ACC Football Week 8 Breakdown
Week 8 is not a week of sexy matchups in the ACC. On paper, these games look easy to pick. It seems we say that almost every week though, and based on what happened in Week 7, that may prove to be dangerous. No one – and I mean no one – thought Virginia would stifle the Georgia Tech rushing offense and find ways to win that game. They quietly have a winning record. Not many people imagined the Clemson-Maryland game would end up being a shootout that Clemson ultimately won. Miami came out firing against North Carolina and flustered the Tar Heels. Again, this week it all seems simple. In this conference, nothing is a given.
GAME OF THE WEEK
North Carolina versus Clemson
Both teams are coming off of performances they would really like to improve upon. The difference is that Clemson won their game. The Tigers are undefeated and unequivocally the favorites to win the conference. They struggled to stop Maryland’s new found option offense. They gave up 291 yards rushing, 162 to new starter C.J. Brown. While the defense can’t be happy giving up 468 total yards, the Clemson offense gained 576 yards of their own. Despite being down for much of the game, Clemson stormed back when it mattered. They outscored the Terps in the second half, 39-17. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins wore down the Terps and played magnificently. Watkins is the clear leader for the conference rookie of the year. He had two touchdowns receiving and another returning a kick at a critical time in the 4th quarter. He is a big-time weapon.
North Carolina got off to a really slow start against Miami, and it turned out to be too much to come back from. Had it not been for the 1st quarter, North Carolina had a great shot to win. They had more first downs, third down conversions, yards gained, and time of possession than Miami. Jacory Harris had a fantastic day under center for the Hurricanes. The once vaunted UNC defense seems to be great in certain phases but porous in others. They shut down a good running back in Lamar Miller, holding him to just 29 yards. But they gave up three passing touchdowns to Harris.
This week, that defense will have its hands full with Tajh Boyd and company. Even with their lackluster performance on defense last week, Clemson seems to score at will. UNC struggled with a middle-of-the-pack offense last Saturday. They play the second ranked offense in the conference this week. It’s going to be difficult for the Tar Heels to keep Clemson out of the end zone. Making the Tigers one-dimensional would help tremendously. Just make sure you have enough speed to cover Sammy Watkins.
OTHER GAMES
Florida State versus Maryland
Both of these two teams are trying to find their way after what began as promising seasons for both. Florida State has a .500 record and Maryland is having all sorts of issues figuring out what kind of team it is. This becomes a swing game for both clubs. Florida State would jump on the right side of the win column and Maryland would get a signature win in the conference to keep them alive in the conference race (at least mathematically). FSU was able to get on track against Duke after losing three in a row. They finally got their running game going, which has been missing from their offense basically all year. They had 242 yards against Duke. This offense is much more dangerous when it’s balanced. Nearly 500 yards of offense and 41 points. FSU would love to do that every week. Instead of being known for great defense, this version of Florida State could be known for its offensive firepower.
It’s hard to say that considering Florida State leads the conference in total defense. Statistically, that’s true, but the Seminoles have had some issues. When it has counted they have not been able to stop other teams, especially teams with balance and good quarterback play. Tajh Boyd and Tanner Price had great success in their respective games. That is the key for Maryland and C.J. Brown is about as mobile as they come, but he is still green and he has a lot to prove. After a killer rushing performance against Clemson last week, he still did not lead his team to victory. He has certainly provided a spark to the offense though. If Brown can find a way to improve his throwing ability, the Terp offense would be a lot stronger. It will be a key against Florida State to remain balanced. Maryland has never fared well in Tallahassee. Nothing would indicate that futility would change now.
Georgia Tech versus Miami
After the surprising defeat to Virginia, Georgia Tech goes into South Beach to take on a hot offense. Jacory Harris has been playing like the quarterback Miami fans though he would be. He got off to a fast start against North Carolina and threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Miami has been searching for good quarterback play, and hopefully they have found it. The key for Harris is consistency. Will he be able to keep it up?
Georgia Tech had an opposite beginning to their game against Virginia. They were in a 24-14 hole by halftime and couldn’t muster anything more than a single touchdown in the second half. That’s two straight weeks the high-powered Tech offense couldn’t score more than 21 points. Considering this offense averages over 40 points a game, it’s a mystery why Tech hasn’t been scoring. Virginia has the 4th ranked scoring defense in the conference, so it is a better defense than what Georgia Tech normally sees. Once the run is shut down, the Yellow Jackets aren’t the same. While Tevin Washington is throwing this year, there have only been 88 throws from the offense so far. The Jackets are not as daunting to overcome when you prevent them from rushing successfully.
This will be an interesting game to see if Georgia Tech can get back to what they’re best at against a fast, athletic defense. Georgia Tech has a good defense and they need to fluster Jacory Harris and turn the Hurricanes over. Keeping the hot Miami offense off the field would help too. This one could go down to the wire.
North Carolina State versus Virginia
NC State is coming off a bye and is facing a team riding high after shutting down an offensive juggernaut. Don’t look now, but Virginia is 4-2 and may end up being the most surprising team in the conference at the end of the year. The Cavaliers only give up 22.2 points a game on defense and generate over 430 yards of offense per game. The quarterback position was totally up in the air before the season started but now Michael Rocco has steadily run this offense through six games. He completes 62 percent of his passes and has a decent touch on the long ball. He has thrown only three touchdowns to eight interceptions, but he has won four out of six games for his team. Though the defense leads the Cavaliers, Rocco is only a sophomore and may be the man to lead the offense for the next few years.
NC State is an up-and-down team. They had a bye week off of a victory over Central Michigan, which really doesn’t wow anybody. The problem is that the Wolfpack do not have a conference victory yet. The offense is a little shaky and the defense is ranked in the bottom third in the country in points allowed. Mike Glennon will need to find holes in the strong Virginia defense to get the passing games going. Virginia’s Chase Minnifield will try to exploit Glennon’s inexperience. This is an important game for both teams. Virginia could use this win for divisional positioning and NC State really needs a win in the ACC. Virginia, playing like they have been, should lock this one up. Will NC State have enough fire in its belly to pull out a victory?
QUICK HITTERS
Boston College versus Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech keeps rolling on. They beat a good Wake Forest team that was on a roll last weekend. Boston College has managed just one win against FCS school UMass. Tech’s defense should have a field day against the Golden Eagles.
Wake Forest versus Duke
Conner Vernon is having a great year at wide receiver for Duke, but the Blue Devils still struggle to compete against good teams. They do have a .500 record, but can’t score. Tanner Price for Wake Forest has been super-efficient this year and is leading the Deacs to a good season so far. Both he and Sean Renfree for Duke are top-4 in the conference in passing. The ground game will come into play in this one. Wake should continue its winning ways in this one, but don’t discount the home field advantage for the Blue Devils.
