Things Wolfpack Must Keep Note of Following ACC's Week 1
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The ACC officially wrapped its week one action on Monday night of this week. Below is a recap of all the ACC action that took place this past weekend in college football.
Surprised in Week 1
No. 14 Florida State (1-0)
The Florida State Seminoles put the college football world on notice with their surprise 31-17 upset victory over No. 22 Alabama. New Seminole offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn had the Crimson Tide defense confused with all of his motions and eye candy for the defense; his rushing attack ran for 230 yards.
Florida State starts the season 1-0, and already has half of its win total from a season ago. The program finished with a disappointing 2-10 record in 2024. Head coach Mike Norvell rebuilt the roster in the offseason, and so far, it looks promising in Tallahassee.
No. 5 Miami (1-0)
Quarterback Carson Beck made a surprising move by entering the transfer portal this past offseason and deciding to go to Miami. The Hurricanes opened up the season with a tough battle with No. 9 Notre Dame, which is coming fresh off a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance.
It was a prime opportunity for Beck to prove he’s still a top quarterback in the nation, and he did, helping Miami win 27-24 over the Fighting Irish. Beck went 20-for-31, 205 yards, and two touchdowns.
Likely first-round pick EDGE rusher Rueben Bain Jr. had an impressive outing as well, totaling four pressures and a win percentage on true pass sets of 33.3 percent.
California (1-0)
Cal winning over Oregon State may not be that surprising. But the performance of true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has been getting talked about from all over the nation. He went 20-for-30, 234 yards, and three touchdowns. His performance earned him Pro Football Focus' national quarterback of the week.
He had five big-time throws for his first outing and an NFL passer rating of 123.5.
UNC (0-1)
North Carolina isn’t under this section for a good reason. Many were wondering how the debut of Bill Belichick would go, and to put it simply, it went badly.
It’s only one game, and the program is embracing over 70 new players this season. Regardless, losing to TCU 48-14 isn’t the best way to open up a new era of a coaching staff and decision makers. South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez didn’t look the part, getting benched mid-way through, and the defense, which Belichick is known for, gave up over 542 yards.
Took care of business
No. 17 SMU (1-0)
SMU took care of business vs. East Texas A&M. The Mustangs were led by an impressive performance by fifth-year receiver Romello Brinson, who had seven receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Junior quarterback Kevin Jennings looks to lead the Mustangs back to the College Football Playoff. He started off his 2025 campaign with 260 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Pittsburgh (1-0)
The Panthers played Duquesne, winning 61-9. Sophomore Eli Holstein threw four touchdown passes. Pittsburgh’s defense only let up 37 total rushing yards in the blowout win.
Boston College (1-0)
Head coach Bill O’Brien starts his second year leading the Eagles with a blowout win over Fordham. Boston College won 66-10, only giving up 168 yards of total offense.
Louisville (1-0)
Sophomore running back Isaac Brown returns to the Cardinals this season, and after rushing for 1,173 yards in 2024, fans are excited to see what he has for 2025. In the 51-17 win over Eastern Kentucky, Brown only carried the ball six times, but went for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
USC transfer quarterback Miller Moss threw for 223 yards, one touchdown, but two interceptions.
Virginia (1-0)
The Cavaliers welcomed in North Texas transfer Chandler Morris to be their starting quarterback. He helped lead Virginia to a 48-7 win over Coastal Carolina. His favorite target was fellow transfer Cam Ross, who hauled in seven receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Duke (1-0)
The Blue Devils started slow against Elon, going into halftime tied 10-10. In the second half, Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah took over, throwing three touchdown passes and finishing the game with over 350 passing yards. Duke won 45-17
Close Gritty Wins
NC State (1-0)
The Wolfpack had a tough battle with in-state rival East Carolina. The Pirates beat NC State in the Military Bowl this past December, and sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey made sure that result didn’t repeat itself.
Bailey threw for over 300 yards, his third time in his career, and led the Wolfpack to a 24-17 win over ECU.
Georgia Tech (1-0)
The Yellow Jackets traveled to Colorado to face off against Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes in both teams' season openers. Georgia Tech was once again led by the toughness of quarterback Haynes King, who once again led the team in rushing yards.
King finished the night with 19 carries for 156 yards with three touchdowns in a close-fought 27-20 win.
Losers/Disappointing performances
Virginia Tech (0-1)
The Hokies matched up with the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Aflac Kickoff in Atlanta on Sunday. Virginia Tech was battling until South Carolina sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers hit a strike to junior receiver Nyck Harbor for a 64-yard touchdown that put the Hokies away.
Senior quarterback Kyron Drones threw two picks in the 24-11 loss.
Syracuse (0-1)
The Orange also participated in the Aflac Kickoff, but on Saturday against another SEC opponent in Tennessee. Their matchup wasn’t as closely fought as the Hokies', losing 45-26 to the Volunteers. Notre Dame transfer quarterback Steve Angeli threw for over 250 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Wake Forest (1-0)
The Demon Deacons actually won their matchup against Kennesaw State in week one, but in a very disappointing fashion. Wake Forest only won 10-9 and needed a late defensive stop to beat the Owls.
Wake Forest was held to only 348 yards of total offense in the win.
No. 8 Clemson (0-1)
The Tigers were a part of the second top-10 matchup in this list, but came out on the wrong side of the result. Clemson lost at home to the LSU Tigers 17-10. Senior quarterback Cade Klubnik had a quiet start to his 2025 campaign, going 19-for-38, 230 yards, and one interception.
Clemson couldn't run the ball at all on LSU’s defense, only totaling 31 total yards for the night.
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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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