Around the ACC: Week 5 (Football)

Story posted October 2, 2020 in CommRadio, Sports by Logan Bourandas

Unlike years past, the race for the ACC title has been its closest since 2015 when Clemson won its first of five straight conference championships. As the Tigers still remain at No. 1 in the polls, both Notre Dame and Miami are in the top 10, and North Carolina moved up to No. 12 this past week. With Notre Dame and Miami both receiving the week off, there is a strong chance that these rankings will remain the same.

The No. 1 Clemson Tigers have started out just as strong as many expected. They are coming off a 49-0 win against The Citadel in a game where Trevor Lawrence had to throw only nine total passes and Travis Etienne had to run the ball only eight times. Four different Clemson quarterbacks threw passes in the win. This week, the Tigers go up against a 1-0 Virginia team that struggled to pull out a win against Duke last week. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw two interceptions, as the offense was carried mostly by Wayne Taulapapa, who ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Clemson is favored by four touchdowns, and many see this game as a warmup for next week’s matchup against surging Miami.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they have been perhaps the hottest team in the ACC, as they’ve put up an average of just over 43 points per game this season. Transfer quarterback D’Eriq King has been better than advertised, as he threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns and led his team in rushing in a blowout win over rival Florida State. King has been a Heisman contender this year with over 700 passing yards and six touchdowns with no turnovers.

It’s been business as usual for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish currently sit at 2-0 on the season. They haven’t played in over a week, and with a bye this week, they won’t play until Oct. 10 against Florida State. Notre Dame’s game against Wake Forest was postponed last week due to a COVID outbreak for the Fighting Irish. That game would’ve been just the second conference game for them this season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have gone quiet as of recent but through no fault of their own, as they’ve experienced similar COVID issues. When they have played, the Tar Heels have dominated, and they’ve proven that they have the defense to win, as they recorded seven sacks in a victory over Syracuse. This week, they will match up against Boston College, which is 2-0 so far this season. The Eagles smoked Duke in the opening week and then played a close game against Texas State last week. North Carolina is favored by two touchdowns in this game.

 

Logan Bourandas is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.