No. 18 Pitt, No. 20 SMU have ACC championship in sights while Duke's Diaz returns to Miami
Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi, left, celebrates with quarterback Eli Holstein, right, after defeating West Virginia in an NCAA college football game, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Matt Freed
Things to watch this week in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Game of the week
No. 18 Pittsburgh (7-0, 3-0 ACC) at No. 20 SMU (7-1, 4-0), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
Another week, another unexpected matchup for the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Panthers and Mustangs remain perfect in the league and two of the most surprising teams in the conference. The winner gets the upper hand on the road to the ACC championship game.
Pitt is 7-0 for the first time since 1982, when Dan Marino was quarterback and the program was among the best in the game. This time, the Panthers are led by Alabama transfer quarterback Eli Holstein, who's status was unknown after leaving with an undisclosed injury late in a win over Syracuse. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said his passer is day-to-day.
SMU's only loss came in September to No. 9 and unbeaten BYU. The Mustangs, in their first year in the ACC, have won six in a row including their first four league games. Ken Jennings has thrown for 1,594 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The undercard
Duke (6-2, 2-2) at No. 5 Miami (8-0, 4-0), Saturday, noon ET (ABC).
The Hurricanes are off to their best start since the 2017 team reached the ACC title game after a 10-0 start.
SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee, right, celebrates with quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Duke in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. Credit: AP/Ben McKeown
Now, Miami will have to get past Duke and coach Manny Diaz, who led the Hurricanes from 2019-21. Diaz was hired by the Blue Devils this past offseason and has continued the team's run of success.
Diaz still has a place in the area and has friends on staff. But “I'm different as a coach, as a head coach and as a man than when I was at Miami,” he said this week. “Certainly, the program is in a different place, by every metric, from when I was there. So I’m at peace, I’ve moved on.”
Impact player
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik has rallied since the 34-3 loss to Georgia in the season opener back in August. In the six wins since, Klubnik has thrown for 1,694 yards, completed 67.3 % of his passes with 20 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Inside the numbers
Holstein is the first Pitt freshman to win his first seven starts since Marino over the 1979-80 seasons. ... Duke is looking for a win over a ranked opponent for a second straight season, something is has not done since 2015-16. ... Clemson is 79-3 over the past eight seasons when leading at halftime. The .963 percentage leads the country in that span. ... Florida State, which plays at North Carolina this week, has won eight straight games in November over the past two seasons. ... Louisville has won eight straight games when holding opponents to 30 points or less the past two seasons.
SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings (7) passes against Stanford during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu
Tops in the state
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said he was glad for his team's 36-14 win over Florida State last week for several reasons, none more important than continuing the Hurricanes perfect record against teams from the Sunshine State. The Hurricanes have beaten Power Four rivals Florida and the Seminoles and a Group of Five team in USF.
“I think it sends a strong message. I think all recruits, in-state and out-of-state, can now clearly see the trajectory of this program versus the trajectory of the other programs,” he said.
