Elimination game
The ACC gets the spotlight Saturday when Clemson visits Florida State, and the winner likely becomes the early favorite to possibly represent the league in the College Football Playoff.
Both teams had the day off Saturday. Both hoped to get healthier for the prime-time game on ABC. FSU leads the series 3-1 since Jimbo Fisher became FSU coach.
“Off weeks, you think they’re at the right times before games, but this one turned out to be pretty good because of our health,” Fisher said. “Let some guys get healthy, get some other guys back hopefully and see where we’ll go.”
Defensive linemen Eddie Goldman and Nile Lawrence-Stample missed practice part of this week after they were injured during the Seminoles’ 37-12 win against The Citadel last weekend. The linemen have lower-leg injuries that were being attributed to cut blocks used by the Bulldogs in their triple-option scheme.
A step backward
Virginia Tech, which last week upset No. 8 Ohio State and gave ACC fans hope for a renewed importance of the league in the national picture, took a huge step back by losing horribly at home to East Carolina. The Pirates broke a five-game losing skid to ranked opponents. In the process, the Hokies gave up 427 yards passing to ECU’s Shane Carden. Combined with Georgia Tech’s narrow victory against Georgia Southern, it took some luster away from Saturday’s game in Blacksburg between the Jackets and Hokies.
Numbers game
544 Rushing yards this season for Pitt sophomore James Conner, who gained 177 against Florida International. Conner broke Tony Dorsett's school record for most rushing yards in the first three games of a season that Dorsett set in 1973 during his freshman season.
He said it
“We have no one on this team offered (a scholarship) by Tech. But they’re going to look back and say we should have offered 50 of those (players).” — Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz after losing to Georgia Tech in the final minute
Standings
Atlantic; ACC; Alll
Fla. State;0;0;2;0
N.C. State;0;0;3;0
Syracuse;0;0;2;0
Clemson;0;0;1;1
Wake Forest;0;0;1;1
Louisville;1;1;2;2
Boston Coll.;0;1;1;1
Coastal; ACC;; All
Pittsburgh;1;0;3;0
Virginia;1;0;2;1
Duke;0;0;3;0
Ga. Tech;0;0;3;0
N. Carolina;0;0;2;0
Va Tech;0;0;2;1
Miami;0;1;2;1
Note: Through afternoon games
Next
Ga. Tech at Va. Tech, noon (ESPN or ESPNU)
Iowa at Pitt, noon (ESPN or ESPNU)
Maryland at Syracuse, 12:30 p.m.
Tulane at Duke, 12:30 p.m.
Maine at Boston College, 1 p.m.
North Carolina at East Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPNU)
Army at Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m.
Virginia at BYU, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPNU)
Louisville at Fla. International, 3:3o p.m.
Presbyterian at N.C. State, 6 p.m.
Miami at Nebraska, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Clemson at FSU, 8 p.m. (ABC)
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