Saturday was a really good day for college football in North Carolina. Duke pulled off a stunner against Notre Dame in South Bend. The Tar Heels needed a last-second touchdown pass to beat Coastal rival Pittsburgh. Wake Forest is still the only undefeated ACC team in the state after a win at Indiana.In order to claim those victories, all three teams needed huge performances from their players. The ACC rewarded five of those players with at least one from each school.Mitch Trubisky’s career-high and school-record five passing touchdowns and game-winning drive earned him Offensive Back of the Week honors. Trubisky’s 453 passing yards were the second-most in for a single game in UNC history behind Marquise Williams’ 494 versus Duke in 2015. UNC has played 1,271 football games, and Trubisky posted the school’s second- and fourth-highest single-game passing yardage totals in a span of eight days (432 yards versus James Madison, 453 versus Pitt).The recipient of 16 of those passes was Ryan Switzer, whose ACC-record performance earned him Receiver of the Week. His career-high 208 yards were all necessary for the one-point win over Pitt, becoming only the sixth UNC player to finish with 200-plus receiving yards in a single game. Switzer now ranks in the top 10 in UNC history in receptions (third) and receiving yards (fifth) and touchdown receptions (tied for seventh).In order for Wake Forest to move to 4-0, it needed a strong defensive performance against Indiana. The Demon Deacons got just that with five interceptions, highlighted by Jessie Bates’ 55-yard pick-six to take the first lead of the game.
.@WakeFB STAYS perfect! #Deacs never slowed down after THIS PICK-6: @J_Bates_2015 pic.twitter.com/hx8tUBtClG ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 24, 2016
That pick was Bates’ second of the game after taking one out of Indiana’s end zone earlier in the game. On a defense that has shut down every offense it’s played thus far, Bates shined on Saturday when Wake desperately needed him.Duke’s win in South Bend was thanks in large part to a stellar special teams and offensive performance. Shaun Wilson powered his way to 163 yards in the return game, including a 96-yard kickoff return to silence the Notre Dame crowd. He was also the second-leading rusher in the game with 66 yards on 13 carries.
DUKE with the upset over #ND in South Bend! It all started with Shaun Wilson's 96 YD kickoff return…. #MustSeeACC @Duke_FB #DukeWINS pic.twitter.com/H7jubbSste ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 24, 2016
Meanwhile, Daniel Jones was proving he can create huge plays with his arm. The freshman signal-caller tossed three touchdowns, with each going for 25 yards or more, including his 64-yard bomb to Anthony Nash to tie the game at 35 with 6:47 remaining. Suffice to say, Duke might have its quarterback of the future, and he’s already won his first ACC Rookie of the Week.
