Around the ACC - Week 2
After a busy and wildly entertaining first week, ACC football fans should be ready for more action; plenty of intriguing matchups are on the horizon. Wake Forest takes a trip to Nashville to face undefeated Vanderbilt – but let’s take a look around the conference ahead of a week two schedule that kicks off on Friday night.
Friday
Louisville (0-1) at UCF (1-0)
Line: Louisville +5.5
Time/Channel: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Last week, the Cardinals found themselves on the wrong side of a 31-7 demolition against last year’s cellar dwellers, the Syracuse Orange. After throwing two interceptions and posting an extremely disappointing 25.6 QBR, senior QB Malik Cunningham has an opportunity to bounce back in a big way this week.
Louisville is a road underdog against one of the top non-power five teams in the country, the Central Florida Knights. UCF walked over FCS South Carolina State 56-10 in their season opener. Beginning the season 0-2 would be a considerable disappointment for a squad predicted to be a force in the Atlantic Division.
Saturday
#15 Miami (1-0) vs Southern Mississippi (0-1)
Line: Miami -25
Time/Channel: Noon ET, ACCN
New head coach Mario Cristobal and his offense’s stellar rushing attack (305 yards and SEVEN touchdowns) made a lot of noise in a pseudo scrimmage against Bethune-Cookman last week. The Hurricanes provided no reason for anyone to doubt their lofty preseason ranking, dropping an impressive 70 points.
This week, Miami faces a Southern Mississippi team that posted ten offensive penalties and five turnovers in their four overtime loss to Liberty (who Wake hosts on Sep. 17) last Saturday. In what should produce a similar rollover victory for the Hurricanes, Miami must ensure they take this opponent seriously, and not turn their attention too early to next week's showdown vs No. 6 Texas A&M.
Duke (1-0) at Northwestern (1-0)
Line: Duke +10
Time/Channel: Noon ET, FS1
New head coach Mike Elko is surely pleased with the start of his tenure in Durham. Despite lackluster expectations for 2022, the Duke Blue Devils provided a picture-perfect performance in their week one 30-0 shutout of Temple.
Duke faces a much tougher matchup this Saturday against a well-rested Northwestern squad, coming off a bye week after opening the season with a big win against Nebraska in Ireland. The Wildcats might be a tough matchup, but Duke fans have reason to believe in new sophomore signal-caller Riley Leonard, who shined with 328 yards and two touchdowns in his debut. If the Blue Devils can play the same level of football from week one against a much more challenging opponent in Northwestern, a road upset could be in the making.
North Carolina (2-0) at Georgia State (0-1)
Line: North Carolina -7.5
Time/Channel: Noon ET, ESPNU
In the game of the week last Saturday, The Tar Heels escaped with a 63-61 road victory against Appalachian State. Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye was fantastic, throwing for 352 yards, and four touchdowns. Not to mention, star WR Josh Downs (knee) didn't play.
The story, however, has to be the UNC defense, who surrendered 40 points in the 4th quarter. Coach Mack Brown may have looked happy dancing in the locker room, but a whole lot of questions have to be swirling through Chapel Hill about this team.
Although Downs is once again a game-time decision, UNC faces an easier opponent this weekend in Georgia State. The Panthers fell to South Carolina 35-14 in their season opener. This game is an opportunity for the Tar Heels not just to move to 3-0, but to dominate and put the rest of the conference on notice.
#18 North Carolina State (1-0) vs Charleston Southern (0-1)
Line: NC State -42.5
Time/Channel: 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3
A win is a win, right? NC State snuck out of East Carolina with a week one victory despite an uninspiring showing, but the Wolfpack can’t count on the opposition missing a game-tying extra point and a game-winning 42 yarder every weekend. Luckily for the 18th ranked team in the country, a clear “get right” matchup awaits them.
After posting a 36.8 QBR with a devastating interception last week, preseason ACC player of the year Devin Leary has a chance to bounce back. Leary should put up big numbers against a weak Charleston Southern defense, who allowed 52 points to Western Carolina last week. The line is huge for a reason, and everyone in Raleigh will be thankful for less excitement this Saturday.
#5 Clemson (1-0) vs Furman (1-0)
Line: Clemson -44.5
Time/Channel: 3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN
Clemson rolled in its opening performance of 2022, as the Tigers resoundingly defeated Georgia Tech, winning 41-10. Dabo Swinney even celebrated the win with a brand-new contract.
Despite the victory and their status as a top team in the nation, the Tigers find themselves with an early controversy at the quarterback position. After a disappointing 2021 campaign, DJ Uiagalelei didn’t exactly dazzle viewers in the win over the Yellow Jackets (210 yards with one touchdown on 19-32 passing). Rather, true freshman prospect Cade Klubnik garnered everyone’s attention with a well-executed drive and dominant dagger touchdown late in the game.
Anything other than a big time blowout would be a shocking.
#17 Pittsburgh (1-0) vs #24 Tennessee (1-0)
Line: Pittsburgh +6
Time/Channel: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
The Panthers opened the season at home with a dramatic 38-31 victory over their historic rival, West Virginia. The game was highlighted by a solid debut from USC transfer Kedon Slovis (308 yards and one touchdown) and a thrilling game-winning pick six.
The reigning ACC Champions have another tough non-conference test this week. The Panthers are home underdogs, as they welcome the high-scoring Tennessee Volunteers and show-stopping QB Hendon Hooker. One of three ranked matchups in college football this week, Slovis and Pitt have a chance to make another big statement.
Virginia (1-0) at Illinois (1-1)
Line: Virginia +4.5
Time/Channel: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers had a productive start to the season defeating Richmond 34-17. Virginia secured this victory by controlling the clock (33 minutes of possession), dominating in the rushing game (260 total rushing yards), and a fabulous effort from senior QB Brennan Armstrong (246 passing, 105 rushing, three total touchdowns).
However, they will have a harder time dominating possession against an Illinois team that held the ball for 37 minutes in a week one loss to Indiana. To pull off the upset, the Cavaliers must play at their own pace and capitalize defensively on an Illinois offense that turned the ball over four times last week.
Syracuse (1-0) at Connecticut (1-1)
Line: Syracuse -23
Time/Channel: 7 p.m. ET, CBSSN
Syracuse’s offense shined in the opener against Louisville, beating the Cardinals 31-7 behind magnificent performances from signal-caller Garrett Shrader (236 passing, 94 rushing, three total touchdowns) and star running back Sean Tucker (100 rushing, 84 receiving, two total touchdowns).
If the Orange can stay balanced and efficient while cutting down on their 18 penalties from last week, Syracuse should roll over a weak UConn squad.
Georgia Tech (0-1) vs Western Carolina (1-0)
Line: Georgia Tech -22.5
Time/Channel: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Yellow Jackets and athletic quarterback Jeff Sims struggled against the incredibly talented Clemson defense in a 41-10 defeat last week. All things considered, it was a decent effort from Sims, as his receivers dropped passes and faced heavy pressure the entire game.
The positive takeaway from the loss might be the Georgia Tech defense, who managed to hold the Tigers to 24 points through three quarters and posted three sacks. If Georgia Tech wants any shot at improving on last season's 3-9 record, they must convert as large favorites against FCS Western Carolina.
Boston College (0-1) vs Virginia Tech (0-1)
Line: Virginia Tech -2.5
Time/Channel: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Enter Sandman! In the only all-ACC matchup of the week, Boston College travels to the notorious Lane Stadium.
Boston College is coming off a disappointing 22-21 defeat to Rutgers in which the Eagles went scoreless in the final frame. Despite the loss, the Eagles’ bona fide offensive weapon Zay Flowers totaled ten catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
On the other side, Virginia Tech similarly collapsed in the fourth quarter. Heavy road favorites at Old Dominion, the Hokies gave up a 17-10 lead while committing five turnovers and 14 penalties in Brent Fry’s coaching debut. New Hokies quarterback Grant Wells had a serious turnover issue at Marshall in 2021 (13 interceptions) that seems to have carried over to his new school, with four giveaways in his debut.
Both teams want nothing more than to move on from their week one losses. Look for Wells and Virginia Tech to be far more conservative with the ball. This game could very well be decided by the ability of the Hokies’ defense to contain a one-dimensional Boston College offense that totaled only 29 total rushing yards in week one.
