Nick Faulkner
Redshirt graduate quarterback Ryan Finley carries the ball in on a QB sneak for the first Wolfpack points. Finley had a great offensive showing with 415 yards through the air while completing 70 percent of his passes. The Wolfpack fell 35-28 loss to South Carolina on Saturday Sept. 2 in the Bank of America Stadium for the Belk College Kickoff game.
With NC State starting conference play this week, here is a look at how the ACC is looking through the first three games of the 2017 season.
1. No. 2 Clemson (3-0, 1-0 ACC)
The Tigers have showed no sign of slowing down following their national championship a season ago. Quarterback Kelly Bryant has shown accuracy and poise in the pocket while the defense looks even better than it did last year. Clemson handled the matchup against Louisville with ease and look to contend at the championship level again this year.
2. No. 13 Virginia Tech (3-0)
The Hokies may have taken some people by surprise. Wide receiver Cam Phillips already has 417 receiving yards and five touchdowns fueled by a 189 yard, three-touchdown massacre of East Carolina last week. They beat ranked West Virginia in the season opener and will likely be undefeated going into a home game against Clemson in two weeks.
3. No. 12 Florida State (0-1)
The Seminoles have been limited to one game this year as a result of Hurricane Irma. Their opening loss to Alabama also left them without their starting quarterback. Freshman quarterback James Blackman and the strong FSU defense has had two weeks to prepare for a pivotal home matchup with the hungry NC State Wolfpack.
4. No. 14 Miami (1-0)
The Hurricanes have also been out of action the last two weeks. Although they are a ranked team with possible upside, a lot is still unknown about Miami. A tough schedule will be the make or break evidence for how legit this team is.
5. No. 19 Louisville (2-1, 1-1 ACC)
The Cardinals have a great weapon in quarterback Lamar Jackson. Defensive woes led to close wins against Purdue and UNC-Chapel Hill before they were outperformed on all levels by Clemson. Louisville has the tools in place for a scary offense, but has a defense that cannot pull its own weight.
6. Duke (3-0)
A big surprise in ACC football this year has been the Blue Devils. They have gone undefeated through the first three games for the first time since 2014, and are receiving votes in the AP poll. Led by a ferocious defense and a powerful run game, Duke will try to answer its doubters with a strong performance against UNC this week.
7. NC State (2-1)
Coming into the season with sky-high expectations, the Wolfpack fell to South Carolina in the season opener in a close game that left fans with more questions than answers. After two confidence-booster victories against smaller schools, NC State will have to prove that it was worthy of the hype with a tough matchup at Florida State on Saturday.
8. Wake Forest (3-0)
The Demon Deacons have put up an impressive 131 points in their three victories so far this year. As with Duke, Wake Forest has had success with their running game, which is averaging 232.3 yards per game, and defense that allows an average of nine points to opponents. Consecutive games against Florida State and at Clemson will test the surprising Deacs.
9. Georgia Tech (1-1)
The Yellow Jackets lost a nail biter to Tennessee in double overtime to open the season. After a victory against Jacksonville State, Georgia Tech had its game against Central Florida cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. This team has the defensive chops to build a solid record before a tough closing schedule against Virginia Tech, Clemson and Georgia.
10. Syracuse (2-1)
The Orange has been inconsistent with its offensive play. With an embarrassingly close loss to Middle Tennessee, Syracuse will look for its defense to carry the load in tough matchups at LSU and NC State the next two weeks.
11. Virginia (2-1)
Despite being outperformed on all levels against Indiana in week two, the Cavaliers put up respectable wins against UConn and William & Mary. Virginia could squeak out a few conference upsets and post a solid record despite the Cavaliers being in an obvious rebuilding season.
12. UNC-Chapel Hill (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
The Tar Heels surprised many by keeping pace with Louisville until late into the game. North Carolina is incredibly inconsistent on offense with several weapons gone from a season ago; however, the defense has posed more questions and concern for the future for the Tar Heels.
13. Pittsburgh (1-2)
It was an ugly start to Pittsburgh’s season with losses to two top-10 teams in the last two weeks. The defense has left the Panthers behind and struggling through all of their games this year. Don’t expect the road to get easier this week against a rested Georgia Tech team.
14. Boston College (1-2)
The Eagles’ usually strong defense has seen decline and injuries through three games this season as they allowed 515 rushing yards in a loss to Notre Dame. Consistency on the offensive front has also diminished due to poor quarterback play. The upcoming schedule does not look pretty for the Eagles as they play many of the top teams on this list.