ACC Roundup – Week 9

Oct. 25 North Carolina 28, at Virginia 27 
And You Care Because … With starting quarterback Marquise Williams out for one play after his helmet came off, Mitch Trubisky came in and found T.J. Thorpe for a 16-yard touchdown pass on the way to giving North Carolina the lead in the final minutes. Virginia moved the ball without a problem, but the offense kept stalling and settling for field goals after getting up 21-14. Kevin Parks scored twice for the Cavaliers, but North Carolina kept pace with Williams running for a 52-yard score and hitting Mack Hollins on touchdown passes from 57 and 63 yards away, and then the D held on with Ian Frye giving Virginia all of its points over the last 36 minutes with Ian Frye field goals from 31 and 37 yards out. That was enough, though, for UVa to have a 27-21 lead late until UNC’s winning touchdown drive. 
What Else? Time of possession: Virginia 37:35 – North Carolina 22:25 
– North Carolina QB Marquise Williams completed 15-of-28 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns with a pick, and ran 17 times for a team-leading 49 yards and a touchdown 
– North Carolina WR Mack Hollins caught two passes for 120 yards and two scores 
– Virginia RB Kevin Parks ran 25 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 19 yards and a score 
Game Rating: A-

Oct. 25 Boston College 23, at Wake Forest 17 
And You Care Because … Boston College got up 17-0 in the first half on a 30-yard Alex Howell field goal and two Jon Hilliman touchdown runs, and was up 23-3 in the fourth on a 37-yard Shakim Phillips catch, but Wake Forest made it interesting late with short touchdown runs from E.J. Scott and Isaiah Robinson. The Demon Deacons had one last shot, but John Wolford was picked off by Justin Simmons around midfield. 
What Else? Boston College RB Jon Hilliman ran 20 times for 101 yards and two scores 
– Wake Forest ran 33 times for 19 yards
– Boston College QB Tyler Murphy completed 11-of-15 passes for 165 yards and as core and ran 14 times for 77 yards 
– Third down conversions: Wake Forest 4-of-13 – Boston College 2-of-9 
Game Rating: C+ 

Oct. 25 Georgia Tech 56, at Pitt 28 
And You Care Because … Pitt lost five fumbles in the first quarter, six in all, and Georgia Tech took advantage on the way to a 28-0 lead with Justin Thomas running for a 14-yard score and finding Charles Perkins for a 79-yard touchdown pass, and Broderick Snoddy scoring from four and 34 yards out. Pitt started to come back in the second with two short touchdown runs, but Snoddy was at it again in the second half with a 28-yard scoring dash. Conner added a third score on a 16-yard run, and Isaac Bennett caught a 35-yard scoring pass, but it was all Georgia Tech in the fourth as Tony Zenon ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run and Deon Hill and Matt Connors each running for scores. 
What Else? Turnovers: Pitt 6 – Georgia Tech 1 
– Rushing yards: Georgia Tech 465 – Pitt 198 
– Georgia Tech QB Justin Thomas completed 5-of-10 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, and ran 15 times for 92 yards and a score 
– Pitt RB James Conner ran ten times for 120 yards and three scores 
Game Rating: C+

Oct. 25 at Clemson 16, Syracuse 6 
And You Care Because … In a sloppy game, the Clemson defense got the job done, giving up just two Cole Murphy field gos in the first half. However, Clemson only mustered a 38-yard Ammon Lakip in the second quarter before coming out of the locker room and controlling the rest of the game The Tigers scored 13 unanswered points with Lakip hitting field goals from 18 and 41 yards out for a 9-6 lead, and Cole Stoudt put it away on a 19-yard pass play to Stanton Seckinger. 
What Else? Turnovers: Clemson 4 – Syracuse 3 
– Total yards: Clemson 375 – Syracuse 170 
– Clemson RB Wayne Gallman ran 28 times for 101 yards
– Syracuse QB AJ Long completed 12-of-27 passes for 82 yards and two picks 
Game Rating: C-

Oct. 23 Miami 30, at Virginia Tech 6 
And You Care Because … Virginia Tech couldn’t stop screwing up, and it couldn’t stop Duke Johnson late in the first half as he ran for a 24-yard score and took a pass 22 yards for a touchdown as Miami cruised to an easy win. Gus Edwards added touchdowns from three and 38 yards away as the Hurricanes took a 30-0 lead before Virginia Tech came out hot in the second half, but fumbled away a great drive deep in Miami territory, and it never got its groove back. The Hokies finally got on the board with a 14-yard Isaiah Ford touchdown catch with just 90 seconds to play. 
What Else? Turnovers: Virginia Tech 3 – Miami 0 
– Miami RB Duke Johnson ran 29 times for 249 yards and a score, and Gus Edwards ran 20 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns
– Virginia Tech RB Marshawn Williams ran 21 times for 100 yards
– Time of possession: Miami 37:52 – Virginia Tech 22:08 
Game Rating: D+