THIS wEEk IN THE

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When: 3:30 p.m. p.m. EDT Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla. TV: ESPN. • QB Max ... Durham, N.C. [GERRY BR
THIS wEEk IN THE INSIDE ONE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COmPILED BY PaTRICk STEVENS, SPECIaL TO GaTEHOUSE mEDIa

GamE OF THE wEEk No. 13 MIAMI (3-0, 1-0 ACC) AT FLoRIDA STATE (1-2, 1-1)

BY THE NUmBERS STANDINGS

POwER RaNkINGS Breaking down the ACC

When: 3:30 p.m. p.m. EDT Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla. TV: ESPN

(Through Sept. 30) ATLANTIC Team Clemson NC State Florida State Louisville Wake Forest Syracuse Boston College

Conf. 3-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-2

All 5-0 4-1 1-2 4-1 4-1 2-3 2-3

T25 3-0 1-0 0-2 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-2

COASTAL Team Georgia Tech Miami Duke Virginia Virginia Tech Pittsburgh North Carolina

Conf. 2-0 1-0 1-1 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-3

All 3-1 3-0 4-1 3-1 4-1 2-3 1-4

T25 0-1 0-0 0-1 0-0 1-1 0-2 0-1

1. Clemson (5-0): Are the Tigers the nation’s best team? There’s a case to be, though Alabama’s looked awfully good. (Last week: 1)

Miami’s Ahmmon Richards (right) reaches for a pass broken up by Duke’s Mark Gilbert (28) during a Sept. 29 game in Durham, N.C. [GERRY BRooME/THE ASSoCIATED PRESS]

2. Miami (3-0): Is this the year the Hurricanes end their long slide against Florida State? (LW: 4)

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS (Through Sept. 30) PASSING YARDS Player 1. Lamar Jackson, LOU 2. Eric Dungey, SYR 3. Ryan Finley, NCST 4. Josh Jackson, VT 5. Kurt Benkert, UVA

Yds. 1,636 1,437 1,403 1,378 1,249

PASSING TOUCHDOWNS Player 1. Lamar Jackson, LOU 2. Josh Jackson, VT 3. Kurt Benkert, UVA 4. Ryan Finley, NCST 5. Several tied at ...

No. 13 12 10 9 8

RUSHING YARDS Player 1. TaQuon Marshall, GT 2. KirVonte Benson, GT 3. Lamar Jackson, LOU 4. Shaun Wilson, DUKE 5. Nyheim Hines, NCST

Yds. 523 476 437 412 411

RECEIVING YARDS Player 1. Steve Ishmael, SYR 2. Cam Phillips, VT 3. Ervin Philips, SYR 4. Jaylen Smith, LOU 5. Greg Dortch, WAKE

Yds. 632 597 420 379 352

SCORING Player 1. TaQuon Marshall, QB, GT 2. Mike Weaver, PK, WAKE 2. Jaylen Samuels, TE, NCST 4. Austin Parker, PK, DUKE 5. Several tied at ...

Pts. 54 48 48 46 44

TEAM STATISTICS (Through Sept. 30) TOTAL OFFENSE Team Louisville Clemson Virginia Tech NC State Syracuse Duke Wake Forest North Carolina Georgia Tech Pittsburgh Virginia Boston College Miami Florida State

Yds./G 575 475 474 461 460 446 419 395 479 359 434 318 517 301

Pts./G 40.0 36.4 35.4 34.8 33.0 33.6 34.0 28.4 36.5 24.4 31.3 17.6 41.3 18.0

PASSING OFFENSE LEADERS Team Yds. Louisville 1,826 Syracuse 1,585 NC State 1,465 Virginia Tech 1,408 North Carolina 1,264

Yds./G 365.2 317.0 293.0 281.6 252.8

RUSHING OFFENSE LEADERS Team Yds. Georgia Tech 1,584 Clemson 1,234 Duke 1,091 Louisville 1,051 Virginia Tech 963

Yds./G 396.0 246.8 218.2 210.2 192.6

STaRS OF THE wEEk • QB Max Browne, Pittsburgh: Completed 28 of 32 for 410 yards and four TDs in the Panthers’ defeat of Rice. • DE Bradley Chubb, N.C. State: Had two sacks to help the Wolfpack turn back Syracuse and improve to 2-0 in the ACC. • WR Ervin Philips, Syracuse: Set an ACC record with 17 receptions and collected 188 receiving yards in the orange’s loss to N.C. State.

STaT OF THE wEEk

1

Player in Clemson history to have 10 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and an interception return in a single game. Linebacker Dorian O’Daniel pulled off the feat in last week’s 31-17 victory at Virginia Tech.

KEY GAME IN FLORIDA

HURRICANES, SEMINOLES MEET AGAIN IN ONE OF GAME’S BEST RIVALRIES

KEYS FOR MIAMI Remove the run. This hasn’t proven too difficult for Florida State’s opponents so far, though in fairness the Seminoles have faced three above average defenses (Alabama, N.C. State and Wake Forest) during the first month of the season. If the Hurricanes can neutralize TBs Jacques Patrick and Cam Akers, it will be on freshman QB James Blackman to figure out how to earn a victory with his arm. That won’t be easy against Miami. Get Walton on track. At his best, Miami TB Mark Walton is the best rusher in the conference. But is he at his best right now? Walton managed 51 yards on 17 carries in last week’s victory at Duke, and he aggravated a left ankle injury in the

process. If he’s healthy, he will be vital in providing balance for Miami against what is still a strong Florida State defense. KEYS FOR FLORIDA STATE Improved offensive line. While Blackman made some nice throws last week against Wake Forest (especially a late go-ahead TD to Auden Tate), he is still going to need help to thrive this year. That assistance needs to come from an offensive line that was thoroughly manhandled for much of the game last week. No doubt Miami (which had five sacks and 11 tackles for loss against Duke) was taking notes, hardly a fun thought for the Seminoles. Force Rosier into turnovers. The early returns on Miami QB Malik

Rosier’s run as the Hurricanes’ starter are promising. He’s completing 65.6 percent of his passes and averaging nearly 14 yards per completion. The return of WR Ahmmon Richards to the regular rotation helps as well. pREDICTION Miami 27-24. Florida State has won seven in a row against its Sunshine State rival, matching its longest streak ever in the series. It has never lost to the Hurricanes under Jimbo Fisher, though the last three victories were all onepossession affairs. Ending the skid would mean a lot to Miami, as well as for the trajectory of coach Mark Richt’s tenure. But even with the Seminoles struggling, they’re unlikely to go down in lopsided fashion.

BEST OF THE REST THIS WEEK’S OTHER TOp GAMES

WAKE FOREST(4-1,1-1) at No.2 CLEMSON (5-0,3-0)

DUKE (4-1, 1-1) at VIRGINIA (3-1, 0-0)

No.16VA.TECH(4-1,0-1)at BOSTONCOLLEGE(2-3,0-2)

When: Noon EDT Saturday Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C. TV: ESPN2 Notes: Clemson leads series 64-17-1. After escaping an arduous September without a loss (and frankly not encountering Bryant serious trouble at either Louisville or Virginia Tech along the way). QB Kelly Bryant’s shiftiness has provided a de facto top option in the running game, while the Tigers defense continues to impress.

When: 12:20 p.m. EDT Saturday Where: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Va. TV: ACC Network Notes: Virginia leads series 35-33. Duke is trying to regain its mojo on offense after managing just two field goals in a loss to Miami. The Blue Devils Jones averaged just less than four yards per pass attempt against the Hurricanes, and opening up the aerial attack under QB Daniel Jones will be a priority as Duke looks for its second ACC road victory.

When: 7:15 p.m. EDT Saturday Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass. TV: ESPN2 Notes:VirginiaTechleadsseries17-8. TheEagleswere entirelyuncompetitivewiththe topteamsinthe ACClastyear,but gaveClemsona strongruntwo Hilliman weeksagobefore fadinginthefourthquarter.Boston Collegegotitsrunninggameontrack lastweekagainstCentralMichigan asJonHillimanrushedfortwoscores andfreshmanA.J.Dilloncollected120 yardsandaTD.

ROUNDING IT OUT THE REST OF THE MATCHUpS

Time (EDT) SATURDAY 12:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m.

Matchup Pittsburgh at Syracuse No. 21 Notre Dame at N. Carolina

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3. Louisville (4-1): The Lamar Jackson Show returns to conference play after routs of Kent State and Murray State. (LW: 3) 4. Virginia Tech (4-1): Even with the Clemson setback, Virginia Tech remains a serious contender in the Coastal Division. (LW: 2) 5. N.C. State(4-1):The Wolfpack already claimed one showme game thisseason when theywenttoFlorida State and earnedavictory.(LW: 6) 6. Georgia Tech (3-1): The Yellow Jackets head into their bye and get two weeks to prepare for Miami. (LW: 7) 7. Florida State (1-2): A week after losing to N.C. State, the Seminoles looked incredibly mortal at Wake Forest. (LW: 8) 8. Wake Forest (4-1): A tough stretch continues as they look for their first victory at Clemson since 1998. (LW: 9) 9. Duke (4-1): The Blue Devils’ offense is taking steps backward, and it had no answers for the challenge posed by Miami. (LW: 5) 10. Virginia (3-1): Did the bye come at the wrong time for the Cavaliers? Perhaps, but no one will say that if they beat Duke. (LW: 10) 11. BostonCollege (2-3):Any chance for bowl eligibility included sweeping the non-Notre Dame portion of the nonconference schedule. (LW: 13) 12. Syracuse (2-3): It turns out losing by single digits at N.C. State is a more respectable showing than losing by single digits at LSU. (LW: 11) 13. Pittsburgh (2-3): A trip to Syracuse provides another winnable game for the uneven Panthers. (LW: 14) 14. North Carolina (1-4): Injuries have severely depleted the depth chart and rendered the offense inert. (LW: 12)