In a weekend that saw ACC teams go 8-0 against nonconference opponents, The Blue Zone breaks down the performances of the ACC's 12 teams in action.
Duke 38, Notre Dame 35
Duke (2-2) rode into South Bend, Ind., as a 20-point underdog, prepared to play against one of the most storied programs in college football in front of its sold-out home crowd of 80,000 at Notre Dame Stadium. The Blue Devils came home with a shocking victory, as quarterback Daniel Jones threw for three touchdowns and freshman kicker A.J. Reed, who had missed his first three college field-goal attempts, kicked the game-winner through the uprights to seal the deal. Duke rallied from an early 14-point deficit and a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to snap its two-game losing streak.
North Carolina 37, Pittsburgh 36
Pittsburgh (2-2, 0-1 ACC) blew a 36-23 fourth-quarter lead to fall to North Carolina (3-1, 1-0), allowing two consecutive scores that culminated in Tar Heel quarterback Mitch Trubisky throwing a touchdown to Bug Howard with two seconds left. The Panthers dominated the time of possession all game, holding the ball for 41 minutes to North Carolina’s 19. But Pittsburgh couldn’t make the plays at the right time and allowed the Tar Heels to convert on three fourth downs on their way to a last-second score. Trubisky had an impressive game, throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns, and Ryan Switzer matched a school record with 16 receptions that went for 208 yards.
No. 5 Clemson 26, Georgia Tech 7
Fifth-ranked Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC) stayed tough on the road, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Yellow Jackets (3-1, 0-1). The Tigers' defense was the talk of the game, limiting Georgia Tech to 124 total yards and allowing quarterback Justin Thomas to complete only four of his 13 passes. Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson finished with 304 passing yards and two touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud had eight catches for 101 yards.
No. 13 Florida State 55, South Florida 35
Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook had a monster game against South Florida, propelling his team to a 20-point victory. Cook rushed for 267 yards and two touchdowns, with his first carry of the day going for 75 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Deondre Francois added 169 passing yards and a rushing score, and fullback Freddie Stevenson had two touchdowns on the ground. Florida State (3-1) struggled to defend the run, though, allowing the Bulls to rush for 290 yards and four touchdowns.
Virginia Tech 54, East Carolina 17
Virginia Tech (3-1) got hot early in this game, with Greg Stroman returning a punt to the house for 87 yards following the Pirates' first possession. The Hokies never slowed down, steamrolling through the East Carolina defense all game and building a 38-0 halftime lead. Despite having 443 yards of total offense, East Carolina could not get anything going, as quarterback Philip Nelson was sacked six times and completed only 50.0 percent of his passes.
Virginia 49, Central Michigan 35
Virginia (1-3) got its first win of the season against the Central Michigan Saturday. The Cavaliers delivered a dominant first-half performance, scoring touchdowns on four of their first five drives and taking a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Chippewas came stormed back to tie the game at 28, but Virginia sealed the win with three straight fourth-quarter touchdowns. Quarterback Kurt Benkert had 421 passing yards—a Virginia school record—and five touchdowns, including an 82-yarder in the fourth quarter to break the 28-28 tie.
Wake Forest 33, Indiana 28
Wake Forest (4-0) did not get off to a good start, allowing Indiana to score a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown pass. But the Demon Deacon secondary made several big plays the rest of the way, intercepting quarterback Richard Lagow five times. The Hoosiers outgained Wake Forest 611-352, but the Demon Deacons capitalized on Indiana’s slew of turnovers to remain unbeaten.
No. 3 Louisville 59, Marshall 28
Saturday was all about Lamar Jackson for the fourth straight week, as the Cardinals (4-0) easily took care of business against Marshall. Louisville's sophomore quarterback accounted for seven touchdowns in Saturday’s victory, with five passing and two rushing scores. Jackson’s dominance affirms his status as the Heisman frontrunner, but he will surely be tested next weekend against Clemson in one of the biggest games of the ACC season.
Syracuse 31, Connecticut 24
Syracuse’s savior came in the form of Maryland graduate transfer Amba Etta-Tawo, who broke a school record for most single-game yards by hauling in 12 catches for 270 yards. Etta-Tawo has topped 100 receiving yards in all four games this year and dominated the Huskies’ secondary all day, but his most significant moment came on third down from the Orange's own 4-yard line when a 59-yard catch-and-run reception set up a touchdown run by quarterback Eric Dungey to seal the win in the closing minutes. Syracuse (2-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed.
Boston College 42, Wagner 10
This was only the sixth time that Wagner has played a FBS opponent, and the Seahawks have lost all six without putting up a lot of resistance. Boston College racked up 27 first downs and held Wagner to just seven. Quarterback Patrick Towles registered four total touchdowns and Jon Hilliman ran for a pair of scores to lift the Eagles (2-2) past the Seahawks.
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