CHARLOTTE, N.C. (the.ACC.com) – Week 12 of the Atlantic Coast Conference football season will see 11 teams in action over six games on Saturday, November 16. The Saturday slate includes six conference matchups and one non-conference contest. Four of the games will feature a top 20 nationally ranked team in the most recent College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings.
Saturday, Nov. 16, Noon ET
#20 Clemson at Pitt
Series: Pitt leads series, 3-2
Last meeting: Pitt, 27-17 (2021)
ESPN: Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
School Radio Feeds: Clemson /
Pitt
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 138 / SiriusXM 193
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 81 /
SiriusXM 955
Clemson and Pitt have met five times previously, including the 2018 ACC Championship Game and the 1977 Gator Bowl. The Panthers won the last meeting against the Tigers, victorious by a score of 27-17.
The Tigers are among the ACC leaders, sitting at 6-1 in league play entering their final conference matchup of the season. Clemson is 3-0 in true road games this season and 39-8 in true road games since 2015. Clemson has averaged 480.1 yards of total offense in ACC games this season, ranking second in the league. The Tigers also boast the ACC’s top defense in league play, allowing just 317.1 yards per game.
Pitt’s Eli Holstein leads all FBS freshmen quarterbacks in total offense, passing offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns and points responsible for. The Panthers looks to bounce back this week against No. 20 Clemson after back-to-back losses to SMU and Virginia. Under head coach Pat Narduzzi, Pitt has defeated at least one Top 25 team in eight consecutive seasons (2016-23), with the most recent victory over a nationally ranked foe last year at home over No. 14 Louisville on October 14, 2023.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 3 p.m. ET
Syracuse at California
Series: Series tied, 1-1
Last meeting: California, 43-0 (1968)
The CW: Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Max Browne (analyst), Treavor Scales (sideline)
School Radio Feeds: Syracuse /
California
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 388 / SiriusXM 389
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 978 /
SiriusXM 979
Cal and Syracuse have only met twice, playing a home-and-home series in 1967 and 1968. Both teams won at their home stadiums.
Syracuse’s Kyle McCord leads the country in passing yards per game, averaging 350.3 yards. McCord is just the second player in Syracuse history to throw for 3,000 or more yards in a season and the first since the Orange joined the ACC. Ryan Nassib holds the school’s single-season record with 3,749 passing yards in 2012. McCord’s 23 passing touchdowns also rank second in Syracuse history for a single season, trailing Nassib’s 26 in 2012.
Cal is coming off its first-ever win in ACC play. The Golden Bears beat Wake Forest, 46-36, to move within one win of bowl eligibility. With a win, Cal would become bowl-eligible for the second straight season - a feat it has not accomplished since 2018-19. Against the Demon Deacons, Cal extended its streak of consecutive games with a takeaway to 11 and now has at least one in 44 of its last 47 contests.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 3:30 p.m. ET
Boston College at #14 SMU
Series: Series tied, 1-1
Last meeting: Boston College, 23-14 (2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl)
ESPN: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)
School Radio Feeds: Boston College /
SMU
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 138 / SiriusXM 193 / SiriusXM 380
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 955 /
SiriusXM 970
Saturday’s contest between Boston College and SMU will be a rematch of the 2023 Wasabi Fenway Bowl, where Boston College beat SMU, 23-14, in the Mustangs’ final game as AAC members.
The Eagles are one win away from becoming bowl-eligible for the second straight season. BC has not been to bowl games in back-to-back seasons since 2016-17. Notably, Grayson James will make his second start at quarterback for Boston College, replacing Thomas Castellanos. The Eagles have seen tremendous success from Donovan Ezeiruaku this season, as the defensive lineman ranks fourth nationally in both sacks (1.22 per game) and tackles-for-loss (1.6 per game).
SMU remains firmly in the race for a trip to the 2024 ACC Championship Game in its first season in the league. The Mustangs are off to a perfect 5-0 start in league play, making them the only team to start 5-0 in conference play after moving from a non-power to a Power Conference since 1978. The Mustangs boast the No. 5 scoring offense throughout college football, averaging 40.1 points per game. SMU also touts the fifth-best rushing defense in FBS football, allowing just 90.0 rushing yards per game.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 3:30 p.m. ET
Virginia at #8 Notre Dame
Series: Notre Dame leads series, 4-0
Last meeting: Notre Dame, 28-3 (2021)
NBC: Dan Hicks (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline)
School Radio Feed: Virginia
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 85 / SiriusXM 129 / SiriusXM 381
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 85 /
SiriusXM 129 /
SiriusXM 971
Virginia is looking to notch its first-ever win over Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish currently hold a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series, including two wins in South Bend, Indiana.
The Cavaliers are looking to knock off a ranked opponent for the second straight week after toppling No. 23 Pitt on the road last week. The Cavaliers have not beaten two Top 25 opponents in the same season since 2011. Virginia boasts a 3-1 record on the road this season, recording the most road victories by a Cavalier team since the 2011 season. Wide receiver Malachi Field has caught at least one pass in 23 consecutive games. Last week, Field passed Heath Miller for 11th place on Virginia’s all-time receiving yards list with 1,706.
Notre Dame boasts an 8-1 record on the season, including four wins over ACC teams. The Fighting Irish were slotted at No. 8 in the most recent College Football Playoff poll.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 3:30 p.m. ET
#19 Louisville at Stanford
Series: First-ever meeting
Last meeting: N/A
ACCN: Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Orlando Franklin (analyst), Morgan Uber (sideline)
School Radio Feeds: Louisville /
Stanford
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 158 / SiriusXM 194 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 /
SiriusXM 956
Stanford and Louisville have never met on the gridiron before.
Louisville defeated then-No. 11 Clemson for its first-ever win over the Tigers. The victory also snapped Clemson’s 11-year winning streak in home night games. The win also marked the Cardinals’ highest-ranked road win ever, surpassing the previous mark of No. 13 Southern Miss in 2000. Louisville continues to climb in the College Football Playoff rankings, ascending into the No. 19 slot this week.
After several trips to the Eastern time zone this season, Stanford will not have to leave the state of California for the final three weeks of the regular season. After hosting Louisville, Stanford will go on the road to face California on November 23, before playing a road contest against San Jose State on November 30. Stanford’s Ashton Daniels tied the program record for rushing yards by a quarterback, logging 129 yards on 11 carries against NC State. Daniels led the Cardinal to its first rushing performance with 200 or more yards and three rushing touchdowns since 2022.
Saturday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m. ET
Wake Forest at North Carolina
Series: North Carolina leads series, 72-36-2
Last meeting: North Carolina, 36-34 (2022)
ACCN: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (analyst), Dana Boyle (sideline)
School Radio Feeds: Wake Forest /
North Carolina
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 138 / SiriusXM 193 / SiriusXM 371
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 371 /
SiriusXM 955
North Carolina has dominated the all-time series against Wake Forest, leading the series 72-36-2. The Tar Heels have won three straight games in the series with all three games being decided by one score.
Wake Forest’s Nick Andersen ranks sixth nationally and first in the ACC while averaging 10.4 tackles per game. Andersen’s 94 tackles are 11 more than the next closest individual in the ACC. The Demon Deacons are a perfect 3-0 away from home this season with wins over NC State, UConn and Stanford. All three wins have been by four points or less. Wake Forest is one of just 12 FBS teams to remain undefeated on the road.
North Carolina boasts the ACC’s top rushing attack, averaging 201.7 yards per game. The Tar Heels are one of just eight Power 4 teams, including Notre Dame, to average more than 200.0 yards of rushing. North Carolina is one win away from reaching bowl eligibility for the sixth consecutive season. The Tar Heels have not played in a bowl game for six or more consecutive years since 1992-1998.