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Football

ACC - Conference of Quarterbacks

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – ACC football is off to a strong start to the 2024 season, as the 17 football programs have combined to post a 23-5 mark in non-conference play heading into Week 3 this weekend.
 
The 82.1 non-conference winning percentage is the second highest among all Power 4 conferences. The ACC also has five non-conference wins over its peer conferences, tied for the most of all conferences, with all five wins coming on the road, the most of all conferences. Among Power 4 conferences, 12 of the ACC’s 17 teams remain undefeated in non-conference play which is the second most in both the overall number and percentage of teams.
 
The ACC has done this with stellar quarterback play this year, further solidifying the league as the Conference of Quarterbacks.
 
During the preseason, the ACC had the most quarterbacks represented on several preseason watch lists, highlighted by 13 named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, 10 on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list and eight on the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award preseason watch list.
 
The signal-callers across the league have backed up the preseason hype with outstanding starts to the season.

Five quarterbacks rank in the top 15 in ESPN’s QBR – the most of all conferences.
  • Cam Ward, Miami (2nd, 94.9)
  • Thomas Castellanos, Boston College (3rd, 93.9)
  • Cade Klubnik, Clemson (11th, 86.7)
  • Tyler Shough, Louisville (12th, 85.2)
  • Haynes King, Georgia Tech (13th, 85.0)

The ACC also has five quarterbacks ranked in the top 15 in all of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in total offensive yards per game, including four in the top 10 – the most of any conference.
  • Kyle McCord, Syracuse (4th, 372.0 ypg)
  • Cam Ward, Miami (5th, 367.5 ypg)
  • Anthony Colandrea, Virginia (6th, 363.0 ypg)
  • Hank Bachmeier, Wake Forest (10th, 346.5 ypg)
  • Eli Holstein, Pitt (13th, 337.5 ypg)

Five quarterbacks rank in the top 15 in all of the FBS in passing yards per game, including four in the top 10 – the most of any conference.
  • Kyle McCord, Syracuse (3rd, 367.5 ypg)
  • Cam Ward, Miami (t-5th, 344.5 ypg)
  • Hank Bachmeier, Wake Forest (8th, 333.0 ypg)
  • Anthony Colandrea, Virginia (9th, 327.0 ypg)
  • Eli Holstein, Pitt (11th, 319.0 ypg)

Seven quarterbacks rank in the top 25 in all of FBS in total passing yards, including five in the top 10 – the most of any conference.
  • Kyle McCord, Syracuse (3rd, 735 yards)
  • Cam Ward, Miami (t-5th, 689 yards)
  • Haynes King, Georgia Tech (7th, 687 yards)
  • Hank Bachmeier, Wake Forest (9th, 666 yards)
  • Anthony Colandrea, Virginia (10th, 654 yards)
  • Eli Holstein, Pitt (12th, 638 yards)
  • Tyler Shough (20th, 581 yards)

Eight quarterbacks rank in the top 25 in all of FBS in passing touchdowns – the second-most of any conference.
  • Kyle McCord, Syracuse (t-1st, 8 TDs)
  • Thomas Castellanos, Boston College (t-6th, 6 TDs)
  • Eli Holstein, Pitt (t-6th, 6 TDs)
  • Tyler Shough, Louisville (t-6th, 6 TDs)
  • Cam Ward, Miami (t-6th, 6 TDs)
  • Anthony Colandrea, Virginia (t-19th, 5 TDs)
  • Cade Klubnik, Clemson (t-19th, 5 TDs)
  • Maalik Murphy, Duke (t-19th, 5 TDs)

In just the first two weeks of the season, nine different ACC quarterbacks have thrown for at least 300 yards in a game, including Ward, Holstein and McCord, who have reached 300-plus yards in both games. McCord is the first quarterback in Syracuse history to throw for 300 yards or more in consecutive games, doing it in his first two starts for the Orange.
 
In addition to the statistical superlatives, the ACC has had the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week Award winner in each of the first two weeks of the season – Cam Ward of Miami in Week 1 and Cade Klubnik of Clemson in Week 2 – while Ward was also tabbed the Maxwell Award Player of the Week for Week 1 and Klubnik garnered the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honor in Week 2.
 
Coming into the season, the ACC had the top-ranked group of quarterback transfers in 2024 by CBS Sports, while 13 quarterbacks in the league entered the year with over 20 career touchdown passes and 3,500 career passing yards.
 
The ACC and its quarterbacks will look to continue its strong start to the 2024 season with 12 non-conference games scheduled for this week, Saturday, September 14, highlighted by a top-25 showdown between No. 24 Boston College at No. 6 Missouri, the 107th edition of the “Backyard Brawl” between Pitt and West Virginia, a renewal of what was once a great ACC rivalry between Maryland and Virginia, and Wake Forest hosting a top-five team in No. 5 Ole Miss.