Saturday morning blitz: Can UNC win in Tallahassee?
3 to watch
1. No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson, 8 p.m. (WTVD): Louisville (4-0) and QB Lamar Jackson look to continue their torrid scoring pace (63.5 ppg) against the Tigers (4-0), who have won 18 straight at home.
2. UNC at No. 12 Florida State, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN): The Tar Heels (3-1) won their last trip to Tallahassee, 37-35 in 2010. The Seminoles (3-1) have lost only one ACC home game since and none since 2011.
3. No. 14 Miami at Georgia Tech, noon (ESPN2) : Miami (3-0) is giving up only 1.57 yards per rush, the best in the country. Clemson held Georgia Tech’s vaunted rushing attack to 95 yards last week.
Observations
▪ How far has the pendulum shifted since Clemson was the overwhelming preseason choice to win the ACC? The Tigers (4-0) are a 2-point underdog … at home … in a night game at Death Valley. Louisville’s explosive 4-0 start includes a 63-20 demolition of Florida State but that was at home.
Clemson’s defense, which ranks third in the country, will be put to the test by Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has accounted for 25 touchdowns … in four games.
Louisville’s nerves – can the Cards handle the big stage? – will be put to the test by the Death Valley crowd.
▪ The only surprising part of Miami’s fast start is the Hurricanes are still committing penalties at an alarming rate under first-year coach Mark Richt. The Canes head into Saturday’s game with Georgia Tech ranked No. 106 in the country in penalties per game (72.3) The Canes have been flagged 24 times for 217 yards in three games.
Richt’s Georgia teams were among the least penalized in the country, ranking in the top 30 in 2015, ’14 and ’10. Miami was the second-most penalized team in the country last year.
▪ You give a coach like Duke’s David Cutcliffe tape of a defense getting shredded up, as Notre Dame’s had before its 38-35 loss to Duke last week, and the results are relatively predictable.
First-year Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall made his name at Brigham Young on defense but the Cavaliers have been slow to catch on. The Hoos rank No. 114 in total defense and No. 96 in scoring defense. That should add up to another Duke win, its seventh in nine tries, over UVa.
Number to know
2006
The last time Wake Forest started 4-0 and the last time the Deacons won at N.C. State. The Wolfpack has won 14 of the past 15 meetings at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Top 25
Friday
No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington, late
Saturday
No. 1 Alabama vs. Kentucky, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Ohio State vs. Rutgers, Noon
No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson, 8 p.m.
No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 8 Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m.
No. 9 Texas A&M at South Carolina, 4 p.m.
No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia, 3:30 p.m.
No. 12 Florida State vs. North Carolina, 3:30 p.m.
No. 13 Baylor at Iowa State, Noon
No. 14 Miami at Georgia Tech, Noon
No. 15 Nebraska vs. Illinois, 3:30 p.m.
No. 16 Mississippi vs. Memphis, 7 p.m.
No. 17 Michigan State at Indiana, 8 p.m.
No. 18 Utah at California, 6 p.m.
No. 19 San Diego State at South Alabama, 8 p.m.
No. 20 Arkansas vs. Alcorn State, Noon
No. 21 TCU vs. Oklahoma, 5 p.m.
No. 22 Texas at Oklahoma State, Noon
No. 23 Florida at Vanderbilt, Noon
No. 24 Boise State vs. Utah State, 10:15 p.m.
This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Saturday morning blitz: Can UNC win in Tallahassee?."