ACC Football Week 4 Breakdown
Last week didn’t go as well as it could have for the ACC, but it wasn’t all bad either. Clemson finally got the monkey off its back with a 38-24 victory over Auburn, snapping the nation’s longest winning streak. Florida State lost to a stacked Oklahoma squad at home, but really played toe-to-toe for most of the game. Miami looked solid in a bounce-back performance against Ohio State. Maryland finally made it a game against a fast West Virginia team in the 4th quarter only to fall short of a miraculous comeback. All in all, the conference did not do itself any injustices during “Put Up or Shut Up Week”. The only problem is that some of those gritty performances still ended in losses. Let’s see who can push onward in Week 4.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Clemson versus Florida State
This is certainly a premier matchup that not everyone was expecting would be so meaningful. Clemson is usually a huge letdown within the first three weeks of every season. After a shaky Week 2 victory over Wofford, a lot of people in South Carolina were worried it would be the same old story for the Tigers. But a convincing win over Auburn has everybody back on the bandwagon. Fiery coach Dabo Swinney was riding high after beating Clemson and will surely carry that energy over into this game with the Seminoles.
Florida State didn’t beat Oklahoma, but the game was close for the most part. EJ Manuel had to leave the game due to injury, which deflated the offense for the Seminoles. Backup quarterback Clint Trickett, son of offensive line coach Rick Trickett, played admirably in Manuel’s stead throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. Certainly Seminole nation is upset with the loss, but it was grind-it-out game that left players bruised and battered. Florida State comported itself well and just fell short.
This might be one of the more tightly contested Clemson-FSU games in a while. Clemson is playing well and has a great offense. First year starter Tahj Boyd has really played well at quarterback. Running back Andre Ellington is a tough, shifty runner that paces the offense. By contrast, Florida State is once again built around a strong defense that likes to get after it. They are holding the opposition to 11 points per game. The defense held an Oklahoma team that scores 35 points a game to 23 points. This should be a battle to the end.
OTHER GAMES
North Carolina versus Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech might be the most impressive team to date in the young season. All of a sudden Paul Johnson has chosen to incorporate a passing game in his complex offense. The Yellow Jackets waxed Kansas last weekend, 66-24. They’ve scored 60 points in two out of three games and have won by more than 40 points in both of those games. Despite this new found desire to throw, the Jackets are still the nation’s best rushing team, at an average of 427 yards per game.
The Tar Heels have their work cut out for them against a dynamic offense. The strength of this team continues to be the defense. Against Virginia, they forced three turnovers. The defense still needs to limit passing efficiency and 3rd and 4th down conversions, but the tenacity and athleticism they play with allow them to be in position to force offenses into uncomfortable situations. They just happen to have a tough task against an insane Georgia Tech offense this week. On paper it looks like the Yellow Jackets will run circles around North Carolina. With turnovers, UNC can keep it interesting.
Miami versus Kansas State
Miami goes against some big out-of-conferences foes two weeks in a row. They beat Ohio State handily last weekend, 24-6, and now go against a Kansas State program that has been successful in years past. Bill Snyder, a legend in Manhattan, KS, came out of retirement to take over at the end of the 2008 season. The Wildcats have had some mediocre seasons of late, including a couple in the Kevin Prince era. Snyder is coming back to try and relive old coaching glories. He had previously gone 149-80-1 at Kansas State. He is off to a 2-0 start in 2011.
It will be up to Miami to solve a scoring defense that leads the nation. Miami should feel confident that those numbers may be skewed due to the walk-over teams Kansas State has beaten. Miami has already had tough battles with Maryland and Ohio State, and came out with a split record. The Hurricanes were highly efficient on third down against the Buckeyes, and Jacory Harris returned to the starter role with a solid performance. Outside of his two interceptions, Harris completed nearly 70 percent of his passes. The coaching staff limited him to 23 throws on the night, which is preferable for a turnover prone quarterback. Coming off a suspension, Harris’ first game was a success. If he can continue to improve and make the right decisions, Miami could once again be considered a contender in the Coastal Division.
Virginia versus Southern Mississippi
It seems as if the Cavaliers are beginning to turn things around on the football field. They are not quite there yet, but they have made strides. They fought hard against a more talented North Carolina team in Chapel Hill. They were able to pick up a much needed road victory at Indiana in Week 2. This week they have a test in Conference USA contender Southern Mississippi.
On paper Southern Miss is an average team that can beat lesser opponents and fall to more talented teams. The disparity in talent level between Southern Miss and Virginia is debatable, but Virginia’s Michael Rocco is slowly finding his way as the leader of their huddle. The Golden Eagles have some productive receivers in Francisco Llanos and Ryan Balentine, but the offense is not explosive enough to cause too much concern. Virginia’s secondary is speedy and skilled in its own right. That would be the matchup to watch. This is a good opportunity for Virginia to grab a home win and build momentum going into the ACC season full force.
NC State versus Cincinnati
The Thursday night game this week features some middle-of-the-pack teams in their respective conferences. NC State has a winning record, but the wins are against Liberty and South Alabama. Quarterback Mike Glennon has been inconsistent. Coach Tom O’Brien needs to keep this team competitive so that he can keep his job. He and his team play a Cincinnati team that isn’t the same team that Brian Kelly led to a 12-1 record in 2009. The Bearcats sputtered last year to 4-8. They are, however, 2-1 this year and can score a ton of points on offense behind quarterback Zach Collaros. This should be a good test for NC State. The Big East has been poor at football in the last few years, and the Wolfpack would stave off the doubters for a week with a convincing win. Limiting mistakes will be key.
QUICK HITTERS
Virginia Tech versus Marshall
Marshall fields a scrappy team, but Virginia Tech has too much talent. They need to find a way to score more points though if they intend to continue winning.
Duke versus Tulane
Duke should be proud of its road victory over Boston College last weekend. Tulane isn’t much of a threat to beat major teams this year. But this is Duke. Anything can happen.
Maryland versus Temple
The Terrapins had a shot at beating West Virginia if only they had played a full four quarters. Temple is no easy out. They had almighty Penn State beat until a late Nittany Lion touchdown won it. This will be a good test to see if Maryland can right the ship.
Boston College versus Massachusetts
It’s already been a disaster of a year for Boston College. They are one of the worst scoring teams in the country. Massachusetts comes in riding high off of two victories. They will be confident. Boston College could be 0-4 if they don’t focus on the Minutemen.
OFF: Wake Forest
Football Week 4 Breakdown Page
