Saturday, Sept. 26 Time, TV Sirius XM App/Web
Georgia Tech at Syracuse Noon, RSN 132 202 965
Series: Georgia Tech leads series, 3-0; Last meeting: Georgia Tech, 56-0 (2013)
RSN: Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), Lyndsay Rowley (sideline)
No. 24 Louisville at No. 21 Pitt Noon, ACCN 135 193 955
Series: Pitt leads series, 9-8; Last meeting: Pitt, 45-34 (2015)
ACCN: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Kelsey Riggs (sideline)
Duke at Virginia 4 p.m., ACCN 105 193 955
Series: Virginia leads series, 38-33; Last meeting: Virginia, 48-14 (2019)
ACCN: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Eric Wood (sideline)
Texas State at Boston College 6 p.m., RSN 204 207 967
Series: First Meeting
RSN: Evan Lepler (play-by-play), Charles Arbuckle (analyst), Abby Labar (sideline)
Florida State at No. 12 Miami 7:30 p.m., ABC 84 84 84
Series: Miami leads series, 34-30; Last meeting: Miami, 27-10 (2019)
ABC: Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
NC State at No. 20 Virginia Tech 8 p.m., ACCN 105 193 955
Series: Virginia Tech leads series 27-18-4; Last meeting: Virginia Tech, 28-13 (2015)
ACCN: Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Katie George (sideline)
ESPN College Gameday Continues to Showcase ACC
• ESPN’s College GameDay Built by Home Depot is headed to Miami for the Hurricanes’ rivalry game against Florida State. The three-hour traveling pregame show (9 a.m.-noon) will be live from an ACC school for the third consecutive week. GameDay began the year in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for Wake Forest’s game vs. Clemson and last week was in Louisville for the Cardinals’ matchup with Miami.
• The 11-time Emmy Award-winning show is hosted by Rece Davis, who is joined on-site by Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, David Pollack and Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica, with Lee Corso from his home in Orlando. Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Herbstreit (analyst) and Molly McGrath (sideline) will call the FSU-Miami game at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
The Week ahead – Sept. 26
• Virginia and Virginia Tech are slated to begin the season this weekend in a pair of conference games. The Cavaliers welcome Duke to Charlottesville and the 20th-ranked Hokies play host to NC State. Virginia has had four different scheduled openers since the initial schedule was announced in January – Georgia (canceled), VMI (canceled), Virginia Tech (postponed) and Duke. Duke has been the scheduled opening opponent for four different teams – MTSU (canceled), Notre Dame, Boston College and Virginia.
• One of only three games between ranked teams this week, No. 21 Pitt plays host to No. 24 Louisville on Saturday at noon on ACCN. This is the first meeting between the old Big East rivals since 2015, Pat Narduzzi’s first year at Pitt.
• Georgia Tech plays at Syracuse Saturday at noon. It’s the first meeting between the two schools since Syracuse’s inaugural season in the ACC in 2013. It’s the first game under the new roof at The Dome.
• ESPN College GameDay will be in Miami this weekend for the Florida State at No. 12 Miami game. This is the eighth time Miami has hosted GameDay and the Hurricanes are 6-1 in previous matchups with wins over Florida State (2), UCLA, Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Notre Dame. The only loss came to FSU in 2006.
• Florida State is making its 35th appearance on College GameDay, which is the fifth-most in the nation. FSU will be without head coach Mike Norvell, who announced Sept. 19 that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Deputy head coach Chris Thomsen will handle in-person coaching duties in Norvell’s absence.
• Boston College welcomes Texas State to The Heights for a non-conference matchup at 6 p.m. on RSN. Last week, head coach Jeff Hafley earned his first win at BC with a 26-6 win over Duke. WR Zay Flowers (5 receptions, 162 yards, TD) earned BC’s first ACC Receiver of the Week award since 2013.
Seven ACC Teams in AP Top 25
• For the second consecutive week, seven ACC teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Clemson remains No. 1 for the third consecutive week. The Tigers are followed by No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 11 North Carolina, No. 12 Miami, No. 20 Virginia Tech, No. 21 Pitt and No. 24 Louisville. Virginia and Boston College are also receiving votes.
• Prior to this season, the last time the ACC had seven teams ranked in the AP Top 25 poll was 2005.
• Clemson is atop the AP poll for the 19th time in school history.
• In the coaches top 25 poll, Clemson is No. 1, followed by No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 14 Miami and No. 24 Virginia Tech. Pitt, Louisville, Virginia, Boston College, NC State and Georgia Tech are receiving votes.
Winning in the ACC
• Clemson has won an ACC record 31 consecutive regular-season games. The Tigers moved past Florida State (30 straight, 2013-15) with last week’s 49-0 win over The Citadel. Clemson’s last regular-season loss was at Syracuse in 2017.
Longest Regular Season Win Streak in ACC
Clemson 31 2017-present
Florida State 30 2013-15
Florida State 26 1998-2000
Clemson 23 2014-16
• According to ESPN Stats & Info, Clemson is tied with Oklahoma (1953-57) for the most consecutive Saturday wins with 45. The Tigers, who are off this weekend, play host to Virginia next Saturday, Oct. 3.
• Notre Dame is tied for fifth all-time with 910 wins. In the ACC, the Irish are followed by Clemson (14th, 760), Virginia Tech (16th, 751), Georgia Tech (19th, 739), Syracuse (22nd, 724) and North Carolina (29th, 699).
• Notre Dame, which won its 20th straight home game last week vs. USF, has the nation’s second-longest current winning streak with eight consecutive victories dating back to last season. North Carolina has won four in a row and Pitt owns a three-game win streak.
Three From ACC on AFCA Good Works Team
• Three ACC players – Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, Duke OG Rakavius Chambers and NC State P Trenton Gill – have been named to the 11-man FBS Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes extra efforts by players and student support staff off the field. The ACC is tied for the most players on the team from any conference. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was established in 1992 by the College Football Association. Fans can vote for the 2020 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain once a day now through Nov. 22 at ESPN.com/Allstate.
Pitt’s Weaver Named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week
• Pitt senior defensive end Rashad Weaver posted a team-high seven tackles (five solo), three for losses and two quarterback sacks as the 25th-ranked Panthers defeated Syracuse, 21-10. Weaver is the eighth Pitt player to earn the recognition since 2004, and first since former running back Darrin Hall (Nov. 5, 2018). Each week, the Walter Camp Football Foundation honors one offensive and one defensive player as its national FBS player of the week during the regular season.
Pressley Named Ray Guy Punter of the Week
• Georgia Tech’s Pressley Harvin III has been selected as the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week for games of Sept. 19. Harvin punted 4 times during the game against UCF for 205 yards (51.3 avg.) with no returns. Three of his punts ended up inside UCF’s 20-yard line and he had a long of 70 yards.
Miami’s King Pulls in Two National Weekly Awards
• Miami quarterback D’Eriq King has been named the Maxwell Award National Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Hurricanes’ win over Louisville. King passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over the 18th-ranked Cardinals. A native of Manvel, Texas, King also was selected as the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week, which is given to the best college player from the state of Texas.
Four ACC QBs Selected to Davey O’Brien Great 8
• Four ACC quarterbacks (most of any conference) have been named to the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 list for their performances Sept. 19. Honored from the ACC were Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec, Miami’s D’Eriq King, Notre Dame’s Ian Book and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. Any player named to a Great 8 list during the season who was not previously named to the Preseason Watch List will be added to the Midseason Watch List and will be eligible to be voted a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. Jurkovec and Pickett join the watch list this week.
Three ACC QBs Named Manning Award Stars of the Week
• Three ACC quarterbacks have been named Manning Award “Stars of the Week” – Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec, Miami’s D’Eriq King and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. Fans can now go to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Facebook page to vote for what they think was the best performance from this past weekend.
Phil Jurkovec, Boston College (17-of-23, 300 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, QBR: 84.1) – Jurkovec, making his first career start, led the Eagles to a TD on their first drive, then completed 6-of-7 third-quarter passes for 151 yards and a pair of TDs as Boston College claimed a 26-6 road victory over Duke.
D’Eriq King, Miami (18-of-30, 325 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, QBR: 77.3) – King tallied his sixth career 300-yard game, which included a 75-yard third-quarter TD pass that broke open a tight game as the Hurricanes earned a road victory with a 47-34 victory over No. 18 Louisville.
Kenny Pickett, Pitt (25-of-36, 215 yards 2 TDs, 1 INT, QBR: 56.1) – Pickett, who also rushed for a touchdown, accounted for all three Panthers’ scores in a 21-10 victory over Syracuse.
Two from ACC on Hornung Award Honor Roll
• Two ACC players earned recognition on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for the week of Sept. 19 – Georgia Tech freshman running back/return specialist Jahmyr Gibbs and NC State junior running back/return specialist Ricky Person, Jr. The Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse, now in its 11th season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.
• Gibbs accounted for 219 all-purpose yards and two scores in the Yellow Jackets loss to UCF. Gibbs opened the game with a 75-yard kickoff return that set up Tech’s first score. He caught a nine-yard touchdown pass late in the first half and rambled 33 yards for a score on the ground early in the second half as Georgia Tech narrowed UCF’s lead to 28-21.
• Person touched the ball four different ways and accounted for touchdowns two different ways, including the winning score, as the Wolfpack outlasted Wake Forest 45-42 in Raleigh. Pearson scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter, threw a two-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and ran three yards for the winning score with 3:21 remaining. He also caught two passes and handled three kickoffs.
Nine ACC QBs make start in NFL
• The ACC leads the country with nine starting quarterbacks in the NFL – Boston College’s Matt Ryan (Falcons), Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (Texans), Duke’s Daniel Jones (NY Giants), Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (Ravens) and Teddy Bridgewater (Panthers), North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky (Bears), NC State’s Philip Rivers (Colts) and Russell Wilson (Seahawks) and Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor (Chargers).
Return To Competition
• The ACC Board of Directors announced July 29 that if public health guidance allows, ACC sponsored fall sports would begin competition during the week of Sept. 7-12. The announcement followed several months of discussion and scenario planning among the league membership and Medical Advisory Group. The Medical Advisory Group continues to meet and update its report.
2020 ACC Football:
• The season’s first games took place Sept. 10-12
• The 2020 scheduling model includes 11 games (10 plus one: 10 conference and one non-conference)
• All non-conference game opponents, selected by the respective school, must be played in the home state of the ACC institution, and all non-conference opponents must meet the medical protocol requirements as agreed upon by the ACC
• The 11 games will be played over at least 13 weeks with each team having two open dates
• There will be one division
• Notre Dame will also play a 10-game conference schedule and be eligible to compete in the 2020 ACC Football Championship Game
• All television revenue for the 2020 season, including Notre Dame’s home games broadcast by NBC, will be shared equally by all 15 institutions
• The ACC Football Championship Game will be played on either December 12 or 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will feature the top two teams based upon highest conference-game winning percentage
• All 15 teams will continue to be part of the ACC’s bowl selection process; should Notre Dame win the ACC Football Championship Game it would be eligible for the Orange Bowl, if not selected as a College Football Playoff semifinal team
Returning Standouts
• For the first time in ACC history, the league returned two quarterbacks (North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence) who threw 35 or more touchdown passes the previous season. Add in Miami’s D’Eriq King, who threw 36 TDs in 2018 at Houston, and the ACC has the only three QBs in the country playing this fall who have thrown 35 or more touchdowns in a single season. The only other returning quarterback who threw 35-plus touchdowns last year was Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
• The ACC is the only FBS conference with two returning 1,500-yard rushers in Clemson’s Travis Etienne (1,604 yards) and Louisville’s Javian Hawkins (1,525 yards). The only other time the ACC returned two 1,500-yard backs was 2016 with Florida State’s Dalvin Cook and Clemson’s Wayne Gallman. North Carolina’s Michael Carter (1,003 yards in 2019) gives the ACC three returning 1,000-yard rushers.
• Clemson is the first ACC team since Florida State in 1995 to return the first-team all-conference quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) and a first-team running back (Travis Etienne). The 1995 FSU team returned QB Danny Kanell and RB Warrick Dunn.
Chasing Records
• Clemson’s Travis Etienne rushed for 68 yards last week against The Citadel and is now fifth all-time in ACC career rushing yards. He is 394 yards shy of the career record held since 1978 by NC State’s Ted Brown. Etienne already holds the ACC career record for rushing touchdowns (57) and total touchdowns (63).
Rk. Player, School, Years Yards
1. Ted Brown, NCSU, 1975-78 4,602
2. Dalvin Cook, FSU, 2014-16 4,464
3. Amos Lawrence, UNC, 1977-80 4,391
4. AJ Dillon, BC, 2017-19 4,328
5. Travis Etienne, CU, 2017-present 4,208
6. LaMont Jordan, MD, 1997-00 4,147
7. Lamar Jackson, UL, 2015-17 4,132
8. Robert Lavette, GT, 1981-84 4,066
• Etienne is also 10th in ACC history with 5,394 career all-purpose yards. He is chasing former Tiger C.J. Spiller, who had 7,588 yards from 2006-09. North Carolina’s Leon Johnson is second with 5,828 yards.
• Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence has thrown for 70 touchdowns, which ties Miami’s Jacory Harris for sixth in ACC history. NC State’s Russell Wilson is fifth with 76. The top three in the ACC are Tajh Boyd of Clemson with 107, Philip Rivers of NC State with 95 and Deshaun Watson of Clemson with 90.
Touchdown Passes
1. Tajh Boyd, Clemson, 2010-13, 107
2. Philip Rivers, NC State, 2000-03, 95
3. Deshaun Watson, Clemson, 2014-16, 90
4. Chris Weinke, Florida State, 1997-00, 79
5. Russell Wilson, NC State, 2008-10, 76
6. Jacory Harris, Miami, 2008-11, 70
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, 2018-present, 70
• Lawrence has attempted 276 consecutive passes without an interception, which is the longest active streak in the country and third-longest in league history. The ACC mark of 379 was set by NC State’s Russell Wilson. NC State’s Ryan Finley ranks second (339).
Consecutive Passes without an INT – Active Players
276 Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
191 Bo Nix, Auburn
157 Jayden Daniels, Arizona State
151 Carson Strong, Nevada
126 Kedon Slovis, USC
• Pitt place-kicker Alex Kessman has booted eight field goals of more than 50 yards in his career, which is just one shy of the ACC mark held by Wake Forest’s Sam Swank (2005-08).
Clemson’s Etienne Has ACC TD Record
• Clemson running back Travis Etienne holds ACC records in overall touchdowns (63) and rushing touchdowns (57). In 2019, he moved past Pitt’s James Conner (2013-16), who previously held the ACC career rushing TD record with 52. In addition to his 57 rushing touchdowns, Etienne has six scores at a receiver.
ACC Career Rushing Touchdowns
1. Travis Etienne, CU 2017-present 57
2. James Conner, UP 2013-16 52
3. Lamar Jackson, UL 2015-17 50
ACC Career Touchdowns
1. Travis Etienne, CU 2017-present 63
2. James Conner, UP 2013-16 56
3. Wali Lundy, UVA 2002-05 52
ACC Career Scoring (excludes place-kickers)
1. Travis Etienne, CU 2017-present 378
2. James Conner, UP 2013-16 338
3. Ted Brown, NCS 1975-78 312
ACC Football National Champions
• The ACC has won eight national championship in football. Clemson’s victory over Alabama in the 2019 CFP National Championship marked the eighth national title by an ACC school since the league’s inception in 1953, and the 15th by a school currently in the league. Of current membership, Miami leads the way with five national titles, followed by Clemson (3), Florida State (3), Pitt (2), Georgia Tech (1) and Syracuse (1).
National Championships as an ACC Member
Clemson – 2018 (CFP)
Clemson – 2016 (CFP)
Florida State – 2013 (BCS)
Florida State – 1999 (BCS)
Florida State – 1993 (AP, FWAA,NFF, USA/CNN, UPI)
Georgia Tech – 1990 (UPI)
Clemson – 1981 (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI)
Maryland – 1953 (AP, UPI)
• Clemson is tied with Florida State as the only schools to win three national titles as members of the ACC.