The ACC experienced a nearly perfect record across the board, going 11-1 in the second week of the regular season.
Duke 34, Troy 17
The Blue Devils (2-0) quickly rebounded from an early 14-3 deficit with three touchdowns in the second quarter, ending the half with a 24-14 lead. After yielding touchdowns on the Trojans' opening two drives, the Duke defense tightened the screws the rest of the game. Senior linebacker David Helton led the defense with 15 tackles and redshirt senior Quarterback Anthony Boone accounted for 315 total yards and three touchdowns.
Pittsburgh 30, Boston College 20
In the ACC’s second conference game of the season, the Panthers (2-0) rose above the Eagles (1-1) on the road. Sophomore running back James Conner led Pittsburgh with 214 rushing yards and a touchdown and quarterback Chad Voytik passed for 111 yards, resulting in two touchdowns. The Panthers dominated in the second quarter 17-0 in hostile territory and were able to cruise to the finish line after the early burst.
No. 1 Florida State 37, The Citadel 12
The No. 1 Seminoles (2-0), led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Jameis Winston, defeated The Citadel at Doak Campbell Stadium in their home opener. Winston was very efficient, completing 22-of-27 passes and not committing any turnovers. The talented Florida State defense managed to keep its FCS opponent out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, when the outcome had already been decided.
No. 23 North Carolina 31, San Diego State 27
In a close game in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels (2-0) turned up the heat in the fourth quarter to come out on top. Sophomore Mack Hollins had 110 receiving yards, highlighted by a 91-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter that started North Carolina's rally. Despite having an opportunity to pull of the upset late in the game, San Diego State wilted under pressure, throwing a late interception in the end zone with 14 seconds left to seal its fate.
Virginia Tech 35, No. 8 Ohio State 21
In perhaps the biggest upset of the night, the unranked Hokies (2-0) rose above the No. 8 Buckeyes in front of the largest crowd to ever attend an Ohio State game. Missed field goals and a shaky performance from the Buckeye offensive line that led to seven sacks helped Virginia Tech end Ohio State's 64-game winning streak against unranked nonconference opponents. An interception returned for a touchdown by Virginia Tech cornerback Donovan Riley sealed the victory for the Hokies.
No. 23 Clemson 73, South Carolina State 7
The Tigers (1-1) took on South Carolina State in what promised to be a one-sided affair in Death Valley. Clemson scored just 2:25 into the game and never looked back, racking up 735 total yards of offense. Since their first touchdown 2:25 into the 1st Quarter, the Tigers dominated and ran with the game. A late fumble return for a touchdown kept the Bulldogs from getting shut out, but the 66-point margin of victory will probably sting enough.
No. 25 Louisville 66, Murray State 21
The Cardinals (2-0) demolished Murray State with a balanced performance on both sides of the ball. Louisville's running backs had a field day, averaging 6.6 yards per carry to combine for 325 yards on the ground. The Racers got their first touchdown late in the first quarter, but the Cardinals scored 31 consecutive points to take a 45-7 lead into the locker room and effectively end the game early.
Virginia 45, Richmond 13
Despite Richmond surpassing Virginia in terms of yardage, first downs, completions and time of possession, its seven turnovers told the story of the game. The Cavaliers (1-1) took great advantage of the Spiders' miscues and bounced back after falling to Pac-12 power UCLA last week.
Georgia Tech 38, Tulane 21
Saturday marked quite an exciting, fast-paced first half between Georgia Tech and Tulane at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans. There were multiple big plays on both sides and lead changes, but the Yellow Jackets (2-0) asserted themselves in the second half, outscoring the Green Wave—who Duke plays Sept. 20—14-0 and finishing with 344 rushing yards for the game with their triple option attack.
North Carolina State 46, Old Dominion 34
Florida transfer Jacoby Brissett performed particularly well in the Wolfpack's victory against the Monarchs Saturday, finishing with 253 passing yards and two touchdowns. N.C. State (2-0) fell behind 21-10 in the second quarter, but a touchdown by sophomore running back Matt Dayes and successful two-point conversion quickly put the Wolfpack back on track. The game remained close until a failed two-point conversion by Old Dominion and score by N.C. State with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Wake Forest 23, Gardner-Webb 7
In the first half of the match-up between the Demon Deacons (1-1) and the Runnin’ Bulldogs, neither team successfully reached the end zone after Wake Forest was forced to settle for field goals inside the red zone. Despite building an early 9-0 lead, Wake Forest's offense will need to start producing when given chances for the Demon Deacons to compete in a tough Atlantic Division. Although the offense struggled, Wake Forest’s defense managed to stifle Gardner-Webb, holding the Runnin' Bulldogs to just 131 total yards.
Miami 41, Florida A&M 7
The Hurricanes (1-1) dominated the Rattlers in their first home game of the season. Miami’s defense held Florida A&M’s offense to a mere 144 total yards—a huge contrast from the Hurricanes' own 416 total yards. All-ACC running back Duke Johnson played in his first home game since the ankle injury that ended his sophomore season and passed the 2,000 rushing-yard mark for his career, finishing with 97 yards on nine carries. Florida A&M's only score of the game came on a fumble recovered in the end zone late in the first half.
Bye: Syracuse
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