Virginia-NC State offers a non-conference matchup between ACC schools as part of Week 2 slate
Things to watch this weekend in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Game of the week
Virginia (1-0) at N.C. State (1-0), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN2).
N.C. State is a charter member of the league while Virginia joined months later in December 1953, pairing the bordering-state programs for a long run of league matchups. Only this time, it’s a nonconference matchup that won’t count in the league standings with the schools adding the game outside the ACC’s scheduling rotation.
The Wolfpack (1-0) had a strong start before holding on late to beat East Carolina, while the Cavaliers (1-0) won in a romp against Coastal Carolina in a year where the pressure is on fourth-year coach Tony Elliott to reach a bowl game. Both are programs picked to finish in the second half of the 17-team league (N.C. State at 10th, Virginia at 14th) but one will exit with what is at its core a power-conference win.
The undercard
No. 11 Illinois at Duke. Manny Diaz’s Blue Devils took over after halftime behind Tulane transfer quarterback Darian Mensah to beat Elon. Things will be tougher with the Fighting Illini (1-0). Duke played then-No. 11 Notre Dame at home in 2023 in a game that’s part of the league’s scheduling partnership with the football independent Fighting Irish, but this will otherwise be the highest-ranked nonconference team to visit Wallace Wade Stadium since Andrew Luck and No. 6. Stanford in 2011.
Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech. The Hokies get a second straight matchup with the Southeastern Conference to start the season, following an opening-weekend loss to now-No. 10 South Carolina in Atlanta. The Hokies lost at Vanderbilt last year.
Impact players
— Haynes King, Georgia Tech: Entering Saturday’s visit from Gardner-Webb, the quarterback has been an underappreciated talent since transferring from Texas A&M before the 2023 season. He had run for 21 touchdowns in the past two seasons before running for three more in a season-opening win at Colorado.
— Lewis Bond, Boston College: The redshirt senior receiver enters Saturday’s trip to Michigan State as the league leader in catches (11) and yards (138) for the opening game after a rout of Fordham. Those were among the Bowl Subdivision leaders (fourth in catches, fifth in yardage).
Inside the numbers
The ACC has four teams in the AP Top 25, headlined by No. 5 Miami after its win against Notre Dame and No. 8 Clemson — which fell four spots after losing at home to now-No. 3 LSU. Florida State went from unranked and picked seventh in the league to No. 14 after beating Alabama. … The league’s other ranked team, No. 17 SMU, hosts Baylor on Saturday having lost 13 straight meetings dating to 1989. The Mustangs last beat the Bears in 1986. … UNC gets a short week with its visit to Charlotte on Saturday, coming after the Tar Heels gave up 48 points — the most in any opener in program history — to open the Bill Belichick era. It also surpassed the most allowed by a Belichick-coached team during 29 years in the NFL.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
By AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer
