|
|
|
2009 CFN ACC Week 1 Roundup & More
|
|
|
|
|
|
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Sep 8, 2009
|
|
ACC 2009 Week One
Game of the Week, Player of the Week, Roundup & Standings
|
2009 ACC ... Week 1
Atlantic
Boston Coll
|
Clemson
| Florida St
|
Maryland
|
NC State |
Wake Forest
Coastal
Duke
|
Georgia
Tech |
Miami
|
North
Carolina |
Virginia
|
Virginia Tech
Conference Pages, Picks, Standings & More
-
ACC |
Big East
|
Big Ten
|
Big 12
|
C-USA
|
Ind & ND
- MAC |
Mountain West |
Pac 10
|
SEC
|
Sun Belt |
WAC
-
Free Expert Football Predictions
GAME OF THE WEEK
Miami 38 ... at Florida State 34
In a
wild see-saw battle, Miami's Jacory Harris overcame a big hit that led
to a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown by Markus White for a
31-24 FSU lead in the fourth quarter to lead the Canes to two more
touchdowns connecting with Graig Cooper for a 24-yard score and driving
late leading to a three-yard Cooper touchdown run. FSU came roaring back
and got within range for a game-winning touchdown, but the Canes held on
with a goal line stand, stopping the Noles four times from the two, with
the game ending with Jarmon Forston dropping a low pass in the end zone.
Neither team led by more than a touchdown with each one answering the
other's big play. Christian Ponder threw for two touchdowns and a two
point conversion for the Noles.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Miami QB Jacory Harris completed 21-of-34 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. He also ran for a score
in the win over FSU.
CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
Boston
College … at Boston College 54 ...
Northeastern 0 ... BC is in need of steady playmakers, and Montel Harris showed he might be it. Dave Shinskie wasn't amazing throwing the ball, but he was steady and he took the safe, easy throws the defense gave him, while Justin Tuggle was fine in the first half to help put the game away. BC is going to have to win with defense and the running game, and with another tune up game against Kent State before dealing with Clemson, getting the passing game going might be a must just to see if it works.
Clemson … at
Clemson 37 ... Middle Tennessee 14 ... Can C.J. Spiller do anything without getting hurt? He's such a dynamic playmaker that the coaching staff might have to shut him down altogether for the average games to save him for the big showdowns. Jacoby Ford provided the pop needed to make the Middle Tennessee game a laugher, but it's asking a lot to expect the same kinds of home runs against Georgia Tech. To beat the Yellow Jackets, QB Kyle Parker has to be much better; he was way too erratic.
Duke …
Richmond 24 ... at Duke 16 ... Richmond is a great FCS team, possibly the best in the country, but this was still a devastating loss for a Duke program looking to kick off the season with a bang. Thaddeus Lewis was fantastic, but he didn't get the offense moving enough in the second half to set up scores. The running game wasn't necessarily non-existent, but it wasn't used with just 16 carries. Re'quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth have to be more involved to balance out the attack.
Florida State
… Miami 38 ... at Florida State 34 ... Where was the defense? This was being touted by the coaching staff as one of the fastest defenses FSU has ever had, but it struggled to make enough key plays in the fourth quarter outside of the Marcus White pick six. Offensively, for all the good things Christian Ponder and the passing game did, the Noles only managed a field goal over the final 20 minutes of the shootout. There were way too many big plays allowed, and now the job is to find even more of a pass rush against Jacksonville State before going to BYU for a chance to make a national statement..
Georgia Tech…
at Georgia Tech 37 ... Jacksonville State 17 ...With Clemson coming up next, Georgia Tech needed to get in, get a few reps in, and get out clean. Everything worked when needed with Jonathan Dwyer ripping up yards in chunks and Josh Nesbitt doing enough to get the passing game going. The defense wasn’t a brick wall, allowing 291 yards of total offense, but Derrick Morgan was fantastic with two sacks. The game was never in doubt, everyone broke a sweat, and now it’s on to the Tigers.
Maryland …at
California 52 ... Maryland 13 ... There was no excuse about a time change problem this time around, like many Bears groused about last year in the loss at Maryland. Jahvid Best only ran ten times, but he made his mark averaging 13.7 yards per carry. Kevin Riley was almost perfect keeping the chains moving while making the Terps pay for paying attention to Best and the running event. This was the exact type of win the team wanted to make a statement to the rest of the Pac 10, and with Oregon not looking to be so formidable, if the Bears play like they did this week there's an honest shot at being 4-0 before hosting USC.
Miami … Miami
38 ... at Florida State 34 ... If this wasn't the beginning of the Jacory Harris era on a national scale, it was an important moment for Miami. Harris showed off a great arm, tremendous poise, and the type of toughness that makes teammates follow quarterbacks through adversity. The defense struggled way too much with the FSU passing game, but it came through when absolutely needed on the goal line and now the bar is set extremely high. However, there's Georgia tech, at Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma to follow, but if the Canes can get through the next month without losing three straight, this should b a special year.
North Carolina … at North Carolina 40 ... The Citadel 6 ... It wasn't a perfect performance and there's a lot to be worried about after T.J. Yates only completed 9-of-20 passes, but that's what games against The Citadel are for. There were too many turnovers (four), not enough in the way of passing efficiency, and little pop from the receivers, but the defense held the Citadel rushing game to just 30 yards net and swarmed all over the field. UNC can beat Connecticut and East Carolina if the D plays like this, but the O has to get in shape before dealing with Georgia Tech at the end of the month.
NC State … South Carolina 7, at NC State 3 ... NC State needed a tune-up game, and badly. From dropped passes to a general lack of execution, this was not the Wolfpack team that head coach Tom O’Brien was hoping for to start the season. The defense did its job getting South Carolina off the field time and again, but
the offense didn't do anything with its chances. The offensive line had
problems throughout the game with the Gamecock pass rush, but it gave
Russell Wilson just enough time in key moments to make big plays, but
they didn't click. The team will be kicking itself for weeks after this
game, and the outcome likely would've been far different if it came
after the upcoming Murray State and Gardner-Webb layups.
Virginia …
William & Mary 26 ... at Virginia 14 ... Much will be made about how this is the end of the Al Groh era, but he has a way of pulling out huge wins when he absolutely needs them. The problem is the quarterback situation with no production from any of the options against William & Mary and far too many turnovers. 12 first downs, 268 yards of total offense, and 5-of-17 on third downs is unacceptable, but on the plus side, the defense wasn't awful. However, the D might have to come up with scores next week or the Cavaliers could be shut down cold by TCU.
Virginia Tech … Alabama 34 ... Virginia Tech 24 ...The running game destroyed a Hokie run defense that’ll end up being among the best in the ACC. Mark Ingram was punishing, while Roy Upchurch added some nice dash. But everyone know Bama wanted to run the ball. It was Greg McElroy who came up big with his legs (outgaining Tyrod Taylor 28 yards to -26 on the ground) and an efficient, effective day with his arm. There were too many penalties and too many lapses that kept the Hokies in the game, but if the Tide can tighten up, this is a national title-good squad
Wake Forest… Baylor 24 ... at Wake Forest 21 ... Riley Skinner has to be sharper. He's a veteran
leader who has been through enough battles to not
make the mistakes he made in the opener, and while
he was able to bring the team back late, his three
interceptions turned out to be killers. Baylor had
offensive playmakers and Wake Forest didn't. To beat
Stanford next week, there needs to be far more from
the ground game that gained just 126 yards and
Skinner has to hit on a few downfield passes.
Thursday,
September 10
Clemson at Georgia Tech , ESPN
Saturday, September 12
Kent State at Boston College
Duke at Army
Jacksonville State at Florida State
James Madison at
Maryland
North Carolina at Connecticut
Murray State at
NC State
TCU at Virginia
Marshall at Virginia Tech
Stanford at Wake Forest
Thursday, September 17
Georgia Tech at Miami, ESPN
Saturday, September 19
Boston College at Clemson
Duke at Kansas
Florida State at BYU
Middle Tennessee at Maryland
East Carolina at North Carolina
Gardner-Webb at NC State
Virginia at Southern Miss
Nebraska at Virginia Tech
Elon at Wake Forest
Saturday, September 26
Wake Forest at Boston College
Central Michigan at Clemson
North Carolina
Central at Duke
South Florida at Florida State
North Carolina at Georgia Tech
Rutgers at Maryland
Miami at Virginia Tech
Pittsburgh at NC State
Saturday, October 3
Florida State at Boston College
Clemson at
Maryland
Virginia Tech at Duke
Georgia Tech at Mississippi State
Oklahoma at Miami
Virginia at North Carolina
NC State at Wake
Forest
Saturday, October 10
Boston College at Virginia Tech
Duke at NC State
Georgia Tech at Florida State
Maryland at Wake Forest
Florida A&M at Miami
Georgia Southern at North Carolina
Indiana at Virginia
Saturday,
October 17
NC State at Boston College
Wake Forest at Clemson
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Virginia at Maryland
Miami at UCF
Thursday,
October 22
Florida State at North Carolina, ESPN
Saturday,
October 24
Boston College at Notre Dame
Clemson at Miami
Maryland at Duke
Georgia Tech at Virginia
Wake Forest
at Navy
Thursday, October 29
North Carolina at Virginia Tech,
ESPN
Saturday, October 31
Central Michigan at Boston College
Coastal Carolina at Clemson
Duke at Virginia
NC State at Florida State
Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt
Miami at Wake Forest
Thursday,
November 5
Virginia Tech at East Carolina, ESPN
Saturday, November 7
Florida State at Clemson
Duke at North Carolina
Wake Forest at Georgia Tech
Maryland at NC State
Virginia at Miami
Saturday,
November 14
Boston College at Virginia
Clemson at NC
State
Georgia Tech at Duke
Florida State at Wake Forest
Virginia Tech at
Maryland
Miami at North Carolina
Saturday,
November 21
North Carolina at Boston College
Virginia at
Clemson
Duke at Miami
Maryland at Florida State
NC State at
Virginia Tech
Saturday, November 28
Boston College at Maryland
Clemson at South
Carolina
Wake Forest at Duke
Florida State at Florida
Georgia at Georgia Tech
Miami at South Florida
North Carolina at NC State
Virginia Tech at Virginia
Saturday, December 5
Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game, Tampa, Fla., ABC
|
|
|
|
|
|