ACC Football is working with a skeleton crew, with seven teams on bye this weekend, leaving us with four conference games, and two teams going out of conference.
NC State is one of those two, playing at Notre Dame on Saturday.
That one will be the Pack’s second “nonconference” game against an ACC school.
Yeah, I know, technically, Notre Dame is only an ACC school in every other sport but football.
Whatever.
Pitt at #25 Florida State | noon | ESPN
Series: Pitt leads series, 6-5-0
Last meeting: Florida State, 24-7 (2023)
TV: ESPN
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 137 / SiriusXM 193 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 / SiriusXM 955
Line: Florida State -10.5
Over/under: 57.5
Projected final score: Florida State 34, Pitt 23
Game Notes: Florida State and Pitt meet for just the fourth time in ACC play, with the Panthers holding a narrow 6-5 edge in the all-time series.
Pitt snapped a two-game skid with a dominant 48-7 win over Boston College, fueled by a quarterback switch to true freshman Mason Heintschel, who threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns to earn ACC Rookie of the Week honors.
The Panthers also boast one of the nation’s top defenses, ranking second nationally and first in the ACC in rushing defense (64.6 ypg).
Florida State looks to rebound from back-to-back road losses to current Top 25 teams by a combined 14 points.
Despite the recent setbacks, the Seminoles continue to field one of the nation’s most explosive offenses, ranking second nationally in rushing offense (295.4 ypg) and rushing touchdowns (20), third in total offense (560.8 ypg), and fifth in scoring (46.8 ppg).
Stanford at SMU | noon | The CW
Series: Series tied, 1-1-0
Last meeting: SMU, 40-10 (2024)
TV: The CW
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 113 / SiriusXM 194 / SiriusXM 385
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 956 / SiriusXM 975
Line: SMU -19.5
Over/under: 55.5
Projected final score: SMU 38, Stanford 17
Game Notes: SMU and Stanford meet for just the third time ever, with the Mustangs claiming a 40-10 win in last year’s matchup, while Stanford won the first meeting in the 1936 Rose Bowl.
The Cardinal enters the game off an open week, following a dramatic 30-29 comeback win over San Jose State in Week 5.
Defensively, Stanford is led by Matt Rose and Scotty Edwards, who both rank in the ACC’s Top 10 in tackles per game, while on offense, Bryce Farrell provides big-play potential with an ACC-best 19.22 yards per catch.
SMU opened ACC play with a 31-18 win over Syracuse and brings a ball-hawking defense that leads the league and ranks second nationally with nine interceptions.
Quarterback Kevin Jennings has been consistently productive again this season, ranking third in the ACC in total offense (287.0 ypg) and throwing for at least 260 yards and a touchdown in every game.
Defensively, Isaiah Nwokobia adds to SMU’s strength with 7.4 tackles per game, good for ninth in the conference.
Virginia Tech at #13 Georgia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Series: Virginia Tech leads series, 12-8-0
Last meeting: Virginia Tech, 21-6 (2024)
TV: ACC Network
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 137 / SiriusXM 193 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 / SiriusXM 955
Line: Georgia Tech -14.5
Over/under: 55.5
Projected final score: Georgia Tech 35, Virginia Tech 20
Game Notes: Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech meet in a pivotal ACC clash, with the Hokies holding a 12-8 edge in the all-time series, including a win in the 2024 matchup in Blacksburg.
Under interim head coach Phillip Montgomery, the Hokies are 2-1 and 1-1 in ACC play, including a narrow road win at NC State. They’ll look to secure their first win over a Top 15 opponent since 2021 — and their first on the road since 2014.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2014 and enters its first game as a Top 15 team in nearly a decade. The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 in ACC play and lead the league in red zone efficiency, scoring on 95 percent of their trips inside the 20.
The Yellow Jackets are one of only seven teams nationally that are both undefeated and have recorded three wins over Power 4 conference opponents this season.
NC State at #16 Notre Dame | 3:30 p.m. | Peacock
Series: Series tied, 2-2-0
Last meeting: Notre Dame, 45-24 (2023)
TV: Peacock
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 85 / SiriusXM 129
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 85 / SiriusXM 129
Line: Notre Dame -21.5
Over/under: 60.5
Projected final score: Notre Dame 41, NC State 20
Game Notes: NC State and #16 Notre Dame meet with the all-time series knotted at 2-2. The Irish have won the last two matchups, including a 35-14 victory in South Bend in 2017.
The Wolfpack enters the non-conference contest on Saturday at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in ACC play, marking their final non-conference test of the season. Running back Hollywood Smothers has been a standout, leading the ACC with four 100-yard rushing games and ranking second nationally with 693 rushing yards.
Notre Dame, after an 0-2 start, has won three straight and continues its ACC-heavy schedule — this being the second of six games against league opponents. The Irish lost to Miami in Week 1 and will still face Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse and Stanford this season.
Beyond the matchup on the field, the programs share historic ties, most notably with legendary coach Lou Holtz, who led NC State from 1972–1975 before guiding the Irish from 1986–1996.
Wake Forest at Oregon State | 3:30 p.m. | The CW
Series: First Meeting
Line: Wake Forest -2.5
TV: The CW
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 386 / SiriusXM 387
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 976 / SiriusXM 977
Over/under: 50.5
Projected final score: Wake Forest 27, Oregon State 24
Game Notes: Wake Forest and Oregon State meet for the first time ever on Saturday in Corvallis, as the Beavers open a four-game homestand — their longest since 1997.
First-year Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert is familiar with OSU, having faced the Beavers three times while at Washington State.
The Demon Deacons are coming off a strong defensive showing in a win over Virginia Tech, allowing just 263 total yards, including only 111 through the air.
Offensively, Wake is led by standout running back Demond Claiborne, who leads the ACC and ranks seventh nationally with 7.45 yards per carry.
Oregon State is still searching for its first win of the season after back-to-back close losses. Quarterback Maalik Murphy, a transfer from Duke, is no stranger to Wake Forest — he threw for 235 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score against the Deacons last season.
Clemson at Boston College | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Series: Clemson leads series, 21-9-2
Last meeting: Clemson, 31-3 (2022)
TV: ACC Network
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 137 / SiriusXM 193 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 / SiriusXM 955
Line: Clemson -14.5
Over/under: 54.5
Projected final score: Clemson 34, Boston College 20
Game Notes: Clemson enters Saturday’s matchup riding a 12-game winning streak over Boston College and leading the all-time series 21-9-2.
The Tigers are coming off a big road win at North Carolina, where they posted a season-high 399 passing yards and five touchdown passes. Clemson has also won 35 straight games against teams with losing records, the third-longest active streak nationally, and is looking to extend its streak of consecutive games with points to 300 — an elite FBS milestone.
Boston College is aiming to snap a four-game skid and pick up its first ACC win of the season. Defensively, the Eagles were led last week by KP Price and Omar Thornton, who each recorded 10 tackles against Pitt.
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Chris Graham
