The Terps are still alive in the Atlantic.

Dustin Hopkins just experienced a week he won’t soon forget. Seven days after the sophomore kicker came up short — or more accurately, wide right — in Florida State’s 37–35 loss to North Carolina, he redeemed himself in a big way.

Hopkins made a career-long 55-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Seminoles past Clemson 16–13 and keep his team’s Atlantic Division title hopes alive.
Hopkins had a similar opportunity the previous week against the Tar Heels, but he missed from 40 yards with two seconds remaining. He also had missed from 42 yards earlier in the fourth quarter of that game.

Coaches and teammates rallied around Hopkins in the aftermath of his disappointing performance against North Carolina, and he responded. Hopkins also connected on field-goal tries of 28 and 39 yards against the Tigers, providing a big boost to a Florida State offense that was operating without starting quarterback Christian Ponder.

Backup quarterback E.J. Manuel was solid in place of Ponder, who sat out after missing practice all week because of an injured right elbow, but Florida State’s advantage in the kicking game was the biggest factor in its victory. While Hopkins shined, Clemson’s Chandler Catanzaro was just 2-for-4 on field goals as the Tigers’ season-long kicking struggles continued.

Scoreboard
Boston College 21, Duke 16
Miami 35, Georgia Tech 10
NC State 38, Wake Forest 3
Maryland 42, Virginia 23
Virginia Tech 26, North Carolina 10
Florida State 16, Clemson 13

Atlantic Division race update
Florida State’s win means the Tigers won’t repeat as Atlantic Division champions, narrowing the race for first place to three teams. The Seminoles (7–3, 5–2), who sit a half-game game ahead of NC State (7–3, 4–2) and Maryland (7–3, 4–2) in the standings, still need the Wolfpack and Terrapins each to lose in order to earn a spot in the ACC championship game.

That said, the Seminoles could clinch the division this week, when they travel to Maryland and NC State plays at North Carolina. Wins by Florida State and North Carolina would clinch the division title for the Seminoles before the final week, when NC State will play at Maryland.

The good news for the Terrapins is that they will win the division with victories in their final two games, both at home, but the bad news for them is that they have no margin for error. If they lose to either Florida State or NC State, they won’t play in the ACC championship game.

“Here we are with two games to go in the season, and we have a shot to win our division,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. “We were picked to finish last by all of the experts, and that itself is an accomplishment. We’re not looking to stop there, though.”

NC State also will win the division with victories in its final two games, but that’s not the only scenario that would send the team to its first ACC title game. The Wolfpack also could win the division even if it loses this week at North Carolina — as long as Maryland beats Florida State and then NC State beats Maryland in the regular-season finale. That scenario would put all three teams at 5–3 in the conference, but the Wolfpack would own the tiebreaker because of head-to-head victories over the Seminoles and Terrapins.

Coastal Division race update
The situation is much clearer in the Coastal Division, where Virginia Tech (8–2, 6–0) has a firm grip on first place thanks to its eight-game winning streak. The Hokies forced six turnovers and put together a dominant third quarter that included two touchdown catches by Marcus Davis in their victory over North Carolina. They need to win just one of their two remaining games — at Miami and home against Virginia — to earn a spot in the ACC championship game for the fourth time in six seasons.
Miami (7–3, 5–2) is the only pursuer with a mathematical chance of catching the Hokies. The Hurricanes will win the division if they beat Virginia Tech this week and Virginia Tech loses to Virginia the following week.

Bowl eligibility update
Boston College continued its push for the postseason, defeating Duke for its third consecutive victory. The Eagles survived some rare mistakes by tailback Montel Harris, who rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown but also lost two fumbles in the red zone. Duke’s August Campbell returned the second fumble 95 yards for a touchdown — the longest fumble return in school history — to make the game close in the fourth quarter.

“Montel has certainly carried us for a lot of instances, and we dodged a bullet for him today,” Boston College coach Frank Spaziani said. “He’ll be fine.”

So might the Eagles (5–5, 3–4). They have bounced back from a five-game losing streak that put their chances of playing in a bowl game for the 12th consecutive season in serious jeopardy.

“It’s big,” said defensive end Max Holloway, who secured the victory by batting down Sean Renfree’s pass on fourth down from the BC 4-yard line with 46 seconds remaining. “Before, we were trying not to lose. Now we’re focused on winning. Our whole mindset is different.”

Boston College needs to win one of its final two games — home against Virginia and at Syracuse — to become bowl-eligible.

Clemson and Georgia Tech, which squared off against each other in the ACC championship game last year, face the same situation. The Tigers (5–5, 3–4) play at Wake Forest and home against South Carolina, and the Yellow Jackets (5–5, 3–4) host Duke before traveling to Georgia to wrap up the regular season.

Georgia Tech, which has suffered three consecutive losses for the first time since its final three games of the 2006 season, must end the skid before it can play in a bowl game for the 14th consecutive season.

“You keep playing. You don’t quit,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said after watching his team surrender four touchdown drives of at least 79 yards against Miami. “What are you going to do? You don’t have any other alternatives. You either keep playing or you quit.

“We aren’t going to quit. I can promise you that I’m not going to quit. We still have the chance to salvage and have a winning season.”

The same can’t be said for Duke (3–7, 1–5) and Virginia (4–6, 1–5), each of which were eliminated from bowl contention on Saturday. The Cavaliers still have a chance to get six wins and finish at .500, but they won’t be eligible for the postseason because two of their victories came against Football Championship Subdivision opponents.

Can you top this?
Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly and Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers continue to dominate opposing offenses. Unfortunately, only one of them can be the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Bowers made his latest case for the award against Florida State, registering a team-high nine tackles (including 2.0 tackles for loss). He also had an interception and a sack, tying the school record with at least one sack in eight consecutive games. Bowers leads the nation in sacks (1.35 per game) and tackles for loss (2.20 per game).

Kuechly was just as dominant against Duke, wreaking havoc all over the field. He helped the Eagles hold the Blue Devils to 4 rushing yards on 24 attempts, tallying 21 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Kuechly continues to lead the nation in tackles (14.6 per game) after making at least 10 stops for the 19th consecutive game.

Count Duke coach David Cutcliffe among those who was impressed. He called Kuechly “the best defensive college football player in the land.”

Like Mike: Miami’s Hankerson
It’s looking like Leonard Hankerson made a great decision when he chose to return to Miami for his senior year rather than declaring for the NFL draft. Hankerson had three catches for 132 yards and a touchdown against Georgia Tech, becoming the third player in school history to post back-to-back 800-yard receiving seasons.

The other two? Pro football Hall of Fame member Michael Irvin (1985-86) and Andre Johnson (2001-02), one of the top wide receivers in the NFL today.

Hankerson, who leads the ACC in receiving this season (87.9 yards per game), has scored a touchdown in five consecutive games. He tied Irvin’s school record with his 11th touchdown grab of the year, a career-long 79-yarder against the Yellow Jackets.

Hankerson went to Irvin’s high school, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the similarities between the two don’t end there. Like Irvin, Hankerson has good size at 6-3, 205 pounds. Like Irvin, Hankerson lacks blazing speed. But like Irvin, Hankerson is fast enough to be extremely productive.

“They said Mike Irvin was a 4.65 runner (in the 40-yard dash), but when he got the football in his hands, nobody could catch him,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said. “Same with Hankerson. People say he doesn’t have speed, but when he has the ball in his hands, he can get past people. Hankerson has enough speed to make some special things for him.”

Extra points

• Clemson’s defeat at Florida State was rare, considering the circumstances. The Tigers, who got 143 rushing yards from Jamie Harper and 106 receiving yards from DeAndre Hopkins, saw their streak of 20 consecutive wins end in games in which they had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver. Clemson had not lost such a game since falling 21–20 against North Carolina on Nov. 9, 1985.

• Duke wide receiver Conner Vernon came back strong against Boston College after leaving the previous week’s game against Virginia with a head injury. Vernon had a career-high 12 catches for 134 yards in his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season.

• Critics of Jacory Harris will emphasize that true freshman Stephen Morris led Miami to a season-high yardage total for the second week in a row, but much of the credit should go to the Hurricanes’ running game. Miami ran for 277 yards against Georgia Tech, getting one touchdown run each from tailbacks Damien Berry, Lamar Miller, Mike James and Graig Cooper.

• North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates broke Darian Durant’s school record for career completions against Virginia Tech, but Yates also tied a career high with four interceptions in the game. Before Saturday, Yates had thrown just four interceptions all season.

• NC State reached seven wins in the regular season for the first time since 2003, benefiting from a dominant performance by linebacker Nate Irving against Wake Forest. Irving made 13 tackles, including a school-record 8.0 tackles for loss, and the Wolfpack closed the game with 35 unanswered points.

• Kris Burd and Dontrelle Inman became the first Virginia duo with at least 600 receiving yards in the same season since 1989, when Herman Moore (848 yards) and Bruce McGonnigal (634 yards) accomplished the feat. Burd (47 catches for 686 yards) and Inman (41 catches for 654 yards) also became the first set of Virginia wide receivers to post at least 40 receptions apiece in the same season.

• Wake Forest suffered its eighth consecutive loss, its longest losing streak since 1978, after another poor performance on the road. The Demon Deacons (2–8, 1–6) dropped to 0–5 away from home, having allowed an average of 50.2 points in those games while getting outscored by an average margin of 37.8 points per game. With two games left to play, Wake Forest already has allowed school-record totals of 387 points and 51 touchdowns this season.

Shannon heads to Atlanta without Jacory Harris.

Miami (6-3, 4-2 ACC) at Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

This Coastal Division clash was supposed to feature a matchup of two of the ACC’s best quarterbacks: Jacory Harris vs. Joshua Nesbitt. But with Harris and Nesbitt injured, the game will feature a pair of near-unknowns: Stephen Morris vs. Tevin Washington.

Morris, a true freshman who planned to redshirt until Harris suffered a concussion at Virginia on Oct. 30, started the first game of his career last week in a 26–20 victory over Maryland. He threw a game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson with 37 seconds remaining, passing for 286 yards in the game.

Nesbitt is out for the regular season after breaking his right arm in Georgia Tech’s 28–21 loss at Virginia Tech last Thursday. Washington, a redshirt sophomore who almost was moved to running back early in his career, takes over control of the nation’s leading rushing attack (320.6 yards per game) as Georgia Tech tries to become bowl-eligible for the 14th consecutive year.

The Yellow Jackets, who have beaten the Hurricanes four of the past five years, could have an advantage in this game because Miami’s biggest defensive strength won’t be much of a factor against their spread-option offense. The Hurricanes lead the nation in opponents’ passing efficiency, rank fifth nationally in passing yards allowed (ACC-best 153.1 per game) and rank sixth nationally in sacks (3.0 per game). But Georgia Tech rarely throws the ball, so Miami’s No. 61 ranking against the run (150.7 ypg) could be the stat that matters most.

On the other side, the Hurricanes likely will be without their leading rusher for the second week in a row. Tailback Damien Berry has been hobbled by an unspecified leg injury and also battled the flu this week, so he’s doubtful to play against the Yellow Jackets. Berry’s absence should create more opportunities for redshirt freshman Lamar Miller, who rushed for 125 yards on 22 carries in his first start last week.

Boston College (4-5, 2-4 ACC) at Duke (3-6, 1-4 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

Neither Boston College nor Duke is going to play in the ACC championship game, but each team still has incentive to win their first meeting since 2006: the potential for a bowl game. The Eagles and Blue Devils have put together two consecutive wins apiece after suffering through losing streaks of five games and six games, respectively, and have new life coming down the stretch.
Boston College, which must win two of its final three games to become bowl-eligible for the 12th consecutive season, is making its second trip to the state of North Carolina in as many weeks. The Eagles handled Wake Forest 23-13 last week as tailback Montel Harris rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries.

Harris, who leads the ACC in rushing (113.3 yards per game), will be a big factor again this week against a Duke defense that is among the worst in the country. The Blue Devils rank in the nation’s bottom six in points allowed (ACC-worst 38.9 per game) and total yards allowed (ACC-worst 457.3 per game).

Duke, which needs to win its remaining three games to become bowl-eligible, has overcome is defensive deficiencies the last two weeks thanks to a couple of stellar performances by its offense. The Blue Devils knocked off Navy 34–31 on Oct. 30 and came back last week with a 55–48 victory over Virginia in the second-highest scoring game in ACC history. The difference for Duke has been the play of quarterback Sean Renfree, who has not thrown an interception in the last two games after tossing 14 interceptions during his team’s six-game losing streak.

The status of Renfree’s top target is in question entering this contest. Wide receiver Conner Vernon, who leads the ACC in receptions (5.4 per game), suffered a head injury on a kickoff return in the third quarter against the Cavaliers. He did not return to the game and was limited in practice this week.

Wake Forest (2-7, 1-5 ACC) at NC State (6-3, 3-2 ACC), Saturday, 2 p.m. ET

Thanks to rival North Carolina’s victory at Florida State last week, NC State remained in control of the Atlantic Division after losing 14–13 at Clemson. The Wolfpack will try to get back on track on homecoming — in the final home game for the team’s seniors — against a Wake Forest squad that has lost seven consecutive games.

After amassing just 275 total yards against Clemson, NC State’s explosive offense should have more opportunities to succeed this week. The Wolfpack, who lead the ACC in passing yards (286.4 per game) and total yards (420.4), get to attack a Wake Forest defense that ranks among the nation’s worst 11 units in points allowed (38.8 per game), rushing yards allowed (ACC-worst 211.4 per game) and opponents’ passing efficiency (ACC-worst 150.0 rating).

On the positive side for the Demon Deacons, they did play better defensively last week in their 23–13 loss to Boston College. Wake Forest held the Eagles to 298 total yards after allowing a total 1,051 yards in its previous two games against Maryland and Virginia Tech. But quarterback Russell Wilson, who ranks sixth in the nation in total offense (ACC-best 312.4 yards per game), gives NC State a dual threat that Boston College’s offense lacked. The Wolfpack also might welcome back starting tailback Dean Haynes, who sat out against Clemson after suffering a concussion the previous week.

On the other side, Wake Forest must do a better job taking care of the ball with true freshman quarterback Tanner Price running the offense. The Demon Deacons, who have won four of their past five meetings with the Wolfpack, had five turnovers last week against Boston College. Starting tailback Josh Harris left that game with a concussion, so his status for this week is in doubt.

Maryland (6-3, 3-2 ACC) at Virginia (4-5, 1-4 ACC), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Maryland came up short in a 26–20 loss at Miami last week, but the good news for the Terrapins is that Florida State and NC State also lost. That means Ralph Friedgen’s team, which limped to a 2–10 record last season, still needs no outside help to win the Atlantic Division. If the Terrapins win their remaining three games, they will play for the ACC championship on Dec. 4.

That stretch begins this week against a Virginia team that also needs to close the season with three consecutive victories to achieve bowl eligibility in Mike London’s first season as head coach.

Virginia, which has lost 11 consecutive games in November, has enjoyed plenty of success against Maryland in recent seasons. The Cavaliers have won 14 of the last 18 meetings, including the last three in a row. For that trend to continue, the Cavaliers need an improved performance on defense this week. Virginia struggled against the Blue Devils with starting cornerbacks Ras-I Dowling and Chase Minnifield missing all and most of the game, respectively, with leg injuries. The status for each is unclear entering this contest.

On the other side, Maryland will try to jump-start its offense. The Terrapins have been far from spectacular, ranking 11th in the ACC and 101st nationally in total yards (316.0 per game), but they rarely have beaten themselves this season. Maryland enters this game with the fifth-best turnover margin (plus-1.22 per game) in the country.

Virginia Tech (7-2, 5-0 ACC) at North Carolina (6-3, 3-2 ACC), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Virginia Tech has built quite a cushion in the Coastal Division — to the degree that the team could clinch a spot in the ACC championship game this week. If the Hokies win this game at North Carolina and Georgia Tech knocks off Miami, they will claim their fourth division title in six years.

The Tar Heels, of course, have other ideas after becoming bowl-eligible for the third consecutive season. Fresh off an emotional 37–35 victory at Florida State, North Carolina can put some pressure on Virginia Tech with a victory in this contest. That’s no easy task against the Hokies, who have ripped off seven consecutive wins since their surprising 0–2 start, but the Tar Heels have some belief after winning 20–17 at Virginia Tech last season.

The key to this game could be the play of the senior quarterbacks, who are the first- and second-rated passers in the ACC, respectively. Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor leads the conference in pass efficiency, orchestrating an offense that averages an ACC-best 36.0 points per game. Taylor became the Hokies’ all-time leader in total offense during last week’s 28-21 win over Georgia Tech.
On the other side, North Carolina’s T.J. Yates is coming off a performance in which he threw for three touchdowns, no interceptions and a school-record 439 yards at Florida State. Yates became just the second player in ACC history to pass for at least 400 yards against two ranked opponents in the same season, doing much of his damage on throws to wide receiver Dwight Jones. Jones, a junior who entered the middle of October with 125 receiving yards in his career, has totaled 612 receiving yards in the last four games after catching eight passes for 233 yards and a touchdown last week.

The Tar Heels need another big performance from Yates and Jones this week because their leading rusher, tailback Johnny White, suffered a season-ending broken clavicle against the Seminoles. White’s backup, Shaun Draughn, hurt an ankle against Florida State and might not be at 100 percent for this game.

Virginia Tech also will be down a tailback, with explosive sophomore David Wilson on the shelf with mononucleosis. That means the Hokies, who lost wide receiver Dyrell Roberts (thigh) for the season last week, will have to replace both of their kickoff returners. They also will be without defensive end Chris Drager, who is suffering from lingering effects from a hit he took against Georgia Tech.

Clemson (5-4, 3-3 ACC) at Florida State (6-3, 4-2 ACC), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

Clemson, one win away from bowl eligibility, has new life as it tries to return to the ACC championship game for the second year in a row.

Florida State, meanwhile, is looking to get back on track after back-to-back losses. The Seminoles, who have lost five of their last seven meetings with Clemson, enter this game with questions surrounding the health of starting quarterback Christian Ponder. Ponder had his right (throwing) elbow drained Monday after experiencing swelling and soreness from a hit he took last week, and he didn’t practice early this week. The injury stems from a ruptured bursa sac that he suffered against Boston College on Oct. 16 in a game in which he threw three interceptions. If Ponder plays — and he likely will — it remains to be seen how much the injury and resulting missed practice time will decrease his effectiveness.

Clemson’s defense, which features NCAA sacks leader Da’Quan Bowers, ranks 12th nationally in points allowed (ACC-best 17.6 per game) after holding NC State’s high-powered offense to just 275 total yards last week. Ponder will want to keep an eye on Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel, who is returning to his hometown of Tallahassee with 15 career interceptions (tied for second nationally among active players). McDaniel dealt Ponder a season-ending shoulder injury last season on an interception return in a game Clemson won 40-24.

The Tigers are dealing with a key offensive injury of their own. Tailback Andre Ellington will miss his second consecutive game with a strained ligament in his foot, leaving an underachieving attack without its most dangerous player. Led by quarterback Kyle Parker, who responded well after being benched briefly last week in favor of backup Tajh Boyd, Clemson’s offense ranks outside the nation’s top 60 in scoring (26.2 points per game), rushing (151.3 yards per game), passing (181.9 ypg) and total offense (333.2 ypg).

The Seminoles counter with a defense that leads the country in sacks (4.22 per game) and ranks fourth in tackles for loss (8.11 per game). Sophomore Brandon Jenkins ranks among the nation’s top 10 in sacks and tackles for loss, and fellow defensive end Markus White has recorded at least half a sack in five consecutive games.
 

David Cutcliffe rarely finds himself at a loss for words. But after Duke’s coach watched his team rally for a 55–48 victory over Virginia — in a game it led five separate times by double digits before falling behind late in the fourth quarter — he hardly knew where to begin.

“There were so many plays to talk about that I’m almost in shock and don’t know what to talk about,” Cutcliffe said after watching the second-highest scoring game in ACC history.
It was that kind of week across the conference. Five of the six games were decided by seven points or fewer, and all five of those contests featured at least one lead change in the fourth quarter. Three of the games featured game-winning scores in the final minute of play.

The result of all that jockeying was a clearly defined picture in one division and a muddied mess in the other.

Virginia Tech (7–2, 5–0) extended its winning streak to seven games by rallying from a 14–0 deficit to beat Georgia Tech, strengthening its grip on the Coastal Division race by maintaining a two-game lead in the loss column. The Hokies have a tough stretch remaining with games against division rivals North Carolina, Miami and Virginia on tap, but they have margin for error that their pursuers lack.

In the Atlantic Division, things have gotten so crazy that NC State fans actually were rooting for rival North Carolina on Saturday. The Wolfpack already had blown a 10–0 third-quarter lead in a loss at Clemson, so they needed the Tar Heels to beat the Seminoles to prevent Florida State from regaining control of the division race. FSU kicker Dustin Hopkins missed two field-goal tries in the fourth quarter, including a potential game-winning 40-yarder with 2 seconds left, and NC State’s fans got their wish.

The biggest winner of the week, though, was Clemson. With their division title hopes on life support, the Tigers (5–4, 3–3) benefited from losses by all three teams ahead of them in the standings: Florida State (6–3, 4–2), Maryland (6–3, 3–2) and NC State (6–3, 3–2).

Clemson still sits a game behind all three in the loss column, but it already owns head-to-head victories over the Terrapins and Wolfpack. If the Tigers win at Florida State this week, they’ll have plenty of tiebreakers in their favor if the division is knotted at the end of the regular season.

Scoreboard

Virginia Tech 28, Georgia Tech 21 (Thurs.)
Clemson 14, NC State 13
Duke 55, Virginia 48
Miami 26, Maryland 20
Boston College 23, Wake Forest 13
North Carolina 37, Florida State 35

Injuries to Nesbitt, others impact final month

Georgia Tech had a chance to climb back into the Coastal Division race before it lost at Virginia Tech — and lost its quarterback in the process. Senior Joshua Nesbitt is out for the rest of the regular season after breaking his right forearm in the second quarter while trying to tackle Davon Morgan on an interception return.

If Nesbitt’s college career is finished, at least he left a mark. He led the Yellow Jackets to the conference championship last season en route to being named to the All-ACC first team. Plus, he became the league’s career rushing leader for quarterbacks (2,806 yards) on his career-long 71-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Hokies.

The Yellow Jackets (5–4, 3–3) now turn to sophomore Tevin Washington as they attempt to become bowl-eligible for the 14th consecutive season. In addition to completing 2-of-7 passes for 80 yards and an interception in relief of Nesbitt against Virginia Tech, Washington rushed for 45 yards on 11 attempts. He lacks Nesbitt’s leadership, experience and proficiency running the option, so Georgia Tech’s defense must show continued improvement to help out the offense.

Georgia Tech suffered the biggest blow this week, but plenty of other teams also were affected by injuries to key players. A roundup:

• Boston College: The starters on the right side of the offensive line — guard Thomas Claiborne (back) and tackle Rich Lapham (left knee) — sat out against Wake Forest because of injuries they suffered the previous week against Clemson. Redshirt freshman Ian White and sophomore Emmett Cleary started at right guard and tackle, respectively.

• Clemson: Tailback Andre Ellington sat out against N.C. State with a torn foot ligament that will require surgery in the off-season. Ellington won’t play this week at Florida State, but the Tigers have not given up hope that he can return for the last two games of the regular season. Jamie Harper moved into the feature-back role against the Wolfpack, rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in addition to catching three passes for 34 yards.

• Duke: Wide receiver Conner Vernon, who entered the weekend as the ACC leader in receptions and receiving yards, suffered a head injury on a kickoff return against Virginia. Vernon was examined on the sideline after taking a big hit in the third quarter, and he was transported to the locker room shortly thereafter. He did not return to the game and will be limited in practice this week.

• Florida State: The team started its third-string right guard against North Carolina, going with sophomore Rhonne Sanderson because starter David Spurlock (concussion) and backup Bryan Stork (illness) were unavailable.

• Miami: Quarterback Jacory Harris (concussion) wasn’t the only starter in Miami’s backfield who was sidelined against Maryland. Tailback Damien Berry missed the game with an unspecified injury. Coach Randy Shannon informed reporters late in the week of his decision to hold out Berry, so his absence wasn’t a surprise. Freshman Lamar Miller filled in admirably, rushing for a career-high 125 yards on 22 carries in his first start.

• North Carolina: Starting tailback Johnny White broke his right clavicle in the second quarter against Florida State in the second quarter and is out for the season. White has a team-high 720 rushing yards this season and is sixth in the ACC in rushing (80.0 yards per game). Backup Shaun Draughn left with a sprained ankle in the third quarter and didn’t return. With Ryan Houston planning to redshirt and not on the trip, fullback Anthony Elzy moved to play tailback. Then when Elzy started cramping in the fourth quarter, the Tar Heels were left with scout-teamer Hunter Furr as their only remaining player with experience at the position. Furr carried three times for 27 yards, stringing together runs of 4, 12 and 11 yards on UNC’s game-winning drive.

• NC State: Starting tailback Dean Haynes, who suffered a head injury in the team’s 28–24 win over Florida State on Oct. 28, did not play against Clemson. Mustafa Greene and James Washington split the running chores in his place. Also, kicker Josh Czajkowski suffered a leg injury on his final kickoff of the game and would not have been available for a potential game-winning field-goal attempt had the Wolfpack been able to get in position for one. Backup Ellis Flynt would have tried the kick.

• Virginia: Landon Bradley, whose broken right hand had healed enough for him to start at right tackle against Duke, left the game early in the second quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his left leg. He didn’t return, causing true freshman right guard Morgan Moses to shift to tackle for the rest of the game. Cornerback Chase Minnifield, who entered the weekend tied for the national lead in interceptions, left the game in the first quarter with an injury and played sparingly.

• Virginia Tech: Wide receiver and kick returner Dyrell Roberts is out for the rest of the regular season after suffering compartment syndrome in his left leg. Roberts bruised his thigh on the opening kickoff against the Yellow Jackets and had surgery Friday. He was scheduled for a second surgery Sunday and will remain in the hospital for several days.

• Wake Forest: The team lost a pair of starters on offense when tailback Josh Harris and right guard Michael Hoag left the game against Boston College with concussions.

Morris leads Hurricanes to win

Stephen Morris made the most of his first start, keeping his team in the Coastal Division race by helping Miami (6–3, 3–2) rally past Maryland. Morris, a true freshman who had planned to redshirt before Jacory Harris’ concussion at Virginia, delivered the game-winning score with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Hankerson with 37 seconds remaining. Morris wasn’t sensational statistically — he completed 18-of-30 passes for 286 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions — but he impressed his teammates with his poise.

“Throughout the game, he was very calm,” Hankerson said. “He was like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s make plays.’ The last drive he was the same way he was at the beginning of the game. He started off strong, he finished the game and he had fun.”

UNC, Virginia passing duos enjoy big days

North Carolina’s T.J. Yates and Virginia’s Marc Verica each passed for more yards than any player in the history of their respective schools, and each got help from a wide receiver who posted the second-biggest receiving day in school history.

Yates completed 24-of-35 passes for 439 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against Florida State, notching his second 400-yard passing day of the season. Dwight Jones, who has recorded all three of the 100-yard receiving games in his career in the past four weeks, made eight catches for 233 yards and a touchdown as the Tar Heels (6–3, 3–2) became bowl-eligible for the third year in a row.

Verica didn’t play as well as Yates, throwing three interceptions that led to two touchdowns and a field goal for Duke, but he still became the first Virginia player to pass for more than 400 yards in a game. He completed 24-of-46 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns, hooking up with Dontrelle Inman for several big plays. Inman made a career-high 10 receptions for 239 yards, just two yards shy of Ken Shelton’s school-record total against William & Mary in 1974, and a touchdown.

BC’s Harris runs to records

Boston College junior tailback Montel Harris enjoyed a big day at Wake Forest, rushing for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries. Harris churned out his school-record 18th 100-yard rushing game and also set the ACC record for most career rushing yards by a player in his junior season. Harris has 3,377 rushing yards, surpassing the previous record of 3,273 yards set by North Carolina’s Amos Lawrence.

“He’s a heck of a running back — he really is,” Boston College coach Frank Spaziani said. “Some guys come free, and he’ll make them miss and then he’ll make a run.”

Harris, who leads the ACC in rushing (113.3 ypg), has carried more than 25 times in each of Boston College’s last four games. He has 126 rushing attempts during that span, including 73 in the last two games.

“He carries the ball a lot, and he took some shots out there,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “We ran into him a bunch. He just kept coming back. The good thing about him is that he’s not only very talented, but really tough and durable.”

Extra points

• Boston College’s win over Wake Forest was the first game in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season that featured two freshman starting quarterbacks: Chase Rettig for the Eagles and Tanner Price for the Demon Deacons.

• Clemson had allowed just six sacks, fewest in the ACC, all season before allowing sacks on three consecutive plays against N.C. State. The Wolfpack got no other sacks in the game.

• Chandler Catanzaro might have regained his job as Clemson’s kicker by default. Catanzaro, who missed two field-goal tries at Boston College, was replaced by Richard Jackson against NC State. But Jackson misfired on kicks from 37 yards and 32 yards, and Catanzaro replaced him to kick what proved to be the game-winning extra point.

• Despite getting outgained 643-489 by Virginia, Duke snapped an eight-game losing streak against ACC opponents and ended a 20-game losing streak in the month of November that dated to 2004. In the process, the Blue Devils handed the Cavaliers their 11th consecutive November defeat.

• Florida State tailback Ty Jones, normally part of a three-back rotation with Jermaine Thomas and Chris Thompson, did not play against North Carolina despite being healthy. Jones rushed for 108 yards the previous week at NC State.

• Georgia Tech lost consecutive games for the first time under coach Paul Johnson. The Yellow Jackets had been 9–0 in the first game following a loss with Johnson at the helm.
• Against Miami, Maryland’s Torrey Smith broke the ACC record for career yards on kickoff returns. Smith now has 2,724 career yards on kickoff returns, surpassing the previous mark of 2,688 yards set by Brandon Tate of North Carolina.




• Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor broke the school record for career total offense on Thursday. Taylor finished the night with 137 passing yards and 57 rushing yards, giving him 8,134 total yards in his career. The previous mark of 8,034 yards was held by Bryan Randall.

Taylor tries to keep the Hokies unbeaten in the ACC.

Georgia Tech (5-3, 3-2 ACC) at Virginia Tech (6-2, 4-0 ACC), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

Virginia Tech is firmly in control of the Coastal Division race, two games up in the loss column on Georgia Tech, Miami and North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets can cut into that lead with a victory in this game, an important matchup because the winner has played for the ACC championship in each of the last five years.

Both teams are coming off an open date, but the extra time to prepare might benefit No. 20 Virginia Tech more than Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets lead the nation in rushing (317.4 yards per game) with their unconventional spread-option offense, and the Hokies were grateful to get a few extra days to practice against it with their scout team.

The key to the offense for Georgia Tech is quarterback Joshua Nesbitt, who has completed just 38.2 percent of his passes this season but has rushed for eight touchdowns and needs only 42 rushing yards to break Woodrow Dantzler’s ACC record for career rushing yards by a quarterback.

The Hokies will try to contain Georgia Tech’s vaunted ground game with their leading tackler at less than 100 percent health. Linebacker Bruce Taylor sprained his left ankle in Virginia Tech’s last game, a 44-7 win over Duke, and will not be full strength for this contest.

The good news for the Hokies is that Taylor’s backup, former walk-on Jack Tyler, is solid against the run. The Yellow Jackets, who rarely pass, likely won’t be able to exploit Tyler’s deficiencies in pass coverage. Virginia Tech also figures to benefit from the return of starting safety Eddie Whitley, who missed the Duke game because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

On the other side, Georgia Tech’s struggling 3-4 defense will face what has become an offensive juggernaut. Led by quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who ranks fourth in the country in passing efficiency and third nationally in yards per pass attempt, Virginia Tech has been carving up opponents on the ground and through the air. The Hokies average an ACC-best 37.0 points per game and rank second in the conference in rushing (214.8 ypg) with their talented tailback trio of Ryan Williams, Darren Evans and David Wilson.

Maryland (6-2, 3-1 ACC) at Miami (5-3, 3-2 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

Maryland is making a push for the Atlantic Division title. Miami is hanging on for dear life in the Coastal Division race. Not many people would have expected either scenario entering this game.

The Hurricanes enter this game in major trouble — and not just because they lost at Virginia 24-19 last week after being favored by more than two touchdowns. Miami starting quarterback Jacory Harris suffered a concussion in the first half of that game and did not return. He also missed practice early this week, making it likely that true freshman Stephen Morris will start against the Terrapins.

Morris was a redshirt candidate until last week, when Harris was injured and back quarterback Alonzo Highsmith’s hand injury prevented him from playing. Once third-stringer Spencer Whipple struggled, Morris found himself in the game. Morris rallied Miami from a 24-0 deficit early in the fourth quarter and ended up completing 9 of 22 passes for 162 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Hurricanes would love to help Morris by establishing their running game early against Maryland, but that could be easier said than done. The Terrapins allowed Navy to rush for 412 yards in the season opener, but they have allowed an average of just 84.3 rushing yards per game since then.

The Terrapins have rebounded from their 2-10 season in 2009, achieving bowl eligibility with four games left to play. The question they still have to answer, even after picking up four wins in their last five games, is whether they are legitimate ACC championship contenders. Redshirt freshman quarterback Danny O’Brien holds the key to Maryland’s fate. O’Brien, who has taken over as the starter in place of junior Jamarr Robinson, has thrown seven touchdown passes and no interceptions in the last two games. He will get a test against a Miami defense that ranks among the nation’s best against the pass.

The Hurricanes, who were held without a sack last week, still rank sixth nationally in that category (3.13 sacks per game). They also rank second in the country in opponents’ passing efficiency (ACC-best 93.20 rating) and seventh in the country passing yards allowed (ACC-best 152.5 per game).

NC State (6-2, 3-1 ACC) at Clemson (4-4, 2-3 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

NC State is starting to look like one of those teams of destiny. This week, the No. 23 Wolfpack get to take on a reeling Clemson team that suddenly is without its best offensive player.

The Tigers, who had clawed their way back into the Atlantic Division race entering last weekend, suffered a surprising 16-10 loss at Boston College. Making matters worse, tailback Andre Ellington suffered a strained ligament in his foot that will prevent him from playing for a couple of weeks. Ellington, who leads the ACC in all-purpose yardage (129.1 yards per game) and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (12), also is fifth in the conference in rushing (85.8 ypg). Jamie Harper will replace Ellington as Clemson’s primary runner, with redshirt freshman Roderick McDowell moving into the backup role.

Ellington’s absence will be felt by a Clemson offense that has struggled to generate much production through the air this season. Quarterback Kyle Parker enters this game eighth in the ACC in passing yards (164.4 per game) and ninth in the league in passing efficiency (110.5 rating), having completed just 53.0 percent of his passes. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney reportedly has told backup quarterback Tajh Boyd that he will play some against the Wolfpack, although when Boyd might enter the game and how often he’ll play remain to be seen.

Parker, who was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Colorado Rockies, might see a future teammate when he looks across the field this week. NC State’s Russell Wilson, a fourth-round pick of the Rockies in the same draft, leads the ACC and ranks fourth nationally in total offense (321.4 ypg), and he is coming off a game in which he rushed for three touchdowns against Florida State.

Clemson, which has won six consecutive meetings with NC State, must find a way to pressure Wilson without giving him room to scramble for big chunks of yardage. Some of that burden will fall on defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, who ranks second nationally in sacks (1.25 per game) and tackles for loss (2.19 per game).

Virginia (4-4, 1-3 ACC) at Duke (2-6, 0-4 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

This game features a matchup of the bottom two teams in the Coastal Division, but each squad has some positive momentum. The Cavaliers have won two games in a row to get back to .500 overall, and the Blue Devils snapped their six-game losing streak last week.
Virginia, which has won 17 of the last 21 meetings with Duke but has lost two in a row in the series, knocked off Miami 24-19, ending a nine-game losing streak against ACC competition. The Cavs tied a school record by intercepting five passes, including two by NCAA interceptions leader Chase Minnifield, en route to their first victory over a ranked team since 2008.

The Blue Devils, meanwhile, got back in the win column by staying away from interceptions. Quarterback Sean Renfree, who had thrown 14 interceptions in his last six games leading up to Duke’s 34-31 win at Navy, was nearly flawless against the Midshipmen. He completed 28-of-30 passes for 314 yards, passing for one touchdown and running for two others to give the Blue Devils their first victory against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent this season.

The keys to victory will be the same for Duke in this contest. The Blue Devils still rank 119th out of 120 FBS teams in terms of turnover margin (minus-1.38 per game). On the other side, Virginia will try to keep things simple for quarterback Marc Verica by running the ball as much as possible. Bruising tailback Keith Payne has an ACC-best 12 rushing touchdowns this season, and he will take aim at a Duke defense that ranks among the nation’s bottom 20 teams in points allowed (37.8 per game), rushing yards allowed (196.4 per game) and total yards allowed (434.1 per game).

Boston College (3-5, 1-4 ACC) at Wake Forest (2-6, 1-4 ACC), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Neither Boston College nor Wake Forest is in contention for the Atlantic Division title, but both have an exciting player named Harris at tailback. The Eagles, who had dropped five games in a row before their 16-10 victory over Clemson last week, feature the ACC’s leading rusher in junior Montel Harris (104.5 yards per game). Harris could enjoy a big day against a Wake Forest defense that ranks among the nation’s bottom six in points allowed (40.8 per game), total yards allowed (453.4 per game) and rushing yards allowed (217.3 per game).

Wake Forest’s Josh Harris faces a stiffer test. Harris, who burst onto the scene three weeks ago with 241 yards and two touchdowns at Virginia Tech in the first start of his career, enters this contest averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He will look for running room against a Boston College defense that offers little in the way of daylight. The Eagles held Clemson’s Andre Ellington to 42 yards on 14 carries last week, and they rank third in the country against the run (83.9 ypg).

The Eagles, who have defeated Wake Forest three consecutive times, responded well without starting safety Wes Davis (career-ending neck injury) and starting cornerback DeLeon Gause (knee surgery) last week against Clemson. But it remains to be seen if their revamped secondary can hold up for the remainder of the season.

North Carolina (5-3, 2-2 ACC) at Florida State (6-2, 4-1 ACC), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Florida State enters this game with a bruised psyche. North Carolina enters this game with a bruised, well, everything.

The No. 24 Seminoles suffered their first conference loss of the season last week at NC State, falling 28-24 in excruciating fashion. Florida State has a chance to get back on track against a team it has dominated over the years. The Seminoles lead the all-time series with North Carolina 15-1-1, including an 8-0-1 record at home. They should benefit this week from getting to play a UNC team that is banged up at several positions.

The Tar Heels, who rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Football Championship Subdivision member William & Mary 21-17 last week, look nothing like the team they were supposed to be entering the season. Investigations into the program for illegal benefits and academic misconduct have led to the ineligibility of several key players, and injuries have led to the absence of several others.

UNC’s secondary, in particular, is in bad shape this weekend. The Tar Heels played against William & Mary without cornerbacks Trey Boston (ankle) and Mywan Jackson (groin), and they lost cornerback Terry Shankle for the season with a knee injury in that game. Coach Butch Davis said this week that he might have to burn a redshirt or two in the secondary if more injuries occur. The Tar Heels hope to welcome back star linebacker Quan Sturdivant, who has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, but their lack of depth in the defensive backfield could be a major problem against Florida State.

Ponder, who has been bothered by a bruised triceps and a ruptured bursa sac in his throwing arm this season, is starting to get healthy. He looked as good as he has all season against NC State, and he has enjoyed success against the Tar Heels before.

On the other side, North Carolina needs senior tailback Johnny White to continue his breakout season. White rushed for a career-high 164 yards on a career-high 29 carries last week, including a game-winning 67-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and he enters this game with the ACC lead in yards from scrimmage. Florida State counters with a defense that leads the nation in sacks (4.13 per game) while allowing an ACC-best 17.6 points per game.

Wilson's four TDs help upset FSU.

Optimists attribute it to parity. Realists attribute it to mediocrity. Members of those two groups can argue about the cause all they want, but they can’t disagree about the effect: The ACC is absolutely unpredictable.

In six games involving ACC teams over the weekend, four underdogs emerged victorious. NC State was playing at home in its Thursday night victory Florida State, so that upset was mild. But injury-ravaged Boston College — five-game losing streak and all — knocked off Clemson. And Virginia, mired in a nine-game losing streak in conference play, toppled Miami. Then Duke, which had dropped six consecutive games and looked terrible doing it, won at Navy.

Even the games that ended with the favored team winning unfolded in unusual fashion. North Carolina needed to rally from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat William & Mary, an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision. Maryland won what was supposed to be a close game against Wake Forest by 48 points.

“In the ACC, week in and week out, anybody can beat anyone,” Maryland wide receiver Torrey Smith said.

That statement is no revelation, of course. After all, this is a conference that hasn’t had a single team go undefeated in league play since it split into divisions in 2005. This is a conference in which the league champion has had at least two league losses in three of the last five seasons. This is a conference in which 10 of the 12 teams posted league records of 4–4 or better in 2008, although no team did better than 5–3. And this is a conference in which a team picked to finish in last place, Wake Forest in 2006, won the league championship that year.

The biggest winner this past weekend in the ACC didn’t even play a game. With Miami’s loss, Virginia Tech increased its lead in the Coastal Division to two games in the loss column. That means the Hokies (6–2, 4–0 ACC), who are on a roll with a six-game winning streak, can slip up once and still win the division outright.

That should be of some comfort to Virginia Tech fans, because in the ACC, it’s usually a matter of when rather than if with regard to upsets.

Scoreboard
NC State 28, Florida State 24 (Thurs.)
Boston College 16, Clemson 10
Virginia 24, Miami 19
Maryland 62, Wake Forest 14
Duke 34, Navy 31
North Carolina 21, William & Mary 17

O’Brien plays to win, gets rewarded
NC State coach Tom O’Brien made a decision that could end up making his team’s season. Trailing Florida State 24–21 and facing fourth and goal from inside the 1, O’Brien originally sent out his field-goal unit to go for the tie. But then he called a timeout, thought better of it and decided to go for the touchdown. Quarterback Russell Wilson found tight end George Bryan in the end zone for what turned out to be the winning score with 2:40 remaining.

The result of O’Brien’s decision was that Florida State needed a touchdown, not a field goal, on its ensuing possession. The Seminoles drove the ball to the NC State 4, where Christian Ponder lost a fumble when tailback Ty Jones bumped into him after a play-action fake.

The victory put the Wolfpack (6–2, 3–1) in control of their own destiny in the Atlantic Division. N.C. State finishes with three of its final four games on the road, including trips to division rivals Clemson and Maryland.

Harris injury hurts Hurricanes
The biggest surprise — if there is such a thing in the ACC — of the weekend came with Miami’s loss at Virginia. The Hurricanes (5–3, 3–2) got off to a slow start in the game, and then they lost their starting quarterback when Jacory Harris took a vicious (but clean) hit to chest from defensive lineman John-Kevin Dolce.

Harris suffered a concussion on the play, presumably when his head hit the ground from the force of the hit, and is questionable for this week’s game against Maryland.

“Our medical team has done a great job of evaluating and making sure that Jacory is OK,” Miami coach Randy Shannon said. “The process of when he will play is up to our medical staff. He will not play until our medical staff sees that he is ready to go.”

Harris threw the first of five Miami interceptions on the play he suffered the injury, and he didn’t return to the game. His absence left the Hurricanes in a bind because backup quarterback Alonzo Highsmith had a hand injury that prevented him from playing. That forced Spencer Whipple, son of offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, into action. Whipple completed two passes to his own receivers and two passes to the Cavaliers out of his six attempts as Miami went into halftime trailing 14–0.

When the Hurricanes came out in the third quarter, they did so with their fourth quarterback. True freshman Stephen Morris, who had not played all season and planned to redshirt, played the rest of the game.

Morris completed 9-of-22 passes for 162 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His 60-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin with 4:39 remaining brought the Hurricanes within one score of the lead after they trailed 24–0 early in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been working him a little bit, and you have to give a young man the opportunity,” Shannon said. “I had confidence in him, and he responded late in the game.”

Morris might get more opportunities to respond. If Harris is unable to play against the Terrapins, Shannon already has announced that Morris will start the game.

Cavaliers enjoy different experience
Two weeks before, Virginia coach Mike London required his players to remain on the field at Scott Stadium as North Carolina celebrated its first victory at Virginia since 1981. London, trying to set a tone in his first season at the helm, wanted the Cavaliers to remember how it felt to get beat 44–10 in their homecoming game.

On Saturday, London required his players to remain on the field at Scott Stadium once again. This time, he wanted them to remember how it felt to get a big win in front of the home crowd.

“After we got beat by North Carolina, I wanted them to feel what that feels like,” London said. “It's the same thing with students and people standing around. I want them to feel what that feels like.

“I don’t know how many other opportunities we are going to have to feel that before the season ends, but you have to start somewhere and you have to start a mindset of ‘this is what's going to happen around here for a long time.’ Being out there and sharing the moment with them and the students was a signature moment for them.”

The Terps rolled over Wake Forest on Saturday.

Terps make statement
If a question still remains as to whether Maryland is for real as a contender in the Atlantic Division, at least we know how Wake Forest would answer it. The Demon Deacons (2–6, 1–4) offered little resistance as the Terrapins got a career-high four touchdown passes from quarterback Danny O’Brien en route to tying a school record for points in a conference game.

Maryland (6–2, 3–1), which limped to a 2–10 record last season, became bowl-eligible for the seventh time in 10 seasons under Ralph Friedgen.

“It’s a huge confidence booster for the team — everybody is a lot more positive,” safety Kenny Tate said. “This year we are looking forward to playing in a bowl game and possibly an ACC championship.”

The Terrapins have plenty of work to do to reach that second goal, with games against Miami, Virginia, Florida State and NC State remaining on the schedule. Those four teams have a combined record of 21–11. The five Football Bowl Subdivision teams Maryland has beaten this season have a combined record of 18–29.

Duke’s Renfree razor sharp
Sean Renfree started the game with a completion. Then another. Then another. By the time the ball finally hit the ground once, Duke’s quarterback had tied a school record by completing his first 16 passes.

But Renfree didn’t stop there against Navy. He finished the day 28-of-30 for 314 yards and a touchdown, establishing a single-game school record with his 93.3-percent completion rate. Renfree’s accuracy helped the Blue Devils (2–6, 0–4) keep Navy’s clock-eating offense on the sideline, enabling them to enjoy an advantage of nearly 14 minutes in time of possession.

Renfree even added 28 yards and two touchdowns on the ground against the Midshipmen, helping the Blue Devils take a 24–0 lead into halftime and a 31–7 lead into the fourth quarter. Perhaps most importantly, he didn’t commit a turnover after throwing 14 interceptions and losing two fumbles during Duke’s six-game losing streak.

“It feels good to get a win,” Renfree said. “We had a rough couple of weeks, but it feels great to get in a groove offensively and score some points again.”

Tigers suffer two big losses
Clemson managed just 262 total yards and no offensive touchdowns against a Boston College defense that was missing three starters because of injuries: defensive end Alex Albright, safety Wes Davis and cornerback DeLeon Gause. Now the Tigers (4–4, 2–3) will have to try to score without their top weapon: tailback Andre Ellington.

Ellington, who rushed for a career-high 166 yards last week against Georgia Tech, managed just 42 yards on 14 carries against the Eagles. He spent Clemson’s final three possessions on the sideline with what he thought was a minor case of turf toe, but he was diagnosed Sunday with a strained ligament in his foot. Ellington will miss at least the next two games, important matchups against Atlantic Division front runners NC State and Florida State.

That’s bad news for a Clemson team that entered last weekend thinking it could rally to make a run for the division title. Now the Tigers will have to hustle just to become bowl eligible.

Don’t we know you?
Despite being listed as probable on the injury report, UNC linebacker Quan Sturdivant missed his fifth consecutive game because of a pulled hamstring. But the Tar Heels (5–3, 2–2), who were going against a former teammate in William & Mary quarterback Mike Paulus, did welcome back one player to the defensive starting lineup. Starting cornerback Kendric Burney, sidelined for the first seven games of the season as a result of the NCAA and university investigations into UNC’s program, made a team-high seven tackles in his season debut.

Paulus, meanwhile, completed 24-of-35 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Paulus was a headliner in UNC coach Butch Davis’ first recruiting class in 2007, but he played sparingly before transferring to William & Mary for this season.

“It was fun to see Mike out there,” UNC safety Deunta Williams said. “You know, I’m happy for him that he gets a chance to play, and he played good against us.”

Extra points

• Boston College tailback Montel Harris entered the weekend as the ACC’s leading rusher, and he helped his cause with 142 yards on 36 carries against Clemson. Harris, who tied a school record with the 18th 100-yard rushing game of his career, also had a 36-yard touchdown catch. Backup Sterlin Phifer left the team last week, so true freshman Andre Williams (five carries for 24 yards) picked up work on the few occasions in which Harris needed a break.

• Clemson could end up with a new kicker this week. Chandler Catanzaro was 1-for-3 on field-goal attempts against Boston College, missing from 44 yards and 36 yards, and is just 7-for-12 this season. Coach Dabo Swinney is going to let Richard Jackson, who made 20-of-31 field-goal attempts for the Tigers last season, compete for the starting job in practice.

• Maryland limited Wake Forest to a net total of minus-3 yards rushing on 21 attempts, causing an opponent to finish with a negative rushing total for the first time since a 47–14 win over Troy in 2001.

• An afterthought for his first three seasons at North Carolina, senior tailback Johnny White delivered another breakout performance against William & Mary. White registered career-high totals with 29 carries and 164 rushing yards, and his 67-yard touchdown run with 5:27 remaining proved to be the game winner.

• NC State tailback Dean Haynes left the game against Florida State with a concussion and didn’t return. If Haynes is unable to play this week at Clemson, look for James Washington see more action. Washington has been playing primarily on third down in place of Haynes and true freshman Mustafa Greene, who alternate series as the Wolfpack’s featured back.

• Virginia, which beat a ranked team for the first time since Oct. 25, 2008, tied a school record with five interceptions against Miami. The Cavaliers, who last intercepted five passes in a game in 1994, had intercepted just five passes all season before Saturday.

• Wake Forest has lost six consecutive games for the first time in 10 seasons under Jim Grobe. The Demon Deacons’ margin of defeat against Maryland was their worst since a 55–7 defeat at Clemson on Sept. 16, 2000.

Fisher and the Noles head to Raleigh.

Florida State (6–1, 4–0 ACC) at NC State (5–2, 2–1 ACC), Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

This matchup is one of the most important games in the ACC so far this season, because the winner will gain the inside track to the Atlantic Division championship.
That’s right where first-year Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher wants to be. Fisher is off to a great start in conference play, becoming just the fifth coach to get a win in his first four ACC games. The Seminoles are undefeated after four league games for the first time since 2004 and the 11th time since they joined the ACC in 1992. It should be noted that Florida State went on to earn at least a share of the conference title in each of the previous 10 instances.

The Seminoles bring a five-game winning streak to Carter-Finley Stadium. The key question facing them is the health of quarterback Christian Ponder, who spent the open date last week trying to get his right elbow healthy. A ruptured bursa sac contributed to Ponder’s three interceptions in FSU’s last game, a 24–19 win over Boston College, and he can’t afford a repeat against the Wolfpack.

Ponder says he is healthy, and it’s up to Florida State’s highly touted offensive line to keep him that way. That position group will undergo a personnel change this week, with redshirt freshman guard Bryan Stork making his first career start in place of David Spurlock (concussion). The good news for Ponder is that he isn’t counted on to do everything for Florida State’s offense. Led by Chris Thompson’s eye-popping 7.7 yards per carry, the Seminoles enter this game third in the ACC in rushing (211.7 yards per game).

NC State features a star quarterback of its own in Russell Wilson, who ranks fourth in the country in total offense (332.0 ypg) while leading an attack that averages an ACC-best 448.9 total yards per game. The key for the Wolfpack against Florida State’s defense, which leads the nation in sacks (4.29 per game), is pass protection. Wilson has thrown eight interceptions in the past three games, and he’ll have a difficult time bucking that trend if he’s running for his life all night.

Clemson (4–3, 2–2 ACC) at Boston College (2–5, 0–4 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

Clemson has turned around what was becoming a disappointing season to fight its way into contention in the Atlantic Division. Boston College? Not so much.

The Eagles, who lost to Maryland 24–21 last week, have dropped five consecutive games since their 2–0 start. If that weren’t bad enough, they have to try to stop the skid this week at far less than full strength on defense. Defensive end Alex Albright, the team leader in sacks and tackles for a loss, was lost for the season last week with a fractured fibula. Safety Wes Davis suffered a neck injury that required hospitalization, and cornerback DeLeon Gause left the game with a knee injury that has put his status for this week’s game in doubt.

That’s a tough way to take on the Tigers, who have won two games in a row since their three-game losing streak. Tailback Andre Ellington has been the driving force, rushing for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–13 victory over Georgia Tech last week. Ellington, who also caught a touchdown pass in that game, will take aim at a Boston College defense that ranks fourth in the country against the run (83.6 yards per game).

Given BC’s injury woes in the secondary and BC’s success against the run — linebacker Luke Kuechly leads the nation in tackles (13.9 per game) — Clemson might try to jump-start its passing game. The Tigers have struggled much of the season with their aerial attack, but quarterback Kyle Parker is starting to develop a nice rapport with young wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Jaron Brown. Plus, Parker has helped engineer an offense that has gone three consecutive games without committing a turnover.

On the other side, Boston College shuffled its offensive line last week with the return of Thomas Claiborne, and tailback Montel Harris was the beneficiary. Nate Richman, who moved from guard to center this season, went back to his old spot at left guard. Mark Spinney shifted from guard to center, and Claiborne took over at right guard. Harris, the ACC’s leading rusher (99.1 ypg), ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland to help keep the pressure off true freshman quarterback Chase Rettig. The Eagles need a similar performance from Harris this week because Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, who leads the nation in sacks (1.43 per game) and tackles for loss (2.50 per game), is a terror in third-and-long situations.

Miami (5-2, 3-1 ACC) at Virginia (3-4, 0-3 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

Miami is seeking its first Coastal Division title since it joined the ACC. Virginia is seeking its first ACC victory in more than a calendar year. The stakes are as different for each team as the talent on each sideline.

The Hurricanes, coming off a 33–10 victory over North Carolina in which they scored the game’s final 30 points, appear to have gotten back on track after their 45–17 loss to Florida State on Oct. 9. While quarterback Jacory Harris and coach Randy Shannon get most of the attention from fans and media — and much of it has been negative — Miami’s defense quietly has put together a solid season.

The Hurricanes have been especially tough against the pass, benefiting from the consistent pressure the defensive line has generated. Miami is second nationally in sacks (3.57 per game) and tackles for loss (9.29 per game), which has helped the team lead the country in opponents’ passing efficiency (87.7 rating) while allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards (ACC-best 149.1 per game).

Virginia, which rolled past Eastern Michigan 48–21 last week, will receive a boost this week as it tries to slow Miami’s pass rush. Landon Bradley, who started the first five games at left tackle before breaking his right hand, is healthy enough to return to the lineup. With Bradley back, Oday Aboushi can return to his original position at right tackle and true freshman Morgan Moses can go back to right guard.

Defensively, the Cavaliers have continued to battle without the services of senior cornerback Ras-I Dowling, who has played sparingly this season and has missed almost all of the last two games with a right knee injury. Dowling’s status for this week is unknown, but Devin Wallace has been solid in six starts in Dowling’s place.

The same can’t be said for Virginia’s run defense, which is allowing an ACC-worst 211.4 yards per game. The Cavaliers have their hands full this week against Miami tailback Damien Berry, who has rushed for at least 100 yards in four consecutive games.

Duke (1–6) at Navy (5–2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Duke has made big strides as a program under coach David Cutcliffe, but the progress has not produced positive results on the field this season. The Blue Devils, who lost 44–7 at Virginia Tech last week, hit the road for this game having suffered six consecutive losses. It’s their longest losing streak in a single season since the 2007 Duke team lost its last nine games en route to a 1–11 season.

Navy, meanwhile, enters this game flying high. The Midshipmen, who already have played ACC members Maryland (17–14 loss) and Wake Forest (28–27 win) this season, are fresh off a 35–17 demolition of Notre Dame. They feature a run-heavy, option-based offense that is ninth nationally in rushing (274.4 yards per game) but just 118th out of 120 teams in terms of passing (104.0 ypg).

The Blue Devils must find a way to do what Notre Dame couldn’t: Force the Midshipmen into obvious passing situations. Duke has struggled on defense all season, so that task won’t be an easy one. In addition to allowing an ACC-worst 38.7 points per game, the Blue Devils rank among the nation’s bottom 15 teams in rushing yards allowed (203.4 per game) and total yards allowed (442.6 per game).

Duke faced an offensive attack similar to Navy’s last month when it played host to Army in a game the Black Knights dominated 35–21. Turnovers killed the Blue Devils that day, a trend that has carried through for most of the season.

Wake Forest (2–5, 1–3 ACC) at Maryland (5–2, 2–1 ACC), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Maryland needs one more win to become eligible for a bowl game, but Ralph Friedgen’s team has even bigger goals in mind. The Terrapins, who went 2–10 last season while winning just one game in conference play, have put themselves in contention in the Atlantic Division.

Wake Forest, meanwhile, has no such momentum. The Demon Deacons have suffered five consecutive losses since opening the season 2–0, and they had a week off to make some corrections after getting blown out at Virginia Tech 52–21 on Oct. 16. Many of the mistakes have occurred on defense, where Wake Forest ranks among the nation’s worst 10 teams in points allowed (37.7 per game), rushing yards allowed (211.0 per game) and total yards allowed (ACC-worst 454.4 per game).

For the second week in a row, Maryland will play a game featuring two freshman starting quarterbacks. Danny O’Brien threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Terrapins past Chase Rettig and Boston College 24–21 last week, and this week O’Brien will go head to head with Tanner Price. The Terrapins got shocking news last week when starting right tackle Pete DeSouza suffered fractures in both legs in a traffic accident less than 48 hours before kickoff, but they have had some time this week to make adjustments up front.

On the other side, Wake Forest might have a rising star in freshman tailback Josh Harris, who rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia Tech in the first start of his career.

William & Mary (6–1) at North Carolina (4–3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Rarely does a game featuring team from a BCS conference against a team from the Football Championship Subdivision offer so many interesting story lines.

For one, North Carolina offensive coordinator John Shoop is tasked with dialing up the correct play against William & Mary defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, his brother. Then there’s the case of William & Mary quarterback Mike Paulus, who might see action against the team he left last season. And then there’s the game itself, which features a very capable underdog against a depleted favorite.

The Tar Heels, who are 12–0–2 all time against the Tribe, had better not take this game lightly. William & Mary heads to Chapel Hill with a six-game winning streak and the nation’s No. 3 ranking among FCS teams after a 17–16 win last week over Delaware.

Mike Callahan, who had missed two games with a separated shoulder, returned in relief of Paulus to complete 7 of 10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in the victory.

Paulus, who was a headliner of UNC coach Butch Davis’ first recruiting class, will likely will be the backup quarterback this week against his former teammates, one of whom will make his season debut.

All-ACC cornerback Kendric Burney, who missed UNC’s first seven games as a result of the NCAA and university investigations into the program, has been cleared to return.

That’s great news for the Tar Heels, who played without starting safety Da’Norris Searcy (concussion) and cornerbacks Mywan Jackson (groin) and LeCount Fantroy (shoulder) for much of last week’s 33-10 loss at Miami.

Shannon and Miami got a huge win over UNC.

Randy Shannon’s critics probably don’t want to acknowledge this development, but it’s still true: Miami has put itself in position to make a run for the ACC championship. The Hurricanes, left for dead after their embarrassing 45–17 loss to Florida State on Oct. 9, responded with an uninspired victory at Duke the following week. But they looked more like their old selves in a 33–10 win over North Carolina on Saturday.

The Tar Heels, who entered Sun Life Stadium with a four-game winning streak, had beaten Miami in each of the last three seasons. Which, come to think of it, is one of the reasons why Shannon has so many critics.

“Real big win for us tonight — it was huge,” Shannon said. “We’re taking that next step in the ACC Coastal (Division). Playing North Carolina, it really was a big victory for myself and for this team and university. Being 0–3 against North Carolina and having an opportunity to come back on national TV and respond the way we did tonight was unbelievable.”

The Hurricanes dominated after getting off to a slow start, scoring the game’s final 30 points. The offense was efficient — quarterback Jacory Harris threw three touchdown passes while tailback Damien Berry posted his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game — and the defense was stingy with five sacks and three takeaways.

Miami also showed emotion, which hasn’t always been the case under the stoic Shannon, as players fired up each other on the sideline early in the game. The Hurricanes even picked up a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after intercepting a pass in the third quarter, showcasing a swagger the program once featured in surplus.

In short, the victory over North Carolina was the kind of performance that fans of the Hurricanes want to see more consistently. Miami, despite its location in the Sunshine State, has been a site for dark clouds and negativity for much of this season. Boosters and former players became irritated after the Hurricanes’ 36–24 loss at Ohio State on Sept. 11, and the intensity of the anger only grew after the beatdown at the hands of the rival Seminoles.

Those two losses took the Hurricanes (5–2, 3–1 ACC) out of the national championship picture — a photo they probably never belonged in, anyway — but the defeats didn’t rob the rest of the season of significant meaning. The Coastal Division title and a trip to Charlotte, N.C., for the ACC championship game on Dec. 4 are well within reach.

Miami’s remaining schedule is too favorable to think otherwise. The Hurricanes travel to Virginia this week and host Maryland the following week for what should be routine wins against overmatched competition. Then comes a trip to Atlanta to face a Georgia Tech team that clearly has dropped a few notches since winning the conference crown last season.

If the Hurricanes win those three games — no sure thing, but also no long shot — they could host first-place Virginia Tech on Nov. 20 with the division title on the line. And that, even Shannon’s critics have to admit, wouldn’t be so bad.

Scoreboard
Clemson 27, Georgia Tech 13
Maryland 24, Boston College 21
Miami 33, North Carolina 10
Virginia Tech 44, Duke 7
Virginia 48, Eastern Michigan 21

Tigers also still alive
The big game in the Atlantic Division this week pits first-place Florida State (6–1, 4–0) at NC State (5–2, 2–1) on Thursday night. But this much is apparent, especially if the Wolfpack hand the Seminoles their first league loss of the season: Clemson will be a factor down the stretch.

The Tigers (4–3, 2–2) made sure of that with their victory over Georgia Tech in a rematch of last season’s ACC title game, which the Yellow Jackets won 39–34. “We all had a chip on our shoulder after the ACC championship game last year,” Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers said, “and it feels good to get it off.”

Bowers picked up his 10th sack of the season as Clemson held the Yellow Jackets (5–3, 3–2) to 242 yards rushing, 86 yards below their average entering the game. The Tigers clamped down hard on quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who entered the game needing to run for just 44 yards to break former Clemson star Woodrow Dantzler’s ACC record for career rushing yards by a quarterback.

Nesbitt, who entered the game averaging 92.7 rushing yards per game, finished with a net of 2 yards on 15 rushing attempts. The Tigers simply weren’t going to let him get enough yards to break the record — their record — in Death Valley.

“He’ll have to get those (yards) elsewhere,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
As well as Clemson’s defense performed, it was tailback Andre Ellington who stole the show. Ellington rushed for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, and he also added the first touchdown catch of his career.

Quarterback Kyle Parker was unspectacular once again, passing for just 167 yards, but he was smart with his decisions. Clemson has gone three consecutive games without a turnover for the first time in school history, a span of 196 plays dating to the team’s 30–21 loss to Miami on Oct. 2.

That setback, along with the 21–16 defeat at North Carolina the following week, put the Tigers in a deep hole in conference play. But with both of those losses coming outside the division, Clemson has a chance to climb out. The Tigers already have defeated Maryland, and they will face the other four Atlantic Division teams over the next four weeks.

“Overall we’re getting better as a team,” Swinney said. “We have great leadership, and our team is full of determination. We’re finally getting our swagger back.”

Taylor has the Hokie machine humming.

Hokies’ offense rolling
Duke coach David Cutcliffe called Virginia Tech senior Tyrod Taylor the best dual-threat quarterback in the country. And that was before Taylor, now fourth in the nation in passing efficiency, shredded the Blue Devils on Saturday. In addition to rushing for 47 yards, Taylor completed 13-of-17 passes for 280 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead his team to its sixth consecutive victory.

A week after scoring on seven of their first eight possessions in a 52–21 win over Wake Forest, the Hokies (6–2, 4–0) scored on eight of their first nine possessions against Duke. Virginia Tech scored at least 40 points for the fourth consecutive game for the first time since 2000, when a dual-threat QB named Michael Vick was under center.

Not that the Hokies needed it — they already have plenty of firepower — but they got back another weapon against Duke. Starting tailback Ryan Williams, who had missed the last 4½ games with a hamstring pull, returned to game action for the first time since Sept. 18. Williams carried six times for 10 yards and a touchdown in a reserve role, and he deemed himself 80-85 percent healthy after the game.
Virginia Tech gets an open date before entering the meat of its schedule. The Hokies have games against Coastal Division rivals Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Miami — the latter two on the road — before closing out the regular season with a home game against Virginia.

Lack of depth catches up to Tar Heels
North Carolina (4–3, 2–2) has scratched and clawed all season to try to overcome the personnel losses it has suffered as a result of NCAA and university investigations into its program. Already depleted, the one thing the Tar Heels couldn’t afford was a string of bad health. But that’s exactly what they got at Miami.
UNC’s players knew they would be without leading receiver Zack Pianalto, who suffered a season-ending leg injury the previous week at Virginia. Then starting linebacker Quan Sturdivant, questionable to play because of a hamstring injury, sat out for the fourth consecutive game. Bad stuff, to be sure, but nothing totally shocking.

The defensive backfield quickly became another story. Starting cornerbacks Charles Brown and Kendric Burney already were out as a result of the investigations, but backup LeCount Fantroy couldn’t play against the Hurricanes because of a shoulder injury. Starting safety Da’Norris Searcy and cornerback Mywan Jackson then left the game with injuries.

What remained in UNC’s secondary were All-ACC safety Deunta Williams and several other players who originally were supposed to play in limited roles, if at all, this season. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris took advantage.

“Well, I think it was obvious they tried to pick on us in the secondary tonight,” Williams said. “But at the same time, we haven’t had Kendric and C.B. all year. So it wasn’t like that was anything new for us. We were just down one corner, and we have young guys who can play. I was telling them how when we were freshmen, we would get picked on, too. The only way to get them to stop picking on you is to make them go away from you.”

Terps shuffle offensive line — again
Maryland received a startling jolt leading up to its game against Boston College. Starting right tackle Pete DeSouza suffered fractures in both of his legs in a motor-scooter accident Thursday night, putting him out for the season.

With less than 48 hours before kickoff against the Eagles, Maryland’s coaches didn’t have much time to figure out an alternate plan. They shifted center Paul Pinegar, who made four starts at right tackle in 2009, into DeSouza’s spot. Then they gave Bennett Fulper, who has split time between center and right guard this season, his first career start at center.

Not surprisingly, the Terrapins (5–2, 2–1) struggled offensively against a Boston College defense that entered the weekend allowing the 10th-fewest rushing yards in the country. Maryland gained 222 total yards while averaging just 3.1 yards per play, but quarterback Danny O’Brien was sacked just once and threw three touchdown passes behind the revamped offensive line.

“After we found out about Pete, everyone was visibly down,” Pinegar said. “After the game, everyone’s heart was lifted because we were able to go out and get a win for him.”

DeSouza’s injury is the second big blow to Maryland’s offensive line this season. The Terrapins lost starting left tackle Justin Gilbert to a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the season.

Bad break for BC
Boston College’s defense has been the strength of the team thus far this season, but that unit suffered some big-time losses against Maryland. Defensive end Alex Albright, a team captain who leads the Eagles (2–5, 0–4) with 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for a loss, went down with a fractured fibula in the first half and is out for the season.

Safety Wes Davis’ injury appeared even more serious. Davis, also a team captain, injured his neck in the third quarter and was taken to a hospital for evaluation after being carted off the field. Tests showed no fracture, and Davis was released Sunday after spending one night under observation.

A third key defensive starter, cornerback DeLeon Gause, left the Maryland game early with a right knee injury. Gause is not expected to require surgery, but his status for this week’s game against Clemson is questionable.

Extra points

• Boston College tailback Montel Harris reached a milestone in his team’s fifth consecutive loss. Harris rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries against Maryland, putting him over 3,000 rushing yards for his career. He is the fourth player in school history — and the first junior — to achieve that feat.

• Leading up to the 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Georgia Tech, 10 Clemson players got stuck in an elevator at the team hotel in Anderson, S.C. The players got stuck on the way to the pregame meal at 11:30 a.m., and they remained in the elevator until fire fighters freed them at 12:15 p.m. “I told the guys to calm down,” Swinney said. “If we can get 33 miners out of a shaft in Chile, we can get 10 football players out of an elevator in Anderson, S.C.”

• Duke suffered its sixth consecutive loss, but wide receiver Conner Vernon caught six passes for 44 yards against Virginia Tech to become the first player in school history with at least 40 receptions in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

• Maryland snapped its 10-game road losing streak thanks in large part to the 3-0 advantage it enjoyed in turnover margin. The Terrapins, who scored 14 points off turnovers against Boston College, have a 52-7 advantage over their opponents in points of turnovers this season.

• North Carolina tailback Johnny White had just eight carries against Miami as he battled the flu, but he still ripped off a special run. White’s 76-yard touchdown sprint early in the second quarter was UNC’s longest run from scrimmage since Willie Parker’s 77-yard TD run against Maryland in 2001.

• A week after getting points on just two of six trips inside the red zone against North Carolina, Virginia was 5-for-5 against Eastern Michigan on the way to its first victory over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent under Mike London. Too bad not many people saw it. The announced crowd at 61,500-seat Scott Stadium was just 36,600, the lowest turnout for a Virginia home game since 1997.
 

An ACC title game rematch should be good in Clemson.

Duke (1-5, 0-3 ACC) at Virginia Tech (5-2, 3-0 ACC), Saturday, noon ET

Duke and No. 23 Virginia Tech enter this game heading in opposite directions, a trend reflected in the play of their respective quarterbacks.

The Blue Devils, mired in a five-game losing streak since a 41–27 victory over Elon in their season opener, rank 119th out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in turnover margin (minus-1.83). The primary culprit has been sophomore Sean Renfree, who has thrown 14 interceptions in the last five games. Renfree remains the starter after tossing five interceptions and losing a fumble last week in a 28–13 loss to Miami, but Duke coach David Cutcliffe said freshman Brandon Connette will continue to see some action under center.

On the other side, senior Tyrod Taylor has played the best football of his career during Virginia Tech’s five-game winning streak. Taylor leads the ACC in passing efficiency, having thrown 12 touchdown passes and just three interceptions all season. Taylor tied a career high with three touchdown tosses in a 52–21 win over Wake Forest last week, and in that game he became the second player in ACC history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing and 5,000 yards passing in a career.

Taylor wore a splint on his right (throwing) wrist early in the week, but he has declared himself healthy and ready to play against the Blue Devils. In question is whether star tailback Ryan Williams will join him in the backfield. Williams has missed the last 4½ games since straining his right hamstring against East Carolina, and Virginia Tech’s coaches have instructed him not to return until he feels 100 percent healthy. Williams was able to practice at full speed this week and could return for 10-12 snaps against the Blue Devils.

No one could blame Williams for wanting to return to game action in time to take a shot at Duke’s defense. The Blue Devils, who rank 112th nationally in points allowed (ACC-worst 37.8 per game) and 110th nationally against the run (210.8 yards per game), will have their hands full whether it’s Williams, Darren Evans or David Wilson rushing the ball at them.

Maryland (4-2, 1-1 ACC) at Boston College (2-4, 0-3 ACC), Saturday, 1 p.m. ET

The good news for the teams involved in this game is that one of them is going to pick up a potentially season-saving win.

Maryland has a pretty record without beating a single strong opponent, while Boston College has an ugly record after losing to some formidable foes. The schedules of the two teams are about to flip — Maryland’s will get tougher and Boston College’s easier — and the winner of this game will have some much-needed momentum for a postseason push down the stretch.

A pair of freshman quarterbacks could determine which team comes out on top. Maryland’s Danny O’Brien is coming off a career-high 302-yard passing day at Clemson last week, but he threw three interceptions in a 31–7 defeat. Boston College’s Chase Rettig delivered a different sort of performance in a 24–19 loss at Florida State, completing just 9-of-24 passes for 95 yards while keeping his team in the game without committing a turnover. This week O’Brien needs to make fewer mistakes, and Rettig needs to make more plays.

Maryland’s coaches have said they would like to get their running game in gear to help O’Brien. But they have to call some running plays first. Tailback Da’Rel Scott is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season, but he received only four carries last week and has carried more than 10 times in just two of six games this season. Scott and running mate Davin Meggett might not get much work this week against a Boston College defense that ranks 10th in the country against the run (90.3 yards per game) and features the nation’s leading tackler in linebacker Luke Kuechly.

Offensively, the Eagles will lean heavily on tailback Montel Harris, as usual. Harris gets so little help that even though he leads all ACC players in rushing (96.3 ypg), Boston College ranks last in the conference as a team in that category (103.3 ypg).

Georgia Tech (5-2, 3-1 ACC) at Clemson (3-3, 1-2 ACC), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Georgia Tech and Clemson have produced some great games in recent years. Twelve of the last 15 meetings between the teams, including the last three, have been decided by five points or fewer.

This contest has a chance to fit in nicely with the rest. The Yellow Jackets have put together a three-game winning streak — albeit against unimpressive competition — and the Tigers got back on track last week with a 31–7 victory over Maryland.

Georgia Tech quarterback Joshua Nesbitt enters this game with a chance to beat Clemson twice in the same afternoon. Nesbitt needs just 44 rushing yards to break former Clemson star Woodrow Dantzler’s ACC rushing record for quarterbacks (2,761 yards). Nesbitt, who orchestrates a spread-option attack that is second in the country in rushing (328.1 yards per game), already has four 100-yard rushing games this season.

The Yellow Jackets hope to benefit from the return of starting offensive tackle Phil Smith, who missed last week’s 42–14 victory over Middle Tennessee State with an ankle injury. Smith could play an important role in this game because he will line up across from Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, who leads the nation in sacks (1.5 per game) and tackles for loss (2.5 per game).

On the other side, the Tigers hope to welcome back freshman wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the lineup against a Georgia Tech team that has beaten them in six of the last seven meetings. Hopkins missed last week’s game after suffering an “upper body” injury in practice.

Eastern Michigan (1-6) at Virginia (2-4), Saturday, 6 p.m. ET

Virginia still is looking for its first win against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent under first-year coach Mike London. The Cavaliers need to be ready this week because they won’t have a better opportunity all season to cross that item off the to-do list.

Eastern Michigan had lost 18 games in a row before rallying from a 21-point deficit to defeat Ball State 41–38 in overtime last week. The Eagles will bring a defense that ranks second to last in the nation in points allowed (43.4 per game) and fourth from the bottom against the run (228.3 yards per game).

Given those numbers — and that fact that three Virginia quarterbacks combined to throw five interceptions in a 44–10 loss to North Carolina last week — the Cavaliers figure to rely on their running game. Enter bruising tailback Keith Payne, who has a team-high eight touchdowns after rushing for 107 yards and a score on 23 carries against the Tar Heels.

Payne and fellow tailback Perry Jones will look for running room behind a starting offensive line that now includes true freshman right tackle Morgan Moses, who is filling in for Landon Bradley (hand injury). Last week Moses became the third true freshman in school history to start at offensive tackle, and he is just the seventh true freshman at an FBS school to start at offensive tackle this season.

North Carolina (4-2, 2-1 ACC) at Miami (4-2, 2-1 ACC), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET

North Carolina and No. 25 Miami share more in common than identical overall and conference records. Both teams feature fan bases than have become less than enamored with their head coaches. Butch Davis is in trouble at North Carolina for what has happened off the field, and Randy Shannon has drawn the ire of fans in Miami for what hasn’t happened enough on the field: winning.

Those factors help make this game, already big in terms of the Coastal Division race, even larger. Davis, who was the head coach at Miami from 1995-2000, has guided the Tar Heels to three consecutive victories over the Hurricanes. More importantly for the time being, he has guided the Tar Heels to four consecutive victories this season.

North Carolina will try to extend both of those streaks without senior Zack Pianalto, one of its top offensive weapons. Pianalto, who holds the school record for career receptions by a tight end, is out for the rest of the regular season after suffering a fractured right fibula in UNC’s 44-10 victory at Virginia last week. It’s big blow for an offense that already faced a stiff challenge against a Miami defense that leads the nation in tackles for loss (9.5 per game), ranks second in the country in opponents’ pass efficiency and ranks fourth nationally against the pass (150.7 yards per game).

The Hurricanes, who intercepted five passes in a 28-13 victory at Duke last week, have 12 interceptions through six games after tallying just nine interceptions in 13 games last season. Miami’s ball-hawking defense will need extra sticky fingers against UNC quarterback T.J. Yates, who has 11 touchdown passes and the nation’s lowest interception rate (one pick in 182 pass attempts).

Miami quarterback Jacory Harris hasn’t been nearly as protective of the ball as Yates, but he did play his second interception-free game of the season against Duke. Harris threw four interceptions in a 33–24 loss at North Carolina last season, with cornerback Kendrick Burney picking off three of those passes. Burney has sat out the first six games of this season as a result of NCAA and university investigations into UNC’s program, but it’s possible that he will be cleared in time for this game.

The status of UNC starting linebacker Quan Sturdivant, who has missed the last three games with a strained hamstring, also is questionable. Regardless of whether Sturdivant plays, the Hurricanes will try to maintain their successful ground game (three consecutive 100-yard rushing games for tailback Damien Berry) to lighten the load on Harris.

This season was supposed to be a special one for North Carolina, and it certainly has been. Just not in the way everyone envisioned. The program has made far more headlines for off-the-field transgressions, which have led to the resignation of assistant coach John Blake and the suspension and ineligibility of several key players, than on-the-field achievements.
But even without much of its star power, North Carolina quietly has started to shine. The Tar Heels extended their winning streak to four games with a 44–10 victory at Virginia on Saturday, snapping their 14-game losing streak against the Cavaliers at Scott Stadium.

“It feels good,” said senior quarterback T.J. Yates, who passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns. “We tried not to put much emphasis on it this week in practice because we found ourselves doing that a little too much in years past. It kind of got us out of the funk a little bit. Once we got back in the locker room, we acknowledged it, and it’s a good thing for this program to get out of the way.”

North Carolina had taken good teams, bad teams and average teams to Charlottesville since 1981, but none of them had managed to leave town with a victory. That streak ended in emphatic fashion, with the Tar Heels (4–2, 2–1 ACC) intercepting five passes and posting their highest point total at Virginia since 1946.

Wide receiver Dwight Jones, who entered the game with 12 receptions for 104 yards all season, played a big role in the offensive explosion. He registered career highs with seven catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard scoring grab on the first play of the game.

Jones originally was not expected to play a major role in UNC’s passing game this season, but the absence of starting wide receiver Greg Little (declared permanently ineligible for accepting improper benefits) opened a door for him. Similar stories of players producing in expanded roles — notably at tailback, on the defensive line and in the secondary — are prevalent throughout UNC’s roster.

“We’ve got good kids — this is a good group of football players,” UNC coach Butch Davis said. “They’ve got a lot of character, a lot of integrity. There’s a lot of good leaders on this team.”

Chief among them is Yates, who many expected to be a backup at this point. Yates was booed throughout last season and had to hold off a charge from redshirt freshman Bryn Renner in training camp to keep his job, but he has responded well. He leads the nation in interception percentage (one pick in 182 pass attempts) and ranks second in the ACC in passing efficiency.

Yates held together an offense that began the year without its leading receiver (Little) and top two rushers (tailbacks Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston) because of the NCAA investigation, but the haze of uncertainty surrounding UNC’s team has become clearer each week. Draughn and Houston have returned. So have starting safeties Da’Norris Searcy and Deunta Williams.

Now that the Tar Heels have found out that Little and star defensive linemen Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn aren’t going to play at all this season, they have only a few major personnel questions remaining. The fate of All-ACC cornerback Kendric Burney, who finished serving his six-game suspension against Virginia, sits in limbo because of an unresolved issue related to the investigation. Two other defensive starters who have yet to play this season, cornerback Charles Brown and defensive end Michael McAdoo, also face uncertain futures.

The Tar Heels would be happy to have those players available when they play at Miami (4–2, 2–1) in a key Coastal Division matchup Saturday, but they’re not counting on such a development. They’re just happy that they can shift most of their attention to the remaining games on the schedule rather than which players might be participating in them.
“We’ve been through it all already,” Yates said. “It seems like it happened so long ago, but we’ve finally got the guys that we know we’re going to play with now. It doesn’t seem like the roster is going to change too much anymore. Now that we’ve got some confidence and we know which guys are going to go out there, we can focus more on football.”

Scoreboard
Clemson 31, Maryland 7
Florida State 24, Boston College 19
Miami 28, Duke 13
North Carolina 44, Virginia 10
Virginia Tech 52, Wake Forest 21
Georgia Tech 42, Middle Tennessee State 14
East Carolina 33, N.C. State 27, OT

Passing (un)fancy
Aside from Yates, the only other ACC quarterback who experienced much success throwing the ball in Week 7 was Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech (5–2, 3–0). Taylor tied a career high with three touchdown passes, completing 19-of-27 throws for 292 yards against Wake Forest’s young secondary.
Yates and Taylor combined to complete 36-of-49 passes (73.4 percent) for 617 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions for a pass efficiency rating of 219.6. The league’s other 10 starting quarterbacks combined to complete 143-of-298 passes (47.9 percent) for 1,693 yards, six touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a pass efficiency rating of 90.9. Ouch.

Harris bursts onto scene
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe decided to give redshirt freshman tailback Josh Harris the first start of his career. Good thing Grobe did, too. Otherwise, the Demon Deacons’ blowout loss at Virginia Tech, their fifth defeat in a row, would have been even uglier.

Harris rushed for 241 yards, the most ever by one player against Virginia Tech, and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Harris’ 87-yard touchdown sprint in the second quarter was Wake Forest’s longest run since 1968 and the longest run the Hokies had allowed since 1987 in Frank Beamer’s first game as their head coach.
Virginia Tech dominated Wake Forest’s defense, racking up 605 total yards (the most allowed by the Demon Deacons since 2000) while building an advantage in possession time of 41:26 to 18:34. But Wake Forest (2–5, 1–3) could have an exciting future on offense if Harris and redshirt freshman quarterback Tanner Price continue to gain experience.

Oh, brother
C.J. Spiller used to refer to Andre Ellington as his “little brother.” It’s become obvious that Clemson’s star tailback of 2010 shares plenty in common with Clemson’s star tailback of 2009, even if that doesn’t include actual genes.

With Spiller back in town to have his No. 28 jersey retired at halftime, Ellington rushed for a touchdown in addition to returning a kickoff 87 yards for a score to help the Tigers (3–3, 1–2) beat Maryland. Spiller delivered one of his NCAA-record seven kickoff returns for a touchdown against the Terrapins last season, scoring on a 92-yarder.

First Noel for Eagles
Dominick LeGrande might need to have the best week of practice of his career to reclaim his position. Heck, even that might not be enough.

LeGrande, a starting safety for Boston College (2–4, 0–3), was suspended for the Florida State game because of a violation of team rules. All his replacement, sophomore Jim Noel, did in his first career start was make 10 tackles, intercept two passes and return one of the interceptions for a touchdown.
Gulp. Wonder if LeGrande has heard of Wally Pipp?

Sore elbow slows Ponder
Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder blamed his decision-making after he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble against Boston College, but his struggles appeared to be just as much physical as mental. Ponder had no zip on his throws to the outside, especially on the one Noel intercepted and returned 43 yards for a touchdown, likely because he popped a bursa sac in his right elbow in the first quarter.

Ponder, who completed 19-of-31 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, declined to use his elbow as an excuse for his poor performance. And FSU coach Jimbo Fisher declined to remove Ponder from the game as he struggled in the second half, calling Ponder a “winner” and a “champion.”

All of that is fine, of course. But the first-place Seminoles (6–1, 4–0), who have an open date this week, need to get Ponder healthy in time for their key Atlantic Division game at NC State (5–2, 2–1) on Oct. 28 if they want to continue being winners.

Extra points

• A couple of quarterbacks were on the receiving end of touchdown passes over the weekend. Danny O’Brien caught a 4-yard TD pass from tailback Da’Rel Scott on a trick play for Maryland, but Logan Thomas scored in even more unconventional fashion for Virginia Tech. Thomas, a backup quarterback who stands 6-6, had to take off his headset before running onto the field as a wide receiver on the Hokies’ first possession. He leaped over a Wake Forest defensive back to catch a jump ball for a 2-yard touchdown.

• Boston College tailback Montel Harris rushed for 191 yards on 26 carries against Florida State. Harris’ success was eye-opening, given that the Seminoles entered the game 12th nationally against the run, but maybe it shouldn’t have been so surprising. Harris has run for 491 yards in three games against Florida State, rushing for at least 121 yards in all three contests. He has averaged 6.5 yards per carry in his career against the Seminoles.

• Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers is establishing himself as the most dominant defensive presence in the conference. Bowers had a career-high three sacks against Maryland — all on third down — and leads the nation in sacks (1.5 per game) and tackles for loss (2.5 per game).

• As usual, Georgia Tech is hitting its stride in the second month of the season. The Yellow Jackets, who have won three consecutive games after forcing six turnovers against Middle Tennessee State, are 11–1 in October under Paul Johnson.

• Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen was in a sour mood after his team’s loss at Clemson. In addition to saying that he would re-implement his old rule of requiring all injured players to practice by Thursday if they are going to play on Saturday, he talked about the Terrapins’ 10-game losing streak on the road. “I think sometimes that our guys think we’re on an amusement trip or something,” he said. “We’re on a business trip to win football games. We have to learn how to do that if we’re going to be the team we want to be.”

• Miami tailback Damien Berry is keeping some mighty good company in the aftermath of the Hurricanes’ victory at Duke. Berry rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, becoming the fifth player in school history to record three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. The other four players on the list? You might have heard of them: Frank Gore, Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee and Clinton Portis. They have rushed for a combined 34,099 yards and 233 touchdowns in the NFL.

• In addition to its off-the-field personnel losses, North Carolina played without star linebacker Quan Sturdivant (hamstring) for the third game in a row. Zach Brown, UNC’s school record holder in the 60-meter dash, has filled in admirably. A week after making a career-high 14 tackles in a 21–16 win over Clemson, Brown tallied 10 tackles and an interception against Virginia.

• NC State had scored in 16 consecutive quarters — and 22 of 24 quarters overall this season — before getting blanked 21–0 in the first quarter at East Carolina.

• First-year Virginia coach Mike London had his players remain on the field after the loss to North Carolina. Why? “I wanted them to feel what it feels like to get beat like we did on your homecoming with the other team’s fans cheering them on,” London said, “and never forget that feeling, the feeling when somebody comes into your house and hands it to you like they did.”

• Wake Forest’s three touchdowns against Virginia Tech covered 198 yards. The Demon Deacons gained only 148 yards on their other 39 offensive plays.

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher

The ACC’s highly anticipated battle of Florida turned out to be no contest. Florida State blew out Miami 45–17 on FSU coach Jimbo Fisher’s 45th birthday, scoring a point for every candle on the cake.
The Seminoles (5–1, 3–0 ACC) looked like the best team in the conference and built some momentum heading into upcoming games against Atlantic Division rivals Boston College and NC State. The Hurricanes (3–2, 1–1), meanwhile, were unimpressive in front of their first home sellout crowd since 2004.
The condition of the two teams was most evident in the body language of their quarterbacks. Florida State’s Christian Ponder remained poised in front of the crowd of 75,115, delivering an unspectacular but solid performance with help from his teammates. Miami’s Jacory Harris spent much of the evening limping around with injuries to his groin and left shoulder as his receivers dropped passes that they should have caught.
Harris’ passing statistics were ugly for the second week in a row — he has completed just 32 of his last 79 throws — and his health appears to be a big question mark moving forward. Miami’s chances of winning the Coastal Division are equally uncertain now that Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and North Carolina have gotten back on track. The Hurricanes have played poorly in both of their games against high-quality competition this season, and each of their three wins came against teams that are under .500. That doesn’t bode well for a team that claims to have ACC championship aspirations.
The outlook is much sunnier at this point for the Seminoles, who rushed for 298 yards and got three touchdowns from tailback Jermaine Thomas against Miami. Florida State has run for at least 200 yards in four consecutive games for the first time since 1995, showcasing the kind of offensive balance that the team has lacked in recent years.
The Seminoles should handle reeling Boston College this week, setting up their showdown at NC State on Oct. 28. The winner of that game will have the inside track toward earning a trip to Charlotte, N.C., for the ACC championship game on Dec. 4.

Scoreboard
N.C. State 44, Boston College 17
Virginia Tech 45, Central Michigan 21
Georgia Tech 33, Virginia 21
North Carolina 21, Clemson 16
Navy 28, Wake Forest 27
Florida State 45, Miami 17

Tar Heels gaining strength
North Carolina picked up another key player and then picked up another key victory. The Tar Heels (3–2, 1–1), who welcomed back All-ACC safety Deunta Williams from a four-game suspension, held on to beat Clemson despite generating a season-low 255 total yards.
“As I told the players in the locker room, there are a lot of ways to win football games,” said UNC coach Butch Davis, whose team has put together a three-game winning streak. “Some of them don’t always look like the blueprint you draw up sometimes. But when the kids compete and play hard the whole game, it gives you a chance.”
Investigations into UNC’s program concerning improper benefits and possible academic misconduct have robbed the Tar Heels of many of their best players, especially on defense. But UNC’s chances of making noise in the Coastal Division improve every time one of those players gets reinstated.
Williams, who showed some rust against Clemson by allowing a long touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, and fellow starting safety Da’Norris Searcy have returned in the last two weeks to boost a depleted secondary. All-ACC cornerback Kendric Burney, serving a six-game suspension, is scheduled to join them after this week’s game against Virginia.
In the meantime, senior quarterback T.J. Yates and senior tailback Johnny White continue to play better than they ever have. Neither blinked when starting fullback Devon Ramsay was held out Saturday for the first time this season because of the investigations. Yates registered his fourth interception-free game of the year, and White rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns in addition to catching six passes for 90 yards.
The Tar Heels still have issues, of course, but they have bounced back from early adversity to contend in a league that doesn’t feature a truly elite team.
“It’s just a weight lifted off our shoulders,” White said. “It just didn’t seem like anything would go our way the first two weeks where we were a drive away from winning both of those games, and now finally things are changing and starting to go our way.”

Allen, Jackets run over Cavaliers
Anthony Allen hadn’t forgotten the location of the end zone. It only seemed that way. Allen, a senior B-back who went Georgia Tech’s first five games this season without a score, admitted that he had not been finishing runs as well as he should have. He finally broke out in a big way against Virginia, rushing for 195 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.
“I didn't know what to do!” Allen joked about celebrating his first score. “It was good to get that first touchdown, and my second, and my third.”
Allen sparked a Georgia Tech offense that had struggled against NC State and Wake Forest. The Yellow Jackets (4–2, 3–1), who rushed for 456 yards in those two games combined, churned out 477 yards on the ground against the Cavaliers. It was the fifth-highest rushing output in school history and the most rushing yards ever for Georgia Tech in an ACC game.
The storyline entering the game involved Al Groh, the former head coach at Virginia who is in his first season as Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator. But the Yellow Jackets were so effective on the ground that Groh’s defense was on the field for only 23 minutes against the team he coached last season. The performance was a relief for Georgia Tech’s oft-injured and much-maligned offensive line.
“As poorly as we have played and as blind as we have been, this was the game we needed,” center Sean Bedford said. “Not just from a confidence point of view, but also to get everything in gear and moving downhill.”

Deacs fall short late … again
As was the case the previous week, Wake Forest took the field needing one more defensive stop in front of its home fans to secure a victory. As was the case the previous week, Wake Forest’s opponent was an option-heavy team that had to resort to passing the ball because not much time remained. And as was the case the previous week, Wake Forest failed to get the stop.
Ricky Dobbs threw a 6-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds remaining to lead Navy past the Demon Deacons, capping a 10-play, 64-yard drive. It was eerily similar to the 9-yard touchdown pass Joshua Nesbitt threw with 15 seconds remaining that led Georgia Tech past the Demon Deacons 24–20 the previous week.
Wake Forest (2–4, 1–2) has dropped four consecutive games after opening the season with wins over Presbyterian and Duke, putting its bowl prospects in serious doubt. The losing streak won’t be easy to end next week on a trip to Virginia Tech, which has won four games in a row after starting the season 0–2.
“I think the deal is for every young football team, there comes a point when they get tired of watching the other team celebrate after the game,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “And when that point comes, we’ll start winning games. Right now, we haven’t done that. I told the kids after the game that’s what has to happen. You have to get to the point where you get tired of losing.”

Hokies win where it counts
Some statistics from Virginia Tech’s game against Central Michigan:
Total yards: Central Michigan 401, Virginia Tech 394.
Third-down conversions: Central Michigan 7-for-20, Virginia Tech 0-for-8.
Time of possession: Central Michigan 35:47, Virginia Tec 24:13.
Turnovers: Central Michigan 1, Virginia Tech 1.
Those numbers hardly seem reflective of a 24-point victory, but that’s exactly what the Hokies (4–2, 2–0) enjoyed in their final non-conference game of the season.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor was the key player for Virginia Tech, moving past Bryan Randall for the most wins (27) by any quarterback in school history. Taylor completed 13 of 23 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, and he added 127 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the sixth 100-yard rushing game of his career.

Wolfpack do it all
NC State did more than give Tom O’Brien his first victory against Boston College since he left Chestnut Hill in 2006 after 10 seasons as head coach. The Wolfpack scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams in the same game for the first time since a 49–21 victory over Texas Tech in 2003.
Cornerback C.J. Wilson completed the trifecta, picking off a pass from Dave Shinskie and returning it 28 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Wilson, who picked off a pass and ran it back 43 yards in his team’s 28–21 victory at Central Florida on Sept. 11, became the first NC State player to score on two interception returns in the same season since Greg Williams in 1966.

Extra points
• Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich showed yet another example of his toughness over the weekend. Herzlich, who has returned after missing all of last season while recovering from cancer, played against NC State with a broken bone in his left hand. Herzlich wore a huge wrap that rendered his fingers immobile, but he still intercepted one pass and broke up another in addition to making three tackles.
• Clemson coach Dabo Swinney attempted to shield his players from blame in the aftermath of the Tigers’ third consecutive loss, but he gave plenty of ammunition to his critics in the process. “I’m extremely embarrassed,” Swinney said. “This team deserves better, Clemson deserves better, the fans deserve better. This is just not a very well-coached football team right now, and it’s my fault. I’m extremely disappointed in what I saw today. I saw a team that wasn’t very smart, I saw a team that wasn’t very disciplined. I saw a team get a lot of critical penalties, right from the beginning of the game on the first play. I saw a team give up a huge play that led to a score right before the end of the half. I’m embarrassed. I’m extremely disappointed in myself. I’m better than this, I know I’m better than this, and it’s my job to get it fixed. It’s nobody else’s job. This football team didn’t quit, the football team played, they tried as hard as they could, and it’s obvious they’re just not very well-coached.”
• Florida State backup tailback Chris Thompson rushed for a career-high 158 yards on 14 carries against Miami. Thompson gave his stats a huge boost late in the fourth quarter with a 90-yard touchdown run, the third-longest rush in FSU history and the longest run ever allowed by the Hurricanes.
• Georgia Tech posted consecutive victories over Virginia for the first time since 1990-91. The Yellow Jackets have won six consecutive games against their Coastal Division foes.
• Tailback Graig Cooper, Miami’s leading rushing each of the last three seasons, showed some burst in his first playing time since the season opener. Cooper, who had been out with an ankle injury after spending the off-season rehabbing from knee surgery, gained 22 yards on two carries and caught a pass for 11 yards against Florida State.
• North Carolina has played back-to-back games without a turnover for the first time since 1996.
*Virginia tailback Keith Payne, who rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries against Georgia Tech, had some unconventional help on his 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Darnell Carter, who tallied the first interception of his career earlier in the game, lined up at fullback to help clear Payne’s path to the end zone.
• Virginia Tech tailbacks Darren Evans and David Wilson filled in admirably once again for injured starter Ryan Williams, who missed his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Evans and Wilson each rushed for a touchdown against Central Michigan while combining for 119 yards on 14 carries.
• Wake Forest quarterback Tanner Price produced a record-breaking return to action after sitting out last week’s game with a concussion. Price completed 37 of 53 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against Navy, completing more passes and throwing for more yardage than any true freshman in school history.