This Week in the ACC: Clemson Waits, as Miami-SMU try to Draw Closer to Title Game
By: Will Vandervort November 22, 2024

CLEMSON – Each week The Clemson Insider takes a deep dive into the ACC.

Miami and SMU are both frontrunners to matchup against each other for the conference championship on Dec. 7.

Clemson is on the outside looking in at the moment. With its ACC schedule complete, its fate now lies in the hands of Miami’s and SMU’s opponents.

Thursday night

Georgia Tech 30, NC State 29

Hollywood Smothers broke off a 53-yard TD run with 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, which appeared to give NC State a dramatic come-from-behind win Thursday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. However, Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo scrambled for an 18-yard TD with 22 seconds left to lift the Yellow Jackets to a thrilling 30-29 victory over the Wolfpack. NC State (5-6, 2-5 ACC) trailed 23-14 with 6:00 to play before scoring 15 unanswered points to take a 29-23 lead. Philo led Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3 ACC) with 265 passing yards on 19 of 33 passes. He also ran 7 times for 57 yards, including his 18-yard game-winning TD.

Saturday

No. 13 SMU (9-1, 6-0 ACC) at Virginia (5-5, 3-3 ACC) Noon ET; ESPN2

Latest Line: SMU -9.5

Notes: Saturday will be the first time that SMU and Virginia have ever met on the gridiron. With a win, SMU would clinch a spot in the ACC Football Championship Game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte. SMU is the only team with seven wins over Power 4 opponents with four of those wins coming against bowl eligible teams. The Mustangs have won nine straight road games – the second-longest active streak in FBS football. If Virginia wins, then SMU will need a Louisville win over Pitt and/or Virginia to lose to Virginia Tech next week to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game.

Wake Forest (4-6, 2-4 ACC) at No. 8 Miami (9-1, 5-1 ACC) Noon ET; ESPN

Latest Line: MIA -24

Notes: Miami has won seven straight meetings against Wake Forest dating back to 1969. Each of Wake Forest’s three wins in the series have come in Miami. Miami is one of eight teams to be ranked in both the top 25 in total offense and total defense this season. Miami’s Cam Ward ranks in the top five of nearly every passing statistic and leads all FBS quarterbacks in passing touchdowns, passing yards, passing offense and more. Miami has to win each of its remaining two ACC games to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game. A loss to Wake Forest, and Clemson clinches a spot in the title game.

UConn (7-3) at Syracuse (7-3) Noon ET; ACC Network

Latest Line: SYR -10.5

Notes: UConn’s seven-win season is its best season since 2010 when the Huskies competed in the Big East and posted an 8-5 record. Two of UConn’s three losses have come to ACC opponents in Duke and Wake Forest. Syracuse’s Kyle McCord ranks in the top 10 nationally in completions (1st), passing offense (2nd), passing yards (2nd), total offense (4th) and passing touchdowns (7th). Under first-year head coach Fran Brown, the Orange are 3-0 this season in non-conference games, including a top-25 road win at UNLV in October.

North Carolina (6-4, 3-3 ACC) at Boston College (5-5, 2-4 ACC) Noon ET; The CW

Latest Line: UNC -2.5

Notes: North Carolina leads the all-time series against Boston College, 6-2, with five consecutive wins dating back to the 2005 season. After defeating Wake Forest, North Carolina has become bowl-eligible for the sixth straight season. The Tar Heels last had six or more seasons with consecutive bowl appearances from 1992-98. UNC’s three-game winning streak is the second-longest in the ACC. Its two-game winning streak on the road is one of only three multi-game streaks currently in the ACC.

Charleston Southern (1-10) at Florida State (1-9) 1:30 pm; ACC Network Extra

Latest Line: N/A

Notes:  Florida State leads the all-time series against Charleston Southern 2-0 with both games taking place in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have outscored the Buccaneers 114-18 in the contests. Florida State ranks first in the ACC and is tied for third nationally with 19 successful fourth-down conversions this season. The Seminoles have converted at least one fourth down in nine games this year.

Stanford (3-7, 2-5 ACC) at California (5-5, 1-5 ACC) 3:30 p.m. ET; ACC Network

Latest Line: CAL -14.5

Notes: Saturday will be the 127th edition of “The Big Game” between the Bay Area rivals. Stanford holds a 65-50-11 advantage in the all-time series. Cal has won four of the last five meetings, snapping Stanford’s nine-game winning streak from 2010-18. Stanford’s Emmett Mosley V caught 13 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns against Louisville, earning the ACC Receiver and Rookie of the Week honors. By beating then-No. 22 Louisville last week, Stanford picked up its first win over an AP-ranked team since beating No. 3 Oregon in 2021.

The Citadel (5-6) at No. 17 Clemson (8-2) 3:30 p.m. ET; The CW

Latest Line: N/A

Notes: With a win on Saturday, Clemson would secure its 14th consecutive nine-win season. A win would tie Florida State (1987-2000) for the third-longest string of nine-win seasons in FBS history. The Tigers’ current 69-4 record at home during the CFP era is the second-best in the country in that span. Clemson enters the game ranked in the top 15 nationally in both total offense (10th, 460.7 yards per game) and scoring offense (14th, 36.3 points per game). Quarterback Cade Klubnik needs just 234 combined rushing and passing yards to become the sixth player in Clemson history to reach 7,000 career yards of total offense.

Pitt (7-3, 3-3 ACC) at Louisville (6-4, 4-3 ACC) 4 p.m.; ESPN2

Latest Line: LOU -8.5

Notes: Pittsburgh leads the all-time series with Louisville, 11-9. When the game is played in Louisville, the Cardinals hold a 4-3 advantage. Pitt ranks second nationally with an average of 8.7 tackles-for-loss per game. Kyle Louis is the first Pitt linebacker to intercept four passes in a season since 2004. His four picks rank first among FBS linebackers this season.

Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3 ACC) at Duke (7-3, 3-3 ACC) 8 p.m. ET; ACC Network

Latest Line: VT -2.5

Notes: Duke is looking to pick up consecutive wins against Virginia Tech for the first time since taking six straight from the Hokies from 1937-1951. Virginia Tech is one win away from its second straight season of bowl eligibility under head coach Brent Pry. VT defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland has been named a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award, the Bednarik Award, and Walter Camp Player of Year. The Virginia Tech defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first half in any of their last five games.