Things to watch this weekend in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
No. 1 Miami (8-0) at No. 4 Notre Dame (7-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
This one has been circled on the schedule all year, rooted in the Hurricanes beating the Fighting Irish last year in a game that ultimately swung a College Football Playoff bid to Miami instead of Notre Dame. And the Hurricanes rode that all the way to the CFP title game while the Irish opted out of playing in the postseason
at all.
The Hurricanes have largely rolled through their schedule with the nation's top-scoring offense (47.6), with a pair of Heisman Trophy candidates in quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Malachi Toney, though the defense struggled to get off the field in a comeback win at North Carolina on Saturday. The Fighting Irish suffered their only loss at No. 7 BYU on Oct. 17. This is the first of four straight against ACC foes to close Notre Dame's schedule.
Virginia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC) at SMU (6-2, 4-2), Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The Mustangs are coming off a loss to Syracuse in a game that dropped them behind No. 14 Wake Forest in the chase to reach the ACC championship game. That put them in a logjam of two-loss teams in the standings, a group that includes the Hokies in James Franklin's first season in Blacksburg. That makes this something approaching an elimination game.
Clemson (5-3, 3-2) at Syracuse (4-4, 2-4), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN2)
The Tigers have no margin for error at this point as part of that group of two-loss teams, with losses to Miami and Virginia Tech. Now they're traveling to face the Orange, which started 0-4 in the league but edged North Carolina in overtime and then upset SMU last week.
— N.C. State RB Davion Gause. With starter Duke Scott still sidelined by injury, Gause ran 19 times for 104 yards and a touchdown in the weekend win against California in the first game under interim coach Todd Goebbel. That was Gause's best output for the Wolfpack since transferring from UNC and he is positioned for a role even when Scott returns.entering Saturday's visit by Duke.
— Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz. The Cardinals can't afford a stumble in Saturday's trip to Georgia Tech. Kienholz has run for five touchdowns in Louisville's current three-game winning streak.
Duke running back Nate Sheppard is No. 5 nationally in rushing (121.5) and third in rushing touchdowns (14) after going for five scores in a blowout of Boston College. ... Florida State visits Boston College on Saturday in its first game under interim coach Rick Stockstill after the firing of Mike Norvell. ... The Eagles had scored 27 points in a win against Pittsburgh and 49 points in a win at Georgia Tech, only to lose 47-2 last weekend to the Blue Devils. ... North Carolina defensive line coach Bob Diaco returns to UConn on Saturday when the Tar Heels face the Huskies program he led as head coach from 2014-16. Diaco went 11-26 in those three seasons. ... Wake Forest (5-1 ACC) steps out of ACC play to host Merrimack having scored 38 or more points in four straight games, including last weekend's 51-7 win against Virginia. ... California, Pittsburgh, Stanford and Virginia are idle this week.
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