Around The ACC (Football): Week 3
The ACC goes 11-2 in Week 3 of the season with five teams in the top 25. Let’s see how each team did in their games.
Florida State 35, Louisville 31
The Louisiana Cardinals nearly got the upset against the Florida State Seminoles. After the Seminoles starting quarterback got hurt, backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker steps in to throw two touchdowns and lead them to their third straight win.
The Cardinals played a solid game with turnovers and penalties killing their chances of victory. It’ll be interesting to see how Florida State adjusts without their starting quarterback headed into next week.
No. 5 Clemson 48, Louisiana Tech 20
The No. 5 Clemson Tigers took care of business at home against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs led by Will Shipley. Shipley rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tigers defense forced four turnovers from the Bulldogs, limiting them to six points until the fourth quarter. Clemson got pressure all throughout the game and looked like the team to beat in the ACC.
No. 24 Texas A&M 17, No. 13 Miami 9
The LSU transfer Max Johnson leads Texas A&M to an upset victory over Miami. Johnson threw for 140 yards and one touchdown against a very tough Miami defense.The Miami Hurricanes could not finish drives in the red zone and had to settle for five field goals, two of which missed.
No. 16 NC State 27, Texas Tech 14
NC State all but coasted through this game after an 84 yard pick six from Aydan White. The NC State Wolfpack controlled the game from the start led by their defense that forced four turnovers on the day.
Formally ranked Texas Tech beat NC State in total yards, first downs gained and kept their penalties limited but Texas Trec kept giving NC State the ball back in great field position. Texas Tech has to limit their mistakes if they want to save their season.
No. 19 Wake Forest 37, Liberty 36
Wake Forest escapes a close one against Liberty after blowing a 12-point lead at half. Wake Forest’s defense made a stand against CJ Yarbrough’s attempt at a game winning two point conversion.
Wake Forest’s run game is a concern moving forward, especially with two Atlantic division games coming up against No. 5 Clemson and Florida State. To have a chance at the ACC title, Wake Forest will need to limit the turnovers and figure out their run game.
No. 20 Ole Miss 42, Georgia Tech 0
Georgia Tech takes a beating at home against Ole Miss. Georgia Tech continues to show no improvement under head coach Geoff Collins as they produced a total of 214 yards while giving up 316 yards and six touchdowns in just the run game against Ole Miss.
No. 23 Pittsburg 34, Western Michigan 13
Pitt takes care of Western Michigan on the road with a great showing from the offense, defense and special teams. Pitt only threw the ball only 12 total times and relied heavily on the run game to push their offense.
Pitt’s defense forced multiple turnovers and held Western Michigan to a total of 180 yards. All around dominating win as Pitt continues to build momentum.
Virginia Tech 27, Wofford 7
Grant Wells threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns to give Virginia Tech the win over Wofford. Virginia Tech looked great on all phases and remains first in the Coastal division of the ACC.
Syracuse 32, Purdue 29
Once a low scoring game turns into a nail biting ending as Syracuse beats Purdue and proves that they are one of the top teams in the ACC. Purdue's turnovers and penalties would keep Syracuse in the game long enough for them to throw a last second touchdown to Oronde Gadsden II.
Virginia 16, Old Dominion 14
Virginia kicks a last second field goal to beat Old Dominion in a bounce back win after losing to Illinois last week. Virginia’s offense had a great day combining for 514 yards and two touchdowns. They will begin a difficult stretch of games starting next week against Syracuse.
Duke 49, North Carolina A&T 20
Duke scores 21 points in the first quarter and takes care of North Carolina A&T. Duke wins their third straight game, led by Riley Leonard and the running back committee that ran for 222 yards and four touchdowns.
Boston College 38, Maine 17
Quarterback Phil Jurkovec threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns to give Boston College the home victory over Maine. Boston College played a clean game committing only two penalties for 15 yards, forcing three turnovers and controlling the ball for 33 minutes of the game.
Micheal Bolger is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpb6233@psu.edu.
