ACC Football Round-Up: Week 7

The teams are just now getting into the heart of their ACC schedules and the crowd at the top of both divisions will soon thin out as the leaders play each other over the course of the next few weeks. It may be mid-November before we can safely name the division leaders because so many teams are within striking distance and they don’t play each other until late October and early November. Any way you slice it, it’s getting interesting in both divisions – especially with the way Clemson asserted themselves against Maryland and Miami slipped in a win at Durham. In the ACC Atlantic Division, Florida State and North Carolina State continue to be at the head of the class, but they have some looming ambushes ahead. Over in the ACC Coastal Division, it’s still anybody’s guess – Virginia Tech, Miami, Georgia Tech, and/or North Carolina – they’re all still in the hunt, and now they’re hunting each other. Week 7 went about as predicted, but it’s gone now, and Week 8 is only days away . . . Before we jump ahead, let’s take a look back at Week 7 in the ACC –

Atlantic Division

Florida State 24, Boston College 19

What was expected to be “an easy day in the ACC” for the FSU Seminoles was anything but that last Saturday. The home crowd expected a “blow out” even better than the one over Miami, but it almost turned into a “blow up”. Usually consistent quarterback Christian Ponder turned the ball over four times and a tougher Boston College defense – led by recovering Mark Herzlich – almost sealed the upset over the No. 16 Seminoles. It took a late touchdown for Florida State to come out alive and still unblemished in ACC play with a 24-19 win. In the crystal football we saw some bumps in the road for FSU – Boston College was not considered one of them – but the bumps are gettin’ bigger after their near wreck last week. Florida State has this Saturday off to get ready for the big Thursday night Bash on ESPN with a very good North Carolina State team. For the Seminoles, they know the reservations in Charlotte depend on the road going first through Raleigh and then through Clemson.

Clemson 31, Maryland 7

The Clemson Tigers heeded the warning bells ringing in their ears, and maybe the sleeping giant has awakened. Whatever happened, it happened big and quick as an improving Maryland team got their shells handed to them in Death Valley 31-7. Clemson broke out the big guns to blast the Terps, taking a 17-7 lead in at the half and then using the defense to slam the door shut on Coach Ralph Friedgen’s offense for the second half shut-out. Maryland actually took a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter, but an Andre Ellington 87 yard kick-off return for a TD after the Maryland score suddenly made it a 10-7 Clemson lead, and from there it was all Kyle Parker, Jamie Harper, and Ellington – well, even the defense got in the scoring blitz with Xavier Brewer returning an interception 61 yards for the last touchdown of the game and the 31-7 hammer to The Shells. Maryland racked up 350 yards of total offense, but three crucial turnovers killed The Terps and helped Clemson cruise. Next up for The Tigers will be The Stingers from Atlanta. Georgia Tech’s multiple option offense slides into Death Valley on Saturday in a “must win” game for both teams. Looking at the two, this game is a toss-up, with both defenses struggling to get their opponents off the field and both offenses able to move the ball, but having problems putting up points. This one should be one to watch come Saturday – if Clemson loses, their Charlotte hopes are fading fast; and if Tech loses, their Charlotte hopes may totally disappear as the Wreck heads to the shop. They both have a lot on the line in this one.

Virginia Tech 52, Wake Forest 21

Prayer meeting for The Demon Deacons came too little and way too late on Saturday against an improving Virginia Tech squad as tthe Deacs fell by 31 points. The Hokies just about loaded the bus for the return trip home at halftime with the score 49-14, but there was no quit in Coach Jim Grobe’s Deacons. Wake Forest may have been over-whelmed and out-manned, but they put up 21 points, they had 346 yards of total offense, and they didn’t turn the ball over . But, they gave up 605 yards of total offense, seven touchdowns, and a field goal –and that won’t win many games. Wake had to play mistake free – they did that on offense, but failed the test on defense allowing 291 yards rushing and 314 yards passing, with VT quarterback Tyrod Taylor accounting for 323 of the total yards. The Demon Deacons have the week off in hopes of getting some folks healthy and ready to play at Maryland in Week 9. This will be a big game for both teams as the Deacons seek their second ACC win on the season.

East Carolina 33, NC State 27

The shocker of the week involved a non-conference team when North Carolina State fell to the East Carolina Pirates in overtime, 33-27. It won’t hurt N. C. State’s ACC record, but it sure hurts your pride when you lose a game you should have won and the loss come to a rival that you should be dominating. East Carolina ripped off 21 unanswered points in the first quarter only to have the Wolfpack do about the same in the second quarter, but then allowing the Pirates to take a 24-21 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Both teams had four turnovers, but Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson was picked off three times – including the killer in OT. With the game tied at 27-27 at the end of regulation play, N. C. State chose defense for the first OT period. The Pirates wasted little time going the 25 yards and scoring the touchdown, but the two point conversion run was stopped short leaving the door open for The Wolfpack to score the TD and kick the PAT to win. On third and 12 at the ECU 17, Wilson’s pass over the middle was intercepted by Damon Magazu to capture the upset win for the Pirates. Just how that loss will affect N. C. State is hard to tell. Were they looking too far ahead to the big Thursday night game with FSU? Who knows, but they better get back to playing good football if they want to make a run at the title. FSU ain’t East Carolina.

Clemson re-grouped and took a huge leap in the right direction to contend in the Atlantic Division, but they’ll have to stay flawless to stay in the hunt. Florida State was able to hold off Boston College, but didn’t look real good in the process. N. C. State fell prey to a non-conference foe, but still remains a force to be reckoned with and will present a serious challenge in the FSU game. What will Week 8 bring? We’ll have to sit it out and see how Clemson handles Georgia Tech, whether Maryland or Boston College will bounce back, and what happens to N. C. State.

Coastal Division

Miami 28, Duke 13

After falling hard and bad against Florida State, the Hurricanes didn’t pick up a whole lot of steam against a fair group of Duke Blue Devils, who led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. Miami turned it around just enough to eke out a victory by scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter and two touchdowns in the third quarter. Duke picked up 10 points in the second half, but it was not enough and Miami came away with a needed ACC win. Of course just about any team should win if the opponent turns the ball over seven times in a game. The Miami defense picked up two fumbles and picked off five passes – one returned for a 22 yard TD to start the second half. The Hurricanes put up 448 yards of total offense, but also had their share of turnovers by losing two fumbles. To take the ACC Coastal Division title, Miami is going to have to get better and play with more consistency on both sides of the ball. The Hurricanes are now headed into a tough stretch of their 2010 conference schedule, and a really good North Carolina bunch is headed to Coral Gables for a Saturday night showdown. This one could be one that either keeps Miami in the running or puts Miami on the run. Oughta be a real good one Saturday night.

North Carolina 44, Virginia 10

The Tar Heels started the season off slow with two losses – one being an ACC Coastal Division game to Georgia Tech; but since then, North Carolina has been on a slow and steady climb back toward the top of the Coastal Division. Virginia was their last victim and North Carolina took care of the Cavaliers in convincing fashion, taking a 27-10 lead in at halftime. If Virginia made any adjustments at the half, they were the wrong ones and North Carolina rolled up 17 more unanswered points in the final two periods for an easy 44-10 ACC win. This one was just a tune-up for what North Carolina is going to see in the next couple of weeks starting Saturday night in Coral Gables. This one is where the Tar Heel rubber meets the road and shows whether or not this group can weather a Hurricane or will get swept out to “spoiler” land. One of these two teams will wind up in a big hole and that hole may get deeper before mid-November. The way the two teams are playing right now – and don’t bet the farm on it – we think North Carolina has the advantage and is playing better than Miami. There again, anything can happen and Miami may snap out of it, but Jacory Harris doesn't like to be pressured, and one thing’s for sure - a Butch Davis coached team will have a defense that will pressure the opposing quarterback. Miami may have the home field advantage, but that may not be enough to send The Tar Heels home with a 2-2 ACC record.

Georgia Tech 42, Middle Tennessee 14

Georgia Tech will find out where they stand in ACC competition as the suns sets in Death Valley on Saturday evening. The Yellow Jackets have yet to put together a complete game – the North Carolina win on the road in the third game of the season coming off a loss at lowly Kansas was a big one, but still not a complete offensive and defensive game. Georgia Tech manhandled Middle Tennessee State 42-14 at Grant Field and most of the starters sat out from the end of the third quarter ‘til the final buzzer. That won’t be the case at Clemson, which is a totally different ball game. Even though the Yellow Jackets have the top two rushers in the ACC, the offense still is not hitting on all 11 cylinders. Tech is still in search of a consistent wide receiver who can run, catch, and block – like NFL draftee Demarius Thomas. One Tech A-Back dropped two sure TD passes from quarterback Joshua Nesbitt and didn’t make an effort to catch a third at the goal line with the ball just over his head. The Jackets will need those passes caught if they want to contend later. Defensively, Coach Al Groh’s 3-4 is catching on, but a good passing/running threat quarterback presents real problems for the Yellow Jackets – think Kyle Parker and Tyrod Taylor. Tech has had good luck at Death Valley and they’ll need it all come Saturday to come out alive and still in the pack at or near the top of the ACC Coastal Division. A loss at Clemson puts the Yellow Jackets in absolute must-win situations for the remainder of their ACC schedule, which includes Virginia Tech, Miami, and Duke, while a win at Clemson keeps the Ramblin’ Wreck still puttin' along looking for the I-85 entrance ramp toward Charlotte.

The ACC Coastal Division is still anybody’s division to win. Virginia Tech still hangs onto the advantage right now with a perfect conference record and steady improvements; but can they hold onto it as we move toward mid-November? Miami, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina are only one game back – soooo, this ACC Division, still comes down to the big intra-divisional games: North Carolina at Miami this week, then Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech; Miami vs. Virginia Tech; North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech; and Georgia Tech vs. Miami. They're just weeks away; and the way we see it, Duke is gonna spoil it for somebody!