CLEMSON – The Clemson Insider takes a deep dive into the second week of the 2024 college football season. The 25th-ranked Tigers are at home for the first time this season against Appalachian State.
Florida State is off to an 0-2 start after hitting the transfer portal hard in the offseason to fill some voids, which has not seemed to work in their favor so far. Boston College looks to get off to a 2-0 start in their first season with Bill O’Brien at the helm, while Georgia Tech is looking for a 3-0 start with a tough road game at Syracuse.
Friday
BYU (1-0) at SMU (2-0) 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2
Latest Line: SMU -11.5
Notes: SMU looks to move to a perfect 3-0 on the season while adding its first-ever win over BYU. The Cougars have won all four previous meetings including the 2022 New Mexico Bowl. Brashard Smith ran for 108 yards in the Mustangs’ win over Houston Christian. Smith is one of six players in the ACC to crack the 100-yard mark this season.
Duke (1-0) at Northwestern (1-0) 9 p.m. ET; FS1
Latest Line: NU -2
Notes: Duke’s game-one offensive line starters of Fina, Kings, Craycraft, Pickett and Parker II have combined to make 72 career starts. The five have started 23 games at Duke. Duke has posted a 23-3 (.885) record in regular season non-conference games in the last 10+ seasons.
Saturday
Pitt (1-0) at Cincinnati (1-0) Noon ET; ESPN2
Latest Line: CIN -1.5
Notes: Pitt opened the season with a dominant 55-24 win over Kent State. The 55-point showing was Pitt’s first-time scoring 50+ since Nov. 6, 2021, at Duke. All three phases of the game contributed for Pitt, including a 78-yard punt return touchdown from Desmond Reid. Reid’s 145 rushing yards are the highest single game total throughout the ACC this season.
No. 23 Georgia Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) at Syracuse (1-0, 0-0 ACC) Noon ET; ACC Network
Latest Line: GT -3
Notes: Georgia Tech and Syracuse will meet for just the sixth time with the Yellow Jackets winning four of the five previous meetings. GT enters the week at No. 23 in the AP Poll – the first time being ranked since the Sept. 20, 2015 poll. Needing just 15 games, Haynes King became the 13th player in GT history to throw for 3,000 yards as a Yellow Jacket. Syracuse kicked off the Fran Brown era with a 38-22 home win over Ohio. The Orange kick off the season with four consecutive home games and won’t hit the road until October.
Cal (1-0) at Auburn (1-0) 3:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2
Latest Line: AUB -13
Notes: Cal opened its ACC era with a 31-13 victory over UC Davis. The Golden Bears closed the game with 24 unanswered points. Cal was a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone against UC Davis. The Golden Bears converted with three touchdowns and a 25-yard field goal. Despite converting on just two of 13 third down conversions, the Golden Bears went 3-for-4 on fourth down tries. Cal’s defense has recorded three interceptions this season to lead the ACC.
Duquesne (0-1) at Boston College (1-0) 3:30 p.m. ET; ACCNX
Latest Line: N/A
Notes: Boston College’s 28-13 win over No. 10 Florida State was the Eagles’ first top-10 win since beating No. 9 USC in 2014. It was also BC’s first season-opening win over a top-10 team since taking down No. 7 Texas in 1976. Boston College outgained Florida State 262-21 on the ground – a 241-yard advantage. Kye Robichaux, Treshaun Ward and Thomas Castellanos each ran for at least 70 yards. On top of his 73 rushing yards and a touchdown, Castellanos added 106 yards and two touchdowns through the air to lead the offensive attack.
Jacksonville State (0-1) at No. 22 Louisville (1-0) 3:30 ET; ACCNX
Latest Line: LOU -27.5
Notes: Louisville thrashed Austin Peay, 62-0, to open the season. The Cardinals are one of 10 teams nationally to score 60+ points in the first week of the season. Louisville leads the ACC in total offense after the opening week of the season. The Cardinals recorded 293 rushing yards and 278 passing yards (571 total) against Austin Peay. Louisville leads the country in blocked kicks and blocked punts.
Marshall (1-0) at Virginia Tech (0-1) 4:30 p.m. ET; The CW
Latest Line: VT -20.5
Notes: Virginia Tech fell on the road in overtime, 34-27, to Vanderbilt to open 2024. The Hokies have scored in 371 consecutive games, ranking fourth nationally in both the all-time and active lists. The streak began on September 23, 1995, when the Hokies upended No. 17 Miami in Blacksburg. Marshall won the 2023 meeting between the two schools, snapping a nine-game VT winning streak that began in 1951.
Virginia (1-0, 0-0 ACC) at Wake Forest (1-0, 0-0 ACC) 7 p.m. ET; ESPN2
Latest Line: WAKE -1
Notes: Wake Forest has won each of the last five meetings in the series. Saturday’s contest will be the 52nd all-time between the Cavaliers and Demon Deacons with Virginia holding a 34-17 advantage in the series. The Demon Deacons rolled to a 45-13 victory over North Carolina A&T to begin the season. Demond Claiborne averaged 7.9 yards per carry for 135 total yards on the ground in the win. Virginia enters the week 1-0 after winning 34-13 over Richmond. Malachi Fields totaled 100 receiving yards on five catches to lead the Hoos offensively.
Charlotte (0-1) at North Carolina (1-0, 0-0 ACC) 3:30 p.m. ET; ACCN
Latest Line: UNC -22.5
Notes: North Carolina defeated Minnesota, 19-17, in Minneapolis to begin the 2023 season. The Tar Heels were the only team throughout the country to beat a Big Ten school in Week 1. Omarion Hampton recorded 30 carries for the Tar Heels in Week 1, rushing for 129 yards and an average of 4.3 yards per carry. Hampton also led UNC with five catches in the opener, logging 17 receiving yards. This will be the first-ever meeting between the in-state opponents. Charlotte began its tenure as an FBS school in 2015.
Florida A&M (2-0) at No. 12 Miami (1-0) 6 p.m. ET; ACCNX
Latest Line: N/A
Notes: Miami put together one of the most impressive games throughout college football in Week 1, beating Florida 41-17 in Gainesville. The Canes snapped Florida’s NCAA record 33-game home opener winning streak. ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Cam Ward, dazzled in his Miami debut, completing 26-of-35 passes for 385 yards. Ward becomes the first Miami QB to throw for more than 300 yards in his first UM start since at least 1979. Miami climbs seven spots to No. 12 in the AP Poll. It is the highest that Miami has been ranked since the December 6, 2020, poll (No. 9).
Cal Poly (0-1) at Stanford (0-1) 7 p.m. ET; ACCNX
Latest Line: N/A
Notes: Stanford dropped its season opener to TCU, 34-27. Following the non-conference meeting with Cal Poly, the Cardinal will play their first three ACC games in program history. Ashton Daniels completed 17 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown, while also adding a team-high 87 rushing yards in the opener.
No. 24 NC State (1-0) vs. No. 14 Tennessee (1-0) 7:30 p.m. ET; ABC
Latest Line: TENN -10
Notes: NC State and Tennessee have only met three times previously with the Volunteers winning twice. NC State’s lone win came in 1911 – a 16-0 shutout in Raleigh. NC State is one of just five programs that has won eight or more games in each of the last four seasons. ACC Receiver of the Week Kevin “KC” Concepcion hauled in three touchdowns in NC State’s opener. The sophomore has six multi-touchdown games and currently leads the ACC in scoring (18). Wolfpack QB Grayson McCall has thrown 91 career touchdowns with just 15 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 18 scores
App State (1-0) at No. 25 Clemson (0-1) 8 p.m. ET; ACC Network
Latest Line: CLEM -16.5
Notes: Saturday will be the home opener for the 25th-ranked Tigers, who will play seven contests in Death Valley this season. The Tigers have won their last 20 home openers. After falling to No. 1 Georgia, 34-3, in the season opener, Clemson dropped 11 spots to No. 25. The Tigers are 65-3 at Death Valley throughout the College Football Playoff era. Clemson has also won 20 consecutive night games at home. Clemson and App State have a history of winning. Since App State joined the FBS ranks in 2014.
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