Key ACC scores from the weekend (Sept. 20)

Duke 45, N.C. State 33

Syracuse 34, Clemson 21 — The Orange pulled off an upset on the road, handing the Tigers another loss in Death Valley.

Georgia Tech 45, Temple 24 — The Yellowjackets pulled away after a strong first quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points.

Virginia 48, Stanford 20

Virginia Tech 38, Wofford 6 — The Hokies earned their first win of the season.

ACC overview

The ACC college football season so far has been wide open, with no clear frontrunner, as early upsets, rocky starts and strong showings characterize the conference season so far. 

A few teams are off to strong starts. No. 16 Georgia Tech is undefeated in both non-conference and conference play (4-0 overall, 1-0 ACC). Their most notable win came against No. 12 Clemson, which they upset 24-21, on a 55-yard field goal as time expired. They travel to Winston-Salem this Saturday to face the Demon Deacons in a key matchup. 

Other programs are beginning to show flashes of strength. The University of Virginia (3-1 overall, 1-0 ACC) beat Stanford 48-20 in a convincing road/nonconference win, showing strengths on both offense and defense, and Duke (2-2 overall, 1-0 ACC) defeated in-state rival N.C. State 45-33, a big ACC opener for the Blue Devils. 

Traditional power Clemson is off to a rough start this season with a 1-3 record overall and 0-2 in ACC play. Conference losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse set the Tigers back in the rankings and endangered their playoff hopes. Adding to the drama, Syracuse was fined $25,000 by the ACC for faking injuries in their win against Clemson. They face Duke this weekend at home. 

The conference is still open for anyone to take. Teams such as Florida State, Miami and Louisville are among those also being considered as contenders.

Where Wake Forest stands

Wake Forest has a 2-1 overall record so far, with its lone loss against in-state rival N.C. State in a game that appeared within reach. Losing early in ACC play sets them back in the conference standings and they’ll need wins against conference teams to stay relevant in bowl discussions.

The Deacs look to bounce back against No. 16 Georgia Tech this Saturday.  

Preseason projections were modest. ESPN projected Wake Forest for 5.2 total wins and 2.3 in the ACC. 

The ACC is a conference where the same teams were expected to dominate, so their path to a strong finish is tougher, with Florida State, North Carolina (UNC) and Virginia games upcoming. 

Future games against stronger ACC opponents will test them and define Wake Forest’s ceiling.