ACC Football Week 2 Breakdown
Certainly, nothing this week can create more of a buzz then Maryland’s new uniforms did in Monday’s win over Miami. But there are a few early season matchups on Saturday that may end up affecting the bowl eligibility of ACC teams.
GAME OF THE WEEK
North Carolina vs. Rutgers
New quarterback Bryn Renner was impressive last weekend in UNC’s convincing win over James Madison. He completed all but one of his passes and threw for over 250 yards. He clearly looks like a stalwart in the Carolina offense for years to come and he definitely made Everett Withers debut as head coach an easier transition. The Tar Heels did exactly what they needed to do in order to put the controversy surrounding the program on the backburner: win.
However, that was against an FCS opponent on home turf. This week, North Carolina gets a chance to really prove it can rise above all of the distractions. Greg Schiano and his Rutgers football team come to town trying to prove they can beat a BCS opponent as well. They scored nearly 50 points in their debut, but again, it was against the defense of North Carolina Central. The Tar Heels boast a bit more of a resume than their in-state counterparts.
After an initial surge of success in the Schiano era, Rutgers has fallen back to earth in recent years. But they are trying to prove that they should not be overlooked in the Big East race. North Carolina has more talent and a strong defense that can frustrate a young quarterback. If Bryn Renner can duplicate (or even come close to) his accurate performance against JMU, then North Carolina can jump to a 2-0 start while beating a notable out-of-conference opponent. Let’s see if Everett Withers can keep the victory tide rolling.
OTHER GAMES OF NOTE
Virginia vs. Indiana
Virginia came out against William & Mary and really took it to the tribe. Despite a new quarterback and running back in Michael Rocco and Kevin Parks, the Cavaliers really executed their offense against an FCS opponent. They take their victory to Bloomington this weekend to take on Big 10 punching bag Indiana. Both teams are generally out of their respective conference title conversations within the first few weeks of the season. Indiana, having already lost to in-state rival Ball State, could use a win over a Big 6 conference opponent. This is a winnable road game for Virginia, and a victory would really boost their post-season opportunities.
Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina
Virginia Tech is looking to not have a repeat of what happened in 2008 down in Greenville. In what seems to be a nearly annual matchup, the Hokies handled East Carolina easily in the last matchup. Virginia Tech has looked crisp. Led by new quarterback Logan Thomas, this is a team that put up 66 points last weekend. So far, they look like the cream of the ACC crop. But East Carolina has given them fits before, and Dominique Davis and company hung in pretty well against South Carolina until they were finally outlasted by the end of the game. The Pirates defense is still its weak point. Look for Virginia Tech to dominate.
Boston College vs. UCF
Boston College did not have a great first week of the football season. The Eagles lost to a Northwestern team that did not even have starting quarterback Dan Persa on the field. In many statistical categories, Boston College actually outplayed Northwestern. It was the rush defense that let them down. They gave up 227 yards and three rushing touchdowns to the Wildcats. Central Florida rushed for a whopping 316 yards in a drubbing of Charleston Southern. The BC defense better show up or it could be another disappointing season in Chestnut Hill.
NC State vs. Wake Forest
In the only intraconference game of the week, the Demon Deacons are looking to bounce back from a victory that slipped away from them last week against Syracuse. Quarterback Tanner Price was forced to leave the game due to an injury in the 4th quarter after building a 15 point lead for his club. Ted Stachitas was ineffective in creating opportunities for team, and Syracuse stormed back to score two touchdowns in the 4th quarter and then win the game in overtime. If Price can’t play, the Deacs are going to struggle against their ACC opponents.
The NC State team they play this weekend had troubles of their own against Liberty. In fact, they were trailing Liberty at the beginning of the game. As NC State scored, Liberty seemed to answer and at least make it interesting through the 3rd quarter. Liberty quarterback Mike Brown outplayed highly-touted Mike Glennon. Glennon didn’t have a terrible game, but he had 13 incompletions. The Wolfpack only gained 156 yards through the air. If Glennon does not get the offense on the same page, the Wolfpack are going to have a tough time scoring in the ACC. He does not have a stud receiver to throw to, but still a lot is expected of the senior.
This game hinges on whether Tanner Price can play on Saturday. If not, NC State’s defense will exploit the opportunity to derail a young Wake Forest team.
QUICK HITTERS
Duke vs. Stanford
Andrew Luck against a team that can’t beat Richmond. This is going to be like William Wallace attacking the British. At least Duke will be at home.
Clemson vs. Wofford
A little padding for Clemson before going on their way to trying to beat an early SEC opponent for once.
Georgia Tech vs. Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee has given BCS teams fits over the years. But can they deal with Paul Johnson’s wacky offense?
Florida State vs. Charleston Southern
Charleston Southern didn’t score a point against Central Florida and gave up 66. Not sure if this even qualifies as a tune-up for the Seminoles prior to a showdown with No. 2 Oklahoma.
