The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lawrence, Etienne power Tigers’ rout
Trevor Lawrence threw for a career-high 308 yards, Travis Etienne rushed for three touchdowns, and No. 3 Clemson turned an expected Atlantic Coast Conference showdown with No. 16 North Carolina State into a 41-7 rout Saturday.
The Tigers (7-0, 4-0) opened with seven straight wins for the third time in four seasons in topping the Wolfpack (5-1, 2-1) for the seventh consecutive season.
It was the ACC’s first matchup of undefeated teams this deep in a season since 2013, a game that also took place in Death Valley. But unlike five years ago when the 6-0 Tigers were pummeled by eventual national champ Florida State 51-14, it was Clemson who took control early and never gave the Wolfpack a chance to rally.
North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley came in leading the ACC at more than 324 yards passing a game. He managed just 156 yards passing with two interceptions and a fumble.
The Wolfpack avoided their first shutout in four years on Reggie Gallaspy’s 9-yard TD run to start the fourth quarter. Still, it was their fewest points scored since that 41-0 loss to the Tigers in 2014.
Clemson quickly took the steam out of this showdown with touchdowns on two of its first three possessions. Etienne had a 3-yard TD run to close the first one while Lawrence threw a 46-yard scoring pass to Tee Higgins to lead 14-0.
The Wolfpack seemed to stabilize themselves and drove into Clemson territory looking for points when Ryan Finley bobbled a shotgun snap and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence pounced on it. Etienne closed that series, too, with a 2-yard touchdown run.
Clemson piled on right before the half ended when on safety K’Von Wallace’s interception and 46-yard return to the Wolfpack 4 and led to Greg Huegel’s 28-yard field goal for a 24-0 lead at the half.
Etienne’s third-quarter touchdown run gave him an ACC-leading 14 this season.
Lawrence, the 6-foot-6 freshman whose rise led last year’s starter Kelly Bryant to transfer, looked smooth and polished in his third career start. He completed 26 of 39 passes and his long TD throw.
The Wolfpack came in averaging 480 yards of offense a game, but were held to 297.
(At) Florida State 38, Wake Forest 17: Cam Akers had two touchdown runs, including a 58-yarder, and Deondre Francois threw for a season-high 353 yards as Florida State bounced back from a sloppy start and scored 38 straight points in a win over Wake Forest.
Akers, who has struggled for much of his sophomore season, had 98 yards on 13 carries for Florida State (4-3, 2-3 ACC). The Seminoles set season highs for points scored and offensive yards (485).
Francois completed 29 of 40 passes and had two touchdown passes, including a 33-yard scoring toss to Nyqwan Murray on fourth down. Francois had his eighth career 300-yard game in 21 starts, while Murray caught eight passes for 131 yards.
Sam Hartman completed 22 of 46 passes for 227 yards for Wake Forest (3-4, 0-3), which ran 104 plays. Hartman hooked up with Jake Freudenthal on a 9-yard touchdown pass to put Wake Forest ahead 10-0, but the Demon Deacons didn’t score on their next 11 drives until a touchdown drive in the game’s final six minutes.
Brian Burns and Joshua Kaindoh had two of Florida State’s five sacks of Hartman.
Florida State, which has one of the nation’s top rush defenses, held Wake Forest to 94 yards on 48 carries.
(At) Syracuse 40, North Carolina 37 (2 OT): Tommy DeVito, in relief of a struggling Eric Dungey, hit tight end Ravian Pierce on a 4-yard scoring play in the second overtime, and Syracuse defeated North Carolina. DeVito, who entered the game in the fourth quarter, sent it to overtime with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Nykeim Johnson with 1:39 to go.
Syracuse (5-2, 2-2 ACC) appeared to be on its way to a third straight loss until DeVito’s heroics. North Carolina (1-5, 1-3) rallied from a 20-7 deficit to take a 27-20 lead with 10 minutes to go but dropped its third straight game.
DeVito, a redshirt freshman, was 11-of-19 passing for 181 yards and three touchdowns. Dungey was 17 of 33 for 225 yards but struggled to find a rhythm.
Nathan Elliott was 34 of 52 for 321 yards and two touchdowns for North Carolina.
Virginia 28, (at) Duke 14: Bryce Perkins passed for 189 yards and a touchdown to help Virginia beat Duke. Perkins also rushed for 61 yards and two scores for the Cavaliers (5-2, 3-1 ACC), who won for the fourth time in five games.
Virginia backed up its 16-13 win over Miami, its first against a ranked opponent since 2014, with its fourth consecutive victory over Duke.
Daniel Jones passed for 240 yards and a touchdown for the Blue Devils (5-2, 1-2).