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So much for the ACC putting forth a national title contender after Florida State fell at N.C. State. But at least football in the hoops-heavy Research Triangle had a great weekend as Duke and North Carolina also won big home games.
With respect to UNC cornerback Jabari Price, N.C. State safety Brandan Bishop and QB Mike Glennon, Duke safety Walt Canty, Georgia Tech running back Orwin Smith and QB Tevin Washington, FSU tailback Chris Thompson, and Virginia Tech Logan Thomas, here is this week's Honor Roll:
High Fives
Gio Bernard, UNC – The Tar Heels' sophomore tailback ran 23 times for 262 yards (average of 11.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown in Carolina's 48-34 victory over Virginia Tech. It was the best rushing day for a Heel since 2003 and fifth best in program history.
Anthony Boone, Duke – The sophomore QB had quite a day filling in for starter Sean Renfree. Boone completed 18 of 31 pass attempts for 212 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran the ball seven times for 41 yards and provided maturity at the position Renfree has owned for four seasons.
Christian Jones, FSU – The junior linebacker recorded 14 tackles, including two for a loss of yardage, and broke up a pair of passes in the Seminoles' 17-16 loss to N.C. State. Jones' performance was too good to keep off this list despite his team suffering a bad loss.
Tajh Boyd, Clemson – Once again, the Tigers' junior QB makes the list after completing 26 of 42 pass attempts for 397 yards and two touchdowns in a 47-31 victory over Georgia Tech. Boyd also ran the ball for 63 yards and a score.
DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson – Perhaps the ACC's best wide receiver, the junior caught seven passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns in Clemson's victory over visiting Georgia Tech. Midway through the regular season and Hopkins has 49 receptions for 777 yards and eight scores.
Disappointment of the Week
Virginia Tech – The Hokies may have struggled all season on offense, but at least they felt like they could lean some on their defense. Not anymore after North Carolina blew up Frank Beamer's team 48-34 in racking up 533 total yards, including 339 on the ground. VPI now stands at 3-3 and with games left at Miami, at Clemson and home versus Florida State, among others, it's possible it may not qualify for a bowl game.
Player of the Week
Connor Vernon, Duke – The senior wide receiver became the ACC's all-time leading receiver when he grabbed a pass from Anthony Boone in Duke's 41-17 victory over Virginia. Vernon hauled in seven passes for 93 yards and two scores on the day, and for his career he now has 239 receptions. He's also just 287 yards shy of former FSU star Peter Warrick's ACC record of 3,517 receiving yards.
Coach of the Week
Tom O'Brien, N.C. State – Had the Wolfpack suffered a lopsided loss to Florida State on Saturday night, as so many pundits predicted, O'Brien likely would have hopped onto a very hot eat Sunday morning. But the Marine had his troops ready to battle the No. 3 Seminoles, and they overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit to win 17-16 and effectively change the tenor of their season.
