Football

Week 1 ACC Football Players of the Week

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Players of the Week have been recognized following their standout performances in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. The selections are determined by a vote of a select media panel. The following are this week’s honorees:
 
QUARTERBACK – Cam Ward, Miami, QB, West Columbia, Texas
Ward made his highly anticipated Miami debut on Saturday versus Florida, leading the Miami offense in the 41-17 rout of the Gators. Ward finished 26-for-35 for 385 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while adding 33 rushing yards. Ward became the first Miami quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns in a season opener since Ken Dorsey in 2001 at Penn State.
 
RUNNING BACK – Treshaun Ward, Boston College, RB, Plant City, Florida
Ward totaled 138 all-purpose yards against his former team in the Eagles season-opening win at Florida State. He scored on a 13-yard reception in the second quarter. His longest reception was a 42-yarder, the longest of the day by Boston College, as he posted three receptions for 61 yards. On the ground, he rushed 12 times for 77 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry with a long of 23.
 
RECEIVER – Kevin “KC” Concepcion, NC State, WR, Charlotte, North Carolina
Concepcion hauled in three receiving touchdowns in the Wolfpack’s season-opening win over Western Carolina. The three touchdowns tied the NC State sophomore single-game record and are the second-most throughout FBS football in Week 1. Concepcion recorded 121 receiving yards on a career-high nine receptions, while also adding a 20-yard punt return. He leads the ACC and ranks third nationally in scoring with 18 points.
 
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Zach Carpenter, Miami, C, Cincinnati, Ohio
Making his first start for Miami at center, Carpenter was Miami's top-graded offensive lineman and helped quiet a hostile crowd in Gainesville. The Hurricanes outgained the Gators 529-261 and finished with 144 rushing yards. Throughout the afternoon, Miami averaged a whopping 7.7 yards per play.
 
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Jahvaree Ritzie, North Carolina, DL, Kernersville, North Carolina
Ritzie led the North Carolina defense with a career-high three sacks in the Tar Heels' 19-17 road win at Minnesota to start the season. Ritzie finished with six total tackles, five of which were solo stops. He recorded his 100th career tackle in the victory. His three sacks were the most in a game by a Tar Heel since Tomon Fox had three on September 7, 2019. The mark is tied for the third most in a game by a North Carolina defender.
 
LINEBACKER – Marlowe Wax, Syracuse, LB, Baltimore, Maryland
Wax had 2.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack, a forced fumble, a quarterback hurry and six total tackles in Syracuse’s win over Ohio, despite suffering a third-quarter injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Wax moved into sole possession of second place in program history in forced fumbles (9), now trailing just Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney (14).
 
DEFENSIVE BACK – Jaden Harris, Miami, S, Atlanta, Georgia
Harris totaled seven tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss and recorded the first interception of his career in an impressive performance against Florida to begin his first season as a full-time starter. Harris played a key role for a Miami defense that limited the Gators to 261 total yards in a dominant 41-17 victory.
 
SPECIALIST – Noah Burnette, North Carolina, K, Raleigh, North Carolina
Burnette led North Carolina to a 19-17 road victory over Minnesota to start the 2024 season, connecting on all four of his field goal attempts, including the game winner with 1:56 to play in the contest. Burnette was good from 29, 52, 42, and 45 yards out. He also put through his only extra point attempt of the game. Burnette is now tied for sixth at North Carolina with 38 career field goals. His 52-yarder was the longest by a Tar Heel since 2016.
 
ROOKIE – Eli Holstein, Pitt, QB, Zachary, Louisiana
Holstein completed 75-perecnt of his passes, going 30-for-40 through the air with three touchdowns versus Kent State. Holstein’s 336 passing yards were the most by a Pitt Panther since Kenny Pickett’s 340-yard performance against Virginia in November of 2021. Holstein also became the first Panther to complete 30 passes in a game since Pickett completed 39 against Miami in October of 2021.

ACC Football Notes
2024 Regular Season
  • In the AP Poll, five ACC teams are ranked – Miami (No. 12), Louisville (No. 22), Georgia Tech (No. 23), NC State (No. 24) and Clemson (No. 25) – three other teams are receiving votes.
  • In the Coaches Poll, four teams are ranked – Miami (No. 15), Clemson (No. 22), NC State (No. 23), and Louisville (No. 24) – while four other teams are receiving votes.
  • ACC teams have compiled a 13-3 non-conference record through Week 1.
  • Week 2 features 12 non-conference games, including five against P4 opponents, as well as two league games.
  • Including five games versus peer P4 conferences in Week 2, the ACC will have 10 non-conference games versus P4 schools to date (second-most through Week 2).
The ACC’s non-conference schedule continues to be the most challenging in the country: 
  • 26 games against Power 4 opponents, including ND.
  • Nine non-conference games against teams ranked in the final 2023 AP Top 25 Poll.
  • Ten non-conference games against teams in ESPN’s 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
  • All are the most of any conference.
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks:
  • ACC has most of any conferences on the following QB preseason watch lists: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (13); Maxwell Award preseason watch list (10); Davey O’Brien Award (8).
  • 13 QBs in the league enter the 2024 season with over 20 career touchdown passes and 3,500 career passing yards.
  • Eight quarterbacks from ACC schools are projected to start Week 1 in the 2024 NFL season - 25 percent of NFL teams.
  • Since 2018, the ACC has been the only conference that has had at least one QB drafted in the first round in five different drafts.
The ACC has Elite Coaching Leadership and Preeminent Players:
  • Six ACC head coaches named to the 2024 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List – no conference has more.
  • Two of the three active coaches in the country to win a national title reside in the ACC (Mack and Dabo).
  • Four active ACC head coaches have recorded over 100 career wins at the collegiate level (only 26 active coaches across FBS).
  • Proven veterans and dynamic young coaches.
  • ACC Football has the nation’s top returning passer and receiver – in yards per game from last year (Cam Ward, Miami and Caullin Lacy, Louisville) and the No. 2 returning rusher (Omarion Hampton, North Carolina).
ACC in the College Football Playoff:
  • ACC has won the second-most national titles.
  • One of only two conferences to have a 500 or better winning percentage.
  • Three different teams have reached the CFP in Clemson (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), Florida State (2014), and Notre Dame (2020, played as a full ACC member).
  • ACC has the second-best record overall in the CFP by conference (ACC is 6-6 overall and only behind SEC).
  • In the final CFP top 25 rankings over the last four years, there are only seven programs that have been in each – Clemson and NC State are included from the ACC. No conference has more than two teams that can state that claim.
  • The ACC is the only conference to have every team ranked at least once in the first 10 years of the CFP rankings (2014-2023).
  • 16 of the 17 current ACC programs have been ranked in the CFP rankings over the first 10 years (2014-2023).