No. 17-Ranked Clemson Defeats Boston College, Miami’s Stephen Morris Sets ACC Record

The biggest match-up of the weekend in the ACC saw No. 17-ranked Clemson going on the road to play Boston College. Behind a phenomenal and record-breaking performance by junior wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson beat BC 45-31.

Hopkins caught 11 passes for a school record 197 receiving yards and stepped up to fill the major void left by superstar wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was out with an abdominal virus. Hopkins, affectionately known by teammates as “Nuk,” came through in the clutch when his team needed him most. “‘Nuk’s just always there. He’s the most dependable guy we have,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “And it’s not like people don’t know we’re going to throw him the ball.”

Quarterback Tajh Boyd also had a good game, bouncing back from Clemson’s meltdown against Florida State last week. Boyd threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground. Boyd continues to put his name in the Heisman Trophy discussion, even if his numbers were overshadowed on Saturday by West Virginia’s Geno Smith.

“We finished stronger than last week,” Boyd said. “But we’ve got so much more room for improvement. We’ve got to go look at the film and put a lot of things together for the next game. I’m really excited about the potential this team has.”

Clemson running back Andre Ellington also chipped in with a strong performance, racking up 132 yards and a touchdown. However, Ellington was quick to praise Boyd’s control of the offense. “When he’s playing like that, everything’s good. He’s our leader out there,” Ellington said. “He was good and got the flow of the game going at his pace.”

Clemson was favored by nine points in the match, and easily covered the spread. Clemson continues to be undervalued by Vegas this season, and after their humbling defeat at the hands of Florida State last week, it wasn’t hard to predict a strong effort from them on Saturday.

Miami’s Stephen Morris Sets ACC Record for Passing Yards with 566 Against N.C. State

In a day marked by offensive explosions, the U got into the party when Stephen Morris broke the ACC record for passing yardage in a game with 566 in a 44-37 victory over North Carolina State.

“People dream about it,” Morris said after the game. “But it’s kind of crazy when you’re actually in the moment. I’m speechless about it.” Morris also threw for five touchdowns and averaged a robust 11.6 yards per attempt.

The game’s over/under point total was set at 55, and the “under” was a popular bet heading into the game. Well, that one didn’t exactly work out as planned; the score was over that mark early in the fourth quarter. However, Miami was favored by three points in this game, and clearly covered the spread. Prior to this game, here were some of the ATS trends for both Miami and North Carolina State:

• North Carolina State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
• North Carolina State is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road.
• North Carolina State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road.
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of North Carolina State’s last 5 games on the road.
• Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
• Miami is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games at home.
• Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home.

Both teams have been wildly up and down this season, though maybe this win will make Miami at least slightly easier to predict in the future. They can’t help but gain confidence from such a solid, record-breaking performance from their quarterback.