ACC Notebook: Clemson nabs conference title berth

It was quite a week for Clemson, which was tagged with the No. 1 ranking in the first College Football Playoff rankings and then did something even more notable.

The Tigers defeated visiting Florida State 23-13 in the ACC’s marque game.

That allowed Clemson to clinch a spot in the ACC championship game with three weeks remaining in the regular season. That also figures to give the Tigers a nice edge in putting their fans in the seats in Charlotte, N.C., for the title game with the extra time to sell tickets before the opponent is determined.

Clemson wrestled the Atlantic Division crown away from Florida State, which has had its reign as three-time ACC champion come to an end.

North Carolina has control of its destiny in the Coastal Division, and that could be cleared up by the next weekend. If the Tar Heels defeat visiting Miami and Pittsburgh loses at Duke, then North Carolina will have a spot in the title game for the first time.

North Carolina’s other games are road assignments at Virginia Tech (for Frank Beamer’s final home game as coach) and at North Carolina State. So if the Coastal Division isn’t solved by the second weekend in November, it could become a big tricky.

BOSTON COLLEGE (3-7, 0-7)

Game: N.C. State 24, Boston College 8. The Eagles didn’t score until there were 81 seconds remaining in the game, so it was a seventh consecutive loss. Boston College didn’t take enough advantage of two N.C. State turnovers in the Senior Day setback.

Takeaway: The Eagles are trying to find their way and the offensive troubles won’t disappear.

Boston College was limited to less than 300 yards of total offense to an N.C. State team that allowed 56 points to Clemson a week earlier.

The quarterback situation seems to have tamed down to some degree. That means that QB John Fadule, a walk-on freshman, is at the controls. There’s quite a bit the Eagles like about Fadule, but he’s so inexperienced and the offense in general is so out of sorts that it’s not a good situation.

The Eagles will be locked out of the bowl mix, so they’ll have to find other goals. There are a couple of rivals remaining on the schedule with games against Notre Dame and Syracuse.

Within the ACC, the Eagles will hold last place in the Atlantic Division, though there’s a possibility that distinction could be shared with another team.

Next: vs. Notre Dame (at Fenway Park), Nov. 21

CLEMSON (9-0, 6-0)

Game: Clemson 23, Florida State 13. The Tigers scored the only points in the fourth quarter, breaking a tie with less than eight minutes to play in the home victory. Clemson didn’t lead until the second half, aided by QB Deshaun Watson’s solid play.

Takeaway: The Tigers are basking in a significant victory by dethroning Florida State in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. It came in the first game after Clemson was deemed No. 1 in the College Football Playoff ratings.

Now it would take a major mess-up for the Tigers to not complete an unbeaten regular season.

The Tigers had to perform in the clutch and that’s something they’ve done well this season when necessary.

Even though the point total was kept in check, the Tigers put up some numbers. Watson and RB Wayne Gallman both eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark. Watson threw for 297 yards, though the Tigers would like to get more out of the passing attack when putting up 42 total passes.

Clemson also recovered on the defensive side. Considering that the Tigers gave up 41 points a week earlier to North Carolina State and the surrendered a 75-yard touchdown run to Florida State RB Dalvin Cook in the first minute of the game, there was reason for concern. But after Cook’s long run, the defense kept getting better.

Next: at Syracuse, Nov. 14

DUKE (6-3, 3-2)

Game: North Carolina 66, Duke 31. The Blue Devils gave up four touchdown passes and 494 passing yards to North Carolina QB Marquise Williams in the road loss. RB Elijah Hood added three touchdown runs as the Blue Devils surrendered 704 yards of total offense.

Takeaway: Duke didn’t exactly rebound from the devastating loss to Miami. Instead, the misery was compounded with a blowout loss at rival North Carolina that knocked them out of any reasonable chance of winning the Coastal Division.

The list of troubles grew in a hurry for Duke, which was unable to sustain drives and, more glaring, gave up many of the explosive plays that it knew it couldn’t afford to yield.

The Blue Devils have made many considerable gains in terms of athleticism in recent seasons, but those weren’t evident against a supremely talented North Carolina team. Duke was torched for big plays.

Duke’s secondary is supposed to be one of the strengths this season, but the Blue Devils were exposed in several ways against North Carolina. The Blue Devils were tricked on a flea flicker on North Carolina’s first snap and it was the first of three touchdown plays of 49 or more yards.

The Blue Devils can still impact the Coastal Division because it plays contender Pittsburgh in a home finale in the next game. Duke must have for a better recovery than it had after the Miami game.

Next: vs. Pittsburgh, Nov. 14

FLORIDA STATE (7-2, 5-2)

Game: Clemson 23, Florida State 13. Clemson scored the only 10 fourth-quarter points, picking up key third-down conversions and ending the Seminoles’ superiority in the Atlantic Division. RB Dalvin cook gained 75 of his 294 rushing yards in the opening minute with a long touchdown run.

Takeaway: The Seminoles were right there with Clemson in the fourth quarter but couldn’t complete the upset bid.

There were positives for Florida State from the game at Clemson, considering that the Seminoles led for a large portion of the game.

Florida State’s defense deserves credit for keeping Clemson off balance at times.

Cook was the most effective offensive weapon for Florida State. The Seminoles are in a bit of an uneasy situation with QB Everett Golson missing another game since an injury. That leaves QB Sean Maguire, who perhaps hasn’t played enough to excel for extended periods against top-notch defenses. Maguire, though, owned a 2014 against Clemson and he might be looked to in more clutch situations again this season.

Now it will be important to judge Florida State’s reaction to being out of the chase for both an ACC title and the national championship. The Seminoles were on the national stage the past two seasons, playing meaningful postseason games.

With losses in two of the past three games, this could be a dangerous time for the Seminoles if they’re not attentive.

Next: vs. N.C. State, Nov. 14

GEORGIA TECH (3-6, 1-5)

Game: Didn’t play during the past week.

Takeaway: The Yellow Jackets are coming off another tough loss, with nearly two weeks to prepare between games. The 27-21 loss at Virginia was troublesome on many fronts, particularly because Georgia Tech was outplayed in the rushing attack.

Another loss and it means Georgia Tech will be out of the mix for bowl contention. It will take three consecutive victories to remain in the mix for a bowl bid.

“I think we’re extremely happy to have a bye week,” coach Paul Johnson said of the break in the schedule. “Certainly we’re pretty beat up, and to this point, we haven’t played very well at all.”

The Yellow Jackets also must win this next game against Virginia Tech in order to have a chance to move out of last place in the ACC’s Coastal Division. Otherwise, it’s going to be a first-to-worst move from a season ago.

The game against Georgia Tech is a nationally televised Thursday night matchup. It’s also the first game for the Hokies since long-time coach Frank Beamer announced he’ll retire at season’s end.

Next: vs. Virginia Tech, Nov. 12

LOUISVILLE (5-4, 4-2)

Game: Louisville 41, Syracuse 17. QB Kyle Bolin threw for a season-high 362 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinals won their third game in a row. RB Brandon Radcliff racked up 117 rushing yards and RB Jeremy Smith scored two touchdowns.

Takeaway: The Cardinals had misery early in the season because of injuries to quarterbacks and inconsistencies in their performances.

Some of that might be turning around to help the Cardinals because they’ve had several players at the position pick up playing time in key situations. Bolin was filling in for injured QB Lamar Jackson in the Syracuse game and it resulted in a stellar offensive effort.

It had been more than a month since Bolin had a starting role.

Give the Cardinals credit for taking advantage of the teams in the Atlantic Division that are struggling on offense. Louisville has used its defense to keep those teams mostly in check and the result has been four ACC victories.

Only one of Louisville’s conference victories has come against a team with a winning record. But certainly this is a team that’s gaining confidence. Most of that probably came on the defensive side for the past month, but with the emergence of more players capable of impacting the offense it should raise the ceiling on what the Cardinals can accomplish this season.

Next: vs. Virginia, Nov. 14

MIAMI (6-3, 3-2)

Game: Miami 27, Virginia 21. QB Brad Kaaya returned after missing a game with a concussion and threw two touchdown passes as the Hurricanes won in their first home game since an embarrassing loss to Clemson. Miami held Virginia to one touchdown as interim coach Larry Scott improved to 2-0 in his current role.

Takeaway: The Hurricanes still have a chance to make a run at the Coastal Division title after winning back-to-back games following the firing of coach Al Golden.

It’s a must-win game coming up at North Carolina. If the Hurricanes can pull off that upset, they’ll need to win out and have North Carolina lose again in order to secure a rematch with Clemson.

But there’s still lots of sorting out to do for the Hurricanes, who should feel better that Kaaya has returned to action. His presence helped WR Stacy Coley’s production because Coley gained 132 receiving yards.

Miami had to put the fallout of the crazy final-play victory at Duke behind it so it could concentrate on the next task and that seemed to work out.

Scott seems to have gained the trust of the players and with some goals out there it could set up for a solid finish to the season.

After being flagged for a school-record 23 penalties at Duke, there were corrections in that category. Miami was penalized seven times against Virginia.

Next: at North Carolina, Nov. 14

NORTH CAROLINA (8-1, 5-0)

Game: North Carolina 66, Duke 31. QB Marquise Williams threw for a school-record 494 yards and four touchdowns as the Tar Heels rolled on homecoming. RB Elijah Hood added three touchdown runs for North Carolina, which led 38-10 at halftime.

Takeaway: The Tar Heels didn’t crack the first College Football Playoff poll despite a seven-game winning streak but their impressive showing against Duke makes it eight in a row and is bound to turn some heads.

North Carolina continues to show the ability to create big plays and those are momentum-shifting situations. A flea flicker going for an 89-yard touchdown pass from Williams to WR Ryan Switzer on the first snap against Duke set the tone.

Williams has so many targets, though WR Mack Hollins has a knack for big plays and WR Bug Howard also snatched a touchdown reception.

It was the most points the Tar Heels have ever scored against Duke in 102 meetings.

With all the offensive numbers so impressive for the Tar Heels at times, it’s the defense that’s overlooked. This unit has one from one of the worst in the country the past couple of years to one of the most opportunistic in the ACC.

The Tar Heels continue to have a path full of potential potholes in reaching the ACC championship game. After a home date with Miami, there are trips to Virginia Tech (for the final home game in coach Frank Beamer’s career) and an assignment at rival North Carolina State.

Next: vs. Miami, Nov. 14

N.C. STATE (6-3, 2-3)

Game: N.C. State 24, Boston College 8. The Wolfpack didn’t allow a point until less than 90 seconds remained in posting the road victory. N.C. State’s offense mustered only 12 first downs, but the Wolfpack benefitted from four Boston College turnovers.

Takeaway: The Wolfpack once had one of the deepest offensive backfields that any team would want, but now the team is struggling to find the right situation at tailback.

The biggest blow as a season-ending foot injury to RB Matt Dayes, who was on track for a 1,000-yard rushing season and has been a reliable option in the passing attack.

Without Dayes, the Wolfpack will call upon versatile FB Jaylen Samuels, who also lines up as a tight end, for even more production. Samuels has shifted to tailback at times, and his eight carries were a team high in the Boston College game.

So the offense has become a work in progress again, but QB Jacoby Brissett will be fired up for the Florida State game. Brissett is a former Florida quarterback before transferring into the ACC.

The good thing about playing the offensive-deficient Boston College team was that it gave the Wolfpack a chance to restore confidence on the defensive side after giving up 56 points a week earlier to Clemson.

N.C. State gave up 56 points to Florida State in the teams’ meeting last year, so one of the priorities in the Wolfpack’s next game will be showing significant improvement on that front.

Next: at Florida State, Nov. 14

PITTSBURGH (6-3, 4-1)

Game: Notre Dame 42, Pittsburgh 30. QB DeShone Kizer threw five touchdown passes as the Irish delivered a loss on the Panthers, who’ve dropped consecutive home games. RB Jordan Whitehead ran for two touchdowns for the Panthers, who trailed by double figures for most of the final three quarters of the game.

Takeaway: The Panthers met Notre Dame in the middle of a key stretch against other teams contending in the Coastal Division, though at least the setback didn’t figure into the ACC standings.

The recent problems for the Panthers have stemmed from falling into holes that have been difficult to dig out from. They’ve had double-digit deficits in the first halves against North Carolina and Notre Dame.

QB Peterman has continued to show flashes that he can direct the offense to some good things. It would be better, though, if the Panthers had more flexibility rather than being a constant catch-up mode.

Pittsburgh could be out of the Coastal Division title hunt if it loses at Duke combined with a North Carolina victory against Miami.

Most forecasts didn’t have the Panthers, with first-year coach Pat Narduzzi, in the mix for the top spot in the Coastal Division. But after putting themselves in good shape, the Panthers would hate to fade so quickly.

Next: at Duke, Nov. 14

SYRACUSE (3-6, 1-4)

Game: Louisville 41, Syracuse 17. Backup QB Kyle Bolin threw for three touchdowns and 362 yards in the romp that sent the Orange to its sixth loss in a row. Syracuse had 286 yards of total offense, but committed three turnovers in the road loss.

Takeaway: The Orange should have had the luxury of going against a second-stringer quarterback for the second week in a row. That didn’t work out too well and a defense that once looked sturdy has become vulnerable.

It won’t be any easier because the next opponent is undefeated Clemson.

Syracuse basically gave up the potential of a solid season when its midseason swoon hit and there wasn’t a recovery.

The offense isn’t strong enough to go beat teams in shootout fashion, so the Orange must count on its defense to maintain some order. That hasn’t happened often enough.

Louisville hadn’t exactly lit it up from an offensive perspective, but the Cardinals certainly became untracked in the Syracuse game. It was the best offensive outing of the season for Louisville.

Syracuse is headed for a second season in a row without a bowl assignment. This signals trouble and without jumping out of the offensive doldrums it’s going to be a miserable November. If there’s a bright side, at least QB Eric Dungey has bene gaining some game experience that could prove valuable in the big picture.

Next: vs. Clemson, Nov. 14

VIRGINIA (3-6, 2-3)

Game: Miami 27, Virginia 21. Virginia had the misfortune of playing against Miami with QB Brad Kaaya back from and injury and Kaaya threw two touchdown passes in the home victory. The Cavaliers had more first downs (24-18) and an edge in time of possessions, but they trailed most of the game.

Takeaway: The Cavaliers continue to get enough from a defensive angle to be competitive in games.

But the offense falls in funks far too often and the lack of production in the red zone is often the reason for Virginia’s demise.

The 21 points scored against Miami came with only one touchdown helping the cause. At least K Ian Frye remains productive, with his four field goals at Miami giving the Cavaliers a chance.

The pressure would figure to be mounting on the Cavaliers. They play their road finale next before a pair of home games. Virginia must win each of those in order to qualify for a bowl or else there’s a chance it could be the end of coach Mike London’s stint with the Cavaliers.

Virginia has lost 14 road games in a row. But it’s restless home fans that might be demanding changes within the program, or a times the absence of those fans is revealing as well.

Next: at Louisville, Nov. 14

VIRGINIA TECH (4-5, 2-3)

Game: Didn’t play during the past week.

Takeaway: The Hokies barely had a day to soak in the success of a road victory at Boston College before the following day’s announcement that coach Frank Beamer would retire at the end of the season.

His 35-year career includes 277 victories (the most among any active Football Bowl Subdivision coach). He’s sixth all-time on the major-college wins list.

So the game at Georgia Tech will mark the first outing for the Hokies since Beamer’s announcement.

“Now there’s circumstances around this game that have changed a little bit, but the successful people in life, I believe, are the ones that handle the situations and can put that out of their mind and go take care of what they can control.”

Beamer said it’s always good to have extra preparation time before a game with Georgia Tech because of what he calls the Yellow Jackets’ unique offense.

The Hokies must win two of their remaining three games (home vs. North Carolina and at Virginia are the others) in order to reach the six-win mark and extend the season in a bowl.

Next: at Georgia Tech, Nov. 12

WAKE FOREST (3-6, 1-5)

Game: Didn’t play during the past week.

Takeaway: The Demon Deacons are coming off their third consecutive loss, though after blowouts to North Carolina and North Carolina State the one-point setback to Louisville might have been a sign of progress.

The troublesome part for the Demon Deacons is the closing stretch of the season includes road games against Top 10 teams Notre Dame and Clemson and a home matchup with Duke, which was nationally ranked for most of October.

Not that discussion of bowl bids would be reasonable at this stage for the Demon Deacons, but another loss officially eliminates Wake Forest from postseason consideration.

The Demon Deacons could have used the open date earlier on the schedule, coach Dave Clawson said. He said his relatively young team has been worn down by the season.

“I think ideally you’d like to have a bye week somewhere between Weeks 5 and 7,” Clawson said. “I would have loved it if it came to or three weeks earlier. … We certainly need to get healthy and kind of recharge the batteries a little bit.”

There’s also the matter of the revolving situation at quarterback. QB John Wolford and QB Kendall Hinton have received regular work.

“I think right now we’re going to continue to rep both of them and see how it plays out,” Clawson said.

Next: at Notre Dame, Nov. 14

NOTES, QUOTES

–Clemson no longer needs respect. That’s coming in large doses for the Tigers.

So what will be monitored is how the Tigers handle this prosperity.

“It’s good to be in the driver’s seat,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We just have to keep our hands on the wheel and not get distracted.”

ACC officials are thrilled that the conference has a legitimate national title contender, particularly after there have been naysayers in regard to the strength of the conference.

The remainder of Clemson’s regular-season schedule comes against teams with losing records (Syracuse, Wake Forest, South Carolina).

Any number of teams could be the opponent for Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. That list begins with North Carolina and then Pittsburgh, though Miami is a possibility and Duke is a long shot.

–Notre Dame is in the midst of a chunk of the ACC portion of its schedule. The Irish are contracted to play a package of annual games against ACC teams as it remains an independent for football.

The Irish are also contending for a spot in the College Football Playoffs, so the impact of the ACC slate is bound to be huge.

Part of the appeal for the one-loss Notre Dame team is that the defeat came to Clemson. The Irish were in position to win the Clemson game, so that’s giving Notre Dame’s perception a boost.

If the Irish are to make the four-team playoffs, they’ll need to win the rest of their games and hope for the best. But the ACC schedule could hinder the Irish as well because after winning their first November game on the road against a solid Pittsburgh team, the next two games are also against ACC members.

The games against lowly Wake Forest and Boston College aren’t likely to do much to boost the Irish’s profile.

Wake Forest plays both Notre Dame and Clemson in the final month, so the Demon Deacons strangely have a chance to alter the pecking order at the top of the national ratings.

“We certainly need to get healthy and kind of recharge the batteries a little bit and get back to some fundamental work that will help us down the stretch run,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.

–Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer’s impending retirement has been one of the hot topics around the ACC since his Nov. 1 announcement.

“It’s really kind of a sad day to really think about that Coach Beamer is going to be out of the ACC and out of college football,” North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said. “He is Virginia Tech football and has been. Everybody knows what he has brought to the ACC and the respect nationally that has been brought because of that. … College football is a better place when Frank Beamer is in it.”

Beamer’s career record includes 277 victories, making him the active leader in that category on the major-college level.

“It’s amazing what Frank accomplished at Virginia Tech and amazing that he was able to stay there that long,” said Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, whose team takes on the Hokies on Nov. 12 in the first game since Beamer’s announcement that this will be his final season.

Beamer said he appreciates the outpouring of kind words regarding his character and his career.

“To me, when it’s all said and done, I’m not sure how many people are going to remember the exact number of wins,” he said. “But I think they’ll remember how you did it and how you came across. That’s what’s really important to me right now.”

QUOTE TO NOTE: “I’ve been voting us No. 1 for three weeks. Y’all are just catching up.” — Coach Dabo Swinney of Clemson on the Tigers rising to the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and then backing it up by defeating Florida State .

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 10 IN THE ACC:

1. Clemson has landed a spot in the ACC championship game, but the Tigers ought to have even higher aspirations.

2. North Carolina has won eight games in a row and the drubbing of Duke might have felt the best of all for the Tar Heels.

3. Louisville won another game and the Cardinals look like they could be in the upper echelon of the ACC after all.

4. Maybe Miami’s coaching change came at just the right time because the Hurricanes have won twice since Larry Scott has come on board in an interim capacity.

5. N.C. State might have finally shaken the ghost of Tom O’Brien, winning at Boston College for the first time as an ACC member. O’Brien is a former coach at both schools.