ACC Football Week 6 Breakdown
The ACC appears to have a team to beat right now: Clemson. In back to back weeks the Tigers dispatched the highly touted Seminoles and the over-ranked Hokies. They are really executing well and playing the most complete games out of anyone in the conference. Georgia Tech would like everyone not to forget about them either as they are undefeated and ranked No. 24.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Miami versus Virginia Tech
This game doesn’t quite have the luster it had several years ago when both of these teams were perennial contenders. After the scandals down in Miami and Virginia Tech’s suspect performances thus far, there are not as many national implications for this game as there used to be. Still, these are two teams that know each other well dating back to their days in the Big East, so at least there’s a bit of a rivalry angle.
What can be made of Virginia Tech after that poor performance at home against Clemson last Saturday? The Hokies only scored three points in Lane Stadium. Three points! It’s the first time they haven’t scored a touchdown at home since 1995. First-year quarterback Logan Thomas has been receiving criticism for a lot of the Hokies’ offensive ineptitude (15-27 for 125 yards). He certainly shoulders a good deal of the blame. The odd thing is that running back David Wilson can take games over with his legs. He rushed for 123 yards on Saturday, but the Hokies still couldn’t find the end zone. The Hokies committed two turnovers and couldn’t sustain drives. It’s a recipe for disaster against a talented team like Clemson.
Against Miami, Virginia Tech should perform better. Miami has struggled themselves in the turnover department and have been trying to find the right blend of talent since some of their best players are still suspended or still acclimating themselves to game speed. They are coming off of a 30-point victory against Bethune-Cookman, which helped them fine tune a few things on defense. They showed their size and speed against the small school from Daytona Beach. It will be a whole different animal against Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes lost a tough one two weeks ago, 28-24, against a ranked Kansas State team. Miami has to show up against Virginia Tech if they expect to win. It will be a battle of the mistake-free quarterbacks. Between Jacory Harris of Miami and Logan Thomas of Virginia Tech, the winner will be the one that doesn’t turn the ball over.
OTHER GAMES
Florida State versus Wake Forest
Florida State has typically had trouble with the pesky Demon Deacons over the past few years. From 2006-2008 the Seminoles could not solve Wake Forest, including an embarrassing 30-0 loss at home. Sometimes one team just has another team’s number. Well it seems that Florida State has reversed their fortune. They blanked the Demon Deacons last year 31-0. After a couple of subpar performances resulting in losses, Florida State really needs to beat Wake Forest in order to stay in the conference championship picture. Already with two losses, Jimbo Fisher’s team doesn’t seem quite ready to live up the task of being a top 10 team. With the status of E.J. Manuel’s injury a question and the lack of a running game, there are problems for this team.
However, despite Wake’s 4-1 season start, Florida State has the talent to take this game over early. Tanner Price is the heart and soul of the Demon Deacons. If they get to him early, they could make it a long afternoon for the Wake Forest offense. Wake has the advantage of home field. FSU has the advantage of a strong defense. We’ll see which one proves more valuable.
Maryland versus Georgia Tech
No one else has stopped Georgia Tech’s ground game this year. Why should Maryland be any different? The one team that made it interesting was North Carolina two weeks ago, and the Yellow Jackets still won by a touchdown. Georgia Tech is first in the nation in rushing and second in scoring. Tevin Washington is an athletic quarterback that has shown the ability to make smart decisions. When he needs to throw, he has shown that he can. He has 10 passing touchdowns through five games. Defense doesn’t seem to matter when Georgia Tech plays. They outscore all of their opponents anyway.
After a strong opener, Maryland has looked like an average team. This is basically the same team from a 9-4 squad last year minus a few key pieces like speedy wide out Torrey Smith. Danny O’Brien, ACC Freshman of the Year, was the unquestioned leader coming into the season. His last two games against weaker competition have been spotty. He’s only thrown four touchdowns to five interceptions. He only threw eight all of last year. After beating Towson 28-3 last weekend, this is not the week to try and get things back on track in-conference. Maryland’s defense is porous against big offensive lines and good running teams. They have their work cut out for them.
North Carolina versus Louisville
The Tar Heels are stepping out of conference to battle another Big East opponent. They are looking to remain undefeated out of conference. They handled East Carolina with no real problems last week, 35-20. Bryn Renner is still continuing to grow as a quarterback. Some moments he plays great and other times he’s a little sporadic. That’s to be expected of a new starter. Overall, Everett Withers has to be pleased with his performance. Eleven hundred yards and 11 touchdowns would make any coach happy.
Louisville is going to have a tough time handling North Carolina, especially offensively. The Cardinals start a new quarterback themselves this season in freshman Teddy Bridgewater. He’s a dual-threat quarterback with a promising future, but he has not consistently led Louisville into the end zone. The most points they’ve scored all year is 24. Against a stiffer defense like North Carolina’s, that won’t get it done.
QUICK HITTERS
Boston College versus Clemson
Clemson is riding so high right now it is hard to see an inept team like Boston College derail them this weekend. The 98th ranked offense is going to have trouble finding open spots to send receivers. Tajh Boyd of Clemson will look to continue his stellar play. Also, who on Boston College is going to stop Sammy Watkins?
NC State versus Central Michigan
Another out of conference game finds NC State trying to get over that loss to Georgia Tech with a victory over the Chippewas. Mike Glennon has been playing a lot better than he was at the start of the season, and the NC State offense has proven it can score points. The team just couldn’t find a way to slow down Georgia Tech. They find themselves 2-3 right now. This would be a nice spot for a rebound against a poor defense and a less-than-average team.
