Football

ACC Football Week 8 Features Seven-Game, Two-Day Conference Slate

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Week 8 of Atlantic Coast Conference football features a seven-game, two-day conference slate, with 14 teams in action Friday and Saturday, October 23-24.
 
The weekend opens with an ACC Football Friday doubleheader on ESPN, as Duke travels to Virginia for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff, followed by NC State at Stanford at 10:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s action features a pair of nationally ranked teams, as Pitt visits No. 1 Miami at noon ET on ESPN and California travels to No. 23 SMU on The CW. With the conference race moving deeper into October, every result carries added importance in the ACC standings.
 
Saturday’s schedule also includes Boston College at Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network, followed by an ESPN primetime matchup between Virginia Tech and Clemson at 7 p.m. ET. Syracuse visits North Carolina in the nightcap, with a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ACC Network.
 

Week 8 – ACC Football Schedule
(All times Eastern)
 
Friday, October 23
Duke at Virginia | 7 p.m. | ESPN
NC State at Stanford | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, October 24
Pitt at #1 Miami | Noon | ESPN
California at #23 SMU | Noon | The CW
Boston College at Georgia Tech | 3:30 p.m. | ACCN
Virginia Tech at Clemson | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Syracuse at North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | ACCN
 

ACC Football Notes
 
Must See TV
  • The ACC has 11 teams in ESPN’s FPI Top 50, tied for the second most of any conference.
  • Twelve of the ACC’s 17 programs enter Week 8 at .500 or better, including 10 with at least four wins.
  • Sixteen ACC teams have won a conference game this season—the highest share of any FBS conference.
 
Competitive Conference Play
  • ACC league games have featured an FBS-best 28 second-half lead changes and 16 fourth-quarter lead changes.
  • Sixteen ACC conference games have been decided by one possession, the second most in the FBS.
  • Seven league games have been decided by three points or fewer, tied for the second most nationally.
 
Tested Against the Best
  • Four ACC teams rank among ESPN’s top 15 in strength of schedule, second among all conferences.
  • Eight ACC programs rank in the top 50 of SportSource Analytics’ schedule-strength ratings.
  • Every ACC team is scheduled to play at least 10 games against ACC or other Power Four opponents; Boston College, Georgia Tech and Louisville each have 11 such games.
 
Winning on the Road
  • Wake Forest leads the FBS with four Power Four true road wins, while Miami is tied for second with three.
  • The ACC has four teams with multiple Power Four road victories—Wake Forest, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
  • Wake Forest and Miami are the only two teams from the same conference with at least three Power Four true road wins in the FBS.
 
Power Four Success
  • Seven ACC teams have won at least three Power Four games this season, second most among conferences.
  • Wake Forest’s five Power Four victories are tied for the most in the FBS.
  • ACC teams have recorded six non-conference wins over Power Four opponents and Notre Dame, tied for the second most among Power Four conferences.
  • The ACC is 4-1 against the Big Ten this season, including four consecutive victories.
 
The ACC is the Conference of Quarterbacks
  • ACC quarterbacks lead the FBS with 28 300-yard passing games—five more than the next conference.
  • The ACC’s seven 400-yard passing performances lead all conferences and are six more than the other Power Four leagues combined.
    • The ACC is the only Power Four conference with more than one 400-yard passing game this season.
  • The ACC leads all conferences with seven quarterbacks ranked among the nation’s top 25 in passing yards per game and total offense per game.
  • Eight ACC quarterbacks rank among the top 40 in ESPN Total QBR, tied for the most of any conference.
  • The ACC leads the FBS with eight quarterbacks averaging at least 20 completions per game.
 
Offensive Firepower
  • Ten different ACC teams have scored at least 56 points in a game this season, surpassing the conference’s total from all of 2025.
  • ACC teams have combined for 795 offensive big plays this season—417 pass plays of 20 or more yards and 378 run plays of 12 or more yards—more than any other FBS conference.
  • ACC freshmen have combined for seven 100-yard rushing games, more than double any other FBS conference.
  • The ACC recorded eight 100-yard receiving performances in Week 7, its most on a single day since 2021.
 
Standout Talent
  • Miami’s Darian Mensah leads the FBS in Total QBR, passing efficiency, completion percentage and yards per attempt.
  • Duke’s Nate Sheppard ranks among the national leaders in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards, including No. 1 nationally in all-purpose yards per game.
  • Miami’s Malachi Toney and Syracuse’s Umari Hatcher are tied for the national lead in receptions per game, while Hatcher ranks third nationally in receiving yards per game.
  • California’s Kingston Lopa and Louisville’s Kaleb Beasley are tied for the FBS lead with five interceptions.
 
 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 is scheduled for all seven Week 8 games and will have been utilized in 51 games this season following the weekend.
  • 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
  • ACC teams have played in nine ACC Football Friday games this season. The slate continues in Week 8 with an ESPN doubleheader: Duke at Virginia at 7 p.m. ET and NC State at Stanford at 10:30 p.m. ET.
  • The ACC is scheduled to play a record 15 Friday games in 2026.
  • Friday night football continues throughout October and November, culminating with Florida at Florida State on Black Friday.