Football October 13, 2026 ACC Football Week 7 Headlined by Conference Clashes CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Atlantic Coast Conference football moves into Week 7 with a nine-game slate on Saturday, October 17, highlighted by seven conference matchups and several longstanding rivalries. The evening spotlight falls on one of college football’s most storied series, as No. 3 Miami hosts Florida State for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. The Sunshine State rivals renew a series that dates back to 1951, adding another chapter to a matchup that has helped define both programs for generations. The conference slate also features a pair of traditional rivalry games, as North Carolina travels to Duke for the latest installment of the Tobacco Road rivalry in the “Battle for the Victory Bell” and Georgia Tech visits Virginia Tech in the “Battle of the Techs.” No. 24 SMU hosts Virginia in a noon ET matchup on The CW, while Pitt travels to Boston College and Louisville visits Syracuse in a pair of conference contests. The day concludes on the West Coast, where No. 21 Wake Forest visits California at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, capping a full day of ACC football that stretches from noon through late Saturday night. Week 7 - ACC Football Schedule (All Times Eastern) Saturday, October 17 Pitt at Boston College | Noon | ESPN2 Virginia at #24 SMU | Noon | The CW Charleston Southern at Clemson | Noon | ACC Network North Carolina at Duke | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network Florida State at #3 Miami | 7 p.m. | ESPN Louisville at Syracuse | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network Elon at Stanford | 7:30 p.m. | ACCNX #21 Wake Forest at California | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN2 ACC Football Notes Must See TV The ACC has 11 teams in ESPN’s FPI Top 50, representing nearly two-thirds of the league, while 13 of the conference’s 17 teams are .500 or better entering Week 7. Five teams have one loss or fewer: Miami, Wake Forest, Pitt, SMU and Duke. An FBS-high 15 of 17 ACC teams (88.2%) have already won a conference game. The ACC also leads the FBS with 24 second-half lead changes and 13 fourth-quarter lead changes in conference games, while 12 league games have been decided by one possession. Tested Against the Best The ACC has already played an FBS-high 17 non-conference games against Power Four opponents or Notre Dame, with 10 played away from ACC home stadiums. ACC teams have earned six non-conference Power Four victories, second-most among the Power Four conferences. All 17 ACC teams are scheduled to play at least 10 games against Power Four opponents or Notre Dame, the most of any conference. Boston College, Georgia Tech and Louisville are three of only five FBS teams scheduled for 11 or more games versus Power Four teams and/or Notre Dame. Winning on the Road Miami and Wake Forest are two of only three FBS teams with three Power Four road wins this season. North Carolina and Wake Forest each own a top-25 road win, with the Tar Heels winning at then-No. 25 Pitt and the Demon Deacons at then-No. 16 Louisville. The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks ACC quarterbacks have produced an FBS-best 24 300-yard passing performances, five more than the next conference. The ACC also owns seven 400-yard passing games — as many as every other conference combined — and is the only Power Four conference with a 400-yard passing performance this season. The ACC has an FBS-best seven quarterbacks among the top 26 in passing yards per game, six among the top 25 in passing yards, six among the top 30 in passing efficiency and seven among the top 25 in total offense per game. Mensah’s Historic Start Miami QB Darian Mensah leads the FBS in completion percentage (84.2%), passing efficiency (212.2) and ESPN Total QBR (92.5). Mensah has thrown 15 touchdown passes without an interception through five games and is the only quarterback among the nation’s top 25 in passing yards without an interception. He is one of seven FBS quarterbacks this century with 15+ TD passes and zero interceptions through five games. Mensah is the only Division I or NFL player in the last 30 seasons with at least 15 TD passes and an 84% completion percentage through five team games. Sheppard Setting the Pace Duke’s Nate Sheppard leads the FBS in rushing yards per game (148.6), all-purpose yards per game (180.8) and scoring (13.2 ppg). Sheppard and Louisville’s Isaac Brown own two of the top three single-game rushing performances in the FBS this season — Brown with 235 yards and Sheppard with 227. Elite Receivers Carlos Hernandez of Wake Forest leads the nation in receptions (49). He also ranks second in receptions per game (8.17), third in receiving yards (720) and fifth in receiving yards per game (120.0). Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards per game (120.8), seventh in receiving touchdowns (6), seventh in receptions per game (7.80) and eighth in receiving yards (604). Syracuse’s Umari Hatcher also ranks among the nation’s top eight in both receiving yards per game (112.0) and receiving touchdowns (6). Defensive Playmakers California’s Kingston Lopa leads the nation with five interceptions and averages an FBS-best 1.00 interception per game. Clemson’s Ashton Hampton leads the FBS in passes defended (10) and passes defended per game (2.00). North Carolina’s Xavier Lewis ranks second nationally in tackles-for-loss per game (1.90) and fourth in sacks per game (1.30). ACC Offenses Lighting Up the Scoreboard 10 different ACC teams have scored at least 56 points in a game this season. That is already more than the seven ACC teams that reached 56 points during the entire 2025 season. More than half of the ACC’s 17 programs have already produced a 56-point performance. Five ACC teams rank among the FBS top 40 in scoring offense, all averaging 34.0 points per game or more on the season, led by Miami at a nation-best 49.9 points per game average. Enhanced Replay Access Expands The ACC continues to expand Enhanced Replay Access in 2026, giving audiences greater access to real-time replay discussions during broadcasts. The initiative was utilized for 22 games across Weeks 0-3, up from just five over the same span in 2025. Through Week 6, Enhanced Replay Access has been utilized in 43 games this season, with eight additional games scheduled for Week 7. Enhanced Replay Access provides live audio and video among the referee, stadium replay official and ACC Collaborative Instant Replay Official in Charlotte, while four new cameras inside the Game Day Operations Center provide ESPN and ACCN audiences another look inside the conference's replay operations. ACC Football Fridays The ACC is scheduled to play a record 15 Friday games in 2026, including nine over the season’s first six weeks. Friday night football continues throughout October and November, culminating with Florida at Florida State on Black Friday.