Football

ACC Football’s Depth on Display Across Week 9 Saturday Slate

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Atlantic Coast Conference football’s Week 9 slate features eight conference matchups on Saturday, October 31, beginning with three noon ET kicks and continuing into prime time. The day is highlighted by No. 19 SMU at Syracuse and No. 14 Wake Forest hosting Virginia before No. 1 Miami visits North Carolina in ABC Saturday Night Football. and Boston College at Duke, Clemson at Florida State and Georgia Tech at Pitt add to a full day that places 16 teams in action.
 
The schedule reflects the ACC’s depth and week-to-week competitiveness: 12 of 17 teams enter the weekend at .500 or better, every program has already earned a conference win and the league leads the FBS in one-possession conference games, second-half lead changes and fourth-quarter lead changes.
 

Week 9 – ACC Football Schedule
(All times Eastern)
 
Saturday, October 31
#19 SMU at Syracuse | Noon | ESPN2
California at NC State | Noon | ACC Network
Boston College at Duke | Noon | The CW
Stanford at Louisville | 3:15 p.m. | ACC Network
Virginia at #14 Wake Forest | 3:45 p.m. | ESPN2
Clemson at Florida State | 7 p.m. | ACC Network
#1 Miami at North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Georgia Tech at Pitt | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2


ACC Football Notes
 
ACC at a Glance
  • No. 1 Miami, No. 14 Wake Forest and No. 19 SMU give the ACC three teams ranked in the AP Top 25, including two in the top 15 and three in the top 20.
  • Miami is one of just three teams to receive a first-place vote in this week’s AP poll and collected 59 of 70 first-place votes.
  • The ACC has 10 teams in ESPN’s FPI Top 50, tied for the second-most of any conference.
  • Twelve of the ACC’s 17 programs enter Week 9 at .500 or better, including 10 with at least four wins.
  • Every ACC program has won a conference game this season, making the ACC the only Power Four conference to achieve that mark.
 
Top-25-Worthy Teams
  • The ACC enters Week 9 with a deep group of teams carrying top-25-caliber resumes, led by unbeaten No. 1 Miami and ranked programs No. 14 Wake Forest and No. 19 SMU.
  • Clemson has navigated one of the nation’s most demanding schedules, with games against No. 1 Miami, then-ranked LSU and a Virginia Tech team receiving votes in both national polls. The Tigers have multiple opportunities to add quality wins over the final month.
  • Duke owns three Power Four wins, including road victories at Illinois and Virginia, while its two losses have come by a combined seven points. The Blue Devils are one of just 13 FBS teams ranked in the top 25 in scoring defense, rushing defense and total defense.
  • Louisville owns three Power Four wins, including a victory over then-No. 16 SMU, while each of its three losses has come by exactly three points—against ranked Ole Miss, ranked Wake Forest and on the road at NC State. The Cardinals lead the FBS in offensive plays of 20-plus and 30-plus yards.
  • North Carolina has three Power Four victories, including road wins at Pitt and Duke and a neutral-site win over TCU in Dublin. Its three losses have come against Clemson, then-No. 3 Notre Dame and in overtime against Syracuse.
  • Pitt owns three Power Four victories, highlighted by a road win at Virginia Tech, and ranks among the nation’s top defenses against the run. The Panthers have held opponents to just 65.0 rushing yards per game.
  • Virginia Tech is 6-2 with four Power Four wins and three Power Four road victories, one of just six FBS teams with at least three such wins. The Hokies lead the FBS in tackles-for-loss per game and rank among the national leaders in sacks, rushing defense and special teams production.
 
Competitive Conference Play
  • ACC conference games have produced an FBS-best 33 second-half lead changes, and 18 fourth-quarter lead changes this season.
  • Twenty ACC league games have been decided by one possession, the most in the FBS, while 10 have been decided by three points or fewer—also the most nationally.
  • Four ACC conference games were decided by four points or fewer in Week 8, the most in a single week in the conference over the last 45 seasons.
  • The ACC has had seven go-ahead scores in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter in league play, tied for the most among FBS conferences.
 
Tested Against the Best
  • The ACC has played an FBS-high 17 non-conference games against Power Four opponents and Notre Dame, including 10 on the road or at neutral sites.
  • ACC teams have six non-conference wins over Power Four opponents and Notre Dame, tied for the second-most among Power Four conferences.
  • The ACC is 4-1 against the Big Ten this season, including four straight wins and three true road victories.
  • All 17 ACC programs are scheduled to play at least 10 games against Power Four opponents or Notre Dame, the most of any conference; Boston College, Georgia Tech and Louisville are among just five FBS teams scheduled to play 11 such games.
 
Power Four and Road Success
  • Nine ACC teams have won at least three Power Four games, the second-most of any conference.
  • Miami and Wake Forest are two of just seven FBS teams with at least five Power Four victories.
  • Wake Forest leads the FBS with four Power Four true road wins, while Miami and Virginia Tech are among six teams nationally with at least three.
  • The ACC is the only conference with three teams—Wake Forest, Miami and Virginia Tech—among the six FBS programs with at least three Power Four true road wins.
 
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks
  • ACC quarterbacks lead the FBS with 30 300-yard passing games, four more than the next conference.
  • The ACC has produced seven 400-yard passing performances, the most of any conference and six more than the other Power Four leagues combined. It is the only Power Four conference with more than one 400-yard passing game.
  • Eight ACC quarterbacks rank among the top 40 in ESPN Total QBR, tied for the most of any conference, led by Miami’s Darian Mensah at No. 1, Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez at No. 7 and Florida State’s Ashton Daniels at No. 16.
  • Five ACC quarterbacks rank among the nation’s top 25 in passing efficiency, tied for the most of any conference: Mensah, SMU’s Kevin Jennings, Lopez, Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz and Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer.
  • The ACC has four of the nation’s top 10 passers in completion percentage: Mensah, Jennings, Grunkemeyer and Georgia Tech’s Alberto Mendoza.
  • Eight ACC quarterbacks rank among the top 30 nationally in passing yards, the most of any conference, while eight also rank among the top 30 in completions per game.
  • Seven ACC quarterbacks rank among the nation’s top 30 in total offense per game, second most of any conference, including four in the top 11: Mensah, Lopez, Jennings and Kienholz.
  • Six ACC quarterbacks have thrown at least 13 touchdown passes, tied for the second most of any conference, led by Mensah’s 22 and Jennings’ 19.
 
Offensive and Defensive Firepower
  • Miami leads the FBS in scoring offense (49.0 points per game), total offense (551.9 yards per game), completion percentage, team passing efficiency and rushing defense.
  • Eight ACC teams rank among the nation’s top 50 in scoring offense, while nine rank in the top 50 in total defense.
  • Ten different ACC teams have scored at least 56 points in a game this season, already surpassing the conference’s total from the entire 2025 season.
  • Virginia Tech leads the FBS in tackles for loss per game (9.6), while SMU ranks fourth nationally in third-down defense and Duke ranks ninth.
  • The ACC features the nation’s top two rushing defenses in Miami (60.0 yards per game) and Pitt (65.0).
 
Standout Talent
  • Miami QB Darian Mensah leads the FBS in Total QBR, passing efficiency, completion percentage and yards per attempt; he ranks second nationally with 22 touchdown passes.
  • Miami WR Malachi Toney leads the FBS in receptions and receptions per game and ranks among the national top three in receiving yards, receiving yards per game and receiving touchdowns.
  • Duke RB Nate Sheppard ranks second nationally in all-purpose yards per game, third in rushing yards per game, fifth in rushing yards and tied for fourth with 13 total touchdowns. He has also thrown a touchdown pass.
  • Syracuse WR Umari Hatcher ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards and receiving yards per game, tied for fifth in receptions and receptions per game, and tied for sixth in touchdown receptions.
  • Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez, SMU QB Kevin Jennings and Mensah each rank among the nation’s top seven in total offense per game.
  • California’s Kingston Lopa and Louisville’s Kaleb Beasley are tied for the FBS lead with five interceptions apiece.
 
 Enhanced Replay Access Expands
  • The ACC continues to expand Enhanced Replay Access in 2026, giving audiences greater access to real-time replay discussions during broadcasts.
  • The initiative is scheduled for all eight Week 9 games and will have been utilized in 67 games this season following the weekend.
  • Enhanced Replay Access provides live audio and video among the referee, stadium replay official and ACC Collaborative Instant Replay Official in Charlotte, while four new cameras inside the Game Day Operations Center provide ESPN and ACCN audiences another look inside the conference's replay operations.
 
ACC Football Fridays
  • ACC teams have played in 11 ACC Football Friday games this season. The slate continues in Week 10 with a pivotal conference matchup between Virginia Tech and nationally ranked SMU at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
  • The ACC is scheduled to play a record 15 Friday games in 2026.
  • Friday night football continues throughout October and November, culminating with Florida at Florida State on Black Friday.