AROUND THE ACC
*The ACC has seven teams with fi ve-or-more wins through the first eight weeks of the season. That is second-best among all conferences. Only the SEC has more with eight. Clemson (7-0) has already clinched a postseason bowl bid. NC State (5-1), Boston College (5-2), Syracuse (5-2), Virginia (5-2), Miami (5-2) and Duke (5-2) are all just one win shy of bowl qualification. The ACC has led all conferences with 21 bowl bids over the last two years.
*Clemson defeated previously undefeated NC State, 41-7, last Saturday at Death Valley. It was the fi fth all-time ACC matchup between undefeated teams with at least five wins. Three of the previous four winners of those games have gone on to win the national championship.
• 1990 (11/3) - Virginia (7-0) vs. Georgia Tech (6-0-1) Georgia Tech won 41-38 and went on to claim the ACC title and a share of the national championship.
• 1993 (10/16) - Florida State (6-0) vs. Virginia (5-0) The Seminoles rolled to a 40-14 victory over the Cavaliers, won the ACC title and finished the season 11-1. Florida State was voted No. 1 in both polls at the conclusion of the season to claim the national championship.
• 1997 (11/8) - North Carolina (8-0) vs. FSU (8-0) In a tight defensive battle, Florida State scored a 20-3 win over the Tar Heels and went on to win the conference championship. After a late-season loss to Florida, the Seminoles beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl and finished No. 3 in the country.
• 2013 (10/19) - Clemson (6-0) vs. Florida State (5-0) Florida State beat the Tigers 51-14, and defeated Duke in the ACC Championship Game. The Seminoles completed an undefeated season with a 34-31 win over Auburn in the Rose Bowl, becoming the last national champions of the BCS era.
*All 14 ACC teams are featured this weekend in conference action. The league will be showcased in prime time over a three-day span beginning Thursday, when Georgia Tech plays at Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. It is the first ESPN Thursday night for either team since 2016. Virginia Tech has won three straight ESPN Thursday night games. Virginia Tech (32) and Georgia Tech (29) have played the most ESPN Thursday night games of any team in the ACC.
On Friday night, Boston College plays host to Miami at 7 p.m. on ESPN and on Saturday, No. 22 NC State plays at Syracuse at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. nClemson, which faces Florida State this weekend at noon on ABC, has won 29 of its last 31 games against conference opponents. Over the last two games – wins at Wake Forest, and vs. previously undefeated NC State – the Tigers have outscored their opponents 104-10. In the win over NC State, Clemson TB Travis Etienne rushed for three touchdowns for the third straight game, becoming the fi rst player in Clemson history to do so. The last ACC player with three straight games with three rushing touchdowns was Pitt's James Conner in 2014.
*Saturday marks the 26th time in the 32-game history of the Clemson-FSU series that at least one team has been ranked among the Top 25. Florida State has won three of its last four, including last week over Wake Forest.
*Virginia plays host to North Carolina on Saturday at 12:20 p.m. on Raycom Sports. Virginia’s victory in Chapel Hill last season snapped a seven-game UNC win streak in “The South’s Oldest Rivalry,” which was first played in 1892. Saturday’s game will mark the 123rd meeting between the programs and the 50th in Charlottesville.
AP TOP 25
*Two ACC teams are ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25 football poll (Oct. 21). Clemson is No. 2 and NC State is No. 22. Miami, Virginia and Boston College are also receiving votes.
*Clemson has been ranked in 61 consecutive AP polls, including 58 in the top 10.
NOTING THE ACC
*According to SportSource Analytics, below are the ACC's rankings as compared to the other Power 5 conferences:
• No. 1 in overall strength of schedule
• No. 1 in non-conference opponents record (137-145)
• No. 2 in winning percentage (.446) and total wins (25) vs. teams above .500
• No. 1 in rushing offense (192.8 ypg) and No. 2 in relative rushing offense
• No. 1 in turnovers gained (11.7)
• No. 1 in sacks (2.57 per game)
• No. 1 in tackles for loss (6.96 per game)
• No. 2 in total defense • No. 1 in kickoff returns (22.2)
• No. 1 in punt returns (12.0)
• No. 1 in special teams TDs (15)
*The ACC has played the most road or neutral Power 5 non-conference games of any other Power 5 conference.
*The ACC's three road Power 5 non-conference wins are tied for the most of any conference.
*The ACC’s seven road non-conference wins are the most of any Power 5 conference.
*The ACC has the second-most non-conference wins of any Power 5 conference.
*The ACC has the third-best non-conference winning percentage of any conference.
ROAD WINS
*There are seven Power 5 conference teams with three true road wins and three are from the ACC - Clemson, Duke, and Virginia Tech. Alabama, Florida, Penn State and Northwestern are the others.
• Clemson road wins – at Texas A&M, at Georgia Tech, at Wake Forest
• Duke road wins – at Northwestern, at Baylor, at Georgia Tech
• Virginia Tech road wins – at Florida State, at Duke, at North Carolina
MILESTONES
*Duke's T.J. Rahming (208) and Virginia's Olamide Zaccheaus (203) each crossed the 200-reception threshold this season to become the 22nd and 23rd players in ACC history to reach the 200-reception mark.
*Syracuse's Eric Dungey has rushed for 28 career touchdowns, which ranks seventh all-time among ACC quarterbacks. Georgia Tech's TaQuon Marshall has 27 to rank eighth. Louisville's Lamar Jackson (2015-17) owns the conference career mark with 50 and Georgia Tech's Tevin Washington (2009-12) is second with 38.
*Syracuse's Eric Dungey and NC State's Ryan Finley are in position to top 10,000 total yards of offense for their careers. Dungey has 9,621 career yards and is currently averaging 273.8 yards per game. Finley has 8,668 career yards and is leading the conference with 300.5 yards per game. At their current pace, both players would top 10,000 career yards of total offense later this season. Only seven players in ACC history have reached this milestone. An ACC player has reached 10,000 career yards in each of the last three seasons - Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2017, Clemson's DeShaun Watson in 2016 and North Carolina's Marquise Williams in 2015.
*Boston College's Michael Walker has 2,284 career kickoff return yards, which ranks sixth all-time in the ACC. North Carolina's Eric Blount (1988-91) is fi fth at 2,313 and Florida State's Kermit Whitfield (2013-16) is fourth at 2,369.
IN THE NATIONAL STATS
*Miami and Clemson are ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the nation in total defense. The Hurricanes are allowing just 236.4 yards per game, while the Tigers are close behind at 266.3 yards allowed. Miami is also first in third-down conversion defense, first in tackles for loss, second in passing yards allowed, and fifth in scoring defense. Clemson is third in tackles for loss, third in scoring defense, fifth in passing yards allowed and sixth in third-down defense.
*Georgia Tech and Clemson rank first and 10th, respectively in rushing yards per game. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 352.4 yards on the ground, which is nearly 40 yards more than second-place Army. The Tigers are posting 253.7 per contest. Georgia Tech (1st), Wisconsin (4th) and Clemson (10th) are the only Power 5 conference teams in the top 10 nationally in rushing.
*NC State QB Ryan Finley is 11th in the nation in passing yards per game and 15th in total offense. He leads a Wolfpack offense that is 12th nationally in passing at 311.7 yards per game.
*Boston College (T3rd), Miami (T3rd), Florida State (T3rd) North Carolina (T8th), Syracuse (T18th) and Clemson (T18th) rank among the top 20 in sacks per game. FSU's Brian Burns ranks second in the nation with 1.29 sacks per game. BC's Wyatt Ray is third (1.42), Syracuse's Kendall Coleman is 12th, and Clemson's Clelin Ferrell and Syracuse's Alton Robinson are tied for 19th.
*Led by Clemson, three ACC teams are ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense. The Tigers are giving up only 13.4 points per game, which ranks third. Miami is allowing 18.1, which ranks 17th and Virginia is giving up 18.4, which ranks 19th.
*In the national rankings, NC State's Jackobi Meyers (7.6) and Wake Forest's Greg Dortch (7.4) rank seventh and ninth, respectively, in receptions per game.
*Clemson's Travis Etienne ranks eighth nationally with 114.3 rushing yards per game. BC's AJ Dillon, who has missed the last two games, is averaging 130.4 yards rushing, but does not qualify for the national rankings.
*Pitt's Maurice Ffrench is tied for the national lead in kickoff return TDs with two. The two-time ACC Specialist of the Week also leads the ACC and ranks second in the country with a 33.8-yard kickoff return average.
*The ACC has seven teams with fi ve-or-more wins through the first eight weeks of the season. That is second-best among all conferences. Only the SEC has more with eight. Clemson (7-0) has already clinched a postseason bowl bid. NC State (5-1), Boston College (5-2), Syracuse (5-2), Virginia (5-2), Miami (5-2) and Duke (5-2) are all just one win shy of bowl qualification. The ACC has led all conferences with 21 bowl bids over the last two years.
*Clemson defeated previously undefeated NC State, 41-7, last Saturday at Death Valley. It was the fi fth all-time ACC matchup between undefeated teams with at least five wins. Three of the previous four winners of those games have gone on to win the national championship.
• 1990 (11/3) - Virginia (7-0) vs. Georgia Tech (6-0-1) Georgia Tech won 41-38 and went on to claim the ACC title and a share of the national championship.
• 1993 (10/16) - Florida State (6-0) vs. Virginia (5-0) The Seminoles rolled to a 40-14 victory over the Cavaliers, won the ACC title and finished the season 11-1. Florida State was voted No. 1 in both polls at the conclusion of the season to claim the national championship.
• 1997 (11/8) - North Carolina (8-0) vs. FSU (8-0) In a tight defensive battle, Florida State scored a 20-3 win over the Tar Heels and went on to win the conference championship. After a late-season loss to Florida, the Seminoles beat Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl and finished No. 3 in the country.
• 2013 (10/19) - Clemson (6-0) vs. Florida State (5-0) Florida State beat the Tigers 51-14, and defeated Duke in the ACC Championship Game. The Seminoles completed an undefeated season with a 34-31 win over Auburn in the Rose Bowl, becoming the last national champions of the BCS era.
*All 14 ACC teams are featured this weekend in conference action. The league will be showcased in prime time over a three-day span beginning Thursday, when Georgia Tech plays at Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. It is the first ESPN Thursday night for either team since 2016. Virginia Tech has won three straight ESPN Thursday night games. Virginia Tech (32) and Georgia Tech (29) have played the most ESPN Thursday night games of any team in the ACC.
On Friday night, Boston College plays host to Miami at 7 p.m. on ESPN and on Saturday, No. 22 NC State plays at Syracuse at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. nClemson, which faces Florida State this weekend at noon on ABC, has won 29 of its last 31 games against conference opponents. Over the last two games – wins at Wake Forest, and vs. previously undefeated NC State – the Tigers have outscored their opponents 104-10. In the win over NC State, Clemson TB Travis Etienne rushed for three touchdowns for the third straight game, becoming the fi rst player in Clemson history to do so. The last ACC player with three straight games with three rushing touchdowns was Pitt's James Conner in 2014.
*Saturday marks the 26th time in the 32-game history of the Clemson-FSU series that at least one team has been ranked among the Top 25. Florida State has won three of its last four, including last week over Wake Forest.
*Virginia plays host to North Carolina on Saturday at 12:20 p.m. on Raycom Sports. Virginia’s victory in Chapel Hill last season snapped a seven-game UNC win streak in “The South’s Oldest Rivalry,” which was first played in 1892. Saturday’s game will mark the 123rd meeting between the programs and the 50th in Charlottesville.
AP TOP 25
*Two ACC teams are ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25 football poll (Oct. 21). Clemson is No. 2 and NC State is No. 22. Miami, Virginia and Boston College are also receiving votes.
*Clemson has been ranked in 61 consecutive AP polls, including 58 in the top 10.
NOTING THE ACC
*According to SportSource Analytics, below are the ACC's rankings as compared to the other Power 5 conferences:
• No. 1 in overall strength of schedule
• No. 1 in non-conference opponents record (137-145)
• No. 2 in winning percentage (.446) and total wins (25) vs. teams above .500
• No. 1 in rushing offense (192.8 ypg) and No. 2 in relative rushing offense
• No. 1 in turnovers gained (11.7)
• No. 1 in sacks (2.57 per game)
• No. 1 in tackles for loss (6.96 per game)
• No. 2 in total defense • No. 1 in kickoff returns (22.2)
• No. 1 in punt returns (12.0)
• No. 1 in special teams TDs (15)
*The ACC has played the most road or neutral Power 5 non-conference games of any other Power 5 conference.
*The ACC's three road Power 5 non-conference wins are tied for the most of any conference.
*The ACC’s seven road non-conference wins are the most of any Power 5 conference.
*The ACC has the second-most non-conference wins of any Power 5 conference.
*The ACC has the third-best non-conference winning percentage of any conference.
ROAD WINS
*There are seven Power 5 conference teams with three true road wins and three are from the ACC - Clemson, Duke, and Virginia Tech. Alabama, Florida, Penn State and Northwestern are the others.
• Clemson road wins – at Texas A&M, at Georgia Tech, at Wake Forest
• Duke road wins – at Northwestern, at Baylor, at Georgia Tech
• Virginia Tech road wins – at Florida State, at Duke, at North Carolina
MILESTONES
*Duke's T.J. Rahming (208) and Virginia's Olamide Zaccheaus (203) each crossed the 200-reception threshold this season to become the 22nd and 23rd players in ACC history to reach the 200-reception mark.
*Syracuse's Eric Dungey has rushed for 28 career touchdowns, which ranks seventh all-time among ACC quarterbacks. Georgia Tech's TaQuon Marshall has 27 to rank eighth. Louisville's Lamar Jackson (2015-17) owns the conference career mark with 50 and Georgia Tech's Tevin Washington (2009-12) is second with 38.
*Syracuse's Eric Dungey and NC State's Ryan Finley are in position to top 10,000 total yards of offense for their careers. Dungey has 9,621 career yards and is currently averaging 273.8 yards per game. Finley has 8,668 career yards and is leading the conference with 300.5 yards per game. At their current pace, both players would top 10,000 career yards of total offense later this season. Only seven players in ACC history have reached this milestone. An ACC player has reached 10,000 career yards in each of the last three seasons - Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2017, Clemson's DeShaun Watson in 2016 and North Carolina's Marquise Williams in 2015.
*Boston College's Michael Walker has 2,284 career kickoff return yards, which ranks sixth all-time in the ACC. North Carolina's Eric Blount (1988-91) is fi fth at 2,313 and Florida State's Kermit Whitfield (2013-16) is fourth at 2,369.
IN THE NATIONAL STATS
*Miami and Clemson are ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the nation in total defense. The Hurricanes are allowing just 236.4 yards per game, while the Tigers are close behind at 266.3 yards allowed. Miami is also first in third-down conversion defense, first in tackles for loss, second in passing yards allowed, and fifth in scoring defense. Clemson is third in tackles for loss, third in scoring defense, fifth in passing yards allowed and sixth in third-down defense.
*Georgia Tech and Clemson rank first and 10th, respectively in rushing yards per game. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 352.4 yards on the ground, which is nearly 40 yards more than second-place Army. The Tigers are posting 253.7 per contest. Georgia Tech (1st), Wisconsin (4th) and Clemson (10th) are the only Power 5 conference teams in the top 10 nationally in rushing.
*NC State QB Ryan Finley is 11th in the nation in passing yards per game and 15th in total offense. He leads a Wolfpack offense that is 12th nationally in passing at 311.7 yards per game.
*Boston College (T3rd), Miami (T3rd), Florida State (T3rd) North Carolina (T8th), Syracuse (T18th) and Clemson (T18th) rank among the top 20 in sacks per game. FSU's Brian Burns ranks second in the nation with 1.29 sacks per game. BC's Wyatt Ray is third (1.42), Syracuse's Kendall Coleman is 12th, and Clemson's Clelin Ferrell and Syracuse's Alton Robinson are tied for 19th.
*Led by Clemson, three ACC teams are ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense. The Tigers are giving up only 13.4 points per game, which ranks third. Miami is allowing 18.1, which ranks 17th and Virginia is giving up 18.4, which ranks 19th.
*In the national rankings, NC State's Jackobi Meyers (7.6) and Wake Forest's Greg Dortch (7.4) rank seventh and ninth, respectively, in receptions per game.
*Clemson's Travis Etienne ranks eighth nationally with 114.3 rushing yards per game. BC's AJ Dillon, who has missed the last two games, is averaging 130.4 yards rushing, but does not qualify for the national rankings.
*Pitt's Maurice Ffrench is tied for the national lead in kickoff return TDs with two. The two-time ACC Specialist of the Week also leads the ACC and ranks second in the country with a 33.8-yard kickoff return average.
