ACC announces Football Players of the Week: Sept. 21

Florida State and North Carolina led the way with two honorees apiece as the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Football Players of the Week on Monday.

Florida State’s Terrance Smith was cited as the ACC Linebacker of the Week for his play in Friday night’s 14-0 conference road win at Boston College, while the Seminoles’ Jalen Ramsey earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors for the second week in a row.

North Carolina’s Landon Turner was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Tar Heels’ 48-14 win over Illinois, while teammate Ryan Switzer was named the ACC Specialist of the Week for his record-setting effort on punt returns.

Also recognized were Miami sophomore Brad Kaaya (Offensive Back of the Week), Pitt junior Tyler Boyd (Receiver of the Week), Boston College sophomore Harold Landry (Defensive Lineman of the Week) and Wake Forest freshman Kendall Hinton (Rookie of the Week).

ACC Football Players of the Week are selected by a 14-member media panel.

OFFENSIVE BACK – Brad Kaaya, Miami, So., QB, 6-4, 209, Los Angeles, Calif.
Kaaya enjoyed a career day through the air as he guided the Hurricanes to a 36-33 overtime win over visiting Nebraska. Kaaya finished the day 25-of-42 for a career-high 379 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The California native has now thrown a touchdown pass in 16 consecutive games. His second-half interception against the Cornhuskers was his first in 110 attempts.

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Landon Turner, North Carolina, Sr., OG, 6-4, 325, Harrisonburg, Va.
Turner earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week accolades for the second time this season following his performance in the Tar Heels’ 48-14 victory over visiting Illinois. The senior offensive guard graded out at 90 percent (his third straight game at 90 percent or better) and recorded 11 knockdown blocks.  Turner led an offensive line that did not allow a sack and helped UNC post 471 total yards, including 254 on the ground.  The Tar Heels averaged 6.9 yards per carry.

RECEIVER – Tyler Boyd, Pitt, Jr., WR, 6-2, 200, Clairton, Pa.
Boyd had 10 receptions for 131 yards, including the game-tying touchdown catch with 52 seconds left in the Panthers’ 27-24 road loss at Iowa. Boyd had three catches for 32 yards on the game-tying drive, including one that converted a fourth down. With his second consecutive game with 10 or more catches, Boyd moved into second all-time at Pitt with 184 career receptions and is only 18 shy of the record held by Devin Street (202 receptions from 2010-13). Boyd, who posted the 12^th 100-yard receiving game of his 28-game collegiate career, is the nation’s active career leader in receptions per game (6.57), and ranks third in receiving yards per game (95.0) and all-purpose yards per game (140.89). He is the ACC leader in each of those categories.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Harold Landry, Boston College, So., DT, 6-3, 245, Fayetteville, N.C.
Landry recorded a career-high 11 tackles, including seven solos stops, in the Eagles’ 14-0 loss to No. 9 Florida State on Fridaynight, including a career-high 4.5 tackles for a loss of 27 yards. He also had 1.5 sacks for losses of 18 yards and helped the BC defense limit FSU’s offensive unit to just one touchdown. After the Seminoles’ 83-yard scoring drive on their opening possession, Landry and the BC defense allowed just 134 total yards the remainder of the game, including only 20 rushing yards in the second half. Landry and the Eagles limited FSU standout sophomore Dalvin Cook to just 54 rushing yards without a score after he entered the game averaging 211 yards per game with five touchdowns.

​LINEBACKER – Terrance Smith, Florida State, Sr.-r,  LB, 6-4, 230, Decatur, Ga.
Smith’s dominant performance in Florida State’s 14-0 victory at Boston College keyed the Seminoles to their first shutout on the road since 2003. Smith had six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble in the fourth quarter on the game’s biggest play. Smith forced the ball free from BC’s Jon Hilliman, and teammate Jalen Ramsey scooped up the ball and returned it for a touchdown to give the Seminoles breathing room in what had been a 7-0 game. Smith spearheaded a defensive effort that allowed Boston College just 195 yards of total offense, with the FSU 39-yard line the Eagles’ deepest point of penetration. It marked the first time Boston College had been shut out since 2010.

DEFENSIVE BACK – Jalen Ramsey, Florida State, Jr., CB, 6-1, 222, Smyrna, Tenn.
Ramsey earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. Ramsey continued to solidify himself as one of the nation’s top defensive players, leading the charge in FSU’s 14-0 victory at Boston College. Ramsey scored on a 36-yard fumble recovery in the fourth quarter with the Noles clinging to a 7-0 lead and had six tackles, including five solo stops. Ramsey led a pass defense that allowed only five completions on 15 attempts for 56 yards. Ramsey contributed to the Seminoles’ lone interception on the night by blanketing his receiver and enabling safety Lamarcus Brutus to make the pick.

SPECIALIST – Ryan Switzer, North Carolina, Jr., WR, 5-10, 185, Charleston, W. Va.
Switzer returned five punts for a total of 168 yards in Saturday’s 48-14 win over Illinois, breaking a 64-year-old UNC single-game record previously held by Bud Carson, who had 166 yards on eight returns against NC State in 1951. In addition to an 85-yard return for a touchdown, Switzer had a 71-yarder that set up a UNC field goal. With his sixth career punt return for a touchdown, Switzer tied the ACC record and extended his own UNC school record. 

ROOKIE – Kendall Hinton, Wake Forest, Fr., QB, 6-0, 185, Durham, N.C.
Hinton was called on to replace injured starter John Wolford, who was injured on Wake Forest’s third play from scrimmage inSaturday’s 17-14 win at Army. Hinton finished 15-of-27 through the air for 159 yards and ran for both of Wake Forest’s touchdowns. Hinton scored on a 15-yard run in the third quarter to tie the game at 7-7 and added a 7-yard run early in the fourth quarter to put the Demon Deacons ahead 14-7. Hinton closed the game by leading the Deacons on a 12-play, 64-yard drive to set up Mike Weaver’s game-winning field goal.  Hinton delivered several clutch plays in the final march, including running 13 yards on third-and-9 from the Wake 8-yard line to keep the drive alive.