Around the ACC Week 8: Miami Sets the Pace, Syracuse Wins on Two
Miami stayed unbeaten behind Malachi Toney’s record day, SMU scored 42 unanswered points, and Syracuse ended its ACC drought in overtime. Close finishes elsewhere kept the middle of the conference crowded.
By Ryan Coacher · Published
Miami and SMU supplied the separation in an ACC weekend otherwise defined by narrow escapes. The Hurricanes reached 7–0, the Mustangs overwhelmed California after halftime, and Virginia Tech, Duke, Stanford and Syracuse all won by four points or fewer. Boston College found its answer on the ground, while NC State’s loss at Stanford was followed by a coaching change. Seven conference games on October 23–24 left Miami alone without an ACC defeat and several familiar contenders with much less room to recover.
Toney’s Record Day Keeps Miami Unbeaten
Miami 52, Pittsburgh 23
Miami put Pittsburgh behind early and kept finding Malachi Toney. The receiver caught a school-record 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, giving Darian Mensah a dependable target throughout a 52–23 victory that moved the Hurricanes to 7–0 and 5–0 in the ACC.
Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns. Toney scored from 19, 53 and 11 yards, and Miami built a 31–7 halftime lead before extending the margin to 52–14 early in the fourth quarter. The passing production came with sustained possession: the Hurricanes converted 10 of 15 third downs and finished with 506 yards.
The final minutes of the first half showed how quickly Miami could turn a defensive play into another scoring opportunity. JJ Dunnigan forced a Holden Geriner fumble, Justin Scott recovered at the Pitt 33, and Mensah subsequently found tight end Gavin Mueller for a three-yard touchdown. Pittsburgh went into the break facing a 24-point deficit and a difficult second-half chase.
The Panthers did produce through the air. Geriner threw for 268 yards and a touchdown, and Cataurus Hicks turned five catches into 149 yards, including a 36-yard score. Pitt finished with 403 yards, but only 69 came on the ground. Its late safety and Corey Dailey’s touchdown pass to Cam Sapp narrowed a margin that had already reached 38 points.
Miami still gave away 77 yards on 10 penalties, an unnecessary complication on an otherwise productive afternoon. Its offensive response repeatedly prevented those mistakes from becoming a larger problem. For Pitt, now 5–3 and 2–3 in conference play, the explosive completions offered something to retain; the inability to interrupt Miami’s possessions left too much work for them to do.
SMU Turns a Halftime Deficit Into a Rout
SMU 59, California 20
California carried a 20–17 lead into halftime. SMU answered with touchdowns on its first six possessions after the break, scoring 42 unanswered points to turn Saturday’s game into a 59–20 win. The Mustangs gained 306 of their 492 yards in the second half while holding the Bears to 50.
Kevin Jennings completed 16 of 23 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, moving past Tanner Mordecai for SMU’s career touchdown-pass record. Jennings finished the afternoon with 74 career scoring throws. His 22-yard touchdown to Kendrick Raphael helped keep the Mustangs within reach before halftime; two more touchdown passes became part of the second-half surge.
Raphael supplied more than a receiving score against his former school. He carried 22 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns, giving SMU a reliable way to finish drives as the game opened up. Christian Rhodes added two rushing touchdowns. Those contributions supported Jennings without requiring every possession to end through the air, and SMU converted all four of its fourth-down attempts.
Cal’s first half had looked much more promising. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed 19 of 23 passes for 214 yards before the break and finished 27 of 37 for 265 yards and a touchdown. Chase Hendricks caught seven passes for 83 yards and the scoring reception, while a direct snap to tight end Mason Mini supplied another touchdown.
That variety disappeared from the scoreboard after halftime. The Bears finished with only 40 rushing yards and committed 11 penalties for 107 yards, leaving too little support when their passing game slowed. A three-point lead became a 39-point defeat without another Cal score.
SMU improved to 6–1 overall and 4–1 in the ACC, keeping pressure on unbeaten Miami. California fell to 3–5 and 2–3, with a second-half collapse that outweighed its encouraging early execution.
Virginia Tech Finds the Fourth-Down Answer at Clemson
Virginia Tech 20, Clemson 16
Virginia Tech’s final touchdown required a fourth-down throw from the Clemson 5. Ethan Grunkemeyer found Luke Reynolds with 1:44 remaining, completing an 11-play, 69-yard drive that gave the Hokies a 20–16 road victory Saturday and their sixth win of the season.
Reynolds caught both Virginia Tech touchdown passes, and Grunkemeyer finished 20 of 32 for 156 yards without an interception. The winning possession benefited from three Clemson penalties, but the Hokies still had to convert the decisive fourth-and-one. After an apparent Clemson completion was overturned on review during the final possession, Mylachi Williams ended the comeback attempt with a fourth-down sack.
The finish reversed a third quarter that had belonged to Clemson. Virginia Tech led 10–3 at halftime before the Tigers scored 13 unanswered points, including a 16-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tait Reynolds. John Love’s 47-yard field goal then brought the Hokies within 16–13 and preserved the chance to take the lead with a touchdown.
Clemson’s defensive front had done plenty to prevent that outcome. The Tigers recorded six sacks, two by Will Heldt, and held Virginia Tech to 234 yards. The Hokies managed only 70 rushing yards on 37 attempts, leaving Grunkemeyer to solve a difficult final series with the passing game.
Tait Reynolds completed 20 of 26 passes for 153 yards and led Clemson with 63 rushing yards. Tyler Brown caught eight passes for 62 yards, and Nolan Hauser made all three field-goal attempts. Those kicks kept the Tigers moving ahead, but they also left a lead small enough for one late touchdown to erase.
Virginia Tech moved to 6–2 overall and 3–2 in conference play. Clemson fell to 4–3 and 2–2 after producing enough defensive disruption to control much of the night, then failing to finish the possession that mattered most.
Stanford Holds On, and NC State Changes Coaches
Stanford 31, NC State 28
Stanford’s early offense and a fourth-quarter field goal proved just enough Friday night. Davis Warren threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, and the Cardinal recovered an onside kick after NC State’s late touchdown to secure a 31–28 victory. Stanford moved to 4–4 overall and 2–3 in the ACC.
The larger development for NC State came Saturday, when the school dismissed Dave Doeren during his 14th season. Running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel was named interim head coach for the remainder of the year. The Wolfpack entered that transition at 3–4 and 1–3 in conference play.
On the field, Stanford paired Warren’s scoring throws with a substantial contribution from Micah Ford. Ford rushed for 150 yards on 22 carries and added 58 receiving yards, allowing the Cardinal to attack beyond its passing game. Caden High caught nine passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Nico Brown supplied two scoring receptions.
Stanford led 14–0 before NC State drew even. Warren’s 26-yard touchdown pass to High late in the first half restored the advantage, and a five-yard fourth-down scoring throw to Brown made it 28–14 in the third quarter. Earlier in that quarter, an offensive pass-interference penalty had wiped out a potential 47-yard Wolfpack touchdown.
CJ Bailey finished with 256 passing yards and two touchdowns. Running back Deandre Desinor contributed three catches for 79 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown, and Will Wilson scored twice on short runs. NC State kept answering, but Stanford’s fourth-quarter field goal created a 10-point cushion before Bailey’s late touchdown to Keenan Jackson.
The Cardinal finished with 477 yards and survived without needing a takeaway. For Stanford, the result restored a .500 record and left two more wins needed to reach six. NC State’s competitive finish could not overcome its earlier defensive problems or prevent a major change in leadership.
Duke’s Halfback Pass Delivers the Deciding Score
Duke 19, Virginia 16
Duke saved its most effective surprise for the final minutes Friday. Running back Nate Sheppard took a backward pass from Walker Eget and threw a 28-yard touchdown to Brody Keefe with 1:14 remaining, lifting the Blue Devils to a 19–16 victory at Virginia. Safety Patrick Smith-Young intercepted Beau Pribula on fourth down with 36 seconds left to end the Cavaliers’ response.
The winning drive covered 75 yards after Will Bettridge’s 30-yard field goal had put Virginia ahead 16–13 with three minutes remaining. Duke had converted only two of 10 third downs for the game, but it produced a touchdown when another field-goal exchange would not have been enough.
Sheppard also scored on a 32-yard run and finished with 55 rushing yards on 15 carries. Eget left earlier with an apparent hand injury before returning in the third quarter; Dan Mahan handled relief work during his absence. Eget completed 14 of 25 passes for 211 yards and an interception, then helped set up the trick play that supplied the winning points.
Virginia generated 353 yards, including 195 on the ground. Jekail Middlebrook carried 24 times for a career-high 117 yards and a touchdown, while tight end John Rogers caught five passes for 65 yards. Those performances helped the Cavaliers hold the ball for 38:47, but Virginia scored only three points after halftime.
Duke’s defense made that difference possible. The Blue Devils registered five sacks, four after the break, and Pribula also lost a fumble at the Duke 30. Virginia repeatedly reached positions from which it could extend its lead, yet left the final possession carrying much more weight than its earlier production suggested.
Duke improved to 5–2 overall and 2–2 in the ACC. Virginia dropped to 4–4 and 2–3 after another close game turned on the finishing sequence.
Syracuse Trusts Angeli and Russell to Win in Overtime
Syracuse 31, North Carolina 30 (OT)
Syracuse needed a fourth-down touchdown and a two-point conversion to end its ACC losing streak Saturday. Steve Angeli delivered both throws to Calvin Russell III, first from four yards out on fourth-and-goal and then for the winning conversion. The final catch survived review, giving the Orange a 31–30 overtime victory and their first conference win after 11 consecutive ACC losses.
North Carolina had taken a 30–23 lead in overtime on Billy Edwards Jr.’s three-yard touchdown pass to Demon June and the extra point. Syracuse answered with the touchdown, then chose to decide the game immediately. Russell finished with eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, in addition to the conversion.
The Orange had already needed several responses to reach overtime. They trailed 10–0 and later 20–10 before Angeli’s 76-yard touchdown pass to Umari Hatcher brought them closer. After North Carolina added a field goal, Ahmad Miller’s three-yard touchdown run tied the game at 23 with 1:54 remaining. A missed extra point left it level.
Miller carried 30 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns, providing a steady complement to Angeli’s 256 passing yards and two scores. Hatcher caught four passes for 103 yards. Syracuse converted four of seven fourth downs, with the overtime completion to Russell the most consequential.
North Carolina had productive answers of its own. Edwards threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, Jordan Shipp caught eight passes for 102 yards and a score, and June added a 25-yard rushing touchdown on fourth-and-one. Yet the Tar Heels’ three field goals left Syracuse opportunities to erase deficits with touchdowns.
The Orange improved to 3–4 and 1–4 in the ACC, finally turning a close conference finish into a win. North Carolina fell to 4–3 and 2–2 after leading for much of regulation and still being unable to stop the final two throws.
Boston College Runs Through Georgia Tech After Halftime
Boston College 49, Georgia Tech 27
Boston College rushed for 399 yards Saturday and scored 37 second-half points to pull away from Georgia Tech, 49–27. Quarterback Mason McKenzie and running back Bo MacCormack III accounted for 325 of those rushing yards and five touchdowns, giving the Eagles the production to overcome an uneven first half.
Georgia Tech led 10–0 early and 13–12 at halftime. Boston College had missed two extra points, but its ground game kept creating scoring chances. McKenzie finished with 170 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 16 carries. MacCormack added 155 yards and three touchdowns on 20 attempts, turning repeated opportunities into a substantial backfield contribution.
The Eagles gained 278 rushing yards after halftime. A 40-yard McKenzie run helped set up MacCormack’s short touchdown to open the third-quarter scoring, and a Charlie Comella interception gave Boston College another opportunity that McKenzie finished with a six-yard run. The lead grew to 28–13 before Georgia Tech briefly cut it to eight.
McKenzie’s 15-yard touchdown restored breathing room, and Comella then returned his second interception 47 yards for a touchdown. That sequence pushed the margin to 42–20 and made the Yellow Jackets’ remaining possessions a pursuit of a rapidly disappearing game.
Alberto Mendoza completed 17 of 24 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown for Georgia Tech, but his two interceptions created direct scoring opportunities for the Eagles. Grady Adamson later threw a 30-yard touchdown to Dalen Penson, who finished with five catches for 88 yards. The Yellow Jackets managed 101 rushing yards and converted two of 11 third downs, leaving their defense with too little relief as Boston College’s running attack continued to score.
The Eagles finished with 500 total yards and improved to 4–3 overall and 2–2 in the ACC. Georgia Tech fell to 2–5 and 1–3, unable to sustain its early advantage or find a second-half answer on the ground defensively.
Where Week 8 Leaves the Race
Miami stands alone at 5–0 in ACC play, with its 7–0 overall record supported by another highly productive offensive afternoon. SMU and idle Wake Forest remain closest at 4–1 in the conference. The Mustangs’ second-half response against Cal kept that position secure; the Hurricanes’ consistency continues to set the standard above them.
Virginia Tech joined Louisville at 3–2, while Duke and Boston College moved into the 2–2 group alongside Clemson and North Carolina. That crowded middle now contains teams that arrived there through very different weekends: two late winners, two narrow losers and a Boston College offense that found a decisive advantage in the running game.
Stanford’s victory brought it to 2–3, alongside Pittsburgh, Virginia and California. Syracuse remains below that group at 1–4, but its overtime finish finally ended the conference drought. NC State, also carrying only one ACC win, faces a different immediate task: finishing the season under interim leadership after the loss at Stanford. The top of the standings is becoming clearer even as the teams behind it continue to trade close results.
