Week 0 has come and gone, with a couple of ACC teams playing their first game of the season. It was meant to give fans a welcome back to college football, and it definitely did.
ACC Power Rankings after Week 0
There were a few ACC teams in the mix: UNC, FSU, Stanford, NC State, and Virginia. UNC participated in the Aer Lingus Classic in Ireland against the TCU Horned Frogs. NC State played Virginia in a rare Week 0 conference matchup. Stanford played in a shootout against Hawaii, and FSU looked underwhelming against a non-Power 4 FBS opponent.
UNC vs. TCU
Let’s start with the Tar Heels. They were somehow able to pull out a victory over TCU in Ireland. While it was an ugly 15-10 victory, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino did enough to get the job done. Billy Edwards Jr. was efficient, and he had some dimes against Jelani Thurman and Jordan Shipp, and the secondary made Jaden Craig look awkward and unadjusted to Power 4 football. Still, I kept them at the same point in my ranking.
NC State vs. Virginia
The Virginia-NC State game was very interesting. I tabbed NC State as a dark horse to win the ACC, while I thought Virginia would take a step back. This was a game I thought that would happen.
Safe to say, I was very wrong. The Virginia Cavaliers absolutely dominated the NC State Wolfpack 34-8. Last season, run defense was a major concern for NC State, and this wasn’t a good way to quash those doubts. Virginia did whatever they wanted to on the ground game, with 258 yards and two touchdowns on 57 carries.
Quarterback Beau Pribula ran for 110 yards, while running back Jekail Middlebrook rushed for 64 yards. Pribula was also great in the air, going 9 for 11 for 155 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the NC State offense was incredibly flat. Star quarterback C.J. Bailey went 12 of 23 for 84 yards and two turnovers, while the running game mustered up just 76 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. That touchdown came when they were down 24-0.
As a result, I have Virginia and NC State swapping places. Virginia comes in at No. 6, while NC State falls to No. 10. NC State looks more like the inconsistent squad they were last season, while Virginia looks like they haven’t lost a beat.
New Mexico State vs. FSU
The Florida State Seminoles had a tune-up game against New Mexico State, and the thought was that they would come close to covering and inspire fans against tougher competition later on in the season.
It’s still a long season, but the Seminoles looked rough in a 34-17 win. Quarterback Ashton Daniels was outplayed by New Mexico State’s Trey Hedden. Daniels went 17 for 27 for 202 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while Hedden completed 26 of 42 passes for 272 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
The biggest reason why FSU won was because of their running game. Sophomore RB Ousmane Kromah finished with 115 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while Samuel Singleton had 42 yards and a TD on nine carries. Singleton also caught four passes for 54 yards and added another touchdown through the air.
The secondary and linebacker play was concerning. There were times when the man-to-man didn’t work. Their run defense was awesome, though, with 47 yards on 23 carries allowed.
Still, the passing offense struggling, especially with the talent they have at receiver, was the biggest concern. I put FSU down a spot, behind Duke. Let’s see if they can prove me wrong against SMU.
Hawaii vs. Stanford
Similar to UNC, Stanford surprised me with a good win, defeating Hawaii 37-27 after losing to them last season. Both offenses came to play, and Hawaii even came back from down 23-7 to take a 27-23 lead, but Stanford RB Micah Ford rushed in a touchdown with 1:41 left to make it 30-27. The cherry on top came with a strip-sack by EDGE Tevarua Tafifi on Hawaii QB Micah Alejado, and Tafifi ran it to the end zone to reach the final score.
Ford continues to be the engine for Stanford’s offense, with 99 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, but Davis Warren was great as well. He went 22 for 34 with 310 yards and a touchdown, and he even added 31 yards on the ground. His drive with 3:59 left, down 27-23, was super clutch. He gained 60 of the 62 yards on Stanford’s game-winning drive.
However, I kept them at the same place. Their secondary was concerning again against Hawaii at the end, although their defense did well against the run. They were also the beneficiaries of a rough special teams day by Hawaii, as the Rainbow Warriors suffered a blocked punt and a missed extra point. Still, I’m excited to see what Tavita Pritchard can do with this offense.
Post-Week 0 ACC Rankings
- Miami Hurricanes (N/A)
- SMU Mustangs (N/A)
- Louisville Cardinals (N/A)
- Clemson Tigers (N/A)
- Pitt Panthers (N/A)
- Virginia Cavaliers (Up 4, 34-8 Win vs. N.C. State)
- Cal Golden Bears (N/A)
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (N/A)
- Virginia Tech Hokies (N/A)
- N.C. State Wolfpack (Down 4, 34-8 Loss vs. Virginia)
- Duke Blue Devils (Up 1, N/A)
- Florida State Seminoles (Down 1, 34-17 Win vs. New Mexico State)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons (N/A)
- Syracuse Orange (N/A)
- UNC Tar Heels (N/A, 15-10 Win vs. TCU)
- Stanford Cardinal (N/A, 37-27 Win vs. Hawaii)
- Boston College Eagles (N/A)
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