Here are things to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference in Week 10:
GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 20 Wake Forest at No. 21 North Carolina State. For the second straight year, the instate foes are meeting as ranked teams in November. The Demon Deacons (6-2, 2-2) are coming off a lopsided, turnover-filled loss at Louisville after reaching No. 10 in the AP Top 25. The Wolfpack (6-2, 2-2) managed to rally from a 21-3 deficit late in the third quarter to beat Virginia Tech last week. The past two meetings were decided by identical 45-42 scores, with the Wolfpack winning at home in 2020 and the Demon Deacons following with their own home win last year.
BEST MATCHUP
No. 5 Clemson at Notre Dame. The Tigers (8-0) are in control of the league’s Atlantic Division race as they step out of ACC play to visit the Fighting Irish (5-3). Notre Dame has won 26 straight regular-season matchups against ACC teams in its annual scheduling partnership with the league, a streak that includes a double-overtime thriller at home in 2020 when current Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was filling in for sidelined starter Trevor Lawrence. While Notre Dame is unranked, it has beaten ranked ACC teams in No. 17 North Carolina and No. 22 Syracuse this year.
LONG SHOT
James Madison opened as a 9 1/2-point underdog at Louisville according to FanDuel SportsBook. But the Dukes, playing their first season at the Bowl Subdivision level, spent a week in the AP Top 25 earlier this season. James Madison (5-2) is coming off a loss to Marshall.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
UNC quarterback Drake Maye is tied with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud for the FBS lead with 29 touchdown passes. He has thrown three interceptions on 275 attempts. a rate of 1.1%. … North Carolina’s trip to Virginia this weekend marks the 127th meeting in the series. … A win by Duke against Boston College on Friday night will make the Blue Devils bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. … Clemson’s 14-game winning streak is the longest active run in the country. … N.C. State has won 15 straight home games and is one shy of tying the program record set from 1972-75 under Lou Holtz.
IMPACT PLAYER
Pitt’s Israel Abanikanda is one of the nation’s top rushers entering Saturday’s game against Syracuse. Abanikanda is fifth in the FBS by averaging 135.8 yards rushing while he has a national-best 16 rushing touchdowns. Abanikanda ran for 320 yards and six touchdowns against Virginia Tech on Oct. 8, and is coming off a 127-yard performance with three more scores in last weekend’s loss at UNC.
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap
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