ACCting Up Week 14 Football Recap

Last full recap of the season...

No. 24 Duke 27, North Carolina 25 - Marquise Williams finally lived up to the dual-threat potential he's been flashing for the past month, accounting for 327 of the Tar Heels' 448 yards. He also threw two costly interceptions, helping Duke overcome three deficits over the course of the afternoon. The result is a Blue Devils date with Florida State in the conference championship game next week.

On Duke's end, Anthony Boone was efficient, passing for 274 yards and a pair of scores on 23-of-34 passing. It was also active in the running game, getting seven players to combine for 187 yards. Throw in a 99-yard kickoff return by DeVon Edwards and it was a pretty good day for the Blue Devils. That said, pretty good isn't going to cut it against the Seminoles. If the Dukies want that BCS berth and historic knockoff of the nation's top ranked team, they're going to have to get back to scoring in bunches.

No. 2 Florida State 37, Florida 7 - The 'noles finished perfect with a workmen-like performance. Winston's stats (327 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-31 passing) don't jump off the page like some of his earlier performances. Florida State's 129 rushing yards hardly offer much to get excited about, either. But now Jimbo Fisher and Co. are where they want to be: one win from a a shot at glory inside the Rose Bowl.

Maryland 41, N.C. State 21 - With Louisville set to replace the Terps next year after they bolt to the Big Ten, there's been a sense that the ACC won't miss them too much. But in creaming the Wolfpack to finish 7-5 -- one more win than in 2011 and 2012 combined -- you have to think it'd have been fun to have them around a little bit longer into Pitt's stay in the conference.

Georgia 41, Georgia Tech 34 (2OT) - The 'Dawgs were without Aaron Murray, so it's difficult to put too much stock into a tight battle with a team that spent a lot of the season toward the top of the rankings. That said, it was encouraging to see the Yellow Jackets play such inspired football two weeks after wrapping up an ACC season that many will likely see as a missed opportunity to sneak out a division title.

Syracuse 34, Boston College 31 - The Orange got the bowl eligibility that they (and only they) were hoping for while the Eagles dropped a game that would have given them a very nice, under-the-radar 8-4 finish. Andre Williams' improbably Heisman bid took a serious blow when he went down with a third-quarter injury and finished with just 29 yards on nine caries.

Virginia Tech 16, Virginia 6 - In an appropriate finale for both teams, the Hokies played down to an inferior opponent while the Hoos' offense whipped up one more crap sandwich. Tech's Logan Thomas was very average, completing just 13 of 29 passes for 229 yards, a score and a pick. But the Hokies' defense clamped down, yielding just 285 yards on the afternoon.

South Carolina 31, Clemson 17 - The Tigers posted a good ol' fashion -6 turnover margin, buoyed by Tajh Boyd's two interceptions, and now will sweat out championship weekend hoping they stay in the BCS mix. Most prognosticators have them in right now, but you never know.