The “ACC Fab Five” takes the previous Saturday’s ACC outings and reviews the top five games. There is no order, nor does the perspective ACC team have to win a non-conference game. If there is a loss in a non-conference affair, the team we mention must have threatened to win the game, but took the ‘L’.
Pittsburgh 24 @ North Carolina 42 –
North Carolina sophomore quarterback Drake Maye has put up a bevy of incredible games with consistent numbers throughout this season and Saturday evening’s 42-24 win over defensive-minded Pitt underlined his abilities once again.
Maye completed 34 of 44 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns as three of these touchdown passes took place after the Panthers had grabbed a 24-14 lead with 10:07 remaining in the third quarter.
He threw two TD passes to Antoine Green and also hit Josh Downs with two scores. Antoine Green led UNC with 10 catches for 180 yards.
Elijah Green gave North Carolina the lead for good on a two-yard run that capped a 10-play, 84-yard drive which started the fourth-quarter deluge for the Tar Heels.
Israel Abanikanda led Pitt with 27 carries for 126 yards and three rushing scores, but the Panthers could not establish anything offensively after his last touchdown as they had two punts, a fumble and lost the ball on downs.
“Drake got hot and we just said, ‘We’re not going to run the ball. They’ve got too many in the box.’” said North Carolina head coach Mack Brown. “‘They’re blitzing every time, so let’s throw it. Let’s move the quarterback and get some quick hits.’”
Notre Dame 41, @Syracuse 24 –
As the Orange are facing an upgrade in competition, losses occurred to Clemson last week and Notre Dame dominated the ‘Cuse on Saturday.
Safety Brandon Joseph set the tone for the Fighting Irish on the first play of the game as he returned a Garrett Shrader interception 29 yards for a 7-0 Notre Dame lead.
Irish running back Auric Estime provided the major portion of the Fighting Irish offense as he carried the ball 20 times for 123 yards and fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 11 and two yards which gave ND a 38-17 lead with 7:37 remaining in the game.
Syracuse was able to tie the game at 7-7 when Oronde Gadsden caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Shrader on the drive after Joseph’s interceptions for the score.
“The offense being able to rush for 246 yards and the defense giving up 61 yards rushing; that’s huge,” said Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. “And then for the second week in a row, the third blocked punt.”
@Florida State 41, Georgia Tech 16 –
Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns and Trey Benson carried 18 times for 111 yards as the Seminoles dominated the Yellow Jackets.
Florida State rolled up 642 total yards and Travis hit Johnny Wilson with a 78-yard touchdown pass and Lawrance Toafili with a 62-yarder which allowed the Seminoles to score 24 unanswered points in the second quarter for a 24-3 halftime margin.
Georgia Tech started Zach Gibson at quarterback, but the Jackets inserted Zach Pyron as the second quarterback on the third drive of the game. The quarterback shuffle is because Georgia Tech starting QB Jeff Sims is still missing with injury.
“Offensively, we had some dropped balls and way too many penalties as a football team,” said Florida State head coach Mike Norvell. “We’ve got to make sure that we maintain our control, our composure and execute to the level that I know we are capable of.”
@Louisville 48, No. 10 Wake Forest 21 –
The Cardinals had Malik Cunningham back under center and scored 35 third-quarter points en route to an eye-opening, 48-21, defeat over the No. 10 Demon Deacons.
Cunningham passed for 164 yards and rushed for 38 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.
The Demon Deacons turned the ball over eight times as quarterback Sam Hartman threw three interceptions, which was way off his usual stability.
Louisville grabbed control of this game in the first minute of the third quarter when Kei’Trel Clark returned an interception 46 yards to give the Cardinals a 20-14 lead. Cardinals’ cornerback Quincy Riley was the bookend on Louisville’s 35-point third quarter as he returned one of Hartman’s interceptions 90 yards on the last play of the third period.
According to reports, the 35 first-quarter points tied for the most points against an AP Top 10 opponent.
“I think our defensive staff did a phenomenal job of mixing it up, mixing up those pressures and I think that is why eight different guys got sacks,” said Cardinals head coach Scott Satterfield.
@No. 24 NC State 22, Virginia Tech 21 –
With Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary out for the season due to injury, NCSU freshman quarterback M.J. Morris completed 20 of 29 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns.
Virginia Tech led NC State, 21-3, with 4:07 left in the third quarter after quarterback Grant Wells scored on TD runs of four and 20 yards.
However, Morris took control of the game as he hit Thayer Thomas with a 35-yard TD pass to end the third period and cut the NCSU deficit to 21-10. Morris then hit Trent Pennix with a 7-yard touchdown pass and came back and hit Thomas for 18 yards and the game-winner with 7:47 to play.
“The way MJ Morris sparked us, brought us back, and made plays, and guys making plays around him was pretty impressive,” said Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren.
