ACC Football News & Notes

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ACC Football News & Notes

Here we go, with month number two of the college football season. For the most part, it will be all about the league from now on. Let’s take a look at how the first month went.

The league racked up 32 total non-conference wins during the month. It’s the second-highest total among all conferences, and just behind that of the SEC. The conference seven true road wins in non-conference play are the most of any conference. The league’s three road wins at Power 5 schools are tied for the most in the country. You may be surprised at who the ACC is tied with. That would be the Mid-American Conference.

The Clemson Tigers and the North Carolina State Wolfpack are two of fourteen remaining undefeated teams in FBS competition. Both teams are ranked in this week’s AP poll. For the Tigers, it marks the 55th straight poll appearance, including 25 straight times in the top ten.

Pack vs. Pirates

12.1.18https://t.co/tuF8zy3KtH

— NC State Football (@PackFootball) October 2, 2018

For the Wolfpack, their 4-0 start is the first time they have gotten off this way since 2015. They have won six straight dating back to last season. Heading into their home game this Saturday vs Boston College, NC State sits at number 23 in the poll.

Speaking of those Eagles, running back A.J. Dillon leads the conference and is fifth in the country with 122.8 yards per game averaged. This is since becoming a starter back on October 14, 2017, at Louisville (a span of twelve games). The Eagles are nine and three record-wise and are averaging a whopping 456.3 yards of total offense.BC’s defense is getting things done as well. The unit ranks fifth in the country with 3.8 sacks per game. Defensive end Wyatt Ray is 13th in the country at 1.1 per game.

The Miami Hurricanes are at #17 in the polls this week and the defense is the staple of this team. Heading into this weekend, the Canes defense is the second-ranked unit in the nation. They have allowed only 244.8 yards per game.

The Virginia Tech Hokies received a big lift from backup quarterback Ryan Willis. Taking over for the injured Josh Jackson. Willis threw for 332 yards and a career-high three scores in Va. Tech’s 31-14 road victory over Duke. The passing yards are the most since 1987 by a QB making his first start for Virginia Tech.

🚨 BEAMER ALERT 🚨

Tech to unveil monument on Saturday to celebrate the career of Hall of Fame Coach Frank Beamer.

DETAILS ⤵️https://t.co/6FKMuV7TmW #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/eFcZmviJ3B

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) October 1, 2018

Willis’s performance also got him recognized as quarterback of the week in the ACC, and named him as one of The Manning Award ” Eight Stars Of The Week”.

The Atlantic Coast Conference continues to be the league that brings people to their television sets. Last Saturday’s matchup between Syracuse and Clemson delivered a 3.3 overnight rating. It is ABC’s best in the noontime slot since 2016. The rating spiked up 65 percent from the same game window last year.

The ratings for this game peaked to an impressed 5.0 during the fourth quarter when the Tigers began their rally.