SCHEDULE – WEEK 4
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
TIME, TV SIRIUSXM APP/WEB
Stanford at Syracuse
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 81, 121, or 193 81 or 955
Series: First Meeting:
Last meeting: N/A
ESPN: Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
TIME, TV SIRIUSXM APP/WEB
NC State at #21 Clemson
Noon ET, ABC 82 or 371 82 or 371
Series: Clemson leads series, 60-30-1;
Last meeting: NC State, 24-17 (2023)
ABC: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
James Madison at North Carolina
Noon ET, ACCN 161 or 193 955 or 979
Series: North Carolina leads series, 3-0;
Last meeting: North Carolina, 56-28 (2016)
ACCN: Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Orlando Franklin (analyst), Morgan Uber (sideline)
Virginia at Coastal Carolina
2 p.m. ET, ESPN+ 111 or 202 964 or 986
Series: First Meeting;
Last meeting: N/A
ESPN+: Jeff McCarragher (play-by-play), Nate Ross (analyst)
Georgia Tech at #19 Louisville
3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 81 or 371 81 or 371
Series: Georgia Tech leads series, 2-1;
Last meeting: Louisville, 39-34 (2023)
ESPN2: Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), Dawn Davenport (sideline)
Rutgers at Virginia Tech
3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN 108, 161, 193, or 197 955 or 959
Series: Virginia Tech leads series, 12-4;
Last meeting: Rutgers, 35-16 (2023)
ACCN: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Coley Harvey (sideline)
Youngstown State at Pittsburgh
3:30 p.m. ET, ACCNX / ESPN+ 98 or 194 956
Series: Pitt leads series, 4-1;
Last meeting: Pitt, 28-21 (2017)
ACCNX: Doug Sherman (play-by-lay), Forrest Conoly (analyst)
Duke at Middle Tennessee
4 p.m. ET, ESPNU 382 972 or 995
Series: Duke leads series, 1-0;
Last meeting: Duke, 41-18 (2019)
ESPNU: Matt Schumacker (play-by-play), Dustin Fox (analyst)
TCU at SMU
5 p.m. ET, The CW 111, 202, or 383 964 or 973
Series: TCU leads series, 53-42-7;
Last meeting: TCU, 34-17 (2023)
The CW: Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Max Browne (analyst), Treavor Scales (sideline)
California at Florida State
7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 98, 194, or 385 956 or 975
Series: First Meeting;
Last meeting: N/A
ESPN2: Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
#8 Miami at South Florida
7 p.m. ET, ESPN 81 81
Series: Miami leads series, 5-1;
Last meeting: Miami, 49-21 (2013)
ESPN: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
Michigan State at Boston College
8 p.m. ET, ACCN 108, 161, 193, or 197 955 or 959
Series: Boston College leads series, 4-1-1;
Last meeting: Boston College, 24-21 (2007)
ACCN: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Dana Boyle (sideline)
ACC NOTES
ACC IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
Through Week 3 of the 2024 college football season, the ACC is 31-9 overall in non-conference play. n Overall, the ACC has six non-conference wins versus fellow Power 4 conference foes.
The ACC has recorded five non-conference wins over the other Power 4 conferences on the road (5-3).
Non-Conference Power 4 Wins On the Road
Date Matchup Result
8/29/24 North Carolina at Minnesota W, 19-17
8/31/24 #19 Miami at Florida W, 41-17
9/6/24 Duke at Northwestern W, 26-20 (2OT)
9/7/24 Pitt at Cincinnati W, 28-27
9/7/24 California at Auburn W, 21-14
Week 4 features eight non-conference games for ACC teams – including three against Power 4 opponents
CONFERENCE PLAY TO RAMP UP IN WEEK 4
The ACC was the only conference to have played conference games in each of the first three weeks (Week 0, Week 1 and Week 2) of the season to start the year.
Following the Week 3 hiatus in conference play, the ACC will have four conference games in Week 4, including the first-ever ACC league games for both Stanford and Cal.
ACC HISTORY – FIRSTS FOR STANFORD AND CAL
Week 4 of the 2024 college football season will mark a historical one, as Stanford and Cal will both play their first conference games as ACC members.
The conference games for the Cardinal and Golden Bears will mark the first non-Pac-12 conference games in the two programs’ long history, as the two schools have only been members of the Pac-12 Conference prior to this year’s move to the ACC.
Stanford and Cal have a chance to join seven other full-time schools – Duke, North Carolina, Maryland, Florida State, Miami, Louisville and Virginia Tech, as well as Notre Dame (2020) – in winning their first conference game as a member of the ACC.
CLOSE CALLS CONTINUE IN ACC PLAY
The ACC has been known for close games each year throughout conference play the last few years. Prior to the start of this season, the ACC had 73 league games decided by eight points or less over the last three years (2021-23).
The 73 one-touchdown score games came over 168 total conference games during the three-year span, a mark of 43.5 percent.
The trend has continued this season in 2024, as three of the four ACC league games to date have been decided by less than eight points.
AROUND THE ACC
Boston College: Quarterback Thomas Castellanos has proven he is more than just a running quarterback, as he ranks in the top 10 in all FBS in passing efficiency (204.0), passing touchdowns (9), passing yards per completion (16.83) and yards per pass attempt (10.91) this year. He also ranks in the top 10 nationally in points responsible for (60), which is second in the ACC behind only Cam Ward of Miami.
California: With the Golden Bears’ 3-0 start to the season, Cal has now won each of its last six regular season games (final three of 2023, first three of 2024), which is the longest Golden Bears’ streak of consecutive regular-season victories since winning six in a row with the final regular-season game of 2006 and the first five contests of 2007. Cal’s 3-0 overall start is its best since the Golden Bears began the 2019 campaign with a 4-0 mark and the fourth time Cal has started 3-0 or better in eight seasons under Justin Wilcox (2017, 2018, 2019, 2024).
Clemson: Following an open week last week, Clemson enters Saturday’s game with an all-time program record of 799-473-45. A win over NC State this week would make Clemson the 14th FBS program, and the first ACC program ever to win 800 games. Clemson is opening conference play at home for only the third time in the last 13 years. The Tigers have won eight of their last nine conference openers since 2015.
Duke: The Blue Devils enter the week on a five-game winning streak, the longest among all ACC programs, and tied for the fourth-longest in all FBS football. The Blue Devils will aim for consecutive 4-0 starts to a season with a road win at Middle Tennessee this Saturday and their fifth in the last 11 campaigns. Duke has had consecutive 4-0 starts just three times in program history (1933-34-35-36; 1952-53; 2017-18).
Florida State: The Seminoles are one of just four ACC teams and 29 teams in all FBS still perfect in red zone scoring opportunities this season, going 5-for-5. Dating back to last season, Florida State has scored points on 20 of its last 23 red zone drives.
Georgia Tech: Georgia Tech is one of eight teams throughout the FBS that has not allowed a sack this season. Oklahoma State and Rutgers are the only other Power 4 teams without a sack allowed on the year. The play up front has been a key part in the Yellow Jackets getting off to a 3-1 start to the season, its best start since 2017.
Louisville: The Cardinals rank in the top 10 nationally in both total offense (4th, 590.5 ypg) and total defense (7th, 198.0 ypg). Louisville also ranks in the top 10 in all FBS in both scoring offense (3rd, 55.5 ppg) and scoring defense (9th, 7.0 ppg). The Cardinals have not turned the ball over this season, one of six teams to have zero turnovers on the season.
Miami: The Hurricanes recorded a school-record 750 yards of total offense, including 507 passing yards in the 62-0 rout of Ball State last time out. The Hurricanes’ 507 passing yards marked the second-most in a game in program history, trailing only the 513-yard output against UCLA on December 5, 1998. Apart from time expiring in both halves, Miami scored on 10 of its 11 offensive possessions. The Canes rank first in the ACC and third nationally in total offense (609.3 ypg) and second in the ACC and fifth nationally in scoring offense (53.0 ppg) entering play this week at South Florida.
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are off to a 3-0 start for the third consecutive season. The last time UNC started 3-0 in three consecutive seasons was 1979-81. UNC has held its first three opponents to less than 100 rushing yards. The last time Carolina held three straight opponents to less than 100 rushing yards was in 2010. On the season, the UNC defense ranks 14th nationally in rushing defense, holding its opponents to an average of 68.0 rushing yards per game.
NC State: Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey was forced into action due to an injury to starting quarterback Grayson McCall in the Wolfpack’s win at home over Louisiana Tech last week. Bailey was 13-of-20 for 156 yards in the air. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry on the ground, carrying the ball four times for 27 yards and his first collegiate touchdown. With McCall ruled out this week, Saturday at Clemson will mark just the third appearance of Bailey’s young career along with being his first start.
Pitt: The Panthers’ offense has done a 180 from last year, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein. Tabbed the ACC Quarterback and Rookie of the Week and the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week, he rallied Pitt from a 10-point deficit with touchdown drives of 75 and 77 yards in the final 3:06 in the win over West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl last week. For the game, he completed 70 percent of his passes (21-of-30) for 301 yards and three touchdowns. He also led Pitt with 59 rushing yards, including a crucial 17-yard scramble on the Panthers’ game-winning touchdown drive. Holstein is the first Pitt freshman (true or redshirt) to pass for 300 yards in three consecutive games. He is the first Pitt quarterback regardless of class to compile three consecutive 300-yard passing games since All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett had five in a row in 2021.
SMU: The Mustangs will host their second Big 12 opponent in three weeks, as SMU will host cross-town rival TCU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet on Saturday. The two teams have met 102 times in the rivalry game, with the two teams’ first meeting in 1915. The in-state rivalry contest is the last non-conference game for the Mustangs this year, as SMU’s final eight games of the regular season will all be in ACC play, starting at Florida State next Saturday, September 28, in Tallahassee, Florida.
Stanford: Stanford makes history on Friday night as it plays its first ACC game, heading east to take on Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN. It also marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs on the gridiron. The Cardinal lead the ACC and rank 12th nationally in rushing defense, holding their opponents to just 64.5 rushing yards per game this season.
Syracuse: One of the top offenses in the country, Syracuse is averaging 497.5 yards of offense through the first two games, which ranks 15th in the nation. ‘Cuse recorded 515 yards in the victory against Georgia Tech two weeks ago (September 7), its highest total versus an FBS opponent since the 2021 season. The offensive surge has been led by transfer quarterback Kyle McCord as he leads the nation in touchdown passes per game (4.0) and is second in passing yards per game (367.5) and total offense (372.0).
Virginia: The Cavaliers will look to bounce back from a loss to Maryland at home last Saturday, in which UVA was held scoreless in the second half. The Virginia defense was able to limit Maryland to just seven points off the offense’s four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions) to keep the Cavaliers in the game. Three UVA players finished with double-digit tackles in the loss – safety Antonio Clary (14), linebacker James Jackson (12) and safety Jonas Sanker (11).
Virginia Tech: Defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland spearheaded a Virginia Tech defense that forced two turnovers and held Old Dominion to only 11 first downs and just 293 total yards of offense in a 37-17 road win last Saturday. Powell-Ryland tallied seven tackles, including four sacks along with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in the victory. He matched his own school record-tying total of four sacks from the 2023 game against Wake Forest and joined Bruce Smith as the only two players in Virginia Tech history to record at least four sacks in multiple games.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons will continue their five-game homestand to start the season on Saturday, September 28, versus Louisiana following an open week this week. The sellout crowd of 32,849 fans at the home game versus No. 5 Ole Miss last week, marked the 10th sellout crowd since the 2021 season. The student crowd for the game last Saturday totaled 4,702, which is the highest on record in school history passing the 4,584 tally that attended Wake Forest’s win over NC State on November 13, 2021.
