2023 SCHEDULE – WEEK 3
THURSDAY, SEPT. 14 TIME, TV SIRIUSXM APP/WEB
Bethune-Cookman at No. 22 Miami 7:30 p.m., ACCN 136 or 193 955
Series: Miami leads series, 6-0; Last meeting: Miami, 70-13 (2022)
ACCN: Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Orlando Franklin (analyst), Marilyn Payne (sideline)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 15 TIME, TV SIRIUSXM APP/WEB
Virginia at Maryland 7 p.m., FS1 138 or 193 955
Series: Maryland leads series, 44-32-2; Last meeting: Maryland, 27-26 (2013)
FS1: Eric Collins (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 16 TIME, TV SIRIUSXM APP/WEB
Louisville at Indiana Noon, BTN 113 or 194 956 or 965
Series: Indiana leads series, 2-0; Last meeting: Indiana, 21-0 (1986)
Big Ten Network: Connor Onion (play-by-play), Brock Vereen (analyst), Megan McKeown (sideline)
No. 3 Florida State at Boston College Noon, ABC 158, 193 or 389 955 or 979
Series: Florida State leads series, 15-5; Last meeting: Florida State, 44-14 (2022)
ABC: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
Wake Forest at Old Dominion Noon, ESPN2 104 or 201 964
Series: Wake Forest leads series, 1-0; Last meeting: Wake Forest 42-10 (2021)
ESPN2: Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Taylor McGregor (sideline)
VMI at NC State 2 p.m., The CW 111 or 204 967
Series: VMI leads series, 11-7-1; Last meeting: NC State, 49-7 (1946)
The CW: Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), Tabitha Turner (sideline)
Northwestern at No. 21 Duke 3:30 p.m., ACCN 113, 194, or 384 956 or 974
Series: Duke leads series, 12-10; Last meeting: Duke, 31-23 (2022)
ACCN: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Sherree Burruss (sideline)
Virginia Tech at Rutgers 3:30 p.m., BTN 104 or 201 964 or 965
Series: Virginia Tech leads series, 12-3; Last meeting: Virginia Tech, 13-10 OT (2012)
Big Ten Network: Joe Beninati (play-by-play), Adam Breneman (analyst), Taryn Hatcher (sideline)
Minnesota at No. 20 North Carolina 3:30 p.m., ESPN 85, 158, or 193 85 or 955
Series: First meeting
ESPN: Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
Pitt at West Virginia 7:30 p.m., ABC 84 or 391 971
Series: Pitt leads series, 62-40-3; Last meeting: Pitt, 38-31 (2022)
ABC: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
Georgia Tech at No. 17 Ole Miss 7:30 p.m., SECN 81, 113, or 194 956 or 973
Series: Ole Miss leads series, 3-2; Last meeting: Ole Miss, 42-0 (2022)
SECN: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rogers (analyst), Cole Cubelic (sideline)
Syracuse at Purdue 7:30 p.m., NBC 85 or 390 85 or 970
Series: Series tied at 1-1; Last meeting: Syracuse, 32-29 (2022)
NBC: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (sideline)
Florida Atlantic at Clemson 7:30 p.m., ACCN 158 or 193 955
Series: Clemson leads 1-0; Last meeting: Clemson, 54-6 (2006)
ACCN: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Taylor Tannebaum (sideline)
ACC NOTES
ACC WELCOMES CAL, SMU AND STANFORD
The ACC Board of Directors voted on Sept. 1 to formally admit the University of California, Berkeley (Cal), Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Stanford University to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Cal, SMU and Stanford will join the ACC as full members with full voting participation effective July 1, 2024 (SMU) and August 2, 2024 (Stanford and Cal). The decision followed the submission of letters of application from all three institutions.
The additions of Cal, SMU and Stanford enhance and strengthen the ACC academically, athletically and financially as well as create a true national conference that spans coast to coast. The incoming universities enrich the league’s competitiveness in all sports and further demonstrate the ACC’s commitment to broad-based programs for both women and men. More than 2,200 student-athletes from Cal, SMU and Stanford will join the nearly 10,000 current ACC student-athletes competing at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
GREATNESS IS WHAT WE DO
The ACC announced its new creative campaign, “ACCOMPLISH GREATNESS,” a multi-part brand campaign highlighting the vast success of the ACC’s athletics and academics alike. The campaign launched ahead of the ACC’s official college football season on Week 1. The series will continue with multi-sport spots highlighting the ACC’s incredible accomplishments in all sports throughout the academic year.
ACC ON ABC/ESPN
During the first three weeks of the season, the ACC has a pair of games on ABC’s “Saturday Night Football” as well as 11 appearances on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.
In total, seven ACC contests are scheduled for national ABC broadcasts and ACC Network will also feature 13 games. Of the 10 full national ABC telecasts, seven of them feature seven different institutions.
On Sept. 23, Florida State and Clemson will mark the fourth time this season that an ACC team has played in ABC’s Saturday noon game – Virginia (Sept. 2), NC State (Sept. 9), Florida State and Boston College (Sept. 16).
ACC TEAMS RANKED NATIONALLY IN WEEK 3
For the second consecutive week, the ACC had four teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll (Sept. 10). Florida State moved up to No. 3 in the Week 3 poll, while North Carolina (No. 20), Duke (No. 21) and Miami (No. 22) also ranked in the top 25 for the week. After 20 consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25, the Clemson Tigers fell out of the poll, receiving 68 votes overall.
Florida State also moved up to the No. 3 spot in the USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll (Sept. 10), while North Carolina came in at No. 18 overall. Duke moved up to No. 20 overall in the coaches poll, ahead of both Clemson at No. 22 and Miami at No. 23. Wake Forest, Syracuse and Louisville also received votes.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE VERSUS THE SEC
The ACC has faired well this season in non-conference play, going 18-6 over the first two weeks of the season. However, the ACC is 4-1 versus the SEC with North Carolina’s win over South Carolina (Sept. 2), Florida State defeating LSU (Sept. 3), Miami downing Texas A&M (Sept. 9) and Wake Forest beating Vanderbilt (Sept. 9).
The four wins over the SEC are the most by the ACC in a single season since winning four matchups in 2017.
TALKING OFFENSE
Through Week 2 of the 2023 season, the ACC has been lighting up the scoreboards offensively. The 14 ACC Football teams have combined to score 1,044 points over 28 games thus far this season, the second-most by a conference in all of the NCAA behind only the SEC with 1,135 points in 29 contests.
Two ACC teams in Syracuse and Florida State both rank in the top four in scoring this season. Syracuse ranks third nationally with an average of 56.5 points per game this season, just ahead of Florida State in fourth at 55.5 points per contest.
DISCUSSING DEFENSE
On the other side of the field, the ACC has two teams ranked in the top 10 in fewest points allowed this season in Syracuse and Duke. The Orange have allowed only seven points over the first two weeks of the season, the lowest in all of Division I football. Duke’s defense has surrendered just 14 points thus far this season, tied for the eighth-fewest in FBS.
NCAA ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS
Entering the third week of the season, the ACC has two standout student-athletes who are active career leaders in all of FBS football in Will Shipley of Clemson and
Antavious Lane of North Carolina.
The Tigers’ Shipley leads all active players in the FBS in career all-purpose yards per game at 125.19. He has totaled 3,255 all-purpose yards in his career – 2,107
rushing, 409 receiving and 739 kick return yards – over 26 games played.
The Tar Heels’ Lane is tied for the lead in career interceptions among all active FBS players with 11 INTs.
HISTORICAL TOP-10 WINS
In Monday night’s Labor Day primetime game on Sept. 4, the Duke Blue Devils upended No. 9 Clemson 28-7 in Wallace Wade Stadium in the two teams’ season opener. The win was the first time the Blue Devils had beaten a top-10 team since defeating then-No. 7 Clemson in 1989, snapping a losing streak of 28 straight games to top-10
teams.
On Sept. 3, the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles defeated No. 5 LSU 45-24 in the Camping World Kickoff in Orlando, Fla. FSU’s 45 points were tied for the most in a season opener against an AP top-5 teams in the Poll era (since 1936). As the lower-ranked team, the Seminoles also recorded the first 20+ point win over an AP top-5 team since 1988 with the season-opening victory.
PREVIEWING WEEK 3
Week 3 of the season will continue with 12 more nonconference matchups and one conference clash between nationally-ranked Florida State and Boston College at Noon on Saturday, Sept. 16, on ABC.
The week will kick off with a Thursday night contest between Bethune-Cookman at Miami (7:30 p.m./ACCN) and continue with a non-conference road contest pitting Virginia at Maryland (7 p.m./FS1) on Friday night.
Florida State and Boston College (Noon/ABC) will open up their conference schedules in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Saturday afternoon, while Wake Forest will hit the road for the first time this season at Old Dominion (Noon/ESPN2). Louisville will look to remain unbeaten on the season versus Indiana (Noon/BTN) in a neutral site contest in Indianapolis, Ind.
After hosting Notre Dame last week, NC State will remain at home to host VMI (2 p.m./The CW Network), while Duke will wrap up its season-opening three-game home stand versus Northwestern (3:30 p.m./ACCN).
North Carolina will host Minnesota (3:30 p.m./ESPN) on Saturday afternoon while Virginia Tech at Rutgers (3:30 p.m./BTN), Pitt at West Virginia (7:30 p.m./ABC), Georgia Tech at Ole Miss (7:30 p.m./SECN) and Syracuse at Purdue (7:30 p.m./NBC) will feature all four ACC teams going on the road for the first time this season.
Clemson, who fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week, will host Florida Atlantic (8 p.m./ACCN) on Saturday night to wrap up the weekend for the ACC.
WEEK 2 RECAP
The ACC had a strong week last week on the gridiron, going 10-4 overall in non-conference play, highlighted by 11 teams scoring 30 points or more in their respective contests.
Miami led the way in Week 2 with a 48-33 win at home over No. 23 Texas A&M, while Wake Forest upended Vanderbilt 36-20 to put the ACC at 2-0 on the week over the SEC.
With the 10-4 non-conference record over Week 2 of play, the ACC has moved to 18-6 (.750) in non-conference play thus far this season.
ESPN’S BEST LABOR DAY SUNDAY
ESPN’s Labor Day Showdown Between No. 5 LSU and No. 8 FSU registered 9.1 million viewers on ABC during the Seminoles win.
The game was the most-watched Labor Day Sunday game since Notre Dame and Texas in 2016 and the second-most watched on record, having peaked at 10.3 million viewers.
ALL EYES ON THE ACC IN WEEK 1
In Week 1 of the 2023 season, the ACC captivated the national audience, averaging an astounding 5.1 million viewers over their 12 contests, per ESPN.
The 5.1 million average viewers were more than double all other conferences in the highest average per game viewership for the week of college football games.
THE CONFERENCE OF QUARTERBACKS
Eight of the 14 ACC teams returned a quarterback with at least 14 career FBS starts, led by Virginia Tech’s Grant Wells with 38 prior to the 2023 season. NC State’s Brennan Armstrong started 30 games at Virginia before transferring and joining the Wolfpack. A Second-Team All-ACC pick last season, Florida State’s Jordan Travis started 27 games coming into the 2023 season.
Name, School …………………………….. Career Starts
Grant Wells, Virginia Tech……………………………..36 Brennan Armstrong, NC State……………………….32 Jordan Travis, Florida State…………………………….29 Garrett Shrader, Syracuse ………………………………27 Tyler Van Dyke, Miami……………………………………20 Phil Jurkovec, Pitt ………………………………………20
Riley Leonard, Duke ………………………………………16
Drake Maye, North Carolina…………………………….16
*23 starts at Marshall before transferring to VT
**30 starts at Virginia before transferring to NC State
***18 starts at Boston College before transferring to Pitt
Four ACC quarterbacks rank in the top 20 in passing efficiency this season, led by Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke at No. 6 with an efficiency of 200.2. Georgia Tech’s Haynes King is No. 15 at 183.2, while Syracuse’s Garrett Shrader (179.8) and Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea (179.6) are No. 18 and 19, respectively. The four are tied for the second-most among all Power 5 conferences to rank in the top 20.
Duke’s quarterback duo of Riley Leonard and Henry Belin IV were perfect in the Blue Devils’ 42-7 win over Lafayette on Sept. 9, as the tandem completed 20-of-20 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns. The pair became the first FBS duo since 1996 to throw for 100 passing yards with a 100 percent completion percentage in the same game.
AROUND THE ACC
Boston College: The Eagles are 1-1 this season, with each game coming down to just three points – a 27-26 overtime loss to Northern Illinois (Sept. 2) and a 31-28 win over Holy Cross (Sept. 9) in which Vinny DePalma’s fumble recovery with 1:10 remaining in regulation helped seal the first victory of the season for BC. QB Thomas Castellanos leads the Eagles in passing with 339 yards, rushing with 136 yards, and is responsible for five of BC’s seven touchdowns for the year.
Clemson: Clemson bounced back from a season-opening loss to Duke on Labor Day (Sept. 4) to score 45 unanswered points in a 66-17 blowout win over Charleston Southern last Saturday (Sept. 9) to win its 20th straight home opener at Memorial Stadium. In his first start at Death Valley, Cade Klubnik completed 28-for-37 passes for 315 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes. Beaux Collins set a career-high with seven receptions and matched his career-high with 137 receiving yards, while Antonio Williams added two receiving touchdowns among his 64 receiving yards in the win.
Duke: Duke is off to a 2-0 start to the season with home wins over Clemson (Sept. 4) and Lafayette (Sept. 9). The Blue Devils have outscored their opponents 70-14 overall on the season and rank eighth nationally in scoring defense at 7.0 points per game. Duke’s offensive line has not allowed a sack all season long, while QB Riley Leonard has completed 64 percent of his passes (29-of-45) for 311 yards and one touchdown for the year.
Florida State: The Seminoles are riding an eight-game winning streak, the fourth-longest in all of FBS, and have climbed up to No. 3 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today SPORTS AFCA Coaches polls. Florida State is one of five teams in the ACC to have scored whenever reaching the red zone this season (10-for-10) with eight touchdowns and two field goals and ranks fourth nationally in scoring at 55.5 points per game this season.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets improved to 1-1 on the season with a 48-13 home win over South Carolina State last Saturday (Sept. 9). GT, who has been whistled for only five penalties all season long, have relied on QB Haynes King and RB Jamal Haynes this season. Haynes King has completed 40-of-61 pass attempts for 603 yards, seven touchdowns, and just one interception, while Jamal Haynes leads the team with 164 rushing yards and one score.
Louisville: The Cardinals are off to a 2-0 start under first-year head coach Jeff Brohm, including a 56-0 win over Murray State (Sept. 7) last week in their home opener. In the win, Louisville amassed 690 yards of total offense while holding Murray State to 166 yards. The 524-yard margin in total offense is the second-highest in a game in Louisville history, trailing only the 596-yard margin versus Murray State on Sept. 30, 2017.
Miami: QB Tyler Van Dyke threw a career-high five touchdown passes, WR Jacolby George had a career-best three touchdown catches and fellow WR Brashard Smith electrified the crowd with a 98-yard kickoff return for a score as Miami earned a wild 48-33 win over No. 23 Texas A&M. Miami is one of five teams in the ACC to score in the red zone in each of its chances this season (8-for-8) with five touchdowns and three field goals for the year.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are 2-0 on the season and have done it with the running game, as North Carolina is second in the ACC and ninth nationally with an average of 243.5 rushing yards per game. Defensively, the Tar Heels are first in the ACC in both tackles-for-loss per game at 10.0 and in sacks per contest at 4.50. Both rank fifth in all of FBS. North Carolina also leads the league and ranks fifth nationally in third-down conversion percentage at 61.5 percent (16-of-26).
NC State: Despite a loss to No. 10 Notre Dame last week, NC State’s Bradley Rozner and Decari Collins each scored their first touchdowns with the Wolfpack, while QB Brennan Armstrong scored his third rushing touchdown of the season while throwing his first touchdown with NC State. Armstrong leads the team with 122 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground and 415 passing yards and two touchdown passes through the air this season. He is responsible for five of the team’s six offensive touchdowns this season.
Pitt: The Pittsburgh Panthers had their six-game winning streak snapped with a 27-21 loss to Cincinnati last week. Pitt’s defense ranks third in the ACC in total defense, allowing just 248.5 yards of offense per game and in scoring defense at 17.0 points per game. One of the five ACC teams to have scored in each of their red zone offensive possessions this season (8-of-8), QB Phil Jurkovec leads the offense with 393 passing yards and four touchdowns this season.
Syracuse: The Orange are off to a dominant 2-0 start this season, with both wins coming at home in the JMA Wireless Dome. Syracuse has outscored its opponents 113-7 this season, which ranks them first in the ACC in both scoring offense at 56.5 points per game and scoring defense at 3.5 points allowed per contest. The Orange also lead the league in total offense at 586.5 yards gained per outing and total defense at 212.0 yards allowed per game
Virginia: The Cavaliers are 0-2 on the season but found something in freshman QB Anthony Colandrea in the loss to James Madison last Saturday. In his first collegiate start, Colandrea was 20-for-26 with 377 yards and two touchdowns, all single-game UVA freshman records. His 377 passing yards are the most by an ACC quarterback this season and the most by any FBS freshman nationally. The two touchdown passes matched the school mark for a freshman held by Jameel Sewell (2006) and Scott Gardner, who did it twice in 1972.
Virginia Tech: LB Keli Lawson registered a career-high 14 tackles, which seven solo tackles, a half sack and a pass breakup in the Hokies home loss to Purdue, as the Virginia Tech defense ranks second in the ACC in sacks at 3.50 per game and tackles-for-loss at 8.5 per outing. Offensively, QB Grant Wells has thrown for over 490 yards and five touchdowns and has the lone rushing score of the season for VT.
Wake Forest: In Wake Forest’s 36-20 win over Vanderbilt last Saturday, RB Tate Carney and RB Demond Clairborne led a rushing attack against the Commodores where the Deacs totaled 288 yards, the most since the Deacs recorded 299 yards against Campbell on Sept. 19, 2020. The duo each rushed for over 100 yards, marking the first time Wake Forest had two 100-yard rushers in a game since Kenneth Walker and Christian Beal-Smith accomplished this on Sept. 19, 2020, against Campbell.
