ACC roundup: Virginia Tech upset of Ohio State caps ACC's 11-0 weekend

Published Sep. 6, 2014 4:24 p.m. ET

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FOX Sports South offers a rundown of all the ACC games from Saturday -- even the underwhelming mismatches involving FCS teams.

A few weeks ago, this looked like a near-certain loss on the Hokies' schedule. That was back when few people knew just how improved Virginia Tech was on offense and when reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and potential Heisman candidate Braxton Miller, Ohio State's star quarterback, went down with a season-ending injury.

Instead, this was the feather in the ACC's cap for an 11-0 league record in non-conference games over the weekend and arguably the biggest win for coach Frank Beamer's program in years.

The Hokies marched into the Horseshoe and, for the majority of the night, looked like the better team. The defense bottled up Miller's replacement, freshman J.T. Barrett, while the offense slowly pushed its way through a mistake-filled night.

First things first: Bud Foster comes through again. No matter who is at quarterback, Urban Meyer's offense is accustomed to points. Lots of points. The Hokies defense, led by shutdown corners Donovan Riley and Kendall Fuller, forced three turnovers and forced Barrett into 20 incompletions. He completed just nine passes … unless you count his three interceptions. (Barrett did add 70 yards and a score on the ground.) Still, the Hokies held the line on 12 of the Buckeyes' 16 third-down attempts, consistently handing the ball over to transfer quarterback Michael Brewer & Co.

It was an interesting night for Brewer, who put together a resilient performance. Some mistakes, some big-time plays. The Texas Tech transplant completed 64 percent of his throws for 199 yards and two touchdowns, including an absolute dime to Bucky Hodges for the go-ahead touchdown with eight minutes left. Even after Ohio State completed the comeback to tie the score at 21-21, Virginia Tech's offense didn't blink.

That couldn't always be said in previous seasons.

And finally -- and perhaps fittingly -- it was Riley who capped everything off with an interception returned for a touchdown with 46 seconds left. The results: chants of A-C-C rained down in Columbus as fans filed out of the stadium. Since 2010, Virginia Tech is 6-1 in true road games against ranked opponents

With the win, Virginia Tech looks to have reclaimed its title as Coastal Division favorites. Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Duke and North Carolina have also avoided losses, and Pitt is already at least one game up with an ACC win and soft crossover schedule, but no other team in the conference boasts a win like this. The Hokies defense looks like it is the real deal, and the offense is showing signs that it could be more than competent as the season progresses.

That wide-open Coastal might not be so wide open after all.

With Beamer and Foster calling the shots, it looks like the boys from Blacksburg are once again in the driver's seat.

Entering this game, the only unknown was what the final margin would be -- which, all things considered for Citadel, isn't too shabby. The outcome was never in question.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston was extremely efficient in a shortened body of work, leading a balanced attack that racked up 494 yards of offense: 284 through the air, 210 on the ground. There was little stat-padding to be found here. Winston completed 22 of his 27 passes, two of which went for six points, and avoided any turnover issues. Coach Jimbo Fisher leaned on a stable of backs for 35 carries, led by Dalvin Cook (67 yards, touchdown) and Karlos Williams (66 yards, touchdown).

Citadel, to be clear, was out-classes athletically from the get-go. Still, credit where it's due: the Southern Conference opponents did not commit a turnover or a single penalty.They converted on 11 of their 17 third-down attempts. They challenged FSU's defense and put up 322 yards. This game was 34-0 at one point, so the Seminoles very clearly had this win in a death grip and weren't letting go, but at least they got a game out of it.

The defending national champs have not looked invincible yet this season (like they did early and often last season), but with one more game under their belts they now have an extra week to prepare for the team that looks to be one of the primary ACC contenders: Clemson.

The Seminoles marched into Death Valley and absolutely embarrassed a confident Tigers team a year ago, winning 51-14. Clemson probably won't be able to return that kind of favor, but this one is always circled on the Atlantic Division calendar.

The Tar Heels keep playing with fire, and it wouldn't be a surprise for them to drop out of the top-25 polls despite their 2-0 record.

After a penalty-prone win over Liberty, an unimpressive outing in which the Tar Heels pulled away in a four-minute flurry, they could not right the ship against San Diego State. Sure, they won. But the Aztecs led 14-7 at halftime. They led 21-14 after three quarters. They led 27-21 with 10 minutes remaining. It took another flurry of offense to avoid the upset, but things have not gone smoothly to start the season.

UNC finished the night with 394 yards and one turnover,scoring 21 of their 31 points in the final 14 minutes of the game. When things are going well, points come in bunches.

Quarterback Marquise Williams has all but assumed the starting role in coach Larry Fedora's offense, as redshirt freshman Mitch Trubisky, who was expected to a part of a two-quarterback system in Chapel Hill, attempted just two passes (one went for an interception). Williams's numbers were good enough, 20 of 29 for 255 yards and two touchdowns, plus another 63 yards on the ground.

The Tar Heels will need to get better in a hurry if they are going to challenge for anything more than a bowl game. Their next four games: East Carolina, No. 23 Clemson, a soon-to-be-ranked Virginia Tech and No. 16 Notre Dame. With the way they are playing, that could easily be a 2-4 record come Oct. 12.

Still stinging from its second-half deflation against Georgia last week, No. 23 Clemson crushed an overwhelmed South Carolina State club on Saturday, bashing the Bulldogs, 73-7.

Cole Stoudt, making his second start as the Tigers quarterback, threw for 302 yards and one touchdown in limited action, before allowing backups Deshaun Watson (154 yards passing, three TDs) and Nick Schuessler to get some reps in the blowout.

How lopsided was this intrastate affair? Let us count the ways:

-- Clemson vastly outperformed SCSU in total yards (735-44), passing yards (467-37) and first downs (32-5).

-- The Tigers rolled for double-digit points in all four quarters, including a pair of 24-spots in the 2nd and 3rd.

-- Receiver Artavis Scott channeled his inner Sammy Watkins on this day, collecting six catches for 164 yards and two TDs.

Quarterback Anthony Boone earned himself a game ball on Saturday by helping the Duke Blue Devils hold off an upset-minded Troy to remain undefeated. The defending Coastal Division champions overcame a slow start -- one that buried them in an early 14-3 hole after the Trojans pieced together to long touchdown drives -- behind Boone's efforts through the air and on the ground.

Boone, one of the few experienced quarterbacks in the ACC, compiled 315 total yards and three touchdowns on the night, including a career-high two scores on the ground. Keep in mind that coach David Cutcliffe kept last season's backup Brandon Connette around for the rushing scores/change-of-pace QB a season ago, and while Thomas Sirk is expected to step into a similar role in 2014, it was Boone's night in a nice road win.

After falling behind 14-3, the Blue Devils outscored their Sun Belt opponents 31-3 the rest of the way. Duke has now won 12 of its past 16 games dating back to last season.

And on a night when Duke's in-state ACC counterparts (North Carolina, N.C. State and Wake Forest) struggled to put away lesser opponents, Cutcliffe's group put together the most convincing overall effort.

For the second straight season the Wolfpack are 2-0 under Dave Doeren, but this one comes with its points of concern.

As they did in their opening win over Georgia Southern, NC State had to rally from a halftime deficit and its defense gave up a whopping 478 yards and 27 first downs saw the Monarchs go 9 for 16 on third-downs.

The Wolfpack did respond to being down by scoring touchdowns on five consecutive possessions during a run that began late in the second quarter. Three of those scores came via Shadrach Thornton, who had scoring jaunts of two, two and 33 yards and finished with 86 on 14 carries.

Another bright spot has been QB Jacoby Brissett, who was 21 of 29 for 253 yards and two TDs and in his first two games in a Wolfpack uniform, has hit on 70 percent of his passes.

Still, the competition level is going to kick up in the coming weeks as NC State faces South Florida, then after a date with Presbyterian, takes on No. 1 Florida State and No. 23 Clemson in consecutive games. This level of defensive play could find the Wolfpack in holes that Brissett, Thornton and Co. won't be able to dig their way out of.

Quarterback Matt Johns engineered two touchdown drives and Eli Harold returned a fumble 22 yards for a touchdown for the Cavaliers, who snapped a 10-game losing streak.

Johns threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Canaan Severin and found Darius Jennings for 45 yards to set up another score as Virginia (1-1) won for the first time since beating VMI last September.

The Spiders had seven turnovers, including a fumble by T.J. Moon near the Cavaliers goal line just before halftime with Richmond poised to pull within 14-10. Instead, linebacker Henry Coley stripped him and Brandon Phelps recovered.

Georgia Tech rushed for 202 yards and averaged just fewer than seven yards per carry in the first half against Tulane. But a Yellow Jacket field goal with one second left in the half gave the Ramblin' Wreck just a three-point lead.

The first half was close because the Yellow Jackets turned the ball over at inopportune times.

A sack and Justin Thomas fumble on Georgia Tech's first play from scrimmage gave the ball to Tulane early, and with great field position. On Tech's third possession, running back Tony Zenon fumbled on the first play of the drive, again turning the ball over.

But the Yellow Jackets held Tulane scoreless in the second half, and monopolized on three Tanner Lee interceptions (two in the second half) to hold on for victory, and ruin the opening of Tulane's new stadium.

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