ACC Football News & Notes: Three Still Unbeaten at Halfway Mark

Read Time:5 Minute, 9 Second

As we begin the second half of both the league and the schedule in general, the ACC finds itself in great shape. Three schools, Louisville (6-0, 3-0), Florida State (5-0, 3-0), and North Carolina (5-0, 2-0) are still without a loss. The three unbeaten teams are tied with both the Big 10 and the Pac-12 for the most in an FBS conference. 12 of the 14 teams still have bowl possibilities based on their overall records. For the second straight week, five teams are ranked in the AP Top 25, led by Florida State at #4, North Carolina at #12, Louisville jumped up 11 spots to #14, Duke at #17, and Miami at #25. There are four teams ranked in the USA Today AFCA coaches poll. Florida State, Louisville, and North Carolina are in the Top 15, and Duke is at #18. Here is more from the league.

Four schools in the ACC have this weekend off. Boston College, Clemson, Virginia, and Georgia Tech. All five games scheduled for this weekend are league games. Louisville became the first conference team to become bowl-eligible with their win over Notre Dame last Saturday night. They are one of five teams in the nation to do that. The others are Georgia, Michigan, USC, and Oklahoma. The win by the Cardinals over the Fighting Irish snapped a ND winning streak vs league teams. Since 2017, Notre Dame has won 30 straight games vs ACC teams. For the first time in school history, Louisville has back-to-back seasons with a win over a Top 10 team. This week the Cardinals hope to keep things going on the road as they visit Pittsburgh (1-4, 0-2). The Panthers will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Cardinals.

The Top 25 matchup in the league finds Miami (4-1, 0-1) at North Carolina (5-0, 2-0). The Tar Heels put up some pinball numbers in their win over Syracuse last week. They recorded 424 yards of total offense in the first half alone, on their way to 644 yards for the game which is a season-high. QB Drake Maye put up monster numbers as he threw for 442 yards and three touchdowns. In the first half, Maye was 23-of-35 for 280 yards and two TDs. He completed passes to 10 different receivers in the first half. He also had a rushing score as he ran for 55 yards on the day. The Tar Heels are 5-0 for the first time in 26 years. In Miami last second loss to Virginia. QB Tyler Van Dyke was 24-of-35 for 288 yards and a score. However, three interceptions were killers. For the season to date, Van Dyke is 98-of-135 for 1,330 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 178.8 passing efficiency rate. That ranks him sixth in FBS.

Florida State has now scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games. It’s the longest active streak in the ACC. It is also the second-longest streak in the nation and second-longest streak in the league’s history. The Seminoles are a perfect 20-for-20 in the red zone. The 20 red zone trips are second in the nation among the five remaining teams that have been perfect in the red zone. FSU’s 80% touchdown percentage in the red zone is sixth-best in the country and is second among those who are perfect inside the zone. This week, the Seminoles hope to keep that going vs Syracuse.

For the Orange QB, Garrett Shrader has scored six rushing touchdowns on the season. That total ranks him second on the team and 24th in the nation. For his career, Shrader has 29 which puts him in a tie for fourth in program history. He is also tied for eighth in league history for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. The Orange will be looking to stop two things on Saturday. Their own two-game losing streak and the Seminoles’ 11-game winning streak.

After an open week, the Duke Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0) get back to work this week vs North Carolina State (4-2, 1-1). Duke’s record is the same to start a year for the second straight season and for the sixth time in the last 10 years. They ranked in the top half of the league in scoring offense (32.6, #6) and defense (11.2, #1). They are one of two schools in the conference that is averaging at least 30 points and allowing 15 a game. Their head coach, Mike Elko is off to a 13-5 (.722) as head coach. It is the best 18-game start in school history. The Wolfpack got themselves into a shootout with Marshall last Saturday. The 48-41 home win saw career highs from quarterback MJ Morris. He threw for 265 yards which matched a career high. He also passed for four touchdowns, also a career-high. RB Delbert Mimms III had 15 carries for 65 yards and a score. The carriers were career-high. TE Trent Pennix had a career-best 99 yards receiving and his first multiple-touchdown game.

Both Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-1) and Wake Forest (3-2, 0-2) are coming off losses last weekend. In the Hokies’ loss to FSU, quarterback Kryon Drones was 14-of-27 for 104 yards. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 80 yards on 14 carries. VT finished the day with 313 yards on offense, including 209 on the ground. Wake Forest held Clemson to just 17 points on the road. It was just the third time the Tigers had been held to 17 points or less at home. The Demon Deacons defense forced two turnovers for the first time since 2017. Junior Safety Malik Mustapha had nine tackles on the day, which tied him for game-high. But the Tigers still found a way to get the win in Death Valley.

That is all for this week. Next week we will be back with more from the ACC.