Ranking the Best ACC Matchups of Week 2
Week 2 of ACC action is here!
We saw an eventful first week of the season—which included Notre Dame thumping Texas, Louisville taking Auburn down to the wire, Virginia Tech giving Ohio State all it could handle (before VT's signal-caller got injured) and a dominating effort by Miami.
In this installment, we will yet again rank the matchups involving ACC competition for Week 2 of the regular season. While many of the teams will be playing "cupcakes," there are some intriguing games featuring big-name programs.
Howard Bison vs. Boston College Eagles
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The Boston College Eagles had a rather comfortable 24-3 victory over the Maine Black Bears in the opener.
Running back Tyler Rouse had two touchdowns and 81 yards rushing on only eight carries. Signal-caller Darius Wade also threw for a touchdown in an efficient effort.
This week, the Eagles play host to the Howard Bison. Howard lost its opening game by a score of 49-0 to the Appalachian State Mountaineers. The Bison went 1-of-13 on third-down situations and accrued 172 total yards offensively.
This one could get ugly...quick.
North Carolina Central Eagles vs. Duke Blue Devils
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The Duke Blue Devils will square off versus an in-state program in the North Carolina Central Eagles.
The Blue Devils had one of the most impressive victories from the first weekend, defeating the Tulane Green Wave in New Orleans by a score of 37-7. The defense held the Green Wave to 2-of-14 on third-down plays. Tulane only registered 271 total yards on offense.
Offensively, quarterback Thomas Sirk looked very comfortable distributing the ball to the likes of Johnell Barnes, T.J. Rahming and Max McCaffrey. A three-headed rushing attack led by Sirk, Shaq Powell and Shaun Wilson was very effective.
NCCU won its opening game 72-0 versus the St. Augustine's Mighty Falcons. No, that isn't a typo.
While one shouldn't expect a similar scoreline, Duke should have no problems winning this game.
North Carolina A&T Aggies vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
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The North Carolina Tar Heels hope to get back to their winning ways, as they play the North Carolina A&T Aggies in Chapel Hill.
Quarterback Marquise Williams uncharacteristically struggled versus the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 17-13 defeat. He looked a bit slow with his decision-making, something that surely contributed to him throwing three interceptions—including two in the end zone.
UNC's opponent won by a lopsided margin of 61-7. The Aggies are a run-heavy team with some talent on the offensive side of the ball. They had three players get at least 10 carries—with tailback Tarik Cohen leading the group with 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
This game could be somewhat close in the first half. However, North Carolina's overall amount of talent should take over. Williams will have a bounce-back game in a winning effort.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Furman Paladins vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
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The Virginia Tech Hokies had a tough time in their season-opening loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Quarterback Michael Brewer is out for the extended future with a broken collarbone. Prior to his injury, Virginia Tech was outplaying the defending national champions. However, the Buckeyes pulled away in the second half and won comfortably.
With inexperienced signal-caller Brenden Motley entrenched as the starter, the Hokies will likely rely on the ground game to take pressure off of the young quarterback.
The Furman Paladins lost a close game to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers by a score of 38-35. The Paladins demonstrated the ability to put up points in bunches.
In this contest, Virginia Tech's defense will likely be the carrying force. While this might not be an overly high-scoring game, the Hokies should have no problem winning.
Miami Hurricanes vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
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The baby 'Canes are heading to FAU in what could turn out to be a high-scoring affair.
The Miami Hurricanes put up 45 points in a 45-0 blowout versus the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. The Florida Atlantic Owls narrowly lost to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane by a score of 47-44 in overtime. The Owls tallied an eye-popping 563 yards of offense.
The Hurricanes have a lot of new faces this year. With a general lack of experience, a road game could provide some challenges. While FAU looked good offensively in the opener, its defense gave up 47 points and 618 yards of total offense.
With Brad Kaaya at the helm, Miami should win by at least three touchdowns.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Syracuse Orange
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Normally, these two teams squaring off versus one another wouldn't rank this high.
However, the Syracuse-Wake Forest clash marks the first ACC game of the season. Both Atlantic Division members, it should be a competitive contest.
The Syracuse Orange and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons disposed of their cupcake competition in the first week. With this contest being played in the Carrier Dome, the Orange would theoretically hold an edge.
However, starting quarterback Terrel Hunt suffered an Achilles injury, robbing him of his senior year. Freshman Eric Dungey replaced Hunt in the starting lineup and looked good against the Rhode Island Rams, throwing for two touchdowns.
Conventional wisdom suggests Wake throwing some pressure at the young quarterback—with the hopes of forcing a turnover or two.
Tulane Green Wave vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
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A new year, same old story for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Even after losing a vast majority of his backfield this past offseason, Paul Johnson simply plugs in new players throughout his highly effective scheme. The result? A 69-6 win in Week 1 versus the Alcorn State Braves. GT rushed for a paltry 476 yards in the opener.
Tulane was thoroughly beaten by Duke the week before. The Yellow Jackets and their unorthodox rushing attack will be too much for the Green Wave to deal with.
Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers
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This game should rank as one of the most exciting of the weekend.
Appalachian State won 49-0, and the Clemson Tigers won 49-10 this past weekend. Appalachian State accrued 677 total yards of offense in the victory over Howard, and quarterback Taylor Lamb had four touchdowns in the victory.
The Tigers need to be mindful of this opponent. The Michigan Wolverines know all about being upset by a smaller school—especially if that smaller school is Appalachian State.
There could be plenty of offensive fireworks in this contest. Keep an eye out for uber-talented freshman Ray-Ray McCloud. The speedster out of Florida caught eight passes for 80 yards in the season opener. With Mike Williams out for the year, McCloud could be pressed into an even bigger role.
Pitt Panthers vs. Akron Zips
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The loss of all-everything running back James Conner will really hurt the Pitt Panthers' offense going forward.
Even with Conner, the Panthers narrowly defeated the Youngstown State Penguins by a score of 45-37. It was not a Pat Narduzzi-like defensive effort by any stretch.
The Akron Zips don't possess a great offense—but its rushing defense is rather stout. It will attempt to shut down Pitt completely, making Chad Voytik throw the football.
The wild card in this contest is receiver Tyler Boyd. Now back from a one-game suspension, Pitt's top receiving target could be the difference in this game—especially when returning kicks and punts.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs. NC State Wolfpack
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This could ultimately prove to be a sneaky-good game.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels have some high-level talent and transfers from other programs. Cincinnati Bearcats transfer Bennie Coney threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-10 win versus the Valparaiso Crusaders. It's a team with good athleticism for a mid-major program.
The NC State Wolfpack is a trendy pick to make some noise in the ACC this year. Led by Jacoby Brissett, the Wolfpack handily defeated the Troy Trojans 49-21.
This contest will be an interesting one. Of all the games this weekend in the ACC, this could have the highest upset potential. EKU won't be intimidated by a bigger program and should play with a real edge.
South Florida Bulls vs. Florida State Seminoles
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There is some statistical data going against the South Florida Bulls' chances at winning.
The Bulls have lost their last seven games versus Power 5 conference opponents. The last win in such a scenario came in 2011 versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
USF did win its opening game by a score of 51-3. Stud running back Marlon Mack—who rushed for 131 yards in the opener—should provide a stiff test for FSU's front seven.
Additionally, a vast majority of USF's team wasn't recruited by the Florida State Seminoles. Conventional wisdom suggests this could lead to some sort of motivating factor—which ultimately might galvanize the squad.
When it comes down to it, Florida State is the deeper and more talented team. The crowd in Tallahassee will be rocking, and the Seminoles will pick up a big victory.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Virginia Cavaliers
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This game pits the two most high-profile teams against one another.
Notre Dame looked exceptional against a porous Texas Longhorns team. Offensively, Malik Zaire was firing on all cylinders, and the defense put the clamps down on the hapless Longhorns offense. It was a thoroughly dominating effort across the board.
The Virginia Cavaliers were also outclassed by the UCLA Bruins last week. The Cavaliers couldn't convert in the red zone and often settled for field goals. Mike London's team lacks weapons on offense. Outside of Taquan "Smoke" Mizzell, there's not a whole lot in the cupboard.
As was the case versus the Bruins, Notre Dame's athleticism will pose immense problems for the Cavaliers. Virginia has a fair defense, but it'll get worn down as the game progresses.
Houston Cougars vs. Louisville Cardinals
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The contest between the Houston Cougars and the Louisville Cardinals has the makings of a good one.
True freshman Lamar Jackson will get the call at quarterback for Bobby Petrino's team. In the narrow defeat to the Auburn Tigers, Jackson impressively rushed for 106 yards and threw for 100 more. Combined with Reggie Bonnafon, it's a nice two-headed attack from the signal-caller position.
In Houston's 52-24 victory over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, the Cougars allowed only 29 yards rushing on 33 carries. With Louisville's propensity to run the football, something's got to give on Saturday.
Houston's quarterback Greg Ward Jr. is a lot like Jackson from the standpoint he can make plays with his legs. He also had 100 yards rushing in the win last week, to go along with 275 yards passing.
Whichever team can slow the opposing quarterback's ability to run the football will likely win. It should be a great game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
