:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61230045/1026325978.jpg.0.jpg)
The week 2 ACC schedule features more FCS opponents than actual FBS opponents. With such, the actual ACC rooting guide gets easier for this week. Lets get to the week 2 guide on who Hurricanes’ fans should root for.
Duke (1-0, 0-0) at Northwestern (1-0), Saturday, 12 PM, ESPNU
Duke is coming off a 34-14 victory over Army and will travel to Ryan Field and attempt to stop the Jeremy Larkin-led Northwestern. In week 1, Duke was led by wide receiver Aaron Young, who caught 4 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Who to root for: Root for Duke because a win for the Blue Devils here will only help strengthen both the ACC Coastal division and the Hurricanes’ strength of schedule.
Georgia Tech (1-0, 0-0) at South Florida (1-0), Saturday, 12 PM, ABC/ESPN2
Georgia Tech came into week 1 with both new jerseys and new expectations. In the home opener, running back KirVonte Benson scored twice as the Yellow Jackets rattled off a 41-0 win over Alcorn State. Week 2 will be much more difficult for Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech as they play one of the top Group of 5 teams in college football in USF.
Who to root for: Much like the Duke game, root for Georgia Tech for the same reasons. Any help the Hurricanes can get is better this early in the season.
Towson (1-0) at Wake Forest (1-0, 0-0), Saturday, 12 PM, Regional
In all aspects, Wake Forest survived week 1. Led by true freshman Sam Hartman’s 4 passing touchdowns and 378 passing yards, the Demon Deacons defeated Tulane 23-17 in overtime. Wake Forest gets a nice tuneup game against Towson this week to hammer out any question marks before beginning conference play.
Who to root for: Unlike Georgia Tech and Duke, Wake Forest does not meet the Hurricanes this year. However, it’s still best to root for Wake Forest because it not only helps the ACC as a whole but will also help the strength of schedule of teams the Hurricanes do play.
Georgia State (1-0) at North Carolina State (1-0, 0-0), Saturday, 12:30 PM, Regional
Despite the 23-14 victory over James Madison, NC State was on upset alert. Led by wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (14 receptions, 161 yards), the Wolfpack scored late in the game to clinch the victory.
Who to root for: Root for NC State. A win for NC State helps the conference and there is no reason for the Hurricanes to be rooting for a Georgia State win as they don’t match-up against the ‘Canes this season.
Holy Cross (1-0) at Boston College (1-0, 0-0), Saturday, 1 PM, Regional
In Boston College’s week 1 win over UMass, quarterback Anthony Brown (279 passing yards, 4 touchdowns) and top running back AJ Dillon (20 carries, 98 yards) were among the most impressive performers. Boston College should have no issues with Holy Cross this week, so look for another strong performance.
Who to root for: The Hurricanes will travel to play Boston College on a Friday night, so root for Boston College in this game.
William and Mary (1-0) at Virginia Tech (1-0, 1-0 in ACC), Saturday, 2 PM, Regional
Virginia Tech were among the top performers in week 1. Playing against FSU, Virginia Tech forced 5 turnovers en route to a 24-3 victory over Florida State. The early win in the ACC is an important piece for the Hokies.
Who to root for: While a loss would help the Hurricanes, it’s still early in the season and a win for Virginia Tech would make the Hurricanes’ matchup against Virginia Tech that much more marquee.
North Carolina (0-1, 0-0) at East Carolina (0-1), Saturday, 3:30 PM, ESPNU
In week 1, North Carolina quarterback Nathan Elliot struggled, throwing for just 137 yards and 4 interceptions. Despite a strong 4th quarter where North Carolina scored 14 unanswered points, the Tar Heels were still defeated by California.
Who to root for: Miami play North Carolina to open up conference play so rooting for North Carolina here is wise. Anything to help the Hurricanes, really.
Wagner (1-0) at Syracuse (1-0, 0-0), Saturday, 3:30 PM, Regional
Quarterback Eric Dungey was among the most impressive players in week 1, going for 384 all-purpose yards (200 rushing, 184 passing). Overall, the Orange defeated Western Michigan 55-42 in a high-scoring thriller.
Who to root for: Since a Wagner win has positive effects on the ACC, root for Syracuse, even if the Hurricanes don’t play them this season.
Savannah State (0-1) at Miami (0-1, 0-0), 6 PM, Regional
After losing to LSU, the Hurricanes can’t afford many more losses and definitely can’t afford one to an FCS opponent coming off a 52-0 loss to UAB. In fact, this week’s game should be about getting confidence back for a lot of different players.
Who to root for: This shouldn’t even be a question, you’re rooting for Miami unless you don’t ride and die with the Hurricanes.
Clemson (1-0, 0-0) at Texas A&M (1-0), 7 PM, ESPN
Clemson had a week 1 game against Furman and dominated all game, even with freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence under center. For week 2, there aren’t many games that will have as much action as Clemson and Texas A&M at Kyle Field.
Who to root for: Unless you’re still hurt about the 58-0 beatdown Clemson gave an Al Golden-led Hurricanes, root for Clemson and a chance at an ACC Championship rematch between the Hurricanes and the Tigers.
Indiana State (1-0) at Louisville (0-1, 0-0), 7 PM, Regional
After losing Lamar Jackson to the NFL, Louisville was forced to play a new starting quarterback against Alabama. Considering such, there’s no surprise that Louisville was defeated comfortably.
Who to root for: Louisville. While it’s unlikely that Louisville will make it to the ACC Championship, any ACC win this early helps the Hurricanes.
Samford (1-0) at Florida State (0-1, 0-1 in ACC), 7:20 PM, Regional
Willie Taggart’s first game as the head coach was as bad as it could be. Multiple mistakes and 5 turnovers led to a 24-3 loss to Virginia Tech, handing the Seminoles not only a regular season loss but also a conference loss, which is worse by all accounts. The Seminoles will need to be better and can begin to fix things against Samford.
Who to root for: While it will pain some Hurricanes fans, a Florida State win is better. With the Seminoles traveling south to play the Hurricanes this season, more wins for both of these teams will help make this game more marquee.
Virginia (1-0, 0-0) at Indiana (1-0), 7:30 PM, BigTen Network
Virginia is still one of the bottom-feeders in the ACC but head coach Bronco Mendenhall as done a standup job building up the program. However, Virginia will have a lot to prove against an Indiana team coming off a win against FIU.
Who to root for: The Hurricanes will travel to Virginia to open up conference play, so a Virginia win will help benefit the Hurricanes’ strength of schedule.
Penn State (1-0) at Pittsburgh (1-0, 0-0), 8 PM, ABC
In a yearly rivalry match-up, Pittsburgh will look to defeat 13th-ranked Penn State. While Penn State is coming off a near-upset to Appalachian State, they’re still a very talented team on both offense and defense. Pittsburgh will have to find ways to stop quarterback Trace McSorley if they want to have a good chance to win this game.
Who to root for: Although last season’s loss to Pittsburgh hurt, the Hurricanes will meet Pittsburgh again so root for the upset.