North Carolina is making a move up the rankings and the Tar Heels are doing it with some big numbers.
The latest outpouring of offense came with a 59-21 whipping of Miami, putting North Carolina on the brink of the Coastal Division title.
It’s the only race going in the ACC because undefeated Clemson has already wrapped up the Atlantic Division.
Now the Coastal Division has come down to either North Carolina, which owns a nine-game winning streak, or Pittsburgh.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, there isn’t much mystery about the postseason participants from the ACC. Eight teams have reached bowl eligibility and five teams have been eliminated.
That leaves only Virginia Tech at 5-5 in limbo. Either defeating North Carolina at home or winning at Virginia will give the Hokies a chance to play another game.
BOSTON COLLEGE (3-7, 0-7)
Game: No game during the past week.
Takeaway: The Eagles have been a wreck on offense and the much-awaited open date on the schedule isn’t likely to cure all the ills facing that unit.
The one thing that the Eagles can claim is that they’ve given plenty of players a chance to show what they can do at the quarterback position. That role has changed hands several times this season, in part because of injuries and at other times in a quest to find a spark.
The Eagles are averaging 8 points per game in their seven ACC games.
Despite all this there’s a chance the Eagles could avoid a solo spot in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, but that would require defeating Syracuse in the finale and assuring that Syracuse and/or Wake Forest don’t win another game.
The Eagles are done with their home schedule, with the Fenway Park game actually falling as a Notre Dame home game.
Next: vs. Notre Dame (at Fenway Park), Nov. 21
CLEMSON (10-0, 7-0)
Game: Clemson 37, Syracuse 27. QB Deshaun Watson accounted for three touchdowns and 461 yards of total offense as the visiting Tigers fought off an upset bid. Watson had 101 yards on the ground, though the top-ranked Tigers led by only seven points with seven minutes to play.
Takeaway: The Tigers keep on rolling and winning when they aren’t as sharp as normal is another good sign for a team that has special season in the making.
Clemson’s 13-game winning streak marks its longest in 34 years. The Tigers have reached the 10-win mark for the fifth season in a row.
If there’s an alarm going off for the Tigers it could be on the defensive side, especially with the potential of high-scoring North Carolina awaiting in the ACC championship game.
Syracuse has been sluggish on offense for much of the season with an evolving quarterback situation, yet the Orange scored in every quarter against Clemson. Then go back a couple of weeks in Clemson’s 56-41 victory at North Carolina State and it’s apparent that teams have discovered some deficiencies with the Tigers.
There’s the possibility that with Watson at the controls of the offense that the Tigers can simply outscore many teams. Now, though, Clemson might have to deal with the potential distraction if Watson becomes a serious Heisman Trophy candidate.
Next: vs. Wake Forest, Nov. 21
DUKE (6-4, 3-3)
Game: Pittsburgh 31, Duke 13. Duke gave up three touchdown passes to QB Nate Peterman in dropping their third consecutive game and losing all chances of securing the Coastal Division title. Pittsburgh had two long touchdown drives in the third quarter after a 10-10 halftime tie.
Takeaway: The Blue Devils might not have recovered the late-game controversy that cost them a victory against Miami. There have been a pair of losses since then and the team seems to be reeling.
The defense had been so stout for the first part of the season, but there seem to be holes the past few games, when the Blue Devils can’t make third-down stops that had helped define them earlier in the season.
Compounding the problems is that Duke played without QB Thomas Sirk for the first time this season when he missed the Pittsburgh game with an injury that apparently was suffered a week earlier in the blowout loss at North Carolina.
So that left the quarterback duties to QB Parker Boehme, who had been a short-yardage and goal-line specialist in relief of Sirk. Boehme didn’t move the team consistently, though he threw for 248 yards and rushed for another 80. His rushing total would have been more if not for some late-game losses that reduced his production.
Duke lost three of six home games this season, including the final two on home turf.
Next: at Virginia, Nov. 21
FLORIDA STATE (8-2, 6-2)
Game: Florida State 34, N.C. State 17. The Seminoles turned to QB Sean Maguire in a relief role and he helped the team dig out of a 10-point deficit, throwing for two second-half touchdowns. Florida State posted the home victory, finishing the ACC portion of its schedule just a week after it was eliminated from title contention.
Takeaway: The Seminoles are still making it interesting. They had to rally to defeat N.C. State for the second year in a row.
Maguire has played in some big games for Florida State in the past couple of years, so his strong effort in a reserve role shouldn’t have come as a big surprise.
Maguire came on in place of Everett Golson, the Notre Dame transfer who threw two interceptions.
The Seminoles scored on four consecutive possessions during one stretch of the game.
The quarterback situation just about overshadowed the work of RB Dalvin Cook, who gained 138 yards on the ground and scored two touchdowns. He also set the single-season rushing record, sitting at 1,369 yards with three games remaining.
Cook’s presence in the offense should draw attention and allow whoever is at quarterback even more opportunity to flourish.
Next: vs. Chattanooga, Nov. 21
GEORGIA TECH (3-7, 1-6)
Game: Virginia Tech 23, Georgia Tech 21. The Yellow Jackets couldn’t protect a 14-point lead and gave up the eventual winning points with 6:58 remaining. The offense stalled too often for Georgia Tech, though the defense produced some points with LB Brant Mitchell’s 32-yard interception return in the third quarter.
Takeaway: This is unusual territory on numerous fronts for Georgia Tech.
Not only does the loss pin the Yellow Jackets with the guarantee of a losing season and out of the bowl mix, but the formula for winning has been lost as well. Georgia Tech is assured of a last-place finish in the ACC’s Coastal Division a year after winning the division.
The Yellow Jackets managed only 161 rushing yards against Virginia Tech, which had 165 yards on the ground. Georgia Tech produced only 15 first downs and that’s rough for a team that likes ball control and the ability to churn out drives.
Georgia Tech’s offense didn’t produce any second-half points in the game with Virginia Tech, which was playing for the first time since knowing longtime coach Frank Beamer is retiring at season’s end.
The Yellow Jackets haven’t made up for the problems with the rushing attack. QB Justin Thomas completed only 4 of 13 passes for 97 yards.
Next: at Miami, Nov. 21
LOUISVILLE (6-4, 5-2)
Game: Louisville 38, Virginia 31. RB Brandon Radcliff scored two touchdowns and rushed for 146 yards as the Cardinals won the home game. The score was tied at 24-24 in the fourth quarter before Louisville scored the next two touchdowns, one coming following a fumble recovery.
Takeaway: The Cardinals are on a roll by assuring themselves a top-three finish in the Atlantic Division. This comes after a rough first portion of the season when it appeared their second season in the ACC might be full of misery.
Louisville has reached bowl eligibility for the sixth year in a row. The Cardinals could be in line for a nice bowl assignment, especially if they can finish strong.
Some of the solid work for the Cardinals has come against struggling teams, with the last three victories posted against teams that won’t be in bowls.
But considering the upheaval at quarterback because of injuries, this is a sign of a program that can find answers rather than let things slip away. QB Kyle Bolin was back taking snaps for the Virginia game.
Still, the Cardinals were most comfortable with the ball on the ground as they churned out 266 rushing yards. That has been a staple for Louisville this season.
Next: at Pittsburgh, Nov. 21
MIAMI (6-4, 3-3)
Game: North Carolina 59, Miami 21. The Tar Heels built a 45-0 lead before visiting Miami scored, eliminating the Hurricanes from the slim ACC title hopes they held. QB Brad Kaaya threw for a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown, but it was the second blowout loss in four weeks for Miami.
Takeaway: The Hurricanes unraveled early against North Carolina, with turnovers and penalties providing plenty of pitfalls in the first half.
The outcome marked the first loss in three games with Larry Scott serving as the interim coach after the firing of Al Golden. That change came following a 58-0 loss to Clemson and for a span in the latest game it looked like the result against North Carolina might be as bad or worse.
The Hurricanes have come to rely on Kaaya, but his 326 passing yards were mostly insignificant in the North Carolina game.
The lack of discipline has continued to crop up. Miami was flagged for 12 penalties, including nine in the first half.
Considering that the Hurricanes had posted back-to-back losses, it was possible that they would have shown up for the North Carolina with some momentum. That wasn’t evident and things tended to spiral out of control.
The Hurricanes still have a shot for a third-place finish in the Coastal Division and that might be an accomplishment if they’re able to pull it off. There’s also a chance they could play a role in the outcome of the division if Pittsburgh is remaining in contention for the top spot when they meet in the regular-season finale.
Next: vs. Georgia Tech, Nov. 21
NORTH CAROLINA (9-1, 6-0)
Game: North Carolina 59, Miami 21. QB Marquise Williams ran for three touchdowns and passed for another as North Carolina rolled in its home finale. Williams, a senior playing in his last home game, gained 101 yards on the ground, running for touchdowns of 10, 14 and 3 yards.
Takeaway: The big numbers keep on coming for the Tar Heels, who were set up for scores by Miami’s sloppiness and then generated plenty of offense on their own.
WR Ryan Switzer returned a punt for a touchdown to get the special teams in on the scoring act. The Tar Heels completed the home schedule with a 7-0 record.
North Carolina clearly controls the Coastal Division. By winning just one of its final two games or a loss by Pittsburgh in either of its next game games would give North Carolina a spot in the ACC championship game.
The Tar Heels have put together the highest-scoring two-game stretch in the program’s history by combining the Miami game with the 66-31 blasting of Duke a week earlier.
The defense looked better against Miami, which entered the game on a two-game winning streak under interim coach Larry Scott. North Carolina was in such control that it led 45-0 before Miami scored in the third quarter.
The Tar Heels are 6-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1980.
Next: at Virginia Tech, Nov. 21
N.C. STATE (6-4, 2-4)
Game: Florida State 34, N.C. State 17. N.C. State was unable to protect a double-figure lead on Florida State for the second year in a row, losing its road finale. QB Jacoby Brissett threw for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown in the first quarter as the Wolfpack built a 17-7 lead.
Takeaway: The return to his home state to face an old rival didn’t pan out all that great for Brissett. He’s from Florida and he played for Florida before the transfer, so he has had Florida State as a rival for quite some time.
Brissett had an OK outing, throwing for 209 yards on 27-for-47 passing.
The real problem for the Wolfpack came with keeping the ball away from Florida State. N.C. State’s once-strong rushing attack has flickered, with Brissett’s 25 yards leading the ground attack.
The offense is hurting without injured RB Matt Dayes, who’s out for the season with a foot injury. Add in an offensive line that has had players in and out of the lineup and that has been trouble for the Wolfpack.
N.C. State won two of four ACC road games and posted four road wins overall. That’s a step in the right direction, but there will be an empty feeling if the Wolfpack can’t make something happen in the final two home games.
Next: vs Syracuse, Nov. 21
PITTSBURGH (7-3, 5-1)
Game: Pittsburgh 31, Duke 13. QB Nate Peterman threw three touchdown passes and the Panthers won for the second week in a row, keeping alive its title hopes in the Atlantic Division. Pittsburgh held Duke to three second-half points, those coming on a 51-yard field goal after the Panthers broke a halftime tie with two long touchdown drives in the third quarter.
Takeaway: The Panthers ought to be feeling good after completing the road portion of their schedule.
Pittsburgh went 4-0 in ACC road games, though Duke was the only one of those opponents that currently holds a winning record.
There’s a chance that by the time the Panthers kick off against Louisville in their next game that their ACC championship hopes could be dashed. That will be the case if North Carolina defeats Virginia Tech earlier in the day.
Otherwise, the Panthers will be playing for a chance keep their title aspirations intact.
Pittsburgh showed the ability to control a game with its rushing attack by gaining 268 yards on the ground at Duke. That’s the type of offensive production that was projected for the Panthers at the start of the season before injuries interfered.
Next: Nov. 21 vs. Louisville
SYRACUSE (3-7, 1-5)
Game: Clemson 37, Syracuse 27. QB Deshaun Watson accounted for three touchdowns and 461 yards of total offense as the visiting Tigers fought off an upset bid. Watson had 101 yards on the ground, though the top-ranked Tigers led by only seven points with seven minutes to play.
Takeaway: The Orange stayed within striking distance of a Top 10 opponent at home for the second time this season. But much like the loss to LSU, there wasn’t enough firepower to pull off an upset vs. Clemson.
Now Syracuse will play two games without a chance to slide into a bowl, meaning there won’t be a postseason for the second year in a row. That adds to the scrutiny of coach Scott Shafer.
Some of the losses in the seven-game skid have been forgivable, but being unable to find a way to stop the slide is the troublesome part even with ongoing changes at the quarterback position.
There were effective moments against Clemson for QB Zack Mahoney, who scored on a pair of runs and compiled 76 yards on the ground. But the underlying problem is that Mahoney began the season as the fifth-string quarterback and there’s certainly a lack of continuity at the position.
Despite trailing 14-0 less than two minutes into the game, the Orange ended up competitive in the game. Yet with a game-long deficit, it’s probably not a good sign that Syracuse rang up only 80 passing yards.
Next: at N.C. State, Nov. 21
VIRGINIA (3-7, 2-4)
Game: Louisville 38, Virginia 31. Louisville scored two touchdowns after the teams were locked in a 24-24 fourth-quarter tie, sending Virginia to another road loss. QB Matt Johns threw four touchdown passes for Virginia, including the final one with 1:16 remaining.
Takeaway: This was another step in the wrong direction because now the Cavaliers are out of the bowl mix.
Two games remain, and they’re both at home. Attendance has been sliding and that’s another strike against embattled coach Mike London. There could be an attendance boost for the last game when Virginia Tech arrives with Frank Beamer as coach for the final time in the series.
Many projections suggest that London will be ousted as the coach after the last two games of the season.
A string of closes losses certainly defines the season for the Cavaliers. The defense had been the savior for parts of the season, but then Louisville, which had some uncertainty about the quarterback position, racked up more than 400 yards of offense.
Still, Virginia could end up with a .500 mark in the ACC if it can pull out its last two games. That would be an accomplishment of some sorts.
Next: vs. Duke, Nov. 21
VIRGINIA TECH (5-5, 3-3)
Game: Virginia Tech 23, Georgia Tech 21. The Hokies overcame a 14-point deficit and scored the go-ahead points on RB Travon McMillian’s 3-yard touchdown run with 6:58 remaining. It was the first game since coach Frank Beamer announced his impending retirement at the end of the season.
Takeaway: Beamer’s exit via retirement is bound to be a hot topic as long as the Hokies are playing this season. Another victory would put them in position to extend their season to a bowl.
That will have to come either in the home finale for Beamer against North Carolina or the regular-season finale at rival Virginia.
So perhaps a level of emotion will help carry the Hokies even if their talent level doesn’t appear superior to many of the teams that they once dominated.
The Thursday night victory against Georgia Tech provided a national stage for Beamer’s accomplishments to be noted. With 278 career wins, he’s the winningest active Division I coach.
Virginia Tech continues to be mistake-prone, but with the return of QB Michael Brewer it also has found enough ways to make plays to be competitive.
The Hokies take a two-game winning streak to the home finale. Their most-recent home game was one of the most painful for Beamer when the Hokies dropped a four-overtime game to Duke. So this will be a chance for fond memories in his last game as a coach in Lane Stadium.
Next: vs. North Carolina, Nov. 21
WAKE FOREST (3-7, 1-5)
Game: Notre Dame 28, Wake Forest 7. RB Josh Adams ran for a 98-yard touchdown and the visiting Demon Deacons couldn’t recover from a 21-0 halftime hole. QB John Wolford’s 1-yard touchdown run came in the third quarter for Wake Forest.
Takeaway: The Demon Deacons outgained Notre Dame and had more first downs than the Irish, yet it was Notre Dame that controlled the game pretty much from the outset.
Notre Dame scored two touchdowns in a 55-second span late in the first quarter. Wolford had an interception returned for a touchdown.
The Demon Deacons are in a challenging late-season stretch. They came off the open date on their schedule to face Notre Dame and the next game is at top-ranked Clemson.
Wake Forest is guaranteed of a seventh consecutive losing season, so that’s part of the fallout for a program that’s continuing to try to find its footing.
The back-and-forth quarterback situation was at least rather tame this week, with Wolford handling those duties. He was a respectable 19-for-30 throwing the ball, racking up 219 yards through the air.
Next: at Clemson, Nov. 21
NOTES, QUOTES
–Coach Frank Beamer’s final home game comes in Virginia Tech’s next game when North Carolina visits.
It figures to be full of emotion and tributes, not to mention it will be Senior Day when ESPN televises the game nationally.
Yet it could be about more than just Beamer, though that’s bound to be the theme. After all, North Carolina goes into the game with a chance to clinch a spot in the ACC championship game for the first time.
Beamer has already witnessed some of the emotion that is surrounding his final stretch as the coach. In his first game since the end-of-season retirement was announced, the Hokies won at Georgia Tech.
Fans chanted his name after the game.
“Our fans,” he said. “There were a lot of them there. They were loud and they helped us win. They’re a part of it.”
The last home game at Lane Stadium has become highly anticipated and for far more reasons than it’s the Hokies’ first chance to become bowl eligibility this season.
–Stability at quarterback might be the key for many ACC teams, but for Florida State one of the plans has been altered.
The Seminoles went back to QB Sean Maguire, who has been in the program, when things weren’t going well against North Carolina State. Maguire helped straightening things out for the Seminoles.
Still, the ACC is touting some special quarterbacks these days. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson is bound to work his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
North Carolina QB Marquise Williams has one of the hottest arms in the ACC, not to mention the job he’s getting done on the ground.
The ACC did endure another change at quarterback because of an injury. There has been a rash of those early in the season, impacting several teams. Now Duke is dealing with it because QB Thomas Sirk was injured after nine consecutive starts, so he missed the Blue Devils’ 10th game.
–Clemson had the tricky part for the final few weeks of the season. The Tigers will play three consecutive teams with losing records to close the regular season.
Because of this, the Tigers could slip in some of the rankings when strength of schedule comes into play. That could particularly be the case if Clemson isn’t overly impressive in winning games.
That was the case in a 37-27 victory at Syracuse, which has lost seven games in a row. Another performance like that a home against Wake Forest and then the Tigers might take a dip in the rankings.
Still, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney figures his team did enough in the first of the trio of games since clinching the Atlantic Division title.
“I don’t think you can let two or three guys making mistakes paint a board picture,” Swinney said. “We had 570 yards of offense. It’s not a beauty pageant. This is football and all you need is one more point that the opponent.”
The regular-season finale against in-state rival South Carolina ought to be enough to motivate the Tigers, though by then they might have to avoid looking ahead to the ACC championship game.
One thing is certain for Clemson is that the Tigers won’t face a rematch from the regular season in the title game. The opponent will be either North Carolina or Pittsburgh. Clemson’s regular-season opponents from the Coastal Division were Georgia Tech and Miami.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It’s going to be rocking on Saturday for Frank Beamer’s last game in Lane (Stadium).” — QB Marquise Williams of North Carolina, which is the opponent for Beamer’s final home game as Virginia Tech’s coach. A victory for North Carolina would put it in the ACC championship game.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 11 IN THE ACC:
1. Clemson stayed on course even though it was one of those less-than-overwhelming victories in turning back Syracuse.
2. North Carolina has it rolling and if this keeps up the Tar Heels will be a formidable foe for Clemson in the ACC championship game.
3. Pittsburgh has proven to be more than a pretender as the Panthers remain with a chance at the Coastal Division title.
4. Virginia Tech began the Frank Beamer retirement tour by winning at Georgia Tech, and it figures that the Hokies will do everything possible to send the coach out on a high note.
5. Florida State avoided the letdown of knowing it won’t repeat as ACC champion with a nice recovery to defeat North Carolina State.