IN FOCUS
CLEMSON AT GEORGIA TECH Thursday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Clemson’s path to a second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference title begins on the road against one of its oldest rivals.
The No. 3 Tigers (3-0), who won the ACC last year for the first time since 2011, start league play in Atlanta against Georgia Tech (3-0, 1-0).
Clemson (3-0) carved out onepossession victories against Auburn and Troy to open the season before blasting Football Championship Subdivision school South Carolina State 59-0 last weekend in a game that featured abbreviated quarters in the second half. QB Deshaun Watson played half the game, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to WR Ray-Ray McCloud and finishing with the second-best passing efficiency of his career (231.2).
He’ll find a greater challenge against Georgia Tech, which has yielded 31 points over the first three weeks of the season. Last season, versatile Watson did much of his damage against the Yellow Jackets through the air, throwing for 265 yards and two TDs in a 43-24 triumph.
That was a hard-luck season for Georgia Tech, which has matched its victory total from last year. After surviving in its opener against Boston College, the Yellow Jackets have breezed to back-toback victories at home.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 38-7 rout of Vanderbilt as freshman FB Dedrick Mills rushed for three touchdowns and the offense piled up 511 total yards.
Georgia Tech is the last team to defeat Clemson in the regular season, having earned a 28-6 victory late in the 2014 season. Clemson has won three of the last four meetings, and a series once noted for its reliable competitiveness has produced double-digit margins in six consecutive seasons.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT VIRGINIA
Saturday, 12:30 p.m., RSN
Virginia (0-3) closes out its non-conference schedule under first-year coach Bronco Menden-
hall as one of two Power Five teams (along with Iowa State) seeking its first victory. The Cavaliers squandered a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter last week at Connecticut, then missed a 20-yard field goal as time expired to fall 13-10.
The Chippewas (3-0) are not an ideal team against which to try to bounce back. They snagged a victory at Oklahoma State two weeks ago on a controversial untimed down, and QB Cooper Rush threw six touchdown passes last week in a 44-21 rout of UNLV.
Virginia won its previous meeting with the Chippewas, a 55-21 triumph in 1996.
The Cavaliers are 11-2-1 all time against current Mid-American Conference schools, with the losses coming against Western Michigan (2006) and Ball State (2013).
EAST CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA TECH
Saturday, 12:30 p.m., ACC Network
The host Hokies (2-1) enjoyed their most-lopsided conference victory since 2004 last week, demolishing Boston College 49-0 behind QB Jerod Evans’ five touchdown passes. Virginia Tech surrendered 124 total yards and six first downs.
Expect a greater defensive challenge against East Carolina (2-1), which defeated North Carolina State two weeks ago before falling 20-15 at South Carolina. WR Zay Jones had 22 receptions (one shy of the Football Bowl Subdivision record) for 190 yards in that loss for the Pirates, who committed three turnovers inside the South Carolina 10.
This is the ninth time in 10 years the schools have met, and
East Carolina has won the last two games. Both were decided by a touchdown, with the Pirates claiming a 35-28 victory last season as current WR James Summers rushed for 169 yards and a score and threw for a touchdown.
WAGNER AT BOSTON COLLEGE
Saturday, 1 p.m., ESPN3
Boston College (1-2) returns home after absorbing a 49-0 loss at Virginia Tech. QB Patrick Towles struggled, throwing for 80 yards and an interception in 28 pass attempts.
The Eagles will try to get back to .500 against an FCS team that has defeated Saint Anselm and Concordia.
Boston College has never faced Wagner and has won its four games against FCS opponents under coach Steve Addazio by a combined margin of 164-27.
SYRACUSE AT CONNECTICUT
Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS Sports Network
An old Big East series is renewed as the Orange (1-2) hits the road for the first time this season. Syracuse’s up-tempo offense has the team ranked 10th nationally in passing offense behind QB Eric Dungey. But the defense is giving up 480.7 yards per game and was torched the last two weeks by Louisville and South Florida.
Connecticut (2-1) is probably the most reasonable barometer yet for Dino Babers’ team. The Huskies bounced back from a loss at Navy to edge Virginia last week, but they bring the 111th-ranked offense in the country into the game. If UConn does serious damage, it will not bode well for the Orange’s prospects as they delve deeper into league play.
Connecticut leads the series 6-3, but the Orange won the teams’ most recent meeting 40-10 in 2012 after losing in the five previous seasons.
PITTSBURGH AT NORTH CAROLINA
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU
North Carolina (2-1) enters its conference opener on a two-game winning streak, including a 56-28 rout of James Madison last week. Tar Heels QB Mitch Trubisky threw for 432 yards and three TDs against the Dukes.
Pittsburgh (2-1) plays its ACC opener a week after dropping a storm-delayed 45-38 decision at Oklahoma State. The Panthers surrendered 540 passing yards in the loss and will need to improve against a capable North Carolina passing attack.
Pittsburgh rolled up 290 rushing yards against the Cowboys. TB James Conner had 111 yards and a touchdown, and Quadree Henderson rushed for 95 yards and two scores on seven carries.
North Carolina has won all three meetings with the Panthers as conference members, but none has been by more than a touchdown.
The Tar Heels are the only Coastal Division program Pittsburgh has yet to defeat since it joined the ACC.