Around the ACC: Week 8

Florida State is coming off its bye week and is set for a matchup against former offensive coordinator and UMass head coach, Walt Bell, Saturday at noon. While the ‘Noles host a rare non-conference game in October, the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference is set to face each other except for Wake Forest, who welcomes Army to Winston-Salem.

I went into depth on each conference game this weekend and what's at stake for each team regarding the race in their divisions.

Atlantic:

#16 Wake Forest (6-0) vs. Army (4-2) - Saturday, Noon

The Demon Deacons, who boast the highest ranking in the conference, return to the field after a week off. In its last two games before the bye week, Wake Forest won by a combined margin of six points. Against an Army team that averages 295 rushing yards per game, the Demon Deacons defense has a tall task ahead of them.

Army played Wisconsin last Saturday, but fell 20-14 in Madison. Army wants to get into a slow-paced, grind-it-out game. If the game is close in the second half, the Black Knights have executed their game plan and are right where they want to be.

Louisville (3-3) vs. Boston College (4-2) - Saturday, 4 p.m.

With both squads on two-game losing streaks, look for each team to pull out all the strings. Louisville junior running back Hassan Hall is a player to watch. Hall rushed for 162 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries in last Saturday’s 34-33 loss against Virginia. Boston College won last year's game 34-27.

The loser of this game could be in jeopardy of not meeting the bowl-eligible six wins.

Cross Divisional:

Virginia Tech (3-3) vs. Syracuse (3-4) - Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Before last Saturday’s 28-7 home loss against Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech was considered by some to be the favorite in the Coastal division. As they hope for a couple of losses from Pittsburgh, every game is a must-win for head coach Justin Fuente moving forward if the Hokies want to win the division.

The Orange nearly pulled off the upset against Clemson last Friday, but lost 17-14. Syracuse is on a three-game losing skid, with each loss coming by three points.

#23 Pittsburgh (5-1) vs. Clemson (4-2) - Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett has the Panthers' offense humming, with a staggering 533.5 offensive yards per game. Pittsburgh is in prime position to represent the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship, and a win against Clemson would make things even sweeter. The Panthers have not beaten Clemson since 2016.

The Tigers are averaging 20.5 points per game this season, excluding their 49-3 win against South Carolina State on Sept. 11. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and the offense must be better on third downs if they hope to keep up with the Pittsburgh offense. Clemson was just 5-for-15 on third downs in its win over Syracuse.

Miami (2-4) vs #18 NC State (5-1) - Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

The Hurricanes are trending in the wrong direction. With quarterback D’Eriq King and running back Cam’Ron Harris out for the season, the Miami offense is banged up. Additionally, wide receivers Mark Pope and Dee Wiggins entered the transfer portal Monday.

Meanwhile, things are trending in the right direction for head coach Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack. They’ve won four straight games, including last Saturday’s 33-7 drubbing of Boston College. Sophomore quarterback Devin Leary threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Coastal:

Virginia (5-2) vs. Georgia Tech (3-3) - Saturday, 7 p.m.

Georgia Tech enters this matchup off a bye week, with its last win coming against Duke 31-27 on Oct. 9. The sophomore duo of quarterback Jeff Sims and running back Jahmyr Gibbs headline an offense that averages roughly 400 yards per game, compared to the Cavaliers 526 offensive yards per game.

Virginia could really benefit from a win here before its next three games, which include a trip to BYU, a home game versus #13 Notre Dame, and a divisional tilt at #23 Pittsburgh. If Virginia looks too far ahead, Sims, Gibbs, and the Yellow Jackets have all the talent to pull off the road upset.

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