Charlotte, NC – The Atlantic Coast Conference and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for Week 9, October 24-26. Locally, SMU will be playing at Duke on Saturday evening at 8 p.m. UNC will be at Virginia for a noon game. Wake Forest travels west to play at Stanford at 3:30 pm. NC State has a bye week.
Thursday, October 24
Syracuse at Pitt – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN – previously announced
Friday, October 25
Louisville at Boston College – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 – previously announced
Saturday, October 26
Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech – Noon ET on ACC Network
North Carolina at Virginia – Noon ET on The CW
Wake Forest at Stanford – 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
Oregon State at California – 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Florida State at Miami – 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
SMU at Duke – 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network
ACC Football Notes
Through Week 7 of the 2024 season:
Week 0 – Florida State versus Georgia Tech saw 5.0 million viewers and was the most-watched Week 0 game on any network since 2019.
College GameDay from Ireland was the most-watched Week 0 episode ever – 41 percent over the previous most-watched Week 0 show (2022) and averaged 1.6 million viewers, including 2.0 million in the final hour.
Week 1 – ACC was part of a historical day on Saturday, August 31, as it was ABC’s second-most-watched Kickoff Saturday on record.
7.9 million viewers – The Clemson versus Georgia Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta was the most-watched Week 1 Noon Game on record, peaking at 9.5 million viewers.
6.6 million viewers – The in-state rivalry contest between Miami and Florida in Gainesville, Florida, was the most-watched Week 1 Late Afternoon Game since 2017.
Week 5 – ACC matchup with Virginia Tech and Miami on Friday, September 27, was the top college football game of the night across all networks and is ESPN’s second-most watched Friday game since 2018 with 3.3 million viewers and peaking at 4.4 million.
Week 6 of the 2024 season saw all 17 ACC teams in action, a first in ACC history.
Two of the 11 remaining undefeated teams in all of FBS hail from the ACC – Miami (6-0) and Pitt (6-0).
Miami and Pitt are two of just nine teams in all of FBS to be bowl-eligible after seven weeks of the season.
With two bowl-eligible teams, the ACC is tied for the second-most among all FBS conferences heading into Week 8.
The ACC is 41-14 overall in non-conference play and has played more non-conference games against P4 opponents, including Notre Dame, than any of the other Power 4 leagues.
The ACC has eight non-conference wins versus fellow Power 4 foes.
The ACC had 73 league games decided by eight points or less over the last three years (2021-23).
This year, 14 of the 25 ACC league games to date have been decided by less than eight points.
In Week 7, four of the five conference games were decided by one score or less than eight points.
This Week in Week 8
Four teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll this week, including two teams in the top 10 for the second consecutive week – Miami (No. 6), Clemson (No. 10), Pitt (No. 20) and SMU (No. 21).
Syracuse (13) and Louisville (6) also received votes.
Four teams are ranked in the Top 25 Coaches Poll this week, including two teams in the top 10 – Miami (No. 6), Clemson (No. 9), Pitt (No. 20) and SMU (No. 23).
Syracuse (13) and Louisville (4) also received votes.
Week 8 includes two non-conference games, as Georgia Tech hosts No. 12 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, October 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and Wake Forest travels to UConn on Saturday for a noon ET kick on CBS Sports Network.
Week 8 of the season will also see six ACC games played across three consecutive days – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – with games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ACCN. Three of the ACC’s four top 25 ranked teams this week will be in action on Saturday, October 19, with No. 6 Miami at Louisville (noon ET, ABC), No. 10 Virginia hosting Virginia (noon ET, ACCN) and No. 21 SMU playing at Stanford (8 p.m. ET, ACCN).
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks (QBs) once again this season:
The ACC is the only conference with multiple quarterbacks ranked in the top five nationally in total yards per game, passing yards per game, passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing efficiency, total QBR and points responsible for on the season.
Six QBs are ranked in the top 25 of FBS in total yards per game – the most of any conference.
ACC has two of the top three players nationally in total yards of offense per game.
Cam Ward (Miami) leads the nation at 396.7 total yards of offense per game.
Kyle McCord (Syracuse) is third in the nation at 358.0 total yards of offense per game.
Six QBs have thrown 14 touchdown passes or more this season – the most of any conference.
Cam Ward (Miami) is tied for the nation’s lead with 20 passing touchdowns.
Four QBs are ranked in the top 15 of FBS in points responsible for – the most of any conference.
Cam Ward (Miami) leads the nation with 142 points responsible for this season.
Six QBs, including four in the top 20, are ranked in the top 30 of FBS in total passing yards – tied for the most of any conference.
Cam Ward (Miami) is ranked second nationally with 2,219 passing yards on the year.
Kyle McCord (Syracuse) is ranked third nationally with 2,160 passing yards on the year.
Ward and McCord are the only quarterbacks in all of FBS to throw for at least 300 yards in every game this season.
Six QBs are ranked in the top 30 of FBS in completion percentage – the second-most of any conference.
Five QBs are ranked in the top 30 of ESPN’s Total QBR – the second-most of any conference.
Four QBs, including the top two spots, are ranked in the top 15 of FBS in passing yards per game – the second-most of any conference.
Cam Ward (Miami) leads the nation with 369.8 passing yards per game.
Kyle McCord (Syracuse) is second in the nation with 360.0 passing yards per game.
Four QBs are ranked in the top 20 of FBS in passing efficiency – tied for the second-most of any conference.
Thirteen different ACC quarterbacks have thrown for at least 300 yards in a game this year.
Four quarterbacks – Jacolby Criswell (North Carolina), Cam Ward (Miami) and Hank Bachmeier (Wake Forest) – have recorded at least one game of over 400 passing yards this season.
Jacolby Criswell’s 475 passing yards in Week 4 versus James Madison are the most by a quarterback in a single game this season.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward has thrown for over 15,000 yards passing in his career, making him the 13th player recognized by the NCAA to have reached that milestone.
ACC had the most of any conferences on the following QB preseason watch lists: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (13); Maxwell Award preseason watch list (10); and Davey O’Brien Award (8).
The ACC has the top-ranked group of quarterback transfers in 2024 by CBS Sports.
13 QBs in the league enter the 2024 season with over 20 career touchdown passes and 3,500 career passing yards.
Since 2018, the ACC has had at least one quarterback drafted in the first round in five different drafts — the only conference to do that.
The ACC’s Preeminent Players ranked among FBS leaders:
The ACC has the FBS leader in interceptions – Nohl Williams (Cal) leads the nation with six interceptions on the season.
The ACC has the FBS leader in punt average – Alex Mastromanno (Florida State) leads the nation with a punt average of 49.3 yards per kick.
Five of the top 20 FBS punters in yards per punt average are in the ACC.
Alex Mastromanno (Florida State) – 49.3; Lachlan Wilson (Cal) – 45.9; Ivan Mora (Wake Forest) – 45.9; Caden Noonkester (NC State) – 45.3; and Kade Reynoldson (Duke) – 45.2.
The ACC has five of the top 25 ranked players in all of FBS in total sacks this year.
Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) – 9.0; Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Virginia Tech) – 7.0; Jahvaree Ritzie (North Carolina) – 5.0; Tyler Baron (Miami) – 4.5; and Xavier Carlton (Cal) – 4.5.
Four of the top 25 NCAA leaders in sacks per game this season are in the ACC.
Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) – 1.50; Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Virginia Tech) – 1.17; Xavier Carlton (Cal) – 0.75; and Tyler Baron (Miami) – 0.75.
The ACC has five of the top 25 ranked players in all of FBS in total tackles-for-loss this season.
Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) – 11.5; Alex Howard (Duke) – 9.0; Kyle Louis (Pitt) – 8.5; Rasheem Biles (Pitt) – 8.0; and Fadil Diggs (Syracuse) – 8.0.
The ACC has seven of the top 35 ranked players in tackles per game this season in all of FBS.
Nick Anderson (Wake Forest) is third nationally at 11.5 tackles per game.
Nick Anderson (Wake Forest) – 11.5; Antonio Clary (Virginia) – 9.6; Teddye Buchanan (Cal) – 9.3; Donovan McMillon (Pitt) – 9.3; Cade Uluave (Cal) – 9.2; Kyle Louis (Pitt) 9.0; and Shyheim Brown (Florida State) – 8.6.
The ACC has three of the top 20 ranked players in rushing yards this season in all of FBS.
Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) – 901; Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) – 605; and Phil Mafah (Clemson) – 604.
The ACC has four of the top 25 ranked players in rushing yards per game this season in all of FBS.
Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) – 128.7; Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) – 100.8; Phil Mafah (Clemson) – 100.7; and Desmond Reid (Pitt) – 98.8.
Four of the top 20 leaders in rushing touchdowns in all of FBS this season are in the ACC.
Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) – 9; Brashard Smith (SMU) – 7; Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) – 7; and Jamal Haynes (Georgia Tech) – 7.
Five of the top 25 leaders in receiving touchdowns in all of FBS this season are in the ACC.
Ja’Corey Brooks (Louisville) – 6; Eli Pancol (Duke) – 5; Trebor Pena (Syracuse) – 5; Xavier Restrepo (Miami) 5; and Antonio Williams (Clemson) – 5.
The ACC has four players that rank in the top 25 in all of FBS in all-purpose yards per game.
Desmond Reid (Pitt) – 182.60; Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) – 148.00; Brashard Smith (Miami) – 137.50; and Isaac Brown (Louisville) – 124.17.
Five of the top 30 punt returners in yards per punt return this season are from the ACC.
Jaylin Lane (Virginia Tech) – 15.9; Roderick Daniels, Jr. (SMU) – 12.7; Tiger Bachmeier (Stanford) – 12.3; Antonio Williams (Clemson) – 12.2; and Que’Sean Brown (Duke) – 9.3.
Eight different players from the ACC have returned a punt for a touchdown – the most of any conference.
The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most challenging in the country:
26 games against Power 4 opponents, including Notre Dame – the most of any conference.
Nine non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2023 Associated Press Top 25 Poll – the most of any conference.
10 non-conference games against teams in ESPN’s 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25 – the most of any conference.
ACC Features Elite Coaching Leadership:
Six ACC head coaches named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List – no conference has more.
Two of the three active coaches in the country who won a national title reside in the ACC (Mack Brown and Dabo Swinney).
Four current ACC head coaches have recorded over 100 career wins at the collegiate level (only 30 active FBS coaches have reached this mark).
Among active FBS head coaches, the ACC has nine coaches that rank among the top 50 in the nation in career winning percentage.
Proven veterans and dynamic young coaches.
The 20th ACC Football Championship Game will kick off in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on ABC on Saturday, December 7, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tickets for the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and through the ACC’s official website at theACC.com.