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ACC Week 2 Roundup, Rankings, Breakdowns & Recaps

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Scroll down for thoughts on each ACC team, recaps and picks

ACC Player of the Week

Dalvin Cook helped lead Florida State to a win over South Florida by rushing for 266 yards and three scores on 30 carries.

ACC Atlantic Rankings After Week 2

1. Florida State (2-0)
2. Clemson (2-0)
3. NC State (2-0)
4. Louisville (0-2)
5. Boston College (2-0)
6. Syracuse (2-0)
7. Wake Forest (1-1)

ACC Coastal Rankings After Week 2

1. Georgia Tech (2-0)
2. Virginia Tech (1-1)
3. North Carolina (1-1)
4. Pitt (2-0)
5. Miami (2-0)
6. Duke (2-0)
7. Virginia (0-2)

Boston College is the ACC’s Temple

There is absolutely nothing sexy or flashy about Boston College, yet no one will want to face the program this season.

The Eagles are an opponent’s worst nightmare, because they simply beat you down physically with a methodical approach that refuses to deviate from the script. BC is going to hit you hard, hit you often and never ever quit on a play. The team is machine-like in its gameplan, if that machine was a cargo ship diesel engine.

Boston College is defined by its ground game and especially its defense.

And that bare-knuckle, no-name Eagle D is going to keep the team competitive in every game. On Saturday afternoon, Boston College yielded 11 total yards and two first downs to Howard in a 76-0 rout. Okay, it was Howard, but 11 yards when weather isn’t a factor is almost incomprehensible. And the front wall is again a rock, led by NT Connor Wujciak, DT Truman Gutapfel and ends Harold Landry, Kevin Kavalec and Mehdi Abdesmad.

BC is basically the Temple of the ACC; nasty D, north-south ground game and a questionable pass attack. The common thread, of course, being head coach Steve Addazio, who came to the Heights two years ago after coaching the Owls.

Boston College isn’t winning the Atlantic Division this season. Not enough blue-chip talent, particularly behind center, to compete with Clemson and Florida State. But the Eagles are the ultimate spoiler, with the timeless commitment to old-school football that can ruin a season for the Tigers and Seminoles.

Clemson: WR Charone Peake

One week after Mike Williams suffered a neck injury, Peake is set to become the biggest beneficiary of the opportunity for more touches. In the Appalachian State blowout, the 6-3 senior was one of Deshaun Watson preferred targets, catching four balls for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Earning the confidence of Watson is also going to earn more looks from NFL scouts for Peake.

Duke: QB Thomas Sirk

For a second week in a row, Sirk was sharp behind center. He was 15-of-22 for 315 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for a team-high 86 yards and another score. Outclassing the likes of Tulane and N.C. Central, though, can only answer so much about a first-time starting quarterback. The real tests arrive when ACC play starts in two weeks.

Florida State: State of the O-line

True, RB Dalvin Cook was brilliant in the South Florida win. But the sophomore’s monster game had more to do with his ability to make yards than the performance of his blockers. The Seminoles are starting four new linemen, and it’s taking time for the unit to mesh. The Noles were flagged for three holding penalties, while struggling to neutralize the quick Bull D-linemen.

Georgia Tech: Swarming D

While it’s easy to become distracted by the Yellow Jackets’ gaudy offensive numbers, the defense is off to a great start as well. Tech has outscored its first two opponents, 134-16, capped by Saturday’s obliteration of Tulane. The team allowed only 3.8 yards per play to the Green Wave, despite using backups early and taking the foot off the gas in the second half.

Louisville: Turnovers

You’re not going to win many games when you cough it up four times. Maybe, just maybe, it was a little too early for Bobby Petrino to hand the ball to rookie QB Lamar Jackson. Enormous potential, you bet, but he’s predictably inconsistent at this stage, which showed in the loss to Houston. Equally concerning was the play of the D, which was soft against the pass, and couldn’t contain versatile Cougar QB Greg Ward Jr.

Miami: The Run Defense

The Hurricanes came dangerously close to suffering one of their worst losses in school history. They were tied in the third quarter with Florida Atlantic before being bailed out down the stretch by the running of Joseph Yearby and Mark Walton. But Miami allowed the Owls to hang around because its run defense allowed 223 yards on 33 carries, a major worry for when ACC play begins.

NC State: RB Matt Dayes

Shadrach Thornton’s suspension has ended, but will his old job be waiting for him? Junior Matt Dayes has been solid in his place, rushing for more than 100 yards in each of the first Wolfpack victories. Plus, Dayes is the most versatile of the NC State stable of backs, with the soft hands to serve as a perfect safety valve for QB Jacoby Brissett.

North Carolina: Pressure

The Tar Heels are exhibiting attack tendencies for new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, which the team hopes will carry over into the ACC portion of the schedule. Carolina pressured North Carolina A&T quarterbacks nine times, making six stops for loss and three turnovers. Ends Dajuan Drennon and Jessie Rogers get off their blocks quickly, which is going to help a vulnerable secondary.

Pittsburgh: Quarterback controversy

New head coach Pat Narduzzi isn’t shying away from a quarterback controversy in his debut season. In Saturday’s 24-7 win over Akron, incumbent Chad Voytik and Tennessee transfer Nathan Peterman were both used liberally. Peterman actually got more reps, completing 12-of-17 for 147 yards and a touchdown. Narduzzi will go with whichever Panther maximizes the potential of star WR Tyler Boyd.

Syracuse: The D in the Dome

The Orange appeared ripe for the picking versus Wake Forest. A true freshman backup quarterback, Eric Dungey, facing a scrappy D and all. But it was Chuck Bullough’s defense that really shined in the Carrier Dome. While the offense sputtered, Syracuse silenced the Demon Deacons with an attacking mentality that produced three picks, nine tackles for loss and four sacks.

Virginia: State of the secondary

Although the Cavaliers put up a valiant effort against Notre Dame, they’re 0-2 after allowing a 39-yard, game-winning scoring strike with 12 seconds left. The veteran UVa secondary, the supposed strength of this team, has now been humbled in back-to-back games by teen quarterbacks, Josh Rosen and DeShone Kizer, seeing their first significant action. Too much talent and experience for this unit to be so shaky.

Virginia Tech: QB Brenden Motley

A visit from Furman couldn’t have come at a better time for Motley, who’s filling in for the injured Michael Brewer. Motley played well, accounting for 271 yards and three scores in the blowout. But will that kind of an effort translate against better defenses? No one will know for certain until after upcoming games with Purdue and East Carolina.

Wake Forest: The O-line

The Deacons are improving, but consistency still eludes Dave Clawson’s young program. That was evident in the Carrier Dome over the weekend. The O-line couldn’t contain the Syracuse front seven, which resulted in costly turnovers and a non-existent running game. Until Wake Forest gets better at the point of attack, opportunities for important wins will continue to slip through their fingers.

Predictions & Picks: How’d We Do?

Straight Up: 23-1 ATS: 7-7

Miami 44, at Florida Atlantic 20

Line: Miami -17.5, o/u: 55, Prediction: Miami 34, Florida Atlantic 24 

Florida State 35, USF 14

Line: Florida State -27.5, o/u: 53, Prediction: Florida State 37, South Florida 13 

Houston 34, Louisville 31

Line: Louisville -12.5, o/u: 54, Prediction: Louisville 34, Houston 20 

Clemson 41, Appalachian State 10

Line: Clemson -17, o/u: 58.5, Prediction: Clemson 38, Appalachian State 20 

Syracuse 30, Wake Forest 17

Line: Syracuse -4.5, o/u: 44, Prediction: Wake Forest 28, Syracuse 20 

Virginia Tech 42, Furman 3

Line: No Line, o/u: No Line, Prediction: Virginia Tech 35, Furman 13 

Notre Dame 34, Virginia 27

Line: Notre Dame -11.5, o/u: 47.5, Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Virginia 17 

Georgia Tech 65, Tulane 10

Line: Georgia Tech -28.5, o/u: 54.5, Prediction: Georgia Tech 49, Tulane 14 

NC State 35, Eastern Kentucky 0

Line: No Line, o/u: No Line, Prediction: NC State 45, Eastern Kentucky 17 

North Carolina 53, NC A&T 14

Line: No Line, o/u: No Line, Prediction: North Carolina 49, North Carolina A&T 17 

Duke 55, North Carolina Central 0

Line: No Line, o/u: No Line, Prediction: Duke 52, NC Central 10 

Pittsburgh 24, Akron 7

Line: Pitt -13, o/u: 51, Prediction: Pittsburgh 38, Akron 16