaign—by torching an opposing defense. The Hurricanes running back ran for 186 yards on 19 carries and added a touchdown as Miami rolled in its home-opener. Quarterback Stephen Morris completed just 15-of-27 passes, but the Hurricanes still eclipsed the 500-yard mark thanks to 303 yards on the ground.
Boston College 24, Villanova 14
FCS team Villanova looked as though it was poised to put a scare into Boston College in the season's opening week, but after putting up 14 first-quarter points, the Wildcats were shut out for the remainder of the contest. Villanova opened the scoring with a fake punt that even confused ESPN's cameraman, but ultimately it was 285 yards through the air from quarterback Chase Rettig that led the Eagles to a win.
Maryland 43, Florida International 10
It was the C.J. Brown show in College Park this week, as Maryland's signal-caller completed 20-of-23 passes and amassed 386 yards of offense, including three touchdowns through the air and two more scores on the ground. After a slow start in the first quarter, the Terrapins exploded for 27 second-quarter points and were able to take their foot off the gas in the second half.
N.C. State 40, Louisiana Tech 14
Head coach Dave Doeren earned the first win of his tenure at N.C. State as the Wolfpack scored the first 24 points of the game and never looked back. Senior quarterback Brandon Mitchell completed his first three passes for 93 yards in his first game as a starter since replacing the recently-graduated Mike Glennon, but suffered a broken foot that will keep him sidelined anywhere between four and six weeks. Although N.C. State controlled possession for more than two-thirds of the contest, this win did not come without a significant cost.
No. 11 Florida State 41, Pittsburgh 13
Seminoles fans found a way to quickly forget about EJ Manuel in the ACC's lone conference game of the week. Redshirt freshman Jameis Winston emerged as a star in his first game at the helm, completing 25-of-27 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns, adding a fifth score on the ground. Playing at Heinz Field in front of more than 65,000 fans, Pittsburgh was dealt a decisive loss in its first ACC game.
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