ACC Insider: Boyd, Kuechly have been first-half stars

With six games gone and six more to play for ACC most teams, let’s take a look back at the top players and performances from the first half of the season.

Top offensive player

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson: It didn't take Boyd long to not only grasp, but embrace new offensive coordinator Chad Morris' system. Boyd has helped Clemson fans purge the memory of former starter Kyle Parker by throwing for 1,742 with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions as the Tigers have shot out to a 6-0 start. Boyd is only a sophomore, but displayed plenty of poise in consecutive wins over Auburn, Florida State and Virginia Tech.

Top defensive player

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College: Teams haven't figured out a way to block Kuechly, who already has 99 tackles and is averaging 16.5 a game, which leads the nation. He's had at least 10 tackles in 27 consecutive games, including a career-high 23 in a loss to Duke two weeks ago, and is a lock to be selected to All-America teams for the second consecutive season.

Top rookie

Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina: Bernard missed last season after tearing an ACL, so nobody was sure what to expect from the redshirt freshman. He's quickly quieted any doubters by rushing for 657 yards and eight TDs, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in each of his past four games. That's the first time that's been accomplished by a Tar Heel since Ethan Horton in 1984. Bernard is the leading freshman running back in the country with 109.5 yards a game and has helped lead the North Carolina to a 5-1 record.

Top coach

Dabo Swinney, Clemson: Clemson entered the season with a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback, a maligned defense and a top running back coming off a severe foot injury. Swinney has led the Tigers to undefeated record (6-0) and a spot in the Top 10, and the fans who loathed him now love him, especially after wins over consecutive Auburn, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Clemson has survived the toughest part of its schedule and is in excellent position to reach the ACC Championship game.

Biggest surprise

Wake Forest: Coach Jim Grobe and the Demon Deacons also are in a strong position to win the Atlantic Division. Even though Grobe has had success at Wake Forest, not much was expected from the Demon Deacons this year. They were 3-9 in 2010, losing nine consecutive games at one point, and began this year with an overtime loss at Syracuse. They have won four straight, including a victory over Florida State, but play Virginia Tech on Saturday and then must weather a tough three-game stretch that includes games at North Carolina and Clemson and at home against Notre Dame.

Biggest disappointment

Florida State: This was supposed to be the year the Seminoles returned to national prominence. At least that's what a lot of folks thought. They opened at No. 6 in the nation and were ranked fifth after the first two weeks. That's when Florida State started losing, first to Oklahoma, then to Clemson and Wake Forest. The Seminoles are now 2-3 with a running game that's 112th in the country. The remainder of the schedule is favorable, so expect them to turn their season around.

Game to remember

Virginia Tech 38, Miami 35: The Hokies needed Logan Thomas' 19-yard TD run on fourth-and-1 with 56 seconds left to knock off the Hurricanes on Saturday. Thomas came through with his best game of the season, going 23-for-25 for 310 yards with three TD passes and running for two more to drop the Hurricanes to 0-2 in the ACC. Miami's Lamar Miller rushed for 166 yards and Virginia Tech's David Wilson had 128.

Game to see

Clemson at Georgia Tech, Oct. 29: Both teams are 6-0 and will meet in what could be a preview of the conference championship game. The Tigers must win at Maryland and against North Carolina and the Yellow Jackets have to win road games at Virginia and Miami for both teams to be 8-0 when they meet at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Quotable

"We're not really getting respect. As you can see, we're 5-1 and we're still not ranked. ... In order to make a statement to the world, we have to show up and eat at the end of the season. ... You see teams like Virginia Tech, they're 5-1, but they're ranked. Obviously, being ranked is not a big deal to me, but it shows a sign of disrespect to me, personally." – North Carolina cornerback Jabari Price

"I think sometimes that's what we do. We try too hard. I don't think its hunger. It's not effort. We play hard. You look at the film at the effort and the hustle. That's not it. We don't play intelligently. It's three I's: Immediacy. Intensity. Intelligence. You have to play intelligent. We have to teach them that way. We're not playing with intelligence in the right situations to be able convert the things we need to convert to win the football games." – Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher on his team's three-game losing streak.

By the numbers

6 – Interceptions by North Carolina State cornerback David Amerson, who leads the nation.

616.8 – Passing efficiency rating for Wake Forest receiver Michael Campanaro, who is 3-for-3 for 106 yards and two touchdowns this season.

Schedule

Miami at North Carolina, 12:30 p.m. (WUPA)

Florida State at Duke, 3 p.m. (FSSO)

Georgia Tech at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)