Halloween weekend around the ACC was a bag full of surprises for multiple teams in the league.
An absolute surprise to no one saw Wake Forest remaining undefeated, dismantling Duke, 45-7. In the Steel City, a resurgent Miami squad shocked Pitt, 38-34, turning the Coastal Division race into a frenzy. The game hinged on a controversial call by officials that erased a safety and denied Pitt a crucial possession late.
NC State kept pace with Wake in the Atlantic with a huge win in Carter-Finley over Louisville. Clemson held on to survive FSU, 30-20. Given the remaining schedule, the Tigers and Wolfpack are still kickin’ in their hopes to catch the Deacons.
North Carolina’s bowl hopes are on life support considering the Tar Heels’ upcoming games after their loss in South Bend to Notre Dame. A Carolina team that had preseason aspirations of making the College Football Playoff is now reduced to the leftovers.
Virginia’s journey across the country was a disaster on all fronts, losing to BYU, 66-49, a score that would give Cavaliers basketball coach Tony Bennett nightmares.
The football calendar turns to November, and it promises to be a wild ride to Thanksgiving weekend for the ACC.
Atlantic Division
- Wake Forest (5-0, 8-0) This was easy. Wake humbled Duke, 45-7. What’s not easy for the Demon Deacons is their next three games with UNC, NC State and Clemson.
- NC State (3-1, 6-2) A huge bounceback win for the Wolfpack over Louisville. State is still thick in the hunt for the Atlantic title.
- Clemson (4-2, 5-3) Clemson turned back FSU in a game that largely flew under the radar. The Tigers are still in the race, but the earlier loss to NC State makes it difficult for Clemson to jump over both State and Wake.
- Louisville (2-3, 5-4) The Cardinals hung tough in Raleigh, but fell to NC State. The division race no longer viable, Louisville plays the November schedule for bowl eligibility.
- Syracuse (2-3, 5-4) A continued climb from the Orange who just two weeks ago resided in the basement of the Atlantic power rankings. Syracuse, in the dome, suffocated Boston College, 21-6. Syracuse at 5-4 is looking for one more victory for bowl play.
- FSU (2-3, 3-5) Not a moral victory, but certainly a step in the right direction for the Seminoles after their 30-20 loss in Death Valley. Late penalties cost FSU.
- Boston College (0-4, 4-4) You read it here first. After BC’s fast 4-0 start, I suggested taking a hard look at the four victims. Colgate, UMass, Temple and Missouri. Not exactly murderer’s row.
Coastal Division
- Pitt (3-1, 6-2) Pitt’s loss at Heinz Field to Miami made things interesting in the Coastal chase. Another solid effort from QB Kenny Pickett, but a late controversial penalty tainted an otherwise solid game.
- Virginia (4-2, 6-3) The only positive from Virginia’s beatdown by BYU is that it had no factor in the conference race. It may have a major factor in how the remainder of the season unfolds for the Cavaliers as QB Brennan Armstrong left the game with an apparent rib injury.
- Miami (2-2, 4-4) Miami’s season is not over. The win over Pitt was the Hurricanes’ second straight conference win. The ‘Canes need some help, but aren’t out of the division race.
- Virginia Tech (2-2, 4-4) Tech stopped the bleeding with a big defensive effort in the 26-17 win over Georgia Tech. The Hokies, despite having two conference losses, still have a path to the division title.
- UNC (3-3, 4-4) The Tar Heels had a chance to reclaim some pride in what began as a season of high expectations, but they didn’t, losing to Notre Dame, 44-34. UNC has four games remaining and need to win two to simply become bowl-eligible.
- Georgia Tech (2-4, 3-5) The Yellow Jackets offensive gas tank may have run empty after putting 40 on the board in Charlottesville, falling to Virginia Tech, 26-17.
- Duke (0-4, 3-5) The David Cutcliffe era at Duke may be down to a month. Duke trailed 28-0 at half to Wake Forest. The Blue Devils barely managed 300 total yards of offense. Rumblings that Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski is reconsidering retirement and try his mastery on the gridiron are just that, rumblings.
Story by Scott German
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