ACC PREVIEWS
Friday, Oct. 15
Clemson (3-2, 2-1 ACC) at Syracuse (3-3, 0-2 ACC)
7 p.m.; ESPN
Clemson leads series, 7-2
Last meeting: CU, 47-21 (2020)
Head Coaches:
Clemson – Dabo Swinney (143-35 in 14th season at Clemson and overall)
Syracuse – Dino Babers (27-39 in sixth season at Syracuse; 64-55 in 10th season overall)
Notes: Clemson seeks its fourth consecutive victory in the series • QB Trevor Lawrence led a 41-6 Clemson win at the Carrier Dome in 2019, and the Tigers won 47-21 last year as the defense forced a momentum-swinging strip-sack in the third quarter that was returned for a touchdown by Andrew Booth Jr. • Clemson has won seven of the eight ACC meetings between the schools, but the Tigers have had their share of difficulty versus the Orange during that stretch • Syracuse handed the then-defending national champions their only regular-season loss of the 2017 season by a 27-24 score at the Carrier Dome and had Clemson on the ropes on Death Valley the following season before RB Travis Etienne’s 2-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left lifted the Tigers to a 27-23 win • The schools first met in the 1996 Gator Bowl, with Syracuse winning 41-0.
Saturday, Oct. 16
Duke (3-3, 0-2 ACC) at Virginia (3-3, 2-2 ACC)
12:30 p.m.; RSN
UVA leads series, 39-33
Last meeting: UVA, 38-20 (2020)
Head Coaches:
Virginia – Bronco Mendenhall (34-34 in sixth season at UVA; 133-77 in 17th season overall)
Duke – David Cutcliffe (77-91 in 14th season at Duke; 121-120 in 20th season overall)
Notes: The Blue Devils travel to Charlottesville for the third consecutive season • Virginia seeks its seventh consecutive win in its series vs. Duke, which was first played with back-to-back games in Richmond in 1890 and 1891 • The Cavaliers hold a 34-29 edge against the Blue Devils in ACC play • Virginia has won 22 of the 34 previous matchups in Charlottesville • QB Brennan Armstrong and WR Lavel Davis Jr. teamed up on a pair of early fourth-quarter touchdown passes in last year’s meeting, and Virginia forced seven turnovers in pulling away for a 38-20 win • Prior to Virginia’s current win streak in the series, the Blue Devils had won the previous three matchups and six of the previous seven • Duke last won in Charlottesville in 2013 (35- 22) • Saturday’s contest is the first of two consecutive ACC home games for the Cavaliers and kicks off a two-game road swing for the Blue Devils.
Saturday, Oct. 16
Miami (2-3, 0-1 ACC) at North Carolina (3-3, 2-3 ACC)
3:30 p.m.; TBA
UNC leads series, 13-11
Last meeting: UNC, 62-26 (2020)
Head Coaches:
Miami – Manny Diaz (16-13 in third season at Miami and overall)
North Carolina – Mack Brown (87-59-1 in 13th season at North Carolina; 262-135-1 in 33rd season overall)
Notes: North Carolina’s 62-26 win at Hard Rock Stadium last season left the Tar Heels with a 13-11 lead versus Miami in a series that was first played in 1946 and consecutively since the Hurricanes joined the ACC prior to the 2004 season • UNC holds a 9-8 edge in ACC games • UNC seeks to defeat the Hurricanes three consecutive years for the first time since 2007-09 • The teams met seven times in nonconference play between 1946 and 1963 before the series went on a 41-year hiatus • The Tar Heels have won six of the previous nine meetings at Kenan Stadium, but all three Miami wins have come since 2011 • Last year’s game saw UNC RBs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams set an FBS record by combining for 544 yards rushing • Carter ran for 308 yards and two touchdowns, while Williams had 236 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Saturday, Oct. 16
Pitt (4-1, 1-0 ACC) at Virginia Tech (3-2, 1-0 ACC)
3:30 p.m.; TBA
VT leads series, 11-9
Last meeting: Pitt, 47-14 (2020)
Head Coaches:
Pitt – Pat Narduzzi (46-35 in seventh season at Pitt and overall)
Virginia Tech – Justin Fuente (41-28 in sixth season at Virginia Tech; 67-51 in 10th season overall)
Notes: The teams stand 4-4 in ACC play since Pitt joined the conference in 2013 • QB Kenny Pickett keyed the Panthers’ 47-14 win last November at Heinz Field as he threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another • Virginia Tech blanked Pitt 28-0 in the most recent series meeting at Blacksburg in 2019 and has won seven of the previous nine games at Lane Stadium • The programs first met in 1993 as members of the Big East and played 11 consecutive seasons (through 2003) • Saturday’s game will be the fifth home contest of the season for the Hokies, who also play host to Syracuse next week before playing four of their final five on the road • Pitt had an open date last weekend following a 52-21 road win at Georgia Tech on Oct. 2 • Pickett also stood out in that game, completing 23 of 36 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns.
Saturday, Oct. 16
#22 NC State (4-1, 1-0 ACC) at Boston College (4-1, 0-1 ACC)
7:30 p.m.; ACCN
BC leads series, 10-7
Last meeting: BC,45-24 (2019)
Head Coaches:
NC State – Dave Doeren (59-47 in ninth season at NC State; 82-51 in 11th season overall)
Boston College – Jeff Hafley (10-6 in second season at Boston College and overall)
Notes: The Eagles hold a 9-6 edge versus NC State since joining the ACC • The series began in 1936 with Boston College winning 7-3 at Fenway Park • NC State returned the next season to post a 12-7 win in Chestnut Hill, and the teams didn’t meet again until 2005 • The Eagles are 6-3 all-time versus NC State in Boston, including a 5-3 mark at Alumni Stadium • Boston College snapped a two-game losing streak versus NC State in the most recent meeting two seasons ago, winning 45-24 as RBs AJ Dillon and David Bailey combined for 404 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 50 carries • Saturday’s game marks the second of four straight versus Atlantic Division opponents for Boston College, which closes October with road tests at Louisville and Syracuse • NC State will travel to Miami on Oct. 23 before also playing a stretch of four consecutive games versus Atlantic Division foes.
