ACC Week 3: Clemson Heartbroken, NC State Stays Perfect
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Another wild week of college football action has concluded. A recap of how ACC teams fared in the chaos.
Took care of business
Syracuse (2-1)
The Orange offense found its stride in week three against Colgate, with quarterback Steve Angeli throwing for 382 yards and five touchdowns. Syracuse dominates after a rough outing against UConn in week two – the team responded with a dominant win over the Raiders 66-24.
No. 4 Miami (3-0)
The Hurricanes faced their second-ranked opponent of the young season in No. 18 South Florida. The Bulls were coming fresh off two straight ranked wins against Boise State and Florida in the weeks prior.
Miami proved too much for the Bulls, dominating in a 49-12 win. Quarterback Carson Beck threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns, continuing a strong start to the young college football season.
Virginia (2-1)
The Cavaliers' rushing attack built off the impressive performance the unit had in week two against the Wolfpack. The team rushed for 379 yards and put up a program record 700 yards of offense. With a record-setting offensive performance, the Cavaliers beat William & Mary 55-16.
𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃.
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 13, 2025
7️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Yards of total offense 🔥#GoHoos 🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/nT6ewlHE62
SMU (2-1)
After a double overtime loss to Baylor a week ago, the Mustangs rebounded with a 28-10 win over Missouri State. Quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for over 250 yards and a touchdown. The game was the Bears' first home game at the FBS level.
North Carolina (2-1)
The Tar Heels opened up this season with a blowout loss to TCU at home. Ever since the team is 2-0 with a win over Richmond on Saturday, 41-6. Quarterback Gio Lopez threw for two touchdowns while running for one more, and freshman running back Demon June ran for 140 yards with a touchdown.
Another fun day in Kenan 😄 pic.twitter.com/btC4kpb3yu
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) September 13, 2025
California (3-0)
Freshman quarterback Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele continues his strong 2025 season, throwing for three touchdowns against Minnesota, 27-14. Sagapolutele finished 24-for-38 for 279 yards and three passing touchdowns.
In-conference losses
Wake Forest (2-1)
The Demon Deacons opened up their ACC schedule against NC State, losing on Thursday night, 34-24. Wake Forest jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but NC State clawed its way back in the second half to win the matchup.
Robby Ashford finished 21-for-35 for 252 yards and two interceptions. Running back Demond Claiborne struggled in the matchup with only 12 rushes for 35 yards and one touchdown.
Clemson (1-2)
Heartbreak came over Tiger fans all over the country, as Yellow Jacket’s kicker Aidan Birr drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired. Clemson fell to their ACC rival 24-21 on the road as the offense couldn't find its stride late.
Clemson entered the season as one of the national champion favorites, along with a Heisman favorite in quarterback Cade Klubnik. The offense has gotten to a slower start than most anticipated, resulting in the two losses early in the season.
Boston College (1-2)
The Eagles struggled in the trenches against Stanford, giving up 223 rushing yards to the Cardinal, while only rushing for 56 as a team. Quarterback Dylan Lonergan found success in the air, throwing for over 300 yards, but it wasn’t enough in the 30-20 loss.
In-conference wins
NC State (3-0)
Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey helped lead his team to a second straight come-from-behind victory, this time against Wake Forest, in a 34-24 win. Bailey found Justin Joly for two touchdowns in the Wolfpack’s first conference game of the season.
Stanford (1-2)
Running back Micah Ford rushed for a career-high 157 yards and a touchdown, giving interim head coach Frank Reich his first collegiate win. The team as a whole ran all over the Eagles, rushing for 223 yards total as a team.
✅ Home opener dub
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 14, 2025
✅ Conference dub
✅ First dub for Coach Reich#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/qnhOGnBWLd
No. 18 Georgia Tech (3-0)
Bobby Dodd Stadium experienced a good old-fashioned field storming as kicker Aidan Burr drilled a 55-yard field goal as time expired, upsetting No. 12 Clemson. Quarterback Haynes King was 19-for-27 for 216 yards and added 25 carries for 103 yards with a touchdown.
Let’s just move on to next week
Duke (1-2)
— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 14, 2025
The homecoming for quarterback Darian Mensah to Tulane didn’t go as planned. Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff ruined the homecoming, rushing for four touchdowns, winning 34-27. Duke quickly fell 24-3 and wasn’t able to sustain a comeback in the end to win.
Virginia Tech (0-3)
The Hokies fell to Old Dominion 45-26, in one of the more surprising results in the Saturday slate. As if things could’ve gotten any worse, Virginia Tech opted to fire head coach Brent Pry after the 0-3 start.
Pittsburgh (2-1)
The Panthers' rushing attack couldn't find its stride against West Virginia on Saturday afternoon – rushing for a total of 47 yards. Quarterback Eli Holstein finished 22-for-37 for 303 yards with one touchdown and a pick.
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Daniel Rios graduated from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His deep passion for sports has taken him to positions at ESPN and Cronkite News. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Beat Writer for the North Carolina State Wolfpack On SI.
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