Around the ACC: Week 11
The ACC was jam-packed with action this past week, including one of the biggest upsets of the season.
Starting in Death Valley, the No. 9 Clemson Tigers took care of business against the Louisville Cardinals, securing a well-needed bounce-back win after getting upset by Notre Dame the week prior, all but knocking them out of CFP contention.
The Clemson rushing game was the story in this contest, with Will Shipley rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown and Phil Mafah rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers will stick in Death Valley this coming weekend, taking on the Miami Hurricanes in their penultimate matchup of the season.
Speaking of the Hurricanes, they took care of Georgia Tech thanks to an outburst of 21 points in the final quarter of play. They moved to 5-5 on the season while the Yellow Jackets fell to 4-6.
Moving over to Wake Forest, they lost a nail-biter to No. 13 North Carolina, 36-34. UNC now moves to 9-1 on the season and 6-0 in conference play, essentially securing their birth in the ACC Championship Game.
Drake Maye continued to make his case for a sneaky Heisman candidacy, throwing for 448 yards and three touchdowns. The freshman quarterback is now up to 34 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions on the season.
As for their in-state rival No. 24 North Carolina State, it had one of its worst losses in recent history, losing on a last-second touchdown to Boston College.
The loss can be attributed to their stagnant offense, producing less than 100 yards of offense in the second half.
The season continues to go downhill for the Wolfpack, who had serious ambitions of an ACC title match and an NY6 bowl game.
Both the Wolfpack and Tar Heels will have one more in-conference game before the two teams meet in Chapel Hill to end the season.
The Pittsburgh Panthers clinched bowl eligibility after dominating against Virginia on the road. A 28-point first quarter would lead the way to a 37-7 victory at Scott Stadium.
As for the Cavaliers, they will not have a game this week after they announced the cancellation of their matchup against Coastal Carolina following an on-campus shooting that resulted in the death of three football players.
Duke continued their surprise campaign, dominating the Virginia Tech Hokies 24-7. The Blue Devils had nearly 150 more yards of offense than the Hokies along with 39 minutes of possession.
The Blue Devils will travel to Acrisure Stadium to take on the Panthers in what should be one of the best ACC games of the weekend.
With just two weeks left in the season, the conference championship is all but set between the Tar Heels and the Tigers, yet every team still has something to play for, ranging from bragging rights to bowl eligibility.
Joshua Bartosik is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jsb6137@psu.edu.
