ESPN ACC Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

UNC tailback Shaun Draughn fractured his left shoulder blade (scapula) on the first play from scrimmage in Carolina’s 19-6 win over Duke on Saturday and will miss the remainder of the season, the school announced Sunday.

Draughn started all nine games this season and is Carolina’s leading rusher with 567 yards on 124 carries. He ranks seventh in the league with 63.0 yards per game.

Draughn will be missed, but Carolina fans can take solace in the performance Ryan Houston had against the Blue Devils. Draughn, who was usually used as the team's short-yardage back, ran for a career-high 164 yards against Duke. The question now is whether he can consistently perform like that, because that's what the Tar Heels will need him to do, starting next weekend against Miami.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Saturday, Nov. 14

Previously announced:

Virginia Tech at Maryland, (ESPN360.com, 1 p.m. ET)

Boston College at Virginia, (ESPN360.com, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Released today:

Clemson at NC State, (Raycom, 12 p.m. ET)

Georgia Tech at Duke, (ESPN2, 12 p.m. ET)

Florida State at Wake Forest, (ESPNU, 12 p.m. ET)

Miami at North Carolina, (ABC/ESPN*, 3:30 p.m. ET)

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder will miss the Wake Forest game next Saturday with a separated right throwing shoulder he suffered after tossing his fourth interception of the game in the Seminoles' 40-24 loss to Clemson on Saturday night, a school spokesman said.

Ponder will have an X-ray on Monday, but it's not clear if he will miss the rest of the season.

E.J. Manuel is the next man up, and while Manuel has the hype and raw talent, he doesn't have the experience of Wake veteran quarterback Riley Skinner. Manuel was 0-for-2 passing against Clemson. This injury is extremely significant, as both Wake Forest and Florida State will be playing for bowl eligibility on Saturday. The Demon Deacons have no more margin for error. They need to win their final two games to reach six wins. Florida State has three more tries to win two more games, but the Noles close the season with rival Florida.

Wake Forest, which has lost four games by three points each this year -- including two in overtime -- and suffered a one-point loss to Miami, has been desperate for a break, and it just got one. Unfortunately, it came at the expense of one of the ACC's best quarterbacks.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

The ACC finished Week 10 with five teams bowl eligible -- Clemson, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech. The conference also got one other answer: it’s mathematically impossible for Maryland (2-7) to make it to the postseason.

There are still some lingering hopes, though, and they’re mainly in the Atlantic Division, where Wake Forest, NC State and Florida State can still extend their seasons. The catch is, Wake and FSU play each other this weekend, and the Demon Deacons can’t afford another loss. Florida State can, but that would mean it must beat rival Florida in the regular-season finale.

In the Coastal Division, Duke’s chances decreased with its loss to North Carolina on Saturday, but it’s not over yet for the Blue Devils. They need to find two more wins with Georgia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest remaining. Virginia (3-6) needs to win out, and North Carolina (6-3) is one win away with opportunities remaining against Miami, Boston College and NC State.

At this point, I’m counting out Maryland, Duke, Florida State, NC State and Virginia. That's right, the Demon Deacons need some love, and I'm gonna give it to them.

Here are the latest bowl projections for the ACC:

FedEx Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. BCS at large

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. SEC

Gator Bowl: Georgia Tech or Miami vs. Big East or Notre Dame

Champs Sports Bowl: Georgia Tech or Miami vs. Big Ten

Music City Bowl: North Carolina vs. SEC

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Big East

Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. Pac-10

EagleBank Bowl: N/A

GMAC Bowl: N/A

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

Live and learn ...

1. Clemson has gotten over the hump. Admit it, Clemson fans, you were waiting for it -- the self-destruction following the win over Wake Forest. There were hints against Miami, and plenty of missed opportunities against Florida State, but the Tigers have been able to overcome their mistakes this year and put themselves in prime position to win the Atlantic Division and play for the ACC championship. Their toughest opponents are behind them -- and so is their one "Clemson flop." It came against Maryland. You can stop waiting for it now.

2. Even the best quarterbacks can’t do it alone. Riley Skinner. Thaddeus Lewis. Christian Ponder. Three of the ACC’s most productive, efficient passers and leaders all lost this past weekend. It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort. Skinner couldn’t shake Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan. Lewis got tied up with UNC defensive end Robert Quinn. And Ponder threw as many interceptions (four) as he had all season. All three of them are still searching for bowl eligibility, but for seniors Skinner and Lewis, it’s their last chance at the postseason.

3. C.J. Spiller is a Heisman Trophy candidate. For the second time in three weeks, Spiller had more than 300 all-purpose yards. He surpassed the 3,000-yard mark with 3,074 career rushing yards. Against Florida State, he earned his first two-point conversion of his career. He breaks a record literally almost every week. Against FSU he became just the second player in school history to go over 3,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. He moved ahead of Reggie Bush on the all-time NCAA all-purpose list with 6,702 yards. He rushed for a career-high 165 yards, and had his 20th career touchdown of 50 yards more, his eighth this season. Spiller is one of the best players in college football. Period.

4. Bowl fates still murky in the Atlantic Division. Clemson is eligible. BC is eligible. NC State, Florida State and Wake Forest are still livin’ on a prayer. Maryland, however, is not. The Terps needed to win out and not only did they lose the game to NC State, their starting quarterback, Chris Turner, suffered a knee injury in the process. It’s time for Maryland to start playing for the future, while half the Atlantic Division is still trying to become bowl eligible. With its overtime loss at Georgia Tech, the Deacs now have to win out in order to become bowl eligible, as does NC State. The Seminoles only need two more wins, but their season finale is against Florida, who, like Clemson, has a defense. The twist? FSU and Wake play each other on Saturday. Somebody’s gotta lose.

5. Paul Johnson is fearless. We always knew he was a fourth-down kind of guy, and you don’t need to talk to him long to sense his confidence that often tilts the scale toward arrogance. But those traits are the keys to his success. His players pick up on it, and that’s why, on fourth down, when it’s on the line, he wins.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Here are the ACC's top five performers for Week 10:

Clemson running back C.J. Spiller: It was only two weeks ago that Spiller torched the Miami defense for a school-record 310 all-purpose yards. Well, he outdid himself and broke his own record with 312 all-purpose yards in the Tigers' 40-24 win over Florida State on Saturday. He fessed up to striking a "mini" Heisman pose at the end of his 5-yard touchdown run the fourth quarter, but after the way he's played in recent weeks, Spiller has earned his way back into contention for college football's most prestigious award. He rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown, plus added three catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.

Miami running back Graig Cooper: With a career-high 152 rushing yards, Cooper moved into eighth place in career rushing yards with 2,001. It was his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, and he also added a touchdown in the Canes' 52-17 romp of Virginia. Cooper's 70-yard run was the longest since Frank Gore had a 77-yard run against Syracuse on Nov. 17, 2001, and his 152 yards is the second most by a Hurricane against the Cavaliers. Gore ran for 195 yards against Virginia in 2004.

UNC defensive end Robert Quinn: He was a major reason the Tar Heels held Thaddeus Lewis, Duke's prolific passer, to just 113 yards and one interception, and limited the Blue Devils to just 2 of 13 third-down conversions. Lewis was under constant pressure -- a lot of it from Quinn -- and the Blue Devils never reached the end zone. Quinn had three sacks, 4.5 for a loss of 34 yards (including one on Lewis in the backfield), a forced fumble, he deflected a pass on fourth down, and he had six quarterback pressures.

Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams: He redeemed himself from the costly fourth-quarter fumble the previous week against North Carolina with a career-high 179 yards in the win over East Carolina. He became just the second player to rush for 100 yards against ECU this year. Not only do the Hokies have some confidence back, they've got another 1,000-yard rushing back.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson: It was the gutsiest call many of us watching have probably ever seen. With his team trailing on fourth-and-1 from the 5-yard line in overtime -- after missing all four previous fourth-down attempts that day -- Johnson put the Coastal Division crown on the line and decided to go for it. He initially tried to draw the Deacs offside, but they didn't bite. Instead of sending Scott Blair out for a chip-shot field goal to extend the game, Johnson decided to go for the win right there. Because it worked, it was a great call.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- It was a fleeting thought that lasted approximately “a few hours.” That’s how long Clemson receiver Xavier Dye quit the team earlier this season.

It lasted until coach Dabo Swinney sat Dye down in his office and told him he needed to work harder, not walk away. The result was a hungrier Dye who has since added something to Clemson’s offense -- including a 43-yard touchdown reception in the Tigers’ 40-24 win over the Seminoles on Saturday -- instead of taking a piece way.

“I put a lot of hard work into this program, and they’ve been good to me,” Dye said. “I couldn’t just walk out and leave all the guys I’ve been working with, bleeding with and all that stuff. I was able to stick around, man-up, keep working hard and help the team out as much as I can.”

He’s not the only one.

Dye is a small example of the big picture here at Clemson. Unlike recent teams of the Tommy Bowden era, this team does not quit under Swinney. It didn’t fold after a 1-2 start in conference play that included an embarrassing loss to now last-place Maryland, and it didn’t concede anything to Florida State despite trailing 17-6 in the first quarter. Clemson fans have been conditioned to expect impending doom, but with each win over the past three weeks, the Tigers have taken steps to convince doubters they’re capable of more this year. The reward -- a trip to the ACC championship game in Tampa -- is now just two wins away. Clemson needs only to beat NC State and Virginia -- two teams that have combined for three conference wins -- in order to win the division.

	Sam Sharpe/US Presswire
	Clemson's C.J. Spiller rolled up a school-record 312 all-purpose yards.

“It’s a new group of coaches, it’s a new message,” said offensive coordinator Billy Napier, whose group has now scored at least 38 points in four straight games for the first time in the history of the program. “We recognize the fact that our preparation is going to impact how we play on Saturdays. It’s a new Clemson. It’s an overhaul. The message is different, and our players more than anything see the opportunity that’s been there in the past. They believe in the message that’s being given to them every week.”

It was the program’s biggest step towards winning the Atlantic Division, and it’s been a long time coming for a program in search of its first ACC title since 1991.

“Our fans deserve this win, our players deserve this win, and the administration deserves this win,” said Swinney. “Championship teams find a way to win games, and that’s what we’ve been teaching these guys. And they found a win to win, despite many obstacles. That team rose up in the fourth quarter and refused to lose.”

Not that they didn’t try a few times.

The Tigers missed three extra points and two field goals. They scored four times in seven trips to the red zone. And they had two turnovers and seven penalties.

At halftime, with his team trailing, 17-14, Swinney asked his players, “Why the long faces?” He reminded them they had an entire half yet to play, and they responded to him.

C.J. Spiller looked Heisman worthy as he finished with a school-record 312 all-purpose yards, and the defense came up with four interceptions for 82 yards. The Tigers finished with a season-high 483 yards of total offense, and quarterback Kyle Parker tied a single-game freshman record with four touchdown passes.

“We did take a big step today,” said wide receiver Jacoby Ford said. “It just feels good to get over that hump. It’s something we haven’t been able to do the past few years. This is a team that really wanted it. We knew what was at hand. We just wanted to go out there and play to the best of our abilities and get the job done.

“It’s definitely not over until it’s over,” he said. “Our goal is to get to Tampa. We haven’t punched our ticket yet.”

This year, though, there seems to be less concern about the Tigers losing that ticket.

C.J. Spiller discusses Clemson's 40-24 win over Florida State with ACC blogger Heather Dinich.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- In the end, Clemson had two things Florida State did not -- C.J. Spiller and defense. Both were the difference in a mistake-laden game and the Tigers were able to assert themselves as the best team in the Atlantic Division with a 40-24 win over the Seminoles.

Spiller had another Heisman-worthy performance, and Florida State finally ran into a defense that could force Christian Ponder into mistakes. While it was a sloppy game for both teams, the Noles made the more costly errors. Now FSU likely has to win its next two ACC games to become bowl eligible, as a win over Florida in the season finale is unlikely. Wake Forest, though, is in the same situation, and a lot of pride will be on the line next Saturday in Wake Forest.

Not only is Clemson bowl eligible, but it's in a great position to play for the school's first ACC title since 1991.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- In the midst of an interception, Clemson safety Rashard Hall tried to throw a lateral to DeAndre McDaniel, but instead found Kavell Conner who ran it back 29 yards to put the Tigers in scoring position at the 24-yard line. It was an odd play, but this time, Clemson was able to make something out of the Noles' mistake.

For the most part.

Clemson missed another extra point, but still leads 27-24. And there's way too much time left in this game (nine minutes) for any Clemson fans to feel comfortable. This game has been filled with game-changing mistakes, and it's fitting for how the Atlantic Division has struggled this year.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- First there was the drop by Jacoby Ford inside the 10-yard line. Then there was Clemson's penalty for an ineligible receiver on third and goal. And finally -- and fittingly -- there was the missed 26-yard field goal. And for the second time tonight, Clemson missed an opportunity to take the lead from Florida State.

That's two missed field goals and an extra point for the Tigers. Do the math, and it adds up to a touchdown, which Clemson could use right now. The Tigers trail 24-21 entering the fourth quarter.

After wins over Wake Forest and Miami, it appeared that Clemson had solved some problems on offense, but C.J. Spiller can't be the only answer for this team, especially when so much else is going wrong around him.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Florida State running back Jermaine Thomas accounted for 19 yards and a touchdown on six carries to help give the Seminoles a 24-21 lead here in the fourth quarter.

The Noles are starting to look better running the ball here in the second half, and it has helped. Florida State was 4-for-4 on third down conversions on that scoring drive. Thomas and quarterback Christian Ponder are making this Clemson defense work. Thomas is averaging 4.4 yards per carry tonight and is on his way to a 100-yard game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Florida State did a decent job in the first half of containing C.J. Spiller, but good luck finding a defense that can do it for four quarters -- especially one as troubled as Florida State's.

Kyle Parker found Spiller down the sideline for a 58-yard touchdown reception that put the Tigers ahead 21-17. Clemson offensive coordinator Billy Napier and coach Dabo Swinney promised this past summer they would get the ball to their playmakers this year, and they've delivered. Spiller and Jacoby Ford are the keys to this offense, and they're making use of both of those guys for big gains today.

Spiller is already in my top five Heisman list. The only question still hanging out there is how high he should be on it, and right now, he's stating his case to move up. The Tigers have to hang onto this lead for that to happen, though.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. - Chris Chancellor is out for the rest of the game with a lower leg injury. This is a significant hit to the Tigers' defense, as Chancellor is a veteran who ranks among the top four active ACC players in terms of total career interceptions. Still, the Tigers have lots of talent in their secondary with Crezdon Butler and DeAndre McDaniel.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

CLEMSON, S.C. -- First, an injury update. Chris Chancellor has a lower leg injury. He’s being reevaluated during the break. Now, a quick look at what happened in the first half here in Memorial Stadium.

Turning point: It was first and goal from the FSU 5-yard line, when Kyle Parker was sacked by Markus White for a loss of a yard and fumbled. Dekoda Watson recovered it, and Clemson’s chance at heading to the locker room with a lead took a hit. The defense gave Parker and Co. another opportunity on the ensuing drive with an interception, but Richard Jackson missed a 38-yard field goal. That fumble on the five-yard line was as close as the Tigers would get to reasserting themselves in the first half.

What Clemson needs to do: Eliminate the penalties and capitalize on their red zone scoring chances. Clemson has five penalties for 40 yards. That’s surprising, considering the Tigers entered this game averaging just 4.6 penalties per game, which was fourth best in the country. Earlier in the year, when Clemson was struggling, it was in the red zone. That appears to be the case again tonight.

What Florida State needs to do: Continue to run the ball and limit the mistakes. Jermaine Thomas has been a bright spot for the Noles, and his success helps Ponder with the play-action passes and opens up other options in the passing game. Right now, though, FSU has only been successful on 1 of 2 third downs. Their three turnovers have kept them out of a rhythm. Ponder’s two interceptions are uncharacteristic, but Clemson’s defense deserves some credit for that.