Grading every ACC team’s Week 2 performance
Week 2 of the 2022 college football season is behind us, with Clemson defeating Furman 35-12 in a home matchup at Death Valley.
The Tigers started the game cooking on offense, but the group slowed down in the second half as the defense seemingly did the opposite, beginning the game on the shakier side before recovering in the second half.
All but one ACC team saw action this week with Florida State having a bye, and it was yet another eventful week out of the conference. Teams had their ups and downs along with their wins and losses.
How did the ACC fair? Which teams performed while others struggled?
Here’s a look at my grade for every ACC team’s week one performance:
Clemson Tigers
Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: C+
Result: 35-12 win over Furman
Reasoning: If I’m being honest, this grade could be lower. The Tigers didn’t perform up to the standard of the No.5 team in the country facing off with an FCS opponent. I’ll stick with a C+ because of what we saw from starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. He looked good in the first half, and though things stalled in the second, it was a promising showing from the quarterback. Also, the performances of many Top 25 teams make this a little easier to be more friendly with.
Boston College Eagles
Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: F
Result: 27-10 loss to Virginia Tech
Reasoning: Jeff Hafley’s group is off to a brutal start for a team I had some solid expectations for heading into this season. Even in an away matchup at a tough place to play like Virginia Tech, this is a game the Eagles should have been far more competitive in. To have just 155 yards of total offense is a major red flag for this group. Maybe Zay Flowers needs every offensive touch?
Duke Blue Devils
Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A
Result: 31-23 win over Northwestern
Reasoning: If you want to talk about expectations heading into the 2022 college football season, Duke has already shattered them for me. The Mike Elko era of Duke football is in full swing as they walk away with an impressive win over a Northwestern team that, on paper, should have had no problems handling this Blue Devils team as they were double-digit point favorites. Duke fans should be thrilled with what they’re seeing out of this team so far. Props to Elko for a start like this.
Florida State Seminoles
Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A+
Result: BYE
Reasoning: Heading into Week 3 undefeated.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Syndication: The Greenville News
Grade: C+
Result: 35-17 win over Western Carolina
Reasoning: After a relatively strong performance against Clemson in Week 1, Georgia Tech took a step back against Western Carolina. Starting quarterback, Jeff Sims had a rough game as the team struggled to get anything going through the air. However, running back Dontae Smith made sure the Yellow Jackets wouldn’t stumble, with a three-touchdown showing on the ground.
Louisville Cardinals
Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B
Result: 20-14 win over UCF
Reasoning: The Cardinals’ win over UCF was a good bounce back after they got handled by Syracuse in Week 1. The defense showed up and did a great job shutting down UCF’s passing game. The offense was solid but not great, as it’s evident they have a few things they need to work on to be as successful as they were last season offensively. Fair or not, most of it will be on Malik Cunningham’s shoulders.
Miami Hurricanes
Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B-
Result: 30-7 win over Southern Miss
Reasoning: Tyler Van Dyke and the Hurricanes headed into the half of this game up just 3-points, but they put together a solid second half en route to a 30-7 win over Southern Miss. I don’t think the team necessarily performed poorly, but I don’t think they were by any means great. In a matchup like this, I have more expectations out of Van Dyke. This game made me a little more excited to see how the highly rated quarterback would perform on a bigger stage.
NC State Wolfpack
Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A
Result: 55-3 win over Charleston Southern
Reasoning: There’s not much to say on this one, as NC State handled business as they should. Starting quarterback Devin Leary was handed a nice bounce-back game in this one totaling six touchdowns with four passing and two on the ground. The defense didn’t stumble a bit with 150 total yards allowed. The Wolfpack did nothing to warrant a lousy grade here. Leary could have been more efficient through the air if we wanted to knit pick.
Pittsburgh Panthers
Syndication: Beaver County Times
Grade: B
Result: 34-27 loss to Tennessee
Reasoning: The Panthers had a chance here but fell short in overtime in what could have been a massive win for their season. Starting quarterback Kedon Slovis took a beating, leading to him getting hurt and missing the second half. Backup quarterback Nick Patti did an admirable job sending the team to overtime with a 4-yard touchdown late in the fourth, but the Panthers just couldn’t pull it out. With Slovis now dealing with a concussion and Patti dealing with a high ankle sprain, Pitt’s immediate future is cloudy.
Syracuse Orange
Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B+
Result: 48-14 win over UConn
Reasoning: Syracuse head coach Dino Babers and the team are off to a 2-0 start with another strong performance. Starting quarterback Garrett Shrader had a strong outing, scoring five total touchdowns while completing 87% of his passes. The defense looked as good as they did in Week 1 when they shut down Cunningham and Louisville, even with the major injuries. The only thing keeping them from an A was their performance on the ground. Having Sean Tucker, who, in my opinion, is one of the most elite running backs in the entire landscape of college football, the team needs to do better than 3.1 yards per carry once they face some tougher competition.
UNC Tar Heels
Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: C-
Result: 35-28 win over Georgia Southern
Reasoning: Well, UNC won, so that’s a positive. This team does not feel like they should be 3-0, but they are. The offense can put points on the board, as we’ve seen, but this defense… is just bad. Maybe the offense can keep compensating for the lack of defense?
Virginia Cavaliers
Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: F
Result: 24-3 loss to Illinois
Reasoning: It was a rough showing from Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers against the Fighting Illini. Illinois starting quarterback Tommy DeVito may have struggled against the ACC when he was the starter at Syracuse, but that didn’t stop him and the Illini from bullying this UVA team. Brennan Armstrong and the Cavaliers’ offense looked lost in this game, and honestly, the play-calling did them no favors. It was just a brutal day for this team.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B+
Result: 27-10 win over Boston College
Reasoning: This was a big win for new head coach Brent Pry and his team. These two teams needed a good performance, and Pry’s team showed up for him. Sure, the offense was underwhelming and didn’t give the fans much of anything to be excited about offensively. The defense, however, did exactly what was needed to secure a comfortable win. The defense allowed just four rushing yards! Huge momentum win for the Hokies.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A+
Result: 45-25 win over Vanderbilt
Reasoning: As a team, Wake Forest doesn’t deserve an A+. With that being said, Sam Hartman is back. All I needed to see from this game was Hartman back under center and performing up to his potential. He did just that. It was a well-deserved comeback win for a great guy.
