North Carolina’s Marcus Paige was the league’s leading candidate for the first team, with 86 votes.
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“They’re very, very sound”, Narduzzi said.
And in a quirk of the schedule, the picture could get much clearer over the next couple of weeks.
On the All-ACC second team: Anthony Gill (Virginia); Grayson Allen (Duke); Zach Auguste (Notre Dame); Cat Barber (NC State); and Brice Johnson (North Carolina). Pitt then travels to Duke on November 14.
Sophomore running back Elijah Hood has been arguably the ACC’s top ball carrier not named Dalvin Cook at the midway point of the 2015 season.
“If I could (pay attention), I probably would, but I don’t have time to think about that right now”, he said. He responded by becoming the dynamic star he was touted to be coming out of high school and the catalyst for a late-season surge that saw the Wolfpack win eight of its final 11 games – including an upset of top-seeded Villanova in the NCAA tournament.
10 Virginia Tech (3-5, 1-3 ACC): The Hokies came so close to at least giving Frank Beamer a few momentum but finally succumbed to Duke in the fourth overtime. The team that once dominated the division is second-to-last. “Especially this year, I think a lot of the teams are feeling the pressure than in years past to keep winning every single week”. The Panthers’ lone loss came in Week 3 against an undefeated Iowa team. Tech broke their five game losing streak in the most dramatic way possibly, returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown as time expired.
– North Carolina has reeled off six straight wins since its season opening loss to South Carolina. It’s a shame because the defense is so good but the offense is so bad.
But there are still questions about the strength of the ACC.
“It doesn’t matter what you did in the past”, he added. They ran for 416 yards in the victory and have a real good chance to represent the ACC in the College Football Playoffs. Since the win at Boston College, Wake has been beaten badly twice, so they find themselves tied with the Eagles. I think the chemistry, the leadership, our locker room – I think that’s what’s driving this football team.
Not many thought so in the preseason. North Carolina is holding opponents under 17 points per game thus far in 2015, but their top-ranked passing defense will face a stout test against Pittsburgh’s Tyler Boyd. Since Miami left the Big East for the ACC in 2003, the Hurricanes haven’t had a double-digit win season, an AP top-10 finish and have fired three coaches. Virginia Tech, picked second, is in sixth.
The Coastal had dropped to second-class status in comparison to an Atlantic Division headlined by national powers Clemson and Florida State. Donte Grantham’s outside shooting and Jordan Roper – should he become a more prominent scorer – can reverse those predictions, but for now the Tigers seem destined for the league’s lower third.
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“This whole conference, especially in the Coastal, has been getting stronger”, Skura said.
