ACC Notes: League trips up vs. non-conference foes

Only one conference game has been played involving Coastal Division teams and already there are indicators that it could be another wild ride within that division.

That’s because Duke upset Georgia Tech, which rated as the preseason favorite on many fronts.

A heavier dose of conference games kicks into gear in the first week of October.

The last weekend of September proved rather dismal for some ACC teams in non-conference games.

Those included home losses for Virginia (to Boise State), Syracuse (to LSU) and for Wake Forest (to Indiana). Those were all rather expected outcomes, while Virginia Tech’s setback at East Carolina was another downer for the ACC in general.

The ACC’s top teams — Florida State and Clemson — had the week off, so they’ll be back in action after some rest and more time to retool certain areas.

BOSTON COLLEGE (3-1, 0-1)

Game: Boston College 17, Northern Illinois 14. QB Troy Flutie’s starting debut turned out successful as he threw a touchdown pass in a home victory against a Northern Illinois team that flirted with an upset of top-ranked Ohio State a week earlier. RB Jon Hilliman rushed for 119 yards on 24 carries for the Eagles, who were content with mostly a ground attack.

Takeaway: The Eagles aren’t going to be flashy, but if their defense can do the job that might stay in many games.

They would well savor the outcome against Northern Illinois much more once the season plays out and it puts them halfway to bowl eligibility.

The first collegiate start for Flutie, who’s the nephew of former Boston College star Doug Flutier, is accompanied by quite a bit of fanfare.

The Eagles aren’t putting too much on the younger Flutie, keeping things rather close to the vest. There were 63 rushing plays and 14 passes in the victory against Northern Illinois.

Boston College’s defense might be even stronger than an initial glance at scores would indicate.

Considering that a week earlier Florida State scored a touchdown with its defense returning a turnover for a score and Northern Illinois posted a touchdown on a kickoff return, the Eagles have been particularly stingy with their defense on the field.

Next: at Duke, Oct. 3

CLEMSON (3-0, 1-0)

Game: Didn’t play this week.

Takeaway: The Tigers have extra time to prepare for one of the most high-profile games in their history.

Notre Dame comes calling for the next game and it will be a much-hyped matchup between undefeated teams.

Clemson not only had an open date to prepare for the Irish, but the Tigers had two additional days because their previous game came Sept. 17 (a Thursday night).

During the idle week, Clemson welcomed back K Ammon Lakip, who had been suspended for the first three games after an arrest on drug charges in June. Lakip won’t automatically be thrust into the kicking duties, but he’s expected to have a chance to compete for his former position.

The Tigers might want to see what he can do with kickoffs because they were burnt for a kickoff return for a touchdown in the game with Louisville.

Next: vs. Notre Dame, Oct. 3

DUKE (3-1, 1-0)

Game: Duke 34, Georgia Tech 20. S DeVon Edwards returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and Duke held on for the home victory in its ACC opener. Running back Shaquille Powell scored on three runs for Duke (3-1), including a 30-yard, fourth-down burst with less than two minutes remaining.

Takeaway: The Blue Devils toughened up along the line of scrimmage against Georgia Tech and that aggressive play resulted in a better outcome than a week against Northwestern.

Duke had to count on its defense, holding Georgia Tech to 173 rushing yards. That could bode well in many ways because the next opponent for the Blue Devils is a run-oriented Boston College team.

Special teams were crucial to the Blue Devils. A week after they gave up a touchdown on a kickoff return, they reverse that with Edwards going the distance on a kickoff return. Duke also had a 69-yard punt return to the 1-yard line from WR Ryan Smith, setting up another touchdown.

This helped Duke overcome three turnovers. The key was that off those turnovers, Duke’s defense stiffened and allowed only a pair of field goals.

It might seem strange that the defense has moved to the front for Duke. Lots of praise has been directed to S Jeremy Cash, whose abilities to assist in run support is critical for the Blue Devils.

Next: vs. Boston College, Oct. 3

FLORIDA STATE (3-0, 1-0)

Game: Didn’t play this week.

Takeaway: The Seminoles haven’t been awesome, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come in time for this group.

“It’s very encouraging at the same time we’re able to have success and still not play close to our potential,” coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I think in time we’ll grow forward into being the kind of team I think we can be.”

It’s still a learning process for transfer quarterback Everett Golson, but that’s something that Fisher seems to accept. Fisher said there were some plays that could have been made in the Boston College game, but that overall Golson was protective of the football at some key times.

RB Dalvin Cook, the team’s leading rusher, left the Boston College game on Sept. 18 with an upper-body injury but he returned to practice during the open week so there’s speculation that he could be ready for the next game.

It’s less likely that RB Mario Pender, who has rushed for a touchdown and gained 140 yards on the ground, will be available considering he spent time in the hospital with an apparent collapsed lung that came about through a practice injury.

With the next game at Wake Forest, the Seminoles will have half of their ACC road games out of the way after the first weekend in October. That’s a nice way to enter a more stringent part of the schedule.

Next: at Wake Forest, Oct. 3

GEORGIA TECH (2-2, 0-1)

Game: Duke 34, Georgia Tech 20. RB Shaquille Powell scored on three touchdown runs for Duke, which limited the Yellow Jackets to 173 rushing yards. Georgia Tech produced only two field goals off three Duke turnovers in losing their ACC opener for only the second time in eight seasons under coach Paul Johnson.

Takeaway: The Yellow Jackets were handled along the line of scrimmage for large portions of the Duke game and that proved to be troublesome as they lost for the second week in a row and fell out of the national rankings.

Georgia Tech’s offense stalls too often and that’s when the rushing attack can’t get untracked. More problems stem from that, with QB Justin Thomas completing only 6 of 21 passes for 143 yards in the loss to Duke.

Johnson said that Thomas appears to be frustrated by the offense’s mistakes and that’s adding to the pressure. Running back Patrick Skov had 75 yards on the ground, but that wasn’t enough to carry the load for an offense so dependent on the rushing attack.

Perhaps equally as disturbing was coverage units on special teams, particularly with a North Carolina team next on the schedule with big-play capabilities on special teams.

Duke torched Georgia Tech with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 69-yard punt return to the 1-yard line that set up another touchdown.

Next: vs. North Carolina, Oct. 3

LOUISVILLE (1-3, 0-1)

Game: Louisville 45, Samford 3. QB Lamar Jackson ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Cardinals finally broke into the victory column by defeating Football Championship Subdivision team. Jackson’s 184 rushing yards marked a school record for a quarterback.

Takeaway: The Cardinals might have some answers to their quarterback situation with Jackson taking the reins, albeit against an overmatched opponent.

But the outcome was a source of relief for the Cardinals, who went through a miserable stretch to begin the season and couldn’t seem to get settled on the quarterback position and also experienced far too many defensive shortcomings.

Jackson is a dual threat at quarterback, throwing for 212 yards to go with his big rushing numbers.

Now Louisville can settle into a heavier dose of ACC competition. It begins with a game at undefeated North Carolina State, so it will mark the second unbeaten foe in the early going for the Cardinals, who’ve lost to Clemson.

The game also marks the first true road assignment for the Cardinals (their loss to Auburn took place in Atlanta). It’s hardly the place to ease into action, particularly because Raleigh can be hostile when N.C. State is on a roll.

Louisville will be the first major-college opponent for N.C. State this year so maybe that’s something that will work to the Cardinals’ advantage.

Next: at N.C. State, Oct. 3

MIAMI (3-0, 0-0)

Game: Didn’t play this week.

Takeaway: The Hurricanes have one more pre-ACC tune-up on the schedule and they’ll be looking to make the most of their second road assignment of the season.

Miami’s overtime escape against Nebraska provided plenty of fodder for the Hurricanes to consider with almost two weeks off between games. While there was so much good to assess in building a sizeable lead through three quarters, there was the fallout of falling to sustain the momentum and then needed overtime to pull out the home victory.

During the off week, the Hurricanes had an injury scare when LB Marques Gayot spent time in a hospital after a neck injury sustained in practice. The sophomore, who’s bound to miss some time, has 1.5 sacks to share the team lead in that category.

Miami could be playing a Cincinnati team that’s without its first-string quarterback but instead facing a backup who put up big numbers in a relief appearance during a loss at Memphis.

Next: at Cincinnati, Oct. 1

NORTH CAROLINA (3-1, 0-0)

Game: Backup QB Mitch Trubisky threw two of his four touchdown passes to WR Mack Hollins in the third quarter as the Tar Heels won their third game in a row. Trubisky completed 17 of 20 throws for 312 yards, all career highs for the redshirt sophomore.

Takeaway: North Carolina, which won for the second time in three weeks against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, is 3-1 for the first time since 2011.

That’s the easy fallout from the latest game. The question about who’ll be the starting quarterback could be more complex.

Trubisky sparked an offense that wasn’t rolling much in the first half and he was at the controls in the second half, when starting QB Marquise Williams was watching from the sidelines.

Trubisky was a highly recruited player and there has been clamoring from some corners to give him more of a chance.

The quality of opponents for North Carolina’s pre-ACC tune-ups could come into question. Many of the defensive numbers for the Tar Heels are vastly improved, but those will be tested in a much larger way against Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech has run wild on the Tar Heels in some recent years and containing the triple-option has been a problem for North Carolina.

Next: at Georgia Tech, Oct. 3

N.C. STATE (4-0, 0-0)

Game: N.C. State 63, South Alabama 13. RB Matt Dayes ran for three touchdowns in the first quarter and the Wolfpack rolled to the road victory. TE Jaylen Samuels scored on two touchdown receptions and RB Shadrach Thornton and RB Reggie Gallaspy each ran for two touchdowns.

Takeaway: The Wolfpack had a smooth path in four pre-ACC games and those were negotiated without much trouble.

There are so many options in the backfield that QB Jacoby Brissett’s efficiency might be overlooked at times. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 218 in the lopsided game with South Alabama.

Dayes has reached the 100-yard mark rushing in four consecutive games, something that hadn’t been done by an N.C. State player since 1981. Thornton has been sturdy in two games after coming off a two-game suspension at the beginning of the season.

N.C. State has won its last five games away from home, something that hadn’t been done in more than 40 years.

Next the Wolfpack will find out if the tune-ups for conference play provided much value. In the ACC opener against Louisville, N.C. State will face a team that has played two nationally ranked teams (Auburn and Clemson).

Next: vs. Louisville, Oct. 3

PITTSBURGH (2-1, 0-0)

Game: Didn’t play this week.

Takeaway: The Panthers are coming off a hard-luck loss to Iowa, which won Sept. 19 on a 57-yard field goal.

The open week gave Pittsburgh a chance to simmer over that result, but it also was an opportunity to try to sort out the quarterback situation.

The Panthers are counting on more at the quarterback with the loss of RB James Conner to a season-ending knee injury. Without Conner there to carry a bulk of the load, Pittsburgh needs pick-me-ups in other areas.

QB Nathan Peterman, a transfer from Tennessee, made his first start for the Panthers in the Iowa game.

“We’ll continue to go forward with him as the starting quarterback here,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “I think he has earned that.”

Chad Voytik, the 2014 starter who began his season atop the depth chart, is the backup.

While Narduzzi’s first season has gotten to a solid start with a couple of victories, the Panthers also have been generally underwhelming in doing so.

Next: at Virginia Tech, Oct. 3

SYRACUSE (3-1, 1-0)

Game: LSU 34, Syracuse 24. RB Leonard Fournette rushed for 244 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers posted a non-league road victory. Syracuse, trailing 24-17 with 10 minutes remaining, hung tough for much of the game against an undefeated foe despite using a quarterback who had been fifth on the depth chart prior to the season.

Takeaway: The Orange gave a strong showing, particularly when it looked like it might be overmatched against a Top 10 opponent.

It was a game that created some buzz for Syracuse, which needed that after some recent rough seasons. The outcome wasn’t favorable, but the way the Orange put up a fight is bound to be encouraging against a team that must face Florida State and Clemson along the way in ACC divisional play.

The encouraging part for Syracuse came from QB Zach Mahoney, a junior college transfer in his first start for the Orange. Mahoney threw three touchdown passes to go with one interception.

Mahoney might be called upon to help the carry the injury-plagued offense and there were glimpses that were definitely worth noting.

The Orange has played outside of its comfort zone for most of the season because of the revolving quarterback situation. Now there will be something else to address because after four games inside the Carrier Dome it’s time to hit the road.

The next game is at South Florida, which was a former Big East Conference opponent before the Orange left for the ACC.

Next: at South Florida, Oct.10

VIRGINIA (1-3, 0-0)

Game: Boise State 56, Virginia 14. The Cavaliers fell behind after the first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception returned for a Boise State touchdown and it ended up as a lopsided home loss. Virginia QB Matt Johns threw two touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Takeaway: The mistake-prone Cavaliers might appear in disarray as they go to an open week on the schedule. They had three marquee opponents in September and lost to each of them.

In the latest game against Boise State, two of the interceptions thrown by QB Matt Johns were returned for touchdowns. He finished 12 of 29 through the air.

There might not be many reasonable choices behind Johns because the quarterback position has been deserted by transfers the past few years.

Twice in the first four games, the Virginia defense has been dissected by a freshman quarterback and another time a Notre Dame backup led a fourth-quarter comeback.

The Cavaliers will have plenty to digest during the open week. It’s more time to make improvements, but also extra time to consider how the opening month went wrong.

The good news, if it can be viewed that way, is that Virginia has yet to play a league game and so the slate is clean in that regard heading into ACC competition.

Next: at Pittsburgh, Oct. 10

VIRGINIA TECH (2-2, 0-0)

Game: East Carolina 35, Virginia Tech 28. QB James Summers made his first big splash for East Carolina, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing a touchdown pass in the home victory. The Hokies had difficulty controlling a dual threat quarterback, meaning they were unable to protect an early 14-point lead.

Takeaway: The Hokies received nearly 400 yards of offense from QB Brenden Motley, but that wasn’t enough in the team’s rather uneven performance.

Virginia Tech hasn’t been able to lock down defensively like it used to do during its more dominant days. That’s might be the biggest reason for the lack of consistency across the board.

Virginia Tech gave up 408 yards of offense to an East Carolina team that had already lost twice this season and to turned to an unproven college quarterback for extensive time.

The Hokies have been on the road for back-to-back weeks, so now they begin a stretch with two ACC home games.

Last year’s season fizzled because the Hokies allowed losses to multiple, so it will be interesting to see if there were lessons learned a year ago about how to deal with adversity.

If not, there would be signs of frustration that could be difficult to tame.

Next: vs. Pittsburgh, Oct. 3

WAKE FOREST (2-2, 0-1)

Game: Indiana 31, Wake Forest 24. The Demon Deacons came up short on a fourth-quarter comeback, scoring the final two touchdowns of the game and then regaining possession. The last drive stalled, but at least it created some excitement on a gloomy day that was brightened at times by the play of freshman QB Kendall Hinton.

Takeaway: The starting debut for Hinton came about because of an ankle injury to QB John Wolford, who wasn’t in uniform for the Indiana game.

Hinton, a true freshman, rushed for two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass. This came a week after he orchestrated a winning drive against Army after Wolford departed with the injury.

The Demon Deacons didn’t do enough on defense to subdue unbeaten Indiana and it figures that the defense is the area that will have to be up to snuff in order for the Demon Deacons to have much success this season.

The jolt of energy from the offense is somewhat unexpected, but it adds an element for the Demon Deacons.

The thing that could put the offense out of kilter is relying on the quarterback to be the leading rusher because that has been the trend through the first month of the season.

There’s another undefeated team next on Wake Forest’s schedule with the arrival of Florida State.

Next: vs. Florida State, Oct. 3

NOTES, QUOTES

–Several ACC teams have run into difficulties in non-conference games, with Virginia losing three times and Louisville and Virginia Tech falling twice to non-league opponents.

Those teams faced some stiff competition along the way.

On the flip said, other teams took different approaches. North Carolina played two Football Championship Subdivision teams in September and won both of those games.

North Carolina State made it through the month without encountering another team from a Power 5 conference. The result is a 4-0 record to take into October.

Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren liked the outcomes of those games and he’s not backing off the scheduling philosophy that appears to have worked out just fine.

Doeren said he won’t apologize for N.C. State’s unblemished record.

“You can look across the country at the teams that scheduled in a different way that are 1-2 and 0-3,” Doeren said. “Walk in their locker room right now and look at how positive they feel. I think we’re doing the right things for our team.”

Doeren points to the use of plenty of freshmen as one reason why the Wolfpack’s schedule was appropriate.

–The ACC was without its two most high-profile teams in action for the past week. Florida State and Clemson had open dates on the final weekend of September.

So they both enter October with 3-0 records and some much stiffer competition ahead.

“I think our off week came at a pretty good time even though it’s earlier (than many seasons),” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. “Sometime you’d like them in the middle, but I think when we’re at to be able to go back fundamentally and regroup and do some things and look at why we’ve had success, why we’ve had failures, get better this week, work on some future opponents.”

Both teams were able to savor the time a little bit because they were coming off ACC road victories, with Clemson winning at Louisville and Florida State surviving at Boston College.

“We feel the open date has come at a good time based on where we are right now,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys we’re still trying to grow and develop.”

In many ways the next assignments for Florida State and Clemson are drastically different. Clemson has a prime-time home date with Notre Dame. Florida State visits Wake Forest.

–There have been an array of quarterback changes for ACC teams this season, but most of those have come about because of injuries.

So North Carolina’s move could be the most interesting.

QB Marquise Williams was benched in the second half of an eventual romp past Delaware. That allowed QB Mitch Trubisky to excel, throwing four touchdowns.

So questions came quickly regarding the quarterback position.

“As of right now, there’s no changes,” Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora said.

Williams and Trubisky were competing for the starting role in the 2014 preseason. That nod went to Williams, and he went on to have a productive season.

This year, he has been lacking some of the spark that he showed a year ago. His three interceptions in the opener against South Carolina largely contributed to the loss.

Still, an overhaul didn’t appear in the works until the second half of the 41-14 victory against Delaware.

The timing of a potential move could be interesting because North Carolina begins ACC play with its next game at Georgia Tech.

Meanwhile, the injury bug for ACC quarterbacks has been quite detailed for teams such as Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Boston College, Wake Forest and to some extent Louisville.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “I think you have to give Duke credit, especially defensively. They played their tails off. I thought they were pretty good going into the game and they didn’t disappoint.” — Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, whose team lost its ACC opener to Duke but the result might not be an altogether bad omen. The past two seasons, the loser of the Duke / Georgia Tech game went on to win the Coastal Division

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 4 IN THE ACC:

1. Duke looks to be relevant again within the Coastal Division, so maybe it’s time it get used to that idea.

2. N.C. State roughed up four non-league opponents without facing a Power 5 team or anything close to that, so the Wolfpack will have more to prove in October.

3. If Syracuse can stick around in a game against LSU, maybe there’s some hope for something to turn out OK when Orange deals with Top 10 teams such as Florida State and Clemson.

4. Virginia Tech needs to avoid a swoon. That might not be easy after two September losses before getting to the ACC portion of the schedule.

5. Virginia had a brutal non-conference schedule and it showed, with the Cavaliers going 1-3 in pre-ACC games.