Around the ACC Week 13 Recap

By: Justin Cates | Managing Editor

Miami_FLPittsburgh

Miami 29
Pittsburgh 24

Miami played its best all-around game of the season and was able to withstand a late rally to edge the Panthers on the road. Brad Kaaya ran for the opening touchdowns and threw another as Miami (8-4, 5-3) raced out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Kaaya finished the day 21-of-35 for 261 yards. Joseph Yearby paced the ground game with 99 yards on 22 carries and the Hurricanes were able to improve Larry Scott’s record to 4-1 as the interim head coach. The Panthers (8-4, 6-2) got a great game from Darrin Hall who carried the ball 12 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Nate Peterman ran for a score and passed for another but threw for just 142 yards and an interception.

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Louisville 38
Kentucky 24

Kentucky led 24-7 at one point, but the Cardinals righted the ship to score 31 unanswered points to win the Governor’s Cup. Kyle Bolin aided the enemy with two interceptions that led to 14 points for the Wildcats (5-7, 2-6) in the first half. Lamar Jackson replaced him and played beautifully, passing for 130 yards and a touchdown plus rushing for 186 yards and two more scores. James Quick caught four passes for 94 yards including a 35-yard touchdown from Jackson. The win makes five consecutive victories for Louisville (7-5, 5-3) in the series with Kentucky.

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#1 Clemson 37
South Carolina 32

This game was a classic example of why rivalry games are always scary no matter how good you are. It took everything DeShaun Watson had to avoid the nearly unthinkable upset to lowly South Carolina. Watson threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in the narrow victory. He completed 20-of-27 passes for 279 yards and ran for 114 yards on 21 carries solidifying his Heisman-worthy numbers. On the season, Watson has passed for 3,223 yards with 27 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He’s rushed for another 756 yards and nine touchdowns. Wayne Gallman surpassed the century-mark as well running for 102 yards on 19 carries for Clemson (12-0, 8-0). Perry Orth threw three touchdown passes for South Carolina (3-9, 1-7) but it wasn’t quite enough. This marks Clemson’s first win in Columbia since 2007.

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Virginia Tech 23
Virginia 20

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The Hokies made it 12 consecutive wins over Virginia and improved Frank Beamer’s record to 20-9 all-time against the Cavaliers. The Hokies rallied in the second half when trailing 13-6 and 20-13 before kicking what would be the game-winning field goal and picking off a Matt Johns pass to seal the game. Michael Brewer turned in another gritty performance for the Hokies (6-6, 4-4) passing for 237 yards, two touchdowns and an interception despite being heavily pressured by the Cavalier defense. Isaiah Ford was the story for the Tech offense. He hauled in six passes for 121 yards and a touchdown while finishing the regular season as the ACC’s leading receiver with 937 yards and 10 touchdowns. The touchdown total is a Virginia Tech record. Virginia (4-8, 3-5) got 103 yards rushing from Albert Reid including 57-yard touchdown. Wahoo head coach Mike London has since been fired.

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Georgia 13
Georgia Tech 7

Georgia beat their rival to finish the regular season 9-3, and Georgia has since fired Mark Richt. Greyson Lambert passed for 224 yards and and Sony Michael rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown in the ugly win for Georgia. Justin Thomas struggled for the Yellow Jackets (3-9, 1-7) tossing two interceptions and passing for just 82 yards, though he did throw a late touchdown pass to Ricky Jeune. Clinton Lynch had 78 yards on eight carries to highlight a meager offensive output by Georgia Tech in the finale of a disappointing season. Georgia under Mark Richt posted the following marks:

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Boston College 17
Syracuse 20

Syracuse won the sendoff for head coach Scott Shafer with a last-second field goal on senior day at the Carrier Dome. Zack Mahoney threw two touchdown passes despite passing for just 88 yards. Ervin Philips ran for 73 yards to pace the Orange (4-8, 2-6). Boston College ran the ball well getting 117 yards from quarterback Jeff Smith and 111 yards and two scores from Tyler Rouse. BC (3-9, 0-8) finished first in the nation in total defense number 125 out of 127 in total offense. They failed to win a conference game and suffered numerous issues with the quarterback position. The Orange gave an emotional sendoff to Shafer who was well-liked in Syracuse, but failed to produce wins during his time in charge.

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Duke 27
Wake Forest 21

Duke got back on track finally with a narrow win over Wake Forest. The Blue Devils (7-5, 4-4) got 275 yards passing,57 rushing yards and three total touchdowns from quarterback Thomas Sirk. John Wolford threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns, though he also had two interceptions. The Demon Deacons (3-9, 1-7) outgained Duke 450 to 431, but Duke added two Ross Martin including a 51-yarder to make the difference in the scoring column. Duke will play in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season. That’s the longest such streak in Duke history.

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#14 North Carolina 45
N.C. State 34

The Wolfpack gave North Carolina a tall challenge but the Heels held on for their 11th straight win. Elijah Hood had 21 carries for 220 yards and two touchdowns to lead the UNC ground attack. T.J. Logan had 100 yards on six carries and Marquise Williams pitched in 53 yards. Williams passed for 174 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Mitch Trubisky also through a 5-yard touchdown pass. N.C. State (7-5, 3-5) got a great performance from Jacoby Brissett who passed for 206 yards and two scores while rushing for a team-high 128 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Gallaspy II added 77 yards. North Carolina will now face No. 1 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game next weekend in Charlotte, N.C.

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#13 Florida State 27
#12 Florida 2

Florida State used the usual combination of a strong running game and a stifling defense to romp in the Swamp against rival Florida. Dalvin Cook carried the ball26 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns to anchor the Seminoles rushing attack. Treon Harris struggled for Florida (10-2, 7-1) completing just 19-of-38 passes for 134 yards. Kelvin Taylor ran for 136 yards for the gators, but the ‘Nole defense helf UF to 262 total yards. The win makes three-straight victories for Florida State (10-2, 6-2) in Gainesville.

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