Duke 20, Virginia 13
In a low-scoring, back-and-forth Homecoming contest, Duke held on to beat Virginia in Durham and capture an important conference victory. The Blue Devils (6-1, 2-1 in the ACC) found the end zone both times via tight end, once on a first quarter connection from redshirt senior Anthony Boone to redshirt sophomore Erich Schneider and then again in the fourth quarter when redshirt sophomore Thomas Sirk completed a jump pass to redshirt junior David Reeves. The Blue Devil defense then held Virginia (4-3, 2-1) scoreless in the fourth quarter, giving the Blue Devils their sixth win of the year and securing a program-first third straight bowl bid.
No. 2 Florida State 31, No. 5 Notre Dame 27
In the much-anticipated matchup of the week, Florida State (7-0, 5-0) held on to beat Notre Dame (6-1) on a last second call that took a game-winning touchdown away from the fighting Irish. Down four with the ball and under a minute to play, Notre Dame drove into the red zone and then appeared to take the lead on a fourth down wide receiver pick play that Corey Robinson took into the end zone. But the Irish receivers setting the screens were called for pass interference on the play, and with a stop on the ensuing fourth-and-eighteen play, the Seminoles captured their seventh win of the season. Amid continued controversy, redshirt sophomore Jameis Winston shined for Florida State, passing for 273 yards and two touchdowns to keep the Seminoles undefeated.
Pittsburgh 21, Virginia Tech 16
Thursday night’s ACC game saw Pittsburgh end its three game losing streak at the expense of visiting Virginia Tech (4-3, 1-2) in an ugly contest by both sides. The Panthers (4-3, 2-1) rode the legs of quarterback Chad Voytik and running back James Conner to victory, as the duo combined for 203 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. A banged up Hokie offense had little success advancing the ball, gaining just 26 yards on the ground and failing to complete a late fourth down conversion attempt that allowed Pittsburgh to run out the clock and wrap up the win.
Syracuse 30, Wake Forest 7
On the road at Wake Forest, Syracuse (3-4, 1-2) erased an early deficit and then ran away with the game, scoring the last 30 points of the game en route to a 30-7 victory against the Demon Deacons (2-5, 0-3). The Orange defense led the onslaught, scoring two defensive touchdowns and limiting Wake Forest to just 68 yards after the Demon Deacons starting quarterback John Wolford left the game in the second quarter with a suspected concussion. Wake Forest’s poor offensive showing prolonged a painful trend for the program—the team came into the game ranked last in the nation in rushing—while the blowout win snapped a four-game losing streak for Syracuse.
No. 24 Clemson 17, Boston College 13
Playing through pain and rain, Clemson (5-2, 4-2) needed a couple of breaks to go its way to secure the win at Boston College (4-3, 1-2) Saturday. The Tigers’ starting quarterback Cole Stoudt played through a strained left shoulder to lead his team to a 17-13 come-from-behind victory. Following the go-ahead touchdown run by Clemson’s C.J. Davidson, the Eagles found themselves in need of a touchdown due to a missed extra point earlier in the game. But a dropped pass by streaking Boston College receiver Tyler Rouse led to a turnover on downs and allowed Clemson run out the clock for the win.
Louisville 30, N.C. State 18
Staring down an upset, Louisville (6-2, 4-2) needed a recovered onside kick and an ensuing 46-yard touchdown run to seal a 30-18 victory against N.C. State Saturday. The Wolfpack (4-4, 0-4) had pulled within five following a 21-yard touchdown pass by junior Jacoby Brissett, who finished the day with 223 yards and two touchdowns. Former Auburn star Michael Dyer had 173 yards on the ground and was responsible for the Cardinals' final touchdown, making Saturday his best day since transferring to Louisville.
North Carolina 48, Georgia Tech 43
North Carolina (3-4, 1-2) survived a shootout Saturday, beating Georgia Tech (5-2, 2-2) 48-43 on a touchdown run by running back T.J. Logan with 11 seconds left. The Tar Heels needed the last-minute touchdown after blowing an 11-point lead earlier in the game, and the score gave them their first win since Sept. 6. Georgia Tech’s vaunted running attack took a back seat to North Carolina's passing game in the contest, as junior quarterback Marquise Williams completed a school-record 38 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns.
Bye: Miami
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