Most other ACC teams in action Saturday
By Mason Walling - Dabo Swinney and the third ranked
Clemson Tigers came into Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday night and knocked
off N.C. State 26-14. Before the game, Coach
Swinney stressed the necessity of establishing the run game early, especially
with the Tigers second-leading receiver, Charone Peake, sidelined with a torn
ACL. Junior wide out Adam Humphries moved
into Peake’s position across from star receiver Sammy Watkins, who caught 10
passes for 96 yards in the contest. N.C.
State Coach Dave Doeren tried to motivate his team by challenging them to seize
the opportunity of a Thursday night game.
“How many times do you get to play where you're one of the only games on
TV in front of a sold-out crowd against a top ten team?” Coach Doeren
asked. The most controversial moment of
the game occurred just before halftime when N.C. State receiver Bryan Underwood
broke off an 83-yard touchdown run that would have tied the game at 13, but the
play was reversed when officials ruled that Underwood stepped out of bounds. The Tigers improve to 3-0 overall while the
Wolfpack falls to 2-1.
Here's what else is coming up this weekend for ACC teams:
Saturday
night pits two undefeated teams against each other as Bethune-Cookman travels
to Doak Campbell Stadium to meet Florida State.
The Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman currently stand atop the MEAC with a 3-0
record, coming off a 34-13 road win over Florida International. The Seminoles are ranked eighth in this
weeks’ national poll and will be heavily favored at home. One of the biggest stories for FSU is the
emergence of freshman kicker Roberto Aguayo, who is a perfect 17 for 17 on
extra points and field goals through two games but has yet to be tested from
long distance. Coach Jimbo Fisher
expressed the utmost confidence in Aguayo.
Kickoff is set for 6 PM Saturday night.
The
3-0 Maryland Terrapins will host Big 12 rival West Virginia on Saturday
afternoon. Terrapin Head Coach Randy
Edsall emphasized the importance of players stepping up into leadership roles,
such as linebacker Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil.
“He came in here as a walk-on and when he got here, you just see a guy
that worked extremely hard in everything that he did, weight room, practice
field, classroom,” Edsall said.
Cudjoe-Virgil is a transfer from Seton Hill University, giving away his
scholarship to come play at Maryland. The
game will be televised on ESPNU Saturday at 3:30 PM.
Coming
off of a 54-0 blowout victory over Wagner at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse
prepares to host the Green Wave of Tulane this Saturday. This game marks the beginning of the Terrel
Hunt era, as the sophomore quarterback will get his first career start for the
Orange. Coach Scott Shafer made the
decision to award Hunt the starting job over Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen after
he threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns last Saturday. Both teams enter the matchup with 1-2
records. Kickoff is set for 12:30 PM
Saturday.
Wake
Forest takes a 1-2 record to West Point this Saturday to battle Army. After winning their home opener comfortably
against Presbyterian, the Demon Deacons lost to Boston College on the road and
then suffered a heart breaking two-point home loss against
Louisiana-Monroe. Head Coach Jim Grobe
looks for his hard-nosed defense, ranked 28th in the national in
points allowed, to hold strong against the Black Knights offensive attack. The game will be televised on CBS Sports
Network beginning at 12 PM Saturday.
Another
all ACC matchup this weekend sees North Carolina coming into Bobby Dodd Stadium
to take on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have been electric in their first
two games this season, scoring a total of 108 points and rushing for an average
of 356 yards a game. Coach Paul Johnson
has implemented a variation of the shotgun that he calls the diamond formation
to confuse defenses as to if they will pass or run. The Tar Heels come into this game well rested
off of a bye week. Head Coach Larry
Fedora feels that the extra week has helped prepare his defense for the Jackets
infamous option reed style offense. The
Heels are currently 1-1, and the Jackets boast a 2-0 record. The game will air at 12 PM Saturday on ESPN.
The
final head-to-head ACC contest of week four is Pittsburgh at Duke. The Panthers take a 1-1 record into
Saturday’s game, and the Blue Devils sit at 2-1. Pittsburgh’s defense is anchored by senior
defensive lineman Aaron Donald, a local product whose pass rushing abilities
have been drawing frequent double-teams this season. “I love talking about Aaron,” said Coach Paul
Chryst, “Physically he's not the tallest guy, but he's got very good strength,
explosion and quickness.” On the flip
side, the Blue Devils and Head Coach David Cutcliffe bring a run centered
offense to the table, with four different backs getting more than 10 carries
through their first three games. Quarterbacks
Brandon Connette and Anthony Boone have split the workload thus far, both of
which can hurt the opponent through the air or on the ground. The game kicks off at 12:30 PM Saturday at
Wallace Wade Stadium.
Frank
Beamer’s Hokies host the Thundering Herd of Marshall this weekend. Both teams enter the game with 2-1 records,
Virginia Tech’s only loss coming in the season opener against number one
Alabama. Coach Beamer had nothing but
good things to say about freshman corner Brandon Facyson, who is shining early
with three interceptions in just three games.
The Hokie defense will be tested against the Thundering Herd offense
that has put up at least 30 points in each of its first three games (12th
overall in points scored). The battle is
set to begin at 12 PM Saturday on ESPNU.
The
1-1 Virginia Cavaliers host in-state Big South opponent VMI in week four. UVA won a tight week one game over BYU before
being routed week two by Oregon. With
several injuries at the running back position, Coach Mike London looks to amp
up the passing attack until his backs are healthy again. “We talked about how we can utilize David [Watford]
in some aspects,” London said, “About throwing the ball more downfield
vertically to allow our receivers to go make plays.” VMI brings a 1-2 record into Scott
Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 PM on
Saturday.
Miami has jumped up to number 16 in the AP
polls this week coming off a bye week after an impressive win over Florida on
September 7. The Hurricanes are 2-0 and
a 60 point favorite over visiting Savannah State this weekend. “I like where we're at right now, and
hopefully we have a whole organization right now that’s not worrying about
spreads,” said Head Coach Al Goldeng.
Saturday at 7:00 PM is kickoff time at Sun Life Stadium.
Steve
Addazio and Boston College have a bye week this week and will face ACC opponent
Florida State on Saturday, September 28.
Both Syracuse and Virginia Tech are vying for their 700th
program win this weekend.
To listen to the full ACC mid-week teleconference on 9/18/13 featuring all of the head coaches, click here
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