Around the ACC: Underperformers

It’s still early in the 2024 college football season, but some ACC programs have yielded less-than-desirable results.

Some of these teams were considered College Football Playoff contenders at the start of the season, but it hasn’t been smooth sailing for them.

Florida State Seminoles (0-3, 0-2 ACC)

To say the Seminoles are the biggest disappointment in the conference is an understatement, as they’re the biggest disappointment in the entire FBS.

Projected to win the ACC in the conference’s 2024 preseason poll, the Seminoles look like a team without any identity, as they lost to Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, Boston College and Memphis at home.

The players they've brought in from the transfer portal haven't worked out after losing key performers and leadership pieces such as quarterback Jordan Travis and defensive linemen Jared Verse and Braden Fiske to the NFL.

Senior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who came over from Oregon State, went from being overly conservative against Georgia Tech to utterly reckless against Boston College, with a 1:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season.

What pops out the most is how they’re getting beat in the trenches, with the Seminoles only managing 52 rushing yards per game through the first three, the fewest in the ACC.

The defensive line, featuring potential early NFL Draft pick Patrick Payton and other potential draftees Joshua Famer, Darrell Jackson Jr. and Marvin Jones Jr., has also underachieved, as the Seminoles allow 172.7 rushing yards per game, fourth-most in the ACC.

It also didn’t help that Florida State didn’t have offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, who was suspended for NCAA recruiting violations in the spring of 2022.

Now in an 0-3 hole, Florida’s State season feels over.

Virginia Tech Hokies (2-1, 0-0 ACC)

The Hokies were selected by only five out of the 170 media voters to win the ACC in the preseason poll, the fifth-most such votes, but the early-season results haven’t inspired much.

The Hokies have three-score victories against Marshall and Old Dominion at home, but these two were ranked fifth and sixth out of seven, respectively, in the Sun Belt East division in the conference’s preseason poll, so that’s hardly anything notable.

The game that stands out most for Virginia Tech is their loss at Vanderbilt in Week 1, in which they only amassed 75 rushing yards to the Commodores’ 181 in the Hokies’ 34-27 loss.

Quarterback Kyron Drones, one of the game’s more mobile quarterbacks, was held in check against the Commodores, only managing 19 yards rushing on 16 carries in addition to cramping.

Virginia Tech still has a good foundation, especially on defense, but they’ll have to step it up in ACC play when they face teams such as Miami, the current ACC favorite, Clemson, Boston College and Georgia Tech.

Clemson Tigers (1-1, 0-0 ACC)

The Tigers received the second-most votes to win the ACC in the preseason poll, but in their Week 1 game against Georgia in Atlanta, they grabbed doubters’ attention.

It was a 6-3 affair at halftime, but Georgia scored touchdowns on four of their five second-half drives excluding kneel-downs to win 34-3.

The Tigers only got one play of at least 20 yards in that game and amassed only 188 yards that afternoon.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik was able to consistently find only wide receiver Antonio Williams, who had 76 receiving yards, more than half of Klubnik’s total.

Defensively, Clemson got beat up on the perimeter as part of Georgia’s 28-0 second half.

Clemson won their latest game against Sun Belt contender Appalachian State 66-20, but the Tigers will have to play better against ACC teams like Louisville if they want to reach preseason expectations.

An ACC title is still feasible for Clemson, but their loss against Georgia did little to prove they can compete with the teams in the College Football Playoff if they make it that far.

Owen Klein is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ojk5092@psu.edu.