For the first time in league history, the ACC has four unbeaten teams through four weeks, and each is in action this week. Two of them play each other in the conference's marquee game.
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That spotlight game features Maryland playing at Florida State. The Terps have been an early-season surprise, but the caliber of competition increases greatly Saturday.
The other unbeatens are Clemson, which plays at Syracuse, and Miami, which plays host to Georgia Tech in a key Coastal Division contest.
Here's a look at all the games involving ACC teams this week:
7. Army at Boston College, Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Rating: 1 star
The skinny: The shutdown of the federal government means this game might not be played. BC senior Alex Amidon (6-0, 182 pounds) is one of the better receivers in the ACC and could be a third-day draft pick. The same goes for BC LBs Steele Divitto (6-2, 237) and Kevin Pierre-Louis (6-1, 225), who should be busy against Army's triple-option offense.
6. NC State at Wake Forest, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC syndication/ESPN GamePlan
Rating: 1.5 stars
The skinny: Wake has been awful, but senior WR Michael Campanaro (5-11, 190) can get open against almost anybody. His matchup with NC State senior CB Dontae Johnson (6-2, 195) is the individual battle to watch. Campanaro is third in school history with 194 career receptions. He needs 23 more catches to break Desmond Clark's school record of 216 (set from 1995-98). Clark went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL as a tight end. NC State's rushing attack should put up big numbers against the Demon Deacons.
5. Ball State at Virginia, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, ACC syndication/ESPN GamePlan
Rating: 2 stars
The skinny: This game has some intrigue. Ball State has an NFL prospect at quarterback in senior Keith Wenning (6-3, 220). He has thrown for 300 yards in each of the Cardinals' five games. Ball State junior WR Willie Snead (5-11, 193) vs. Virginia CB Demetrious Nicholson (5-11, 185) is a matchup the Cardinals need to win if they're to pull the upset. Virginia has a strong pass rush; can Wenning handle the pressure? UVa has struggled to run, but if the Cavs can't run on Ball State, they might be hopeless in that aspect.
4. Clemson at Syracuse, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC regional/ESPN2/ESPN GamePlan
Rating: 2 stars
The skinny: Penn State and Northwestern torched Syracuse's secondary. What is Clemson QB Tajh Boyd going to do to the Orange? Syracuse senior NT Jay Bromley (6-4, 285) has 14 tackles and three sacks, and Clemson sophomore center Ryan Norton will need help handling him. Clemson junior WR Sammy Watkins (6-1, 205) should have a big day. Syracuse has big corners -- Keon Lyn is 6-1, and Ri'Shard Anderson is 6-0 -- but neither is particularly proficient. Keep an eye on Syracuse rising-star OT Sean Hickey (6-5, 291), a junior with a tough task: He has to keep Clemson junior DE/sackmaster Vic Beasley (6-2, 235) out of the backfield. Beasley has six sacks this season and is the fastest defensive end in the nation. This is Syracuse's first league game.
3. North Carolina at Virginia Tech, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC syndication/ESPN GamePlan
Rating: 3 stars
The skinny: If UNC has any hope of winning the Coastal Division title, it needs to win this. The Tar Heels have been surprisingly mediocre offensively, and they're going against the league's best defense this week. UNC's QB Bryn Renner, WR Quinshad Davis, OT James Hurst and TE Eric Ebron are on the spot to produce. Can Davis and Ebron get open consistently against one of the nation's top three secondaries? Tech stud CB Antone Exum is expected to play for the first time this season. He has been out since suffering a major knee injury in January. The Hokies' secondary already had been stifling, thanks to the play of senior CB Kyle Fuller. Will Renner have time to throw? Hurst needs to make sure Tech DEs J.R. Collins and James Gayle (a combined 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss) don't wreak havoc. As for Tech's offense and UNC's defense, neither is that good. Hokies senior QB Logan Thomas is coming off a rare good game. Tar Heels senior DE Kareem Martin is solid against the run but still needs to flash more pass-rush skills.
2. Georgia Tech at Miami, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Rating: 3.5 stars
The skinny: Miami junior LB Denzel Perryman (6-0, 240) has impressed most onlookers with his play this season, and this is another chance for Perryman to rack up double-digit tackles, which he did in a win over Florida earlier this season. Miami DTs Curtis Porter (6-1, 325) and Olsen Pierre (6-4, 3-5) can show off their run-stuffing skills, too. How those two hold up against Tech center Jay Finch (6-3, 285) and guards Will Jackson (6-3, 295) and Shaquille Mason (6-1, 305) will go a long way toward determining who wins. Tech senior CBs Jemea Thomas (5-11, 195) and Louis Young (6-1, 196) are pro prospects who did a nice job against North Carolina's receiving corps two weeks ago; now they have to face Miami's talented receivers, headed by underrated senior Allen Hurns (6-3, 195). Miami sophomore TB Duke Johnson (5-9, 195) will be going against a good group of Tech linebackers led by sophomore middle man Jabari Hunt-Days (6-3, 247). Tech already has one loss in the Coastal Division race and can't afford another.
1. Maryland at Florida State, Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
Rating: 4 stars
The skinny: Maryland has been more productive than expected offensively even though sophomore WR Stefon Diggs (6-0, 195) hasn't had a big game yet. His battles with FSU senior CB Lamarcus Joyner (5-8, 195) should be some of the best of the weekend. Terps QB C.J. Brown can hurt foes with his arms and legs; when he gets out of the pocket, it'll be up to mobile FSU MLB Christian Jones (6-4, 235) to make sure he doesn't do much damage. Maryland is tied for the national lead in sacks with 17, and FSU already has allowed eight. Terps senior OLB Marcus Whitfield (6-3, 250) has emerged as a dangerous pass rusher and will test FSU junior OTs Cam Erving (6-6, 320), projected by some as a first-round pick, and Bobby Hart (6-4, 315). It's a lot easier to get past Hart, who lines up on the right side, than Erving. Terps junior NT Darius Kilgo (6-3, 310) is a load in the middle, but FSU's interior of senior center Bryan Stork (6-4, 300) and junior guards Tre Jackson (6-4, 330) and Josue Matias (6-6, 322) is one of the best in the nation. Is Maryland (4-0) for real? It is if it wins this.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
