Virginia Tech travels to Boston College on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2, setting off a busy weekend for the ACC.
What to Watch in Week 9
- UNC QB Sam Howell has 87 career TD passes and is three touchdown passes shy of Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence’s ACC record for touchdown passes (90) through three seasons.
- NC State QB Devin Leary has attempted 211 consecutive passes without an interception. That is the ninth-longest streak in ACC history. Virginia’s Matt Blundin is eighth with 213 in 1990-91. Florida State’s Christian Ponder (2009) is tied for seventh at 237 with FSU’s Chris Weinke (1999).
- Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong leads the ACC with 28 touchdown passes, followed by Pitt’s Kenny Pickett with 26, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman with 22 and NC State’s Devin Leary with 21.
- Syracuse RB Sean Tucker leads the nation with 1,267 rushing yards and 1,505 all-purpose yards.
- Clemson can become the ACC’s fifth bowl eligible team with a win this weekend at Louisville. NC State, Pitt, Virginia and Wake Forest are already bowl eligible. Syracuse has five wins, but is off this week.
- The ACC has five of the top 10 players in the country in total touchdowns – UVA’s Brennan Armstrong (T1st, 35), Pitt’s Kenny Pickett (5th, 29), Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman (6th, 28), North Carolina’s Sam Howell (9th, 25), NC State’s Devin Leary (T12, 23) and Louisville’s Malik Cunningham (T15, 22).
- Since taking over at quarterback in Week 3, Syracuse’s Garrett Shrader has accounted for 20 touchdowns, including 13 rushing scores.
ACC Notes
- Saturday’s slate starts with a pair of noon kickoffs, including Pitt at Duke on ACC Network. Despite last week’s loss to Miami, the Panthers sill lead the Coastal Division with a 3-1 mark. Pitt has won nine of the last 10 meetings, including the last four. Pitt grabbed a 33-30 win in the most recent matchup between the teams in 2019. Duke running back Mataeo Durant ranks second in the league in rushing with 121.6 yards per game and is just 27 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.
- Also at noon on ABC is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week with No. 10 Wake Forest looking to remain unbeaten at North Carolina. The Deacons’ top 10 ranking is the first in school history. Wake Forest’s 24-18 win two seasons ago marked the first time since the ACC was founded in 1953 that two member schools met in a football game designated as non-conference. The teams met in a conference game last November, with the Tar Heels coming out on the winning end of a 59-53 scoring fest. Wake’s Sam Hartman and North Carolina’s Sam Howell are ranked in the top 20 of nearly every passing category nationally.
- Miami, which has won two consecutive games to even its record at 4-4, plays host to Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m. on RSN. The Hurricanes’ resurgence has been led by QB Tyler Van Dyke, who has won back-to-back ACC Rookie of the Week honors. Georgia Tech has won its last two matchups versus the Hurricanes to grab a 13-12 lead in the series, including a 28-21 overtime victory in the most recent meeting in 2019. In that game, the Yellow Jackets turned a fake punt into a touchdown, recovered a fumble in the end zone for another score and blocked a Miami field goal try in the final seconds of regulation.
- NC State visits Tallahassee for a 4 p.m. kickoff against Florida State. The Wolfpack is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense and has allowed just one rushing TD this year. NC State has won three of the previous four versus the Seminoles, including last season’s 38-22 win in Raleigh. The Seminoles have won 16 of their previous 21 games against the Wolfpack in Tallahassee, including a 31-13 win last time the two teams met in 2019.
- Seeking bowl eligibility, Clemson plays at Louisville at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network. The Tigers own an unblemished record against the Cardinals, with all six meetings coming since Louisville joined the ACC in 2014. The most recent game between the Atlantic Division teams took place two seasons ago in Louisville, with the Tigers wining by a 45-10 score. Louisville QB Malik Cunningham has rushed for 13 touchdowns this season, which ties for the 10th-best single-season mark in ACC history.
- Virginia Tech is coming off a 26-13 win at Georgia Tech, while the Eagles are looking to end a four-game skid and earn their first conference win of the season. Tech and Boston College have met at least once every year since both became ACC members with the Hokies holding an 11-7 advantage in previous league meetings.
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Chris Graham
