With the Ohio State-Virginia Tech game pending, the first week of the season didn’t produce much of a breakthrough for Atlantic Coast Conference teams.
The losses were more notable than the victories.
North Carolina fell short against South Carolina, Virginia tumbled against UCLA, and Louisville was denied by Auburn.
Those were the most high-profile games on the docket for the ACC.
But at least the league didn’t suffer any embarrassing, where-did-that-come-from defeats. The teams that were playing at home and supposed to win came through as expected.
For the most part, the needle didn’t move much in Week 1. But it might have set up some things for later on.
BOSTON COLLEGE (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Boston College 24, Maine 3. Boston College received two fourth-quarter touchdown runs from RB Tyler Rouse to turn away visiting Maine in the opener. It was also the starting debut for sophomore QB Darius Wade, who threw for a touchdown.
Takeaway: It’s a good thing the Eagles were up to snuff on defense in the opener because moving the ball with consistency just didn’t happen against Maine. But the Eagles want to hang their hats on their defense anyway.
Five sacks for the defense helped set a tone against the Football Championship Subdivision foe.
The offense was hindered by some general sloppiness, so the good thing is that plenty of that can be cleaned up. There were several excuses for the mishaps, everything from missed assignments to troubles getting the preferred plays called.
The feel-good element on Boston College’s offense came with WR Bobby Swigert catching a touchdown pass almost two years since a knee injury caused a series of surgeries.
Next: vs. Howard, Sept. 12
CLEMSON (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Clemson 49, Wofford 10. RB Wayne Gallman and RB Tyshon Dye both ran for two touchdowns as the Tigers won their opener for the seventh year in a row. Clemson led 35-0 late in the first half before Wofford cracked the end zone before halftime.
Takeaway: A scary injury to WR Mike Williams was one of the few glitches that the Tigers incurred during their romp past a lower-level, in-state opponent.
Williams, who made a 4-yard touchdown catch before crashing into a goalpost support, left the stadium on a stretcher. Reports later suggested that he should be OK and that he had rejoined the team after the game.
The Tigers glided through this opener, with QB Deshaun Watson in a good groove from the get-go in his first meaningful competition since knee surgery in December.
Watson unveiled a new passing target as freshman WR Ray-Ray McCloud compiled 80 receiving yards on eight catches.
The Tigers put up 533 yards of total offense, but they’ll certainly encounter more resistance in other games. The ability to showcase offensive weapons from a variety of sources was a good omen regardless of the opponent.
Next: vs. Appalachian State, Sept. 12
DUKE (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Duke 37, Tulane 7. QB Thomas Sirk, in his debut as a starter, threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns as the Blue Devils won a road blowout. Duke hadn’t opened the season with a road victory in 27 years, but it held Tulane scoreless until the fourth quarter.
Takeaway: The Blue Devils didn’t have much in the way of adversity other than a few drives that stalled and they had to settle for field goals.
Better yet for Duke, when Tulane finally scored on a long pass play, the response was immediate. S DeVon Edwards returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
The way QB Thomas Sirk played, the Blue Devils could be put at east right away. Aside from strong passing numbers, Sirk was second on the Blue Devils in rushing with 68 yards on 15 attempts.
By the end, the list of achievements was long and the total offense added up to 530 yards.
Duke hadn’t began the season with a road game since 2005, while the Blue Devils won a road game in its first assignment in the season for the first time since 1988. It was another accomplishment for a program that has been erasing or updating a large number of historical tidbits the past few seasons.
And the future could be bright as well if contributions from a number of freshmen are indicators of what’s to come. The Blue Devils weren’t shy about giving newcomers key roles and they seemed to respond. WR T.J. Rahming was an impact player right away and there were stretches when LB Ben Humphreys made his presence known. While CB Jeremy McDuffie was burnt on Tulane’s touchdown play, he was on the field enough to get a sense of what it’s like at the collegiate level.
Next: vs. North Carolina Central, Sept. 12
FLORIDA STATE (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Florida State 59, Texas State 16. The Seminoles received a strong outing from Notre Dame transfer QB Everett Golson, who threw four touchdown passes in his debut with the team. Florida State scored on seven of eight possessions after Texas State closed the gap to 14-10 in the second quarter.
Takeaway: It’s a new era for the Seminoles with Golson in charge at quarterback. This was the ideal situation for him to excel in and he took full advantage.
It might have been difficult for coach Jimbo Fisher to go in another direction when picking the starting quarterback given Golson’s much-discussed transfer.
The way things played out, it should help the Seminoles to move on from the Jameis Winston era when the talented quarterback also brought lots of distractions along with him.
QB Sean Maguire, who would have been in line to be the Florida State starter until Golson’s arrival, was at the controls for two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. But at this point, it appears Golson has a good grasp on the starting role.
Florida State was sloppy in special teams, leading to points for Texas State. That might have been a matter of keeping the Seminoles’ proper attention in a lopsided matchup.
Next: vs. South Florida, Sept. 12
GEORGIA TECH (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Georgia Tech 69, Alcorn State 6. The Yellow Jackets found an outmanned opponent to pick on and that’s exactly what the Yellow Jackets did for an impressive home victory to begin the season as freshman RB Marcus Marshall gained 184 yards on the ground. Marshall scored on runs of 49 and 64 yards. This game was 48-0 at halftime.
Takeaway: The Yellow Jackets can handle themselves against opponents that aren’t strong enough across the front. That was rather evident.
Georgia Tech’s 34 first-quarter points were its most in the opening quarter since at least 1950.
But might go down as merely a little exercise at the beginning of September because the Yellow Jackets didn’t disclose a whole lot. QB Justin Thomas played only in the first quarter, running the ball three times (including once for a touchdown) and completing three of four passes.
Georgia Tech might be well on the way to another top slot on the rushing rankings after churning out 476 yards on the ground in the first game.
Tulane, which played Duke — one of Georgia Tech’s Coastal Division rivals — in its first game, faced the Yellow Jackets last year so there’s some familiarity there.
Georgia Tech and Tulane both opened their seasons with home games on a Thursday night, so they’ll come into their matchup with the same amount of preparation time.
Next: vs. Tulane, Sept. 12
LOUISVILLE (0-1, 0-0)
Game: Auburn 31, Louisville 24. The Cardinals rallied to make it close but they couldn’t complete the comeback and they dropped the game at the Georgia Dome. It was 24-0 midway through the third quarter before Louisville perked up.
Takeaway: The Cardinals had lots of mystery about the quarterback position going into the season and not much of that has cleared up.
QB Reggie Bonnafon was the favorite in some corners to be running the show. He played significantly at the beginning of the game, but freshman QB Lamar Jackson was the most-used quarterback. Jackson rushed for 106 yards and threw for another 100, so he would appear to be the front runner at this point.
The Cardinals didn’t handle some situations well early in the game and that was their downfall. But they might have emerged with enough knowledge to determine how to move forward with the offense.
While concealing plans for the quarterback going into the opener, it also might have created unwanted distractions for the Cardinals.
Louisville showed spark late in the game and the determination displayed after the Cardinals were on the verge of being blown out has to be encouraging to coach Bobby Petrino.
Next: vs. Houston, Sept. 12
MIAMI (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Miami 45, Bethune-Cookman 0. The most adversity the Hurricanes might have encountered in this game came with lightning causing a delay because they were in control for their first shutout since 2010. QB Brad Kaaya threw for touchdowns in limited playing time against the Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
Takeaway: The hurricanes are trying to restock on the offensive side, but with Kaaya they have a player that gained invaluable experience in his first season. How much he was able to add to that against an overmatched opponent might be uncertain, but he showed that his understanding of the offense might have improved significantly.
Newcomers appear ready to take key roles, including RB Mark Walton who rushed for 85 yards on 10 carries.
The shutout helps revive memories of Miami’s glory days because there were signs of dominance.
There wasn’t a lot of endurance needed by the Hurricanes on opening night because a second-half lightning delay caused the game to be shortened overall. About 10 minutes were eliminated, with the outcome clearly defined.
Bethune-Cookman managed only 79 yards of total offense.
Next: at Florida Atlantic, Sept. 11
NORTH CAROLINA (0-1, 0-0)
Game: South Carolina 17, North Carolina 13. QB Marquise Williams threw three interceptions, including two to South Carolina LB Skai Moore in the end zone, as the Tar Heels dropped the season opener at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. That wiped away many of the good vibes that had developed for the Tar Heels, including 138 rushing yards for RB Elijah Hood in a game in his hometown.
Takeaway: The Tar Heels showed drastic improvement on defense and an upgrade in the kicking game. Yet producing only 13 points while compiling 440 yards of total offense didn’t make a lot of sense in the game with South Carolina.
“We just couldn’t punch it in when we needed to,” North Carolina OG Landon Turner said.
North Carolina’s defense was pierced with regularity a year ago, but the arrival of Gene Chizik to oversee the defense appears to have paid off through one game. The Tar Heels came up with a big fourth-down stop from their own 11-yard line that gave the ball back to the offense with a chance for a winning drive.
There were field goals from Nick Weiler from 47 and 38 yards. Those were notable because the Tar Heels didn’t have a field goal longer than 30 yards last season.
The offense received a boost from WR Bug Howard, who collected 114 receiving yards, further demonstrating that the Tar Heels have a deep batch of receivers.
Next: vs. North Carolina A&T, Sept. 12
N.C. STATE (1-0, 0-0)
Game: N.C. State 49, Troy 21. FB Jaylen Samuels ran for three touchdowns and RB Matt Dayes had two touchdown runs and 126 yards on the ground as the Wolfpack cruised in the opener. The home victory included a stellar outing from QB Jacoby Brissett, who threw two touchdown passes, though there were some glaring breakdowns on defense.
Takeaway: The Wolfpack’s preseason profile boasted a loaded offensive backfield and that proved to be the case in the first game. N.C. State barely flinched without 2014 leading rusher RB Shadrach Thornton, who sat out the first of a two-game, team-related suspension.
With so many weapons, N.C. State was able to spread out the offensive contributions. A year ago, the Wolfpack churned out one of the most balanced offenses in the country and with 270 yards on the ground and 199 yards through the air it was a good start on repeating that trend.
N.C. State’s first four opponents don’t look overly imposing, so a series of convincing victories could be in order.
The Wolfpack did get some fourth-quarter work for backup QB Jalen McClendon, a redshirt freshman who needs to be ready if Brissett goes down. That was one of the benefits of the lopsided score because coach Dave Doeren said he’s not inclined to script situations that will get McClendon snaps earlier in games.
Concerns cropped up on defense, but there was some consolation there for the Wolfpack because take away about five plays and Troy didn’t move the ball all that much. The trouble spots came on giving up a 57-yard touchdown run and allowing the Trojans to go 82 yards in 20 seconds for a touchdown at the end of the first half.
Next: vs. Eastern Kentucky, Sept. 12
PITTSBURGH (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Pittsburgh 45, Youngstown State 37. Qadree Ollison rushed for 207 yards and one touchdown and the Panthers held on for a victory against visiting Youngstown State. That gave Pat Narduzzi a successful debut as Pittsburgh coach despite watching his team struggle on defense.
Takeaway: RB James Conner ran for touchdowns on plays of 13 and 4 yards, but the more pressing issue was a knee injury that was described as minor but could be major for a Pittsburgh team that relies so much on him.
While Conner was taken out of the game for precautionary reasons, that put Ollison in position to set a school record. He did that by rushing for the most yards of any Pittsburgh player in his first game, racking up 207 yards to go with one touchdown.
Conner is the reigning ACC Player of the Year so his status can’t be understated. The positive fallout of his absence is that others were given chances to prove themselves and the benefits of that could be realized later in the season.
Despite a 24-13 halftime lead, the Panthers couldn’t fully shake free from Youngstown State. Pittsburgh’s defense showed enough holes to make the Panthers aware that they might need all their offensive weapons available in order to compete. Giving up 407 yards to a FCS opponent isn’t the type of performance that’s going to gain the Pittsburgh defense much respect.
Next: at Akron, Sept. 12
SYRACUSE (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Syracuse 47, Rhode Island 0. Backup QB Eric Dungey threw two touchdown passes after starting QB Terrel Hunt went out with an injury as the Orange posted a blowout victory at home. The Orange also boosted a rushing attack with RB Jordan Fredericks posting 103 yards on the ground and one touchdown.
Takeaway: The Orange took a big blow in the first game even though the result was a convincing victory. QB Terrel Hunt suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter of the opener and that’s expected to knock him out for the rest of the season. The senior co-captain had been one of the bright spots for the Orange coming into the season.
Syracuse entered the season with underwhelming credentials and this is bound to cause more trouble spots for Scott Shafer, who has had rocky stretches as head coach.
The good thing for the Orange is that QB Eric Dungey, who played in his first college game, received significant playing time in the opener. That at least gave the coaching staff a chance to see him in extended game action as the Orange preps for the ACC opener in the second game of the season against visiting Wake Forest.
Syracuse’s defense didn’t budge, holding Rhode Island to 64 yards. A shutout against a higher caliber opponent would be more impressive, though Wake Forest ranked near the bottom of most offensive categories nationally a year ago.
Next: vs. Wake Forest, Sept. 12
VIRGINIA (0-1, 0-0)
Game: UCLA 34, Virginia 16. QB Josh Rosen’s debut was a sterling one as he picked apart Virginia for 351 passing yards in the opener at the Rose Bowl. Virginia didn’t score a touchdown until the final 3 1/2 minutes and didn’t threaten to pull an upset.
Takeaway: Virginia is already in a tough situation with a rugged schedule and a team that hasn’t had much success in recent seasons.
Now the Cavaliers will have to live with the fact that they were torched by an 18-year-old quarterback in his first college game. That could mean more troubles in upcoming games because they’ll come across quarterbacks with more experience in many of their games.
With a revolving door of quarterback the past few seasons, the Cavaliers are counting on QB Matt Johns this time and there’s not much proven depth behind him. He threw for 238 yards in the opener, but that hardly was effective.
Virginia had to settle for three first-half field goals, but those were enough to keep it close as the 17-9 halftime score might suggest. The defense could only hang in there so long.
The Cavaliers don’t receive a break with the matchup with Notre Dame next on the docket. This is hardly the kind of schedule that works well for a program trying to gain some traction.
Next: vs. Notre Dame, Sept. 12
VIRGINIA TECH (0-0, 0-0)
Game: Opener is Labor Day night vs. visiting Ohio State.
Takeaway: The Hokies have the biggest assignment in the country for the first game of the season by taking on Ohio State, which was the overwhelming choice for the preseason No. 1 national ranking.
There’s also the revenge factor for this game because Ohio State’s only loss in 2014 came last September against Virginia Tech. The Buckeyes recovered from that and won the national championship.
Regardless of the outcome against Ohio State, the Hokies will need to be cautious moving forward. In 2010, they opened with a Monday night loss to Boise State and then lost later that week to James Madison.
Next (after the Ohio State game): vs. Furman, Sept. 12
WAKE FOREST (1-0, 0-0)
Game: Wake Forest 41, Elon 3. The Demon Deacons overpowered visiting Elon as QB John Wolford threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. The Demon Deacons scored 24 first-half points and ended up with 203 yards on the ground, including 70 on a touchdown scramble by Wolford.
Takeaway: The Demon Deacons mainly needed something good to happen at the start of a season that’s bound to involve a fair share of challenges.
Wake Forest averaged 39.9 yards per game on the ground last year. Wolford eclipsed that with one run, with the 70-yarder the longest run for a Wake Forest quarterback since 1968 and the longest run by any player in the program in a decade.
“I don’t think anybody a year ago would’ve expected him to make a run like that,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.
Now there should be a degree of caution regarding all the Demon Deacons accomplished in the opener because Elon is a Football Championship Subdivision team coming off a one-win season. But at least the Wake Forest players know how it feels to have that type of success on offense.
The Demon Deacons jump into ACC play next week with the league opener at Syracuse. That’s a game between two teams expected to struggle in the Atlantic Division, so that makes it important to take advantage of the opportunity.
Next: at Syracuse, Sept. 12