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Atlantic Coast Conference play kicked into high gear in October, with all schools meeting mostly league opponents all month. Surprises abounded, from Georgia Tech upending Florida State with a game-ending touchdown on a return of a blocked field goal to Miami’s wild, questionably legitimate, eight-lateral, game-winning touchdown on a kickoff return to beat host Duke. For added flavor, longtime Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer announced Nov. 1 that he will retire at the end of this season.
The standings:
Atlantic: Clemson (5-0 ACC, 8-0 overall); Florida State (5-1, 7-1); Louisville (3-2, 4-4); North Carolina State (1-3, 5-3); Syracuse (1-3, 3-5); Wake Forest (1-5, 3-6); Boston College (0-6, 3-6)
Coastal: North Carolina (4-0, 7-1); Pittsburgh (4-1, 6-2); Duke (3-1, 6-2); Miami (2-2, 5-3); Virginia (2-2, 3-5); Virginia Tech (2-3, 4-5); Georgia Tech (1-5, 3-6)
Atlantic Division
Clemson
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The Tigers opened October with a hotly contested 24-22 win over visiting Notre Dame, then cruised to easy home victories against Georgia Tech and Boston College. Clemson took to the road for its last two October contests and surpassed the 50-point mark in both, hammering Miami 58-0 and prevailing in a 56-41 shootout at North Carolina State.
November opens with the consensus preseason ACC Game of the Year, when the Tigers host Florida State in a contest that could decide the Atlantic Division title. A Clemson win would give the Tigers a two-game lead over Florida State, while a loss would create a tie and leave FSU with the tiebreaking advantage.
November Schedule: 11/7 FLORIDA STATE; 11/14 at Syracuse; 11/21 WAKE FOREST; 11/28 at South Carolina
Florida State
Entering October, the Seminoles looked poised to roll into Death Valley for a clash of unbeatens, before stumbling in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. However, FSU struggled to beat Wake Forest on the road and Miami at home, then roused itself in the second half to manhandle Louisville. Then came the surprise loss at Georgia Tech, followed by a 45-21 thrashing of Syracuse.
The Nov. 7 tilt at Clemson thus becomes a must-win if the Seminoles wish to retain any hope of repeating as conference champions. With only one ACC game remaining, a loss to Clemson would eliminate FSU from the Atlantic race.
November Schedule: 11/7 at Clemson; 11/14 N.C. STATE; 11/21 CHATTANOOGA; 11/28 at Florida
Louisville
As September ended, the Cardinals had just gotten off the schneid for the season with a 45-3 pounding of Samford. October began with a trip to N.C. State in near-monsoon conditions, resulting in a 20-13 win over the Wolfpack. After an open date, U of L headed to Tallahassee, and in an eerie reminder of last year’s game in Louisville, the Cards led at halftime, but got steamrolled thereafter. Louisville rebounded with a pair of one-possession wins, against Boston College and at Wake Forest, to head into November as winners of four of their last five games.
November begins with a visit from Syracuse, followed by the home finale against Virginia. The Cards then travel to Pittsburgh for their final ACC game, before closing out the regular season at instate rival Kentucky.
November Schedule: 11/7 SYRACUSE; 11/14 VIRGINIA; 11/21 at Pittsburgh; 11/28 at Kentucky
N.C. State
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The Wolfpack entered October undefeated, having dispatched Troy, Eastern Kentucky, Old Dominion and South Alabama without scoring fewer than 35 points in a game. League play proved a different experience for N.C. State; Louisville held the Pack to 13 points, and State went on to drop three of its four October games.
November starts with road trips to face two teams with stout defenses, Boston College and Florida State, and closes with home games against Syracuse and North Carolina. Reaching bowl eligibility should not prove difficult, but much more than that looks problematic.
November Schedule: 11/7 at Boston College; 11/14 at Florida State; 11/21 SYRACUSE; 11/28 NORTH CAROLINA
Syracuse
October treated the Orange unkindly. After winning its first three, Syracuse ended September with a respectable 34-24 loss to LSU in the Carrier Dome, then traveled to Tampa and got hammered by South Florida. Next came a pair of heartburn-inducing losses, by six points in triple overtime at Virginia and by three at home to Pittsburgh. Syracuse ended October with a 45-21 blowout loss at Florida State.
Syracuse looks like a probable underdog in its first three November contests (at Louisville, Clemson, at N.C. State) before hosting Boston College to wrap up the season. Winning three of the last four to reach bowl eligibility seems highly unlikely.
November Schedule: 11/7 at Louisville; 11/14 CLEMSON; 11/21 at N.C. State; 11/28 BOSTON COLLEGE
Wake Forest
To understate the case, it has been a tough year in Winston-Salem. The Demon Deacons marched through September and October without an open date, splitting their four September games. Then the opposition ramped up, beginning with then-unbeaten Florida State. Wake stayed close to the Seminoles, losing 24-16, then slogged through a 3-0 win at Boston College to once again reach .500 at 3-3. Things went south from there, however, starting with a 50-14 shelling at North Carolina.
The Deacs finally get an open date to start November, entering the month with a three-game losing streak. The skid may well reach six, as the season wraps up against Notre Dame, Clemson and Duke.
November Schedule: 11/7 Open; 11/14 at Notre Dame; 11/21 at Clemson; 11/28 DUKE
Boston College
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As September ended, Boston College fans had reasons for cautious optimism. Their Eagles stood at 3-1, and in the lone loss, BC had held a powerful Florida State offense to one touchdown in a 14-0 defeat.
Then came October. Five games, five losses. BC surrendered more than 17 points only twice, but the offense nearly disappeared, averaging only 13 points per game. The Eagles lost 9-7 at Duke, 3-0 at home to Wake Forest, and 17-14 at Louisville. Throw in decisive losses to Clemson and Virginia Tech, and BC had a five-game losing skid and seriously needed an open date.
The open date does not arrive until the second week in November. The first weekend sees N.C. State come to Chestnut Hill. After the break, the Eagles face Notre Dame in Fenway Park, then conclude the season at Syracuse.
November Schedule: 11/7 N.C. STATE; 11/14 Open; 11/21 NOTRE DAME (at Fenway Park); 11/28 at Syracuse
Coastal Division
North Carolina
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The Tar Heels have surprised many observers, rising to the top of the Coastal Division with a 4-0 ACC record through October, the only overall blemish a 17-13 loss to South Carolina in the opener. Carolina obliterated its final three non-conference foes, then nipped host Georgia Tech 38-31 to open league play. Decisive wins over Wake Forest (50-14) and Virginia (26-13) followed, then the Heels pulled a 26-19 upset at then-No. 23 Pittsburgh.
November opens with a high-stakes homecoming tilt against archrival Duke. A Tar Heel win puts UNC securely in the driver’s seat in the Coastal; a loss would create a three-way tie for first place, making the following week’s game against Miami more pivotal. Carolina finishes on the road, at Virginia Tech and at N.C. State.
November Schedule: 11/7 DUKE; 11/14 MIAMI; 11/21 at Virginia Tech; 11/28 at N.C. State
Pittsburgh
Heading into the last week of October, the Panthers looked to be cruising. With only a three-point loss to undefeated Iowa marring its record, then-No. 23 Pitt sported a 4-0 ACC mark and seemed poised to take control of the Coastal Division, despite losing preseason conference Player of the Year James Conner to injury. What few seemed to notice was the combined ACC win total of the Panthers’ four victims: four. The month ended with a Thursday night game against North Carolina for the Coastal lead, which the Tar Heels won 26-19.
The Panthers’ November slate looks daunting. First up is the final non-ACC game of the year against Notre Dame, followed by three opponents with winning league records: Louisville, Duke and Miami. Though three of the four games are at Heinz Field, Pitt may not be favored until the finale against the Hurricanes.
November schedule: 11/7 NOTRE DAME; 11/14 at Duke; 11/21 LOUISVILLE; 11/28 MIAMI
Duke
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It was anything but a happy Halloween in Durham. Six seconds away from a 27-24 win over Miami and a share of the Coastal lead, the Blue Devils fell victim to a game-ending, eight-lateral kickoff return touchdown that, in the eyes of everyone but the officials, the Hurricanes, and their fans, should not have counted. Replays clearly showed a runner down before the fourth lateral, and the officials inexplicably picked up a flag for an illegal block in the back. As a result, the ACC suspended the entire officiating crew for two weeks, but as of this writing, Duke’s first league loss still stood, ending a four-game wining streak.
The Devils still control their own destiny, however. With wins over North Carolina and Pittsburgh, Duke would reclaim a share of first place in the division with UNC and hold the tiebreaking advantage over the Tar Heels, with neither of Duke’s remaining opponents currently owning a winning record in league play.
November Schedule: 11/7 at North Carolina; 11/14 PITTSBURGH; 11/21 at Virginia; 11/28 at Wake Forest
Miami
Meanwhile, in Coral Gables, the Hurricanes are selling T-shirts commemorating the wildest finish since that California returner ran over that Stanford trombone player for a game-winning touchdown, celebrating a victory they should know is counterfeit. The win seemed even sweeter coming on the heels of a 58-0 beatdown by then-No. 6 Clemson that ultimately cost head coach Al Golden his job.
Miami, then, enters November with a thready pulse in the Coastal race. Should the Hurricanes win out and find themselves tied with Duke and North Carolina, they would have a 2-0 record against the tied teams. That scenario also would require Duke losing to Virginia or Wake Forest, and it’s difficult to believe Miami hasn’t exhausted its supply of miracles.
November Schedule: 11/7 VIRGINIA; 11/14 at North Carolina; 11/21 GEORGIA TECH; 11/28 at Pittsburgh
Virginia
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The Cavaliers staggered out of a brutal September with only a six-point win over William and Mary to their credit, having just absorbed a 56-14 pounding by Boise State. UVa fared slightly better in October, splitting its four games and finishing the month with a 27-21 home field win over Georgia Tech.
The Cavaliers enter November with faint hopes to grab a share of the Coastal title, but it would require winning out and getting a lot of help, as Virginia already has lost to Pittsburgh and North Carolina. It does, however, have the chance to strike a blow for justice, as it opens the month at Miami.
November Schedule: 11/7 at Miami; 11/14 at Louisville; 11/21 DUKE; 11/28 VIRGINIA TECH
Virginia Tech
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Hokies head coach Frank Beamer ended months of speculation earlier this week when he announced his retirement after 29 years in Blacksburg, effective at the end of the season. As of this writing, Beamer leads all active Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) coaches with 277 career victories, sixth all time — 235 of them at Virginia Tech.
He will leave after a disappointing season, in which his Hokies expected to battle Georgia Tech for the Coastal crown. Instead, both have languished near the division cellar. In ACC play, Virginia Tech has beaten only 1-3 N.C. State and winless Boston College, and currently trails North Carolina by three games in the loss column with three remaining.
November starts with an open date, followed by a what-might-have-been trip to Georgia Tech. The Hokies then host North Carolina and close with their annual rivalry game at Virginia. Two wins would make Tech eligible to prolong Beamer’s career in a bowl game.
November Schedule: 11/7 Open; 11/12 at Georgia Tech; 11/21 NORTH CAROLINA; 11/28 at Virginia
Georgia Tech
Picked by many in the preseason to defend its Coastal crown, Georgia Tech instead has struggled. After back-to-back 60-plus-point games against Alcorn State and Tulane to open the season, the Yellow Jackets suffered five consecutive losses. Tech rallied for a 22-16 upset of previously unbeaten Florida State, but stumbled again at Virginia to snuff out any hope of a winning season.
After an open date, the Jackets host Virginia Tech in a Thursday night game that, back in August, had appeared likely to decide the division title. Instead, it will serve only to honor Georgia Tech’s 1990 national championship team. The season then closes with a trip to Miami and the annual intrastate battle against visiting Georgia.
November Schedule: 11/7 Open; 11/12 VIRGINIA TECH; 11/21 at Miami; 11/28 GEORGIA
Notable November Games
Nov. 7 — Florida State at Clemson, Duke at North Carolina
Nov. 14 — Pittsburgh at Duke, Miami at North Carolina
Nov. 21 — Louisville at Pittsburgh, North Carolina at Virginia Tech
Nov. 28 — Miami at Pittsburgh (11/27), North Carolina at N.C. State