ACC & Big 12 Week 8 Recap: Clemson dominates, Oklahoma bounces back
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- Clemson
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Clemson hands NC State its first loss
Trevor Lawrence throws for 300+ for the first time in college and Travis Etienne becomes first player in #Clemson history to rush for 3 TD's in 3 consecutive games. No. 3 Clemson beats No. 15 N.C. State 41-7 @wyffnews4 pic.twitter.com/VvEqJ4OKrQ
— Brad Fralick (@_BradFralick) October 20, 2018
Clemson cruised to a 41-7 win over NC State Saturday at Memorial Stadium. With the win, Clemson remained undefeated at 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC, while NC State fell from the ranks of the unbeaten and moved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
Offensively, Clemson was powered by Travis Etienne, who rushed for three touchdowns for the third straight game, a school first. Etienne leads the ACC with 14 rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was 26-39 through the air, with a career high 308 yards and one touchdown. The passing score went to wide receiver Tee Higgins, who finished with 119 yards on eight receptions.
The Wolfpack offense came into the game averaging 33 points and 480 total yards, but were held to 297 total yards thanks in part to Isaiah Simmons’ eight solo tackles. North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley came in leading the ACC at more than 324 yards passing a game, but the Clemson defense held the NC State passing attack to just 156 yards and two interceptions.
The Wolfpack avoided their first shutout in four years on Reggie Gallaspy’s 9-yard TD run to start the fourth quarter, but their seven points were still the team’s fewest in a game since a 41-0 loss to the Tigers in 2014.
Next week NC State will travel to Syracuse to take on the Orange, while Clemson will also be on the road at Florida State.
Oklahoma bounces back with road win over TCU
Kyler Murray was absolutely sensational against TCU – landing him squarely as our National QB of the Weekhttps://t.co/Rzn8TeMuAn pic.twitter.com/KcS8r7yFa3
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 21, 2018
In a rematch of last year’s Big 12 championship game, Kyler Murray threw four touchdowns, while Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon each had 100-yard rushing games with scores as Oklahoma rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 52-27 rout of TCU on Saturday.
With the victory, Oklahoma has now won 39 consecutive regular season games following a regular season loss. The team’s last set of back-to-back regular season losses came in the 1999 season, Bob Stoops’ first in Norman. Oklahoma’s 52 points also tied for the most it has scored against TCU, matching the 52 points the Sooners scored in 2016, also in Fort Worth.
After Oklahoma raced out to a 28-7 lead early in the second quarter, TCU clawed back, eventually cutting the deficit to 28-24 on a 41-yard Cole Bunce field goal just before the half. After an OU field goal early in the third, Bunce once again cut the deficit to four, but the Horned Frogs would not score again.
Oklahoma hosts Kansas State next Saturday, while TCU is on the road at Kansas.
Virginia earns fourth straight win over Blue Devils
UVA's @BryceHall11 has been named @ACCFootball's Defensive Back of the Week for his efforts at Duke. Hall finished with five tackles, three PBUs and an INT.#NewStandard 🔷⚔️🔶
🔗 https://t.co/kLKmj8BXch pic.twitter.com/dX5fIHCI9e
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 22, 2018
Virginia scored touchdowns on two of its first three drives and held Duke scoreless in the first half in route to a 28-14 win over Duke on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium. Virginia has won four straight against Duke for the first time since winning eight in a row from 2000-07.
The Cavs game-opening touchdown drive was led by quarterback Bryce Perkins who did it all, passing for 21 yards, rushing for 23 yards and recording nine receiving yards. He capped the drive with a 23-yard rushing touchdown. Perkins added a second rushing touchdown in the second quarter to put Virginia up 14-0 before the half. It is the fourth half in ACC play and seventh this season in which the Cavaliers’ defense did not yield a touchdown.
Duke scored on the opening drive of the second half to cut lead to seven, but two third quarter field goals by Brian Delaney extended Virginia’s lead to 13 entering the fourth. Duke responded again off a 22-yard passing touchdown to Davis Koppenhaver early in the fourth quarter to make it a six-point game. Virginia put the game away with four minutes left, however, as Perkins found Evan Butts wide open for a touchdown and completed the two-point conversion to Olamide Zaccheaus to go ahead 28-14.
Duke will looks to bounce in the Steel City next week as the Blue Devils battle Pittsburgh at Heinz Field. Virginia will host North Carolina next Saturday in Charlottesville.
Vote for the Play of the Week!
Week 8 was filled with memorable plays in the ACC and Big 12. Here were two of our favorites. Make sure you vote for the best in the poll below!
1.) North Carolina’s Dazz Newsome explodes for a 75-yard TD on a punt return.
Dazz Newsome has added a 💥 for @TarHeelFootball
Latest entry: 👇#OriginOfFlight #GoHeels (@dazznewsome05) pic.twitter.com/kPUk6JiXVP
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 21, 2018
2.) Texas Tech’s Antoine Wesley makes one-handed grab with defender draped all over him.
https://twitter.com/the_LGG/status/1053780313405562880
Click here to check out weekly recaps from earlier this season.