Accolades for the ACC
The SEC was second to the ACC on Saturday.
One by one, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida State knocked off their in-state SEC rivals, giving the ACC a 4-0 mark against what is considered the country’s top conference on the final day of the regular season.
It was the first time since 2000 that Florida State, Clemson and Tech defeated Florida, South Carolina and Georgia in the same season.
Florida State (12-0) not only held off Florida 24-19 in Will Muschamp’s final game as the Gators’ coach, the Seminoles extended their win streak to 28 games heading into the ACC Championship game against Tech (10-2) onSaturday.
Bluegrass brouhaha
Photos of Louisville coach Bobby Petrino grabbing Kentucky assistant Dan Berezowitz’s collar before the start of that annual rivalry were rapidly retweeted early Saturday.
Petrino said he was trying to keep the peace.
“I just watched it get escalated, and then I turned around and it was going on in another part of the field, and the No. 1 thing we needed to do was get them separated.”
The pregame scuffle began when Kentucky players stomped on Louisville’s midfield logo.
“Obviously, I didn’t see the whole melee and all that,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “You know, I think emotions run high in this game. It was hard fought football game.”
Louisville teams coached by Petrino are 5-0 against Kentucky.
Numbers game
95 Yards covered by Boston College's Myles Willis when he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the Eagles' 28-7 victory over Syracuse. Willis is a sophomore who played at Marist.
388 Yards rushing by North Carolina State in its 35-7 victory over North Carolina. That total included 161 yards by Shadrach Thornton, who played at Liberty County.
He said it
"It was a fun year. I definitely ran a lot more than I thought I would. Yeah, I would definitely say I was surprised. I really didn't know what to expect coming into the season." — Boston College's Tyler Murphy, who set the ACC rushing for quarterbacks with 1,079 this season
"Offensively, that was as probably as bad as I have been around actually." — North Carolina coach Larry Fedora on the Tar Heels being held to 30 yards rushing and 207 total yards in the loss to N.C. State
Standings
Atlantic; ACC; All
Fla. State;8-0;12-0
Clemson;6-2;9-3
Louisville;5-3;9-3
Boston Coll.;3-4;7-5
N.C. State;2-5;7-5
Syracuse;1-6;3-8
Wake Forest;1-7;3-9
Coastal; ACC; All
Ga. Tech;6-2;10-2
Duke;4-3;8-3
N. Carolina;4-4;6-6
Pittsburgh;3-4;5-6
Miami;3-4;6-5
Va. Tech;3-5;6-6
Virginia;3-5;5-7
(Through afternoon games)
Saturday’s schedule
Georgia Tech vs. Florida State (ACC Championship game), TBD, ABC
