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ACC Football Week 8 Spotlight: Friday Night Doubleheader, Marquee Conference Matchups Highlight Weekend Slate

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The spotlight shines brightly on ACC Football in Week 8 as the conference takes over Friday night with a nationally televised doubleheader on ESPN, setting the stage for a weekend packed with marquee matchups.
 
Friday night kicks off with No. 2 Miami hosting Louisville for the Schnellenberger Trophy at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, followed by California hosting North Carolina for the first time in ACC play at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
 
Saturday’s slate features a battle of unbeatens in conference play as No. 12 Georgia Tech heads to Durham, North Carolina, to take on Duke at Noon ET on ESPN, high-stakes rematch of the 2024 ACC Football Championship Gamem that was decided on a last-second field goal as SMU visits Clemson at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACCN, the historic rivalry between Pitt and Syracuse at 7:30 p.m. ET on ACCN, and a first-ever meeting between Florida State and Stanford, adding a fresh chapter to the ACC’s expanding national footprint, at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
 
The two other Saturday contests are out of conference play, as Virginia looks to become bowl eligible as the Cavaliers host Washington State at 6:30 p.m. ET on The CW, while Boston College will host UConn in a regional rivalry that dates back to 1908 at Noon ET on ACCN.


Week 8 - ACC Football Schedule
(all times Eastern Time)
 
Friday, October 17
Louisville at #2 Miami | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Series: Miami leads series, 12-4-1
Last meeting: Miami, 52-45 (2024)

North Carolina at California | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Series: California leads series, 2-0-0
Last meeting: California, 24-17 (2018)


Saturday, October 18 
#12 Georgia Tech at Duke | Noon | ESPN
Series: Georgia Tech leads series, 55-35-1
Last meeting: Georgia Tech, 24-14 (2024)
 
UConn at Boston College | Noon | ACC Network
Series: Boston College leads series, 13-1-2
Last meeting: Boston College, 21-14 (2023)

SMU at Clemson | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Series: Clemson leads series, 1-0-0
Last meeting: Clemson, 34-31 (2024)
 
Washington State at #18 Virginia | 6:30 p.m. | The CW
Series: First Meeting
 
Pitt at Syracuse | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Series: Pitt leads series, 44-33-3
Last meeting: Pitt, 41-13 (2024)
 
Florida State at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Series: First Meeting
 

ACC Football Notes
 
Future ACC Football Scheduling Model
  • The Athletic Directors of the 17 ACC football-playing institutions overwhelmingly supported a regular season schedule that includes nine conference games and a minimum of 10 games each year against Power 4 opponents.
  • This positions the ACC as one of only two leagues committed to having every team annually play a minimum of 10 games against Power 4 teams.
  • Most teams will begin playing nine conference games plus one P4 game in 2026; however, multiple teams will play eight conference games and two P4 non-conference opponents to accommodate for currently scheduled non-conference games as part of the transition to the new model.
  • The nine-game league schedule will be fully implemented in 2027, with 16 teams playing nine league games and one that will play eight conference games plus two P4 non-conference games.
  • Per the Conference constitution, the 9+1 scheduling model will be presented to the FAR for formal adoption.

ACC and ESPN/ACCN Enhanced Instant Replay Transparency
  • Week 8of the ACC Football season will see a season-high four games utilize the ACC Enhanced Instant Replay Access, including both games of the doubleheader on Friday, October 17 (Louisville at No. 2 Miami, 7 p.m. ET/ESPN and North Carolina at California, 10:30 p.m. ET/ESPN) as well as two games on Saturday, October 18 (No. 12 Georgia Tech at Duke, Noon ET/ESPN and SMU at Clemson, 3:30 p.m. ET/ACCN).
  • First-of-its-kind collaboration modernizing the fan experience.
  • Fans will hear real-time officiating deliberations on ESPN/ESPN2’s Friday night games and ACCN primetime Saturdays.
  • ACC was the only league providing this level of access in select games in 2024 and the start of 2025, setting a new standard for college football.

Five ACC Teams Remain Unbeaten in League Play
  • Heading into Week 8, five ACC teams are unbeaten in conference play – Georgia Tech (3-0), Duke (3-0), Virginia (3-0), SMU (2-0) and Miami (1-0).
  • The five undefeated teams in conference play are the most of any conference – ACC (5), American (4), Big 12 (3), CUSA (3), MAC (3), Mountain West (3), SEC (3), Sun Belt (3) and Big Ten (2).
 
Undefeated Teams Overall
  • The ACC is one of only five FBS conferences with multiple undefeated teams through the first seven weeks of the season – Georgia Tech (6-0) and Miami (5-1).
  • The ACC has two of the 11 remaining overall unbeaten teams this season in all of FBS, tied for the most of any conference.
 
ACC with Multiple Top-10 Wins
  • The ACC is one of three conferences with multiple top-10 victories so far this season: Florida State over No. 8 Alabama (August 30), Miami over No. 6 Notre Dame (August 31) and Virginia over No. 8 Florida State (September 26).
 
Looking to Go Bowling
  • Georgia Tech became the first ACC team to become bowl eligible this season, picking up its sixth win with a 35-20 victory over Virginia Tech (Oct. 11) in Week 7.
  • The Yellow Jackets are one of 10 teams in all of FBS that have already clinched a postseason bowl spot.
  • Two other ACC teams can become bowl eligible with a win in Week 8, as Miami and Virginia both enter play this week with five wins.
 
Close Finishes Highlight ACC Play
  • ACC league play is off to a thrilling start, with close finishes, overtimes and last-possession drama.
  • 10 (10 of 23; 43.5%) conference games so far this season have been decided by one score (8 points or fewer).
  • In Week 5, there were two conference games in the ACC that went to overtime, marking the first time multiple ACC league games went past regulation in the same week since Week 8 of 2019. (Stats Perform)
  • From 2021–24, 107 of 236 ACC conference games (45.3%) were decided by eight points or fewer.
  • In 2024 alone, 34 of 68 league games (50%) were one-possession outcomes.
 
ACC Football Fridays
  • ACC Football is set to dominate Fridays this fall, with a league-record 12 games scheduled for Fridays in 2025, the most of any conference.
  • 12 of the ACC’s 17 football programs will participate in at least one primetime Friday night game.
  • ACC Football Fridays continues in Week 8 with a doubleheader, as Louisville will travel to No. 2 Miami at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, while North Carolina will travel across the country to visit California at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Strongest Non-Conference Schedule
  • Through the first seven weeks of the season, ACC teams have played 18 non-conference games against peer Power 4 opponents and Notre Dame – the most of any conference – ACC – 18; Big 12 – 14; SEC – 14; Big Ten – 11.
  • The ACC has eight games remaining against peer P4 and Notre Dame this season, three more than the other three conferences combined – SEC (4), Big Ten (1) and Big 12 (0).
  • ACC teams are scheduled to play 26 games against peer Power 4 conference opponents and Notre Dame in 2025, the most of any conference by at least eight games – ACC – 26; SEC – 18; Big 12 – 14; Big Ten – 12.

ACC is Again the Conference of Quarterbacks
  • The ACC has nine different quarterbacks across nine different teams that have thrown 10 or more touchdown passes thus far this season, tied for the most among all FBS conferences.
  • The ACC has had 10 different quarterbacks this season who have thrown four or more touchdowns in a game, the most by any FBS conference.
  • The ACC has six quarterbacks that rank among the nation's passing leaders this season with an average of 250.0 or more passing yards per game - the second-most of any conference.
  • Six quarterbacks in the ACC rank in the top 30 in ESPN’s QBR on the season.
  • Six quarterbacks in the ACC rank in the top 26 of the NCAA in passing efficiency this season.
  • Five quarterbacks in the ACC that rank among the nation’s passing leaders with an average of 255.0 or more passing yards per game this season.
  • Quarterbacks in the ACC have recorded a total of 23 300-yard passing games this season, the most of all FBS conferences.
  • The ACC has 13 different quarterbacks who have recorded at least one 300+ yard passing game this season, the most of all FBS conferences.
  • The ACC had six quarterbacks named to the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 25.
 
ACC is Loaded with Preeminent Players
  • The ACC has had 18 different players rush for 100+ yards in a game this season. Seven have done it twice — Isaac Brown (Louisville), Mark Fletcher Jr. (Miami), Micah Ford (Stanford), Malachi Hosley (Georgia Tech), Adam Randall (Clemson), Kendrick Raphael (California), while Haynes King (Georgia Tech) and Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest) have done it three times and Hollywood Smothers (NC State) has done it four times.
  • The ACC has had 26 different players record at least one 100-yard receiving game, with Clemson’s Bryant Wesco Jr. and Stanford’s CJ Williams each with three 100-yard games on the season and five other players in Chris Barnes (Wake Forest), Chris Bell (Louisville), Romello Brinson (SMU), Micahi Danzy (Florida State) and Duce Robinson (Florida State) posting two games.
  • The ACC has seven players who rank in the top 40 in the NCAA in total receptions on the season.
  • The ACC has four players who rank in the top 30 in the NCAA in receiving yards per game this season.
  • The ACC has four players who rank in the top 26 in the NCAA in tackles-for-loss per game this season.
  • California defensive back Hezekiah Masses leads the nation in passes defended (11), while also tied for third in all of FBS with four interceptions.
  • NC State’s Hollywood ranks third nationally in rushing yards (739) and 10th in rushing yards per game (105.6), both of which lead the ACC.
  • Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne also ranks in the top 25 in FBS in both rushing yards (22nd; 539) and rushing yards per game (23rd; 89.8).
  • The two also rank in the top 15 of the NCAA in rushing yards per carry: Demond Claiborne (3rd; 7.81) and Hollywood Smothers (15th; 6.60).
  • Syracuse’s Jack Stonehouse ranks fourth nationally in punting with an average of 48.5 yards per punt this season.
  • Louisville’s Caullin Lacy is the only FBS player this season with two punt return touchdowns of at least 75 yards. It’s already tied for the second most any ACC player has had in a single season over the last 30 years, trailing only Maryland’s Steve Suter in 2002 (three).

ACC = Big Plays
  • This season, ACC teams have combined for 238 offensive “big plays” that have gone for at least 30 yards, the most of any conference.
  • ACC teams have combined to record 387 pass plays of 20 yards or more this season, the most of any conference.
  • In the ACC this season, there have been 42 touchdown runs of at least 25 yards, the most of any FBS conference.
  • Duke leads the nation with a total of 53 pass plays of 15+ yards this season, while Syracuse and Pitt are tied for sixth overall with 46 pass plays of 15 yards or more. 

ACC x NFL
  • No conference blends college football and NFL experience quite like the ACC in 2025, with three former NFL head coaches now leading programs: Bill O’Brien (Boston College), Bill Belichick (North Carolina) and Frank Reich (Stanford), the most of any conference.
  • Belichick (six Super Bowl wins) and Reich (one) are the only two college football head coaches who have also won a Super Bowl as either head coach or coordinator in the NFL.
  • Several ACC programs also feature General Managers with deep NFL ties, including Ron Rivera (Cal), John Garrett (Duke), Michael Lombardi (North Carolina) and Andrew Luck (Stanford), along with a growing number of former NFL stars contributing across coaching staffs and player development roles.