ACC Week 1: Miami, Pitt, Clemson and NC ST
It’s Monday of Week 1 during the 2022 college football season. The Miami Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Panthers, Clemson Tigers and North Carolina State Wolfpack are three AP 25 teams to watch heading into their first games.
In the order that each team plays, here’s a look at what to watch for with each team, beginning with Miami.
Bethune-Cookman @ #16 Miami, Saturday, 12 p.m. EST
It’s the Hurricanes first game under the watchful eye of head coach Mario Cristobal, coming back to his alma mater after being a player himself during an era that saw Miami win titles in 1989 and 1991 that he was a part of.
Let’s be honest. Miami is going to roll over Bethune-Cookman. They are going to be fired up to kickstart the 2022 season and do so with Heisman Trophy quarterback Tyler Van Dyke behind center.
He’s a projected NFL first round pick by many draft experts, and he has a lot of talent to distribute the football to like running back Jaylan “Rooster” Knighton and wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, among others.
The offensive line should be one of the ACC’s best, led by All-American candidate Zion Nelson at left tackle. There are questions, however.
How will Miami’s wide receivers perform? Miami needs more consistency from the position to maximize the talents of Van Dyke, and the offense overall.
What about the defense? The Hurricanes have a lot of talent, but the majority is still inexperienced and/or a transfer player getting used to the defensive scheme. Miami gave up 28.4 points per game, the No. 84 team in the country last season.
Much more will be expected from Miami after last season, and the Canes get a fresh start against a team that it should dominate.
West Virginia @ #17 Pittsburgh, Thursday, 7 p.m. EST
The backyard brawl is back! Pittsburgh leads the series 61-40-3 over West Virginia, with this season’s game being highly anticipated.
It used to be one of college football’s best rivalries. It’s back for the first time since 2011. As for the teams, the Panthers are favored to knock off the Mountaineers.
Pittsburgh won the ACC last season and the Panthers should be good once again. That stated, gone is quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Pittsburgh Steelers via the NFL Draft, as well as the saga of wide receiver Jordan Addison transferring to Southern California.
Ironically, former Trojan quarterback Kedon Slovis is expected to take over as Pittsburgh’s new starting quarterback. He’s had his ups and downs, but can definitely throw a football and score points. He’s going to be a part of a more balanced Panthers’ attack this season, however.
Look for more power football by the Panthers now that former offensive coordinator Mark Whipple is at Nebraska. Running back Israel Abanikanda should be the primary beneficiary. The 5-foot-11 and 215-pound New Yorker is likely to see 15, perhaps 20 carries against the Mountaineers.
On defense, Pittsburgh’s Italian transplant, Habakkuk Baldonado, is a big-time defensive end that’s coming off a season in which he recorded nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. If the Mountaineers are to pull the upset, they need to slow him down.
The same with fellow Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, as he dropped quarterbacks seven times and added 13 tackles for loss last year.
West Virginia also has a former USC quarterback (yes, no joke), as JT Daniels takes over in Morgantown. He’s one of the more highly decorated California prep quarterbacks of recent memory, and made an unsuccessful stop at Georgia before heading to West Virginia.
Pittsburgh should win the game, but one never really knows when it’s a rivalry between schools that are just 70 miles from one another.
#4 Clemson Tigers @ Georgia Tech, Monday, 8 p.m. EST
Head coach Dabo Swinney lost defensive coordinator Brent Venables to being the head coach for Oklahoma, as well as offensive coordinator Tony Elliot to become the head coach of Virginia.
The turnover will be interesting to see, as it impacts the entire staff and players alike. Wes Goodwin moves up to offensive coordinator for the Tigers, while the new defensive coordinator is also an internal hire with Mickey Conn.
Can Clemson still be the same cohesive team without both of them, as well as defensive line coach Todd Bates (also to Oklahoma) among other changes? There’s also an important returning starter to consider.
Can quarterback DJ Uiagalelei be consistent and also add fireworks to the passing game that was missing for Clemson last season?
Quick fact: Uiagalelei’s highest passing total of 2021 was 241, and that was against a Connecticut team that went 1-11 with a victory over Yale.
If Uiagalelei is not up to the task, look for freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik to receive even more of the reps than originally expected. He’s slated to play this weekend, but nobody truly knows how much Klubnik sees action against Georgia Tech until after the start of the game.
The Tigers possess arguably the nation’s best defense. If the offense can even be top 40, perhaps top 35 in the nation, there’s a solid chance to reach the College Football Playoffs this season.
That defense, especially the vaunted defensive line that could have an incredible seven players drafted in 2023, should smother an anemic Georgia Tech offense.
#13 North Carolina State @ East Carolina, Saturday, 12 p.m. EST
It’s now quarterback Devin Leary’s chance to shine on a bright stage. He’s no longer the up-and-coming signal caller, but one that’s absolutely primed to have a season that at least leads him to be invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
Can Leary and the Wolfpack get rolling on the road against a solid East Carolina team? To do that, they will need to score. East Carolina returns quality players like speedy running back Keaton Mitchell and fifth-year signal caller Holton Ahlers leading the way.
For NC ST, it must also continue a solid defensive trend. The Wolfpack allowed just 19.7 points per contest last season, ranking No. 14. This could be the best of the four primary opening weekend ACC games.
That’s especially true with the game in Greenville in front of the ECU faithful, a group that feels it does not receive enough respect from any of the four ACC teams inside the state of North Carolina.
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