Wake Forest becomes second ACC football team in North Carolina to undergo coaching change

A second in-state Duke football rival will hire a new coach after Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson made the decision to step down.

Wake Forest football coach Dave Clawson will step away from his position at the helm of the Demon Deacons, according to a Monday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Clawson finished the 2024 season with a second straight 4-8 record, and Wake Forest has won three conference games over the past two seasons. He led the Demon Deacons to seven straight bowl appearances from 2016-22, including an 11-win season in 2021, but the program failed to find its footing since the transfer of longtime quarterback Sam Hartman.

“Clawson is expected to remain with the university in an advisory role,” Thamel wrote, “and the decision to step down was his.”

Clawson will end his 11-year tenure with a 67-69 record, the third-most wins in program history, and no other Wake Forest coach can match his five bowl victories.

The timing of this decision means his final game as head coach will be the Week 14 loss to Duke when [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Jordan Moore[/autotag] on the final play of the game, the final touch on a 14-point comeback.

Wake Forest becomes the second ACC school within the state to need a new head football coach. The North Carolina Tar Heels fired Mack Brown, the winningest coach in school history, after a 6-6 season, but UNC already found legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick to replace him.

Bill Belichick to face National Championship winner in first season

Bill Belichick and another legendary football coach will face off in Kenan Stadium.

All the current hype in college football surrounds the North Carolina Tar Heels – and they aren’t even playing in the College Football Playoff.

UNC will face UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday, the sixth-straight season UNC will play postseason football, but there’s something much larger capturing everyone’s attention.

North Carolina hired longtime NFL legend Bill Belichick as its head coach on Wednesday, December 11. Belichick entered the Tar Heels’ head-coaching search late in the process – as a surprise candidate – but wound up with the job.

Belichick’s hiring is already catching the eye of several big-name recruits, include the Class of 2026’s top-ranked quarterback and a former 5-star defensive lineman.

Speaking of big names, Belichick will face one of the best coaches in college football during UNC’s 2025 football season.

The coach in reference here is Dabo Swinney, Clemson‘s longtime head man, who led his teams to the 2016 and 2018 National Championships. The Tigers are back in the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2020 (2021 Sugar Bowl), when they lost to Ohio State.

North Carolina doesn’t know when it will play Clemson, but we do know Clemson will be traveling to Kenan Stadium. Belichick will help the Tar Heels try and snap a 6-game losing streak to the Tigers, who are the standard for ACC football.

Belichick knows a thing or two about big matchups himself, as he won Six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and appeared in the playoffs 19 times (once with the Cleveland Browns).

Facing Clemson will be a great “welcome to college football” moment for Belichick. Then again, the greatest coach of all time doesn’t need any introduction.

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North Carolina finalizing deal with six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick

North Carolina makes a big move.

The ACC just had a major shakeup Wednesday, as one of football’s most legendary figures is finalizing a deal to become the new head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.

According to reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, six time Super Bowl winning head coach is about to be the Tar Heels new head coach. From a what if to a reality, Belichick joining UNC is a major move that could do wonders for the Tar Heels program.

With a 333-178 career record (including playoffs), eight playoff appearances and six Super Bowl wins in the NFL as the New England Patriots head coach, there’s no denying that the Tar Heels may be hiring the best coach in the game’s history.

Does this guarantee the same success at North Carolina? No… but the odds are definitely in their favor. Truly one of the more interesting hires you’ll see, Belichick opted to take a chance with the Tar Heels rather than pursue the NFL and Don Shula’s 328 (regular season) wins record.

North Carolina has just skyrocketed to the forefront of college football from an attention standpoint, such as Colorado did when they hired Deion Sanders. Dabo Swinney has some new competition for the conference’s best head coach.

What’s at stake for the College Football Playoff in the ACC championship game?

Breaking down the CFP implications of the ACC championship game.

No. 8 SMU will take on No. 17 Clemson in the ACC championship game Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and there are some major College Football Playoff impacts of this game with the first 12-team field.

So let’s get into what’s at stake here.

For SMU, an ACC championship would move the Mustangs to 12-1 on the season, they almost certainly wouldn’t drop — but could definitely rise — in the rankings and, because the four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded as Nos. 1-4 and get a first-round bye, they’d likely end up getting to bypass the opening round of games.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPREAD PICKS: SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and G5 championship games

For Clemson, the Tigers winning the ACC title game would make them 10-3, lock them into the playoff with the conference’s automatic bid as a Power Four conference champ and put the Mustangs’ playoff chances into serious jeopardy. A win would also likely give Clemson a first-round bye as one of the four highest-ranked conference champs — barring something spectacular from the Big 12 title game.

If SMU beats Clemson, it would likely lock No. 11 Alabama (9-3) into the playoff.

If Clemson beats SMU, the College Football Playoff committee would have to choose between SMU and Alabama. If the Mustangs lose a very close game and look strong, they could get the edge over the Crimson Tide, but if it’s a Tigers’ blowout win, we’re guessing the committee will go with Alabama.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: The new 12-team format, rankings and seeding, explained

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Duke football has the second-best record in the ACC over the last three seasons

Since the start of the 2022 season, the Duke Blue Devils have the second-best win percentage of any ACC football program.

The Duke Blue Devils have found some incredible form on the gridiron over the last three seasons, winning at least eight games in every campaign despite an offseason coaching change. However, the performance in Durham looks even more impressive when compared to the team’s peers around the conference.

Since the start of the 2022 season, Duke has won 26 games, tied for the second-most of any ACC team. In fact, because of an additional loss by the Louisville Cardinals (albeit in last year’s conference championship game), the Blue Devils have the second-best win percentage among the 14 traditional ACC teams in that period.

Duke has an overall win percentage of 68.4% in this recent run. Only the Clemson Tigers (74.4%) have been better, and only five total ACC programs have won more than 60% of their contests in the last three seasons. Even the Florida State Seminoles (64.1%) dropped below the Blue Devils thanks to a stunning 2-10 campaign in 2024.

Even just in conference games, Duke is one of four ACC teams with a .500 record or better in each of the last three seasons. Only Clemson (19-5) and Louisville (16-8) have been better than the Blue Devils’ 14-10 record against conference opponents.

Check out each team’s record, both overall and in conference play, below (note that new members SMU, Stanford, and California were excluded due to their different conference schedules in 2022-23).

Team Overall Record Overall % Conference Record Conference %
Clemson 29-10 0.744 19-5 0.792
Duke 26-12 0.684 14-10 0.583
Louisville 26-13 0.667 16-8 0.667
Florida State 25-14 0.641 14-10 0.583
NC State 23-15 0.60.5 13-11 0.542
Miami 22-15 0.595 12-12 0.500
North Carolina 23-16 0.590 13-11 0.542
Syracuse 22-16 0.579 11-13 0.458
Georgia Tech 19-18 0.514 14-10 0.583
Pittsburgh 19-18 0.514 10-14 0.417
Boston College 17-20 0.459 9-15 0.375
Virginia Tech 16-20 0.444 10-13 0.435
Wake Forest 16-21 0.444 6-18 0.250
Virginia 11-23 0.324 6-17 0.261

Manny Diaz finishes second in ACC Coach of the Year voting after Duke’s nine-win season

After a nine-win debut season with the Duke Blue Devils, Manny Diaz earned three votes for ACC Coach of the Year.

Duke football coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] picked off a few program milestones in his first season with the Blue Devils, and three voters nominated him as the ACC Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the regular season.

SMU’s Rhett Lashlee dominated the results with 64 votes after the Mustangs won all eight conference games in their first season with the ACC, but Diaz was the only other coach to earn at least three selections.

Diaz and the Blue Devils took Lashlee and the Mustangs to overtime in Week 9, one of just three Duke losses this season. The program won its first five games for the first time this century thanks to a 20-point comeback over the North Carolina Tar Heels, and the Blue Devils swept their three in-state conference rivals for the first time since 2013.

Diaz, a defensive coach by trade, helped oversee one of the conference’s most destructive units. The Blue Devils surrendered 22.2 points and 344.3 yards per game, ranking third and fourth among the conference, and they racked up the second-most tackles for loss in the FBS with 110.

All-ACC football teams announced, Clemson leads the conference

Clemson leads the ACC.

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced its 2024 All-ACC Team on Tuesday afternoon, and a conference-high 10 Clemson players earned recognition on the annual squads recognizing the conference’s best. Clemson has now produced double-digit All-ACC selections in nine of the last 10 seasons.

Three players — linebacker Barrett Carter, offensive tackle Blake Miller and wide receiver Antonio Williams — collected first-team honors. Another three — defensive end T.J. Parker, offensive guard Marcus Tate and cornerback Avieon Terrell — earned second-team selections, and four players — tight end Jake Briningstool, running back Phil Mafah, offensive guard Walker Parks and defensive tackle Payton Page — garnered third-team recognition. Clemson also had nine entries on the conference’s list of honorable mentions.

Briningstool, Carter and Miller all earned the second All-ACC selections of their careers. Clemson’s other seven honorees all collected their first career all-conference awards.

Clemson’s 10 selections were two ahead of a three-way tie for second between Duke, Miami (Fla.) and SMU (eight each). Clemson has now recorded at least 10 All-ACC selections nine times since 2015; the rest of the conference has had teams record 10 or more selections a combined total of seven times in that span.

The full release from the Atlantic Coast Conference is included below.


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Ahead of the 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 7, the conference announced its All-ACC Football Teams on Tuesday, December 3. Clemson leads all schools with 10 All-ACC selections on the first, second, and third teams, while Miami had the most first-team honorees with four.

SMU, Miami and Duke all finished second among conference teams with eight selections while Pitt and Virginia Tech added six honorees.

Leading the voting this season was both Cam Ward of Miami and Omarion Hampton of North Carolina, as each received a total of 207 points to earn first-team recognition. Ward leads the NCAA in passing touchdowns (36) and Total QBR (88.0), while also ranking second nationally in passing yards (4,123), passing yards per game (343.6), total offensive yards per game (359.9) and points responsible for (204). Hampton leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in both rushing yards (1,660) and rushing yards per game (138.3) this season, while also leading the ACC in rushing touchdowns (15) and total touchdowns (17).

On the defensive side of the ball, the leading vote-getters were Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College and Antwaun Powell-Ryland of Virginia Tech with 188 and 169 points, respectively.

The All-ACC teams were chosen by a voting panel of 54 media members and each of the league’s 17 head coaches for a total of 71 voters. Three points were awarded for each first-team vote, two points for each second-team vote, and one point for each third-team selection.

The individual awards – Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year – will be announced on Wednesday, December 4. The Coach of the Year will be announced on Thursday, December 5.

First-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Cam Ward – Miami (207)
RB – Omarion Hampton – North Carolina (207)
RB – Brashard Smith – SMU (163)
WR – Xaver Restrepo – Miami (205)
WR – Ja’Corey Brooks – Louisville (196)
WR – Antonio Williams – Clemson (117)
TE – Oronde Gadsden II – Syracuse (178)
AP – Desmond Reid – Pitt (122)
OT – Blake Miller – Clemson (98)
OT – Ozzy Trapilo – Boston College (96)
OG – Willie Lampkin – North Carolina (133)
OG – Keylan Rutledge – Georgia Tech (84)
C – Drew Kendall – Boston College (85)

Defense
DE – Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College (188)
DE – Antwaun Powell-Ryland – Virginia Tech (169)
DT – Aeneas Peebles – Virginia Tech (108)
DT – Simeon Barrow, Jr. – Miami (91) (tie)
DT – Jared Harrison-Hunte – SMU (91) tie
LB – Kyle Louis – Pitt (150)
LB – Barrett Carter – Clemson (132)
LB – Teddye Buchanan – California (128)
CB – Nohl Williams – California (187)
CB – Chandler Rivers – Duke (139)
S – Jonas Sanker – Virginia (102)
S- Isaiah Nwokobia – SMU (97)

Specialists
PK – Andy Borregales – Miami (123)
P – Alex Mastromanno – Florida State (186)
SP – Desmond Reid – Pitt (120)

Second-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Kyle McCord – Syracuse (92)
RB – Bhayshul Tuten – Virginia Tech (134)
RB – Isaac Brown – Louisville (88)
WR – Trebor Pena – Syracuse (115)
WR – Jackson Meeks – Syracuse (110)
WR – Elic Ayomanor – Stanford (101)
TE – Elijah Arroyo – Miami (64)
AP – Omarion Hampton – North Carolina (81)
OT – Brian Parker – Duke (95)
OT – Francis Mauigoa – Miami (90)
OG – Caleb Kings – Duke (68)
OG – Marcus Tate – Clemson (65)
C – Jakai Clark – SMU (64)

Defense
DE – T.J. Parker – Clemson (102)
DE – Ashton Gillotte – Louisville (54)
DT – Jordan van den Berg – Georgia Tech (53)
DT – Kendy Charles – Duke (46)
LB – Kobe Wilson – SMU (88)
LB – Francisco Mauigoa – Miami (76)
LB – Branson Combs – Wake Forest (65)
CB – Avieon Terrell – Clemson (101)
CB – Quincy Riley – Louisville (79)
S – Terry Moore – Duke (86)
S – Mishael Powell – Miami (82) tie
S – Donovan McMillon – Pitt (82) tie

Specialists
PK – Ryan Fitzgerald – Florida State (96)
P – Lachlan Wilson – California (67)
SP – Alex Mastromanno – Florida State (81)

Third-Team All-ACC
Offense
QB – Kevin Jennings – SMU (53)
RB – Phil Mafah – Clemson (74)
RB- Demond Claiborne – Wake Forest (48)
WR – Malachi Fields – Virginia (78)
WR – Jordan Moore – Duke (68)
WR – Eli Pancol – Duke (60)
TE – Jake Briningstool – Clemson (47)
AP – Demond Claiborne – Wake Forest (60)
OT – PJ Williams – SMU (83)
OT – Jordan Williams – Georgia Tech (61)
OG – Logan Parr – SMU (63)
OG – Walker Parks – Clemson (56)
C – Zeke Correll – NC State (50)

Defense
DE – Xavier Carlton – California (53)
DE – Darin Vann – NC State (38)
DT – Payton Page – Clemson (41)
DT – Cam Horsley – Boston College (40) tie
DT – Jahvaree Ritzie – North Carolina (40) tie
LB – Rasheem Biles – Pitt (63)
LB – Ozzie Nicholas – Duke (52)
LB – Kyle Efford – Georgia Tech (47)
CB – Clarence Lewis – Syracuse (56)
CB – Mansoor Delane – Virginia Tech (50)
S – Nick Andersen – Wake Forest (64)
S – Craig Woodson – California (54)

Specialists
PK – Ben Sauls – Pitt (91)
P – Peter Moore – Virginia Tech (55)
SP – Jaylin Lane – Virginia Tech (64)

Honorable -Mention All-ACC
QB – Cade Klubnik – Clemson (44)
QB – Tyler Shough – Louisville (16)
RB – LeQuint Allen – Syracuse (44)
RB – Desmond Reid – Pitt (33)
RB – Jamal Haynes – Georgia Tech (28)
RB – Damien Martinez – Miami (17)
WR – Konata Mumpfield – Pitt (36)
WR – Jacolby George – Miami (31)
WR – Taylor Morin – Wake Forest (29)
WR – Malik Rutherford – Georgia Tech (22)
WR – Eric Singleton, Jr. – Georgia Tech (20)
WR – Keyshawn Smith, SMU (19)
WR – Lewis Bond, Boston College (18)
TE – Jack Endries – California (29)
TE – Gavin Bartholomew – Pitt (27)
TE – RJ Maryland – SMU (17)
AP – LeQuint Allen – Syracuse (47)
AP – Isaac Brown – Louisville (33)
AP – Nohl Williams – California (26)
AP – Roderick Daniels Jr. – SMU (24)
OT – Corey Robinson II – Georgia Tech (55)
OT – Monroe Mills – Louisville (50)
OT – Tristan Leigh – Clemson (42)
OT – Jalen Rivers – Miami (41)
OT – Xavier Chaplin – Virginia Tech (32)
OT – Savion Washington – Syracuse (28)
OT – Howard Sampson – Syracuse (21)
OG – Justin Osborne – SMU (55)
OG – Anez Cooper – Miami (48)
OG – Michael Gonzalez – Louisville (46)
OG – Kaden Moore – Virginia Tech (35)
OG – Matt Gulbin – Wake Forest (35)
OG – Jack Conley – Boston College (32)
OG – Jakob Bradford – Syracuse (27)
OG – Logan Taylor – Boston College (25)
OG – Timothy McKay – NC State (25)
C – Zach Carpenter – Miami (36)
C – Weston Franklin – Georgia Tech (36)
C – Pete Nygra – Louisville (34)
C – Ryan Linthicum – Clemson (30)
C – Brian Stevens – Virginia (27)
C – Luke Petitbon – Wake Forest (21)
DE – Fadil Diggs – Syracuse (32)
DE – Wes Williams – Duke (31)
DE – Peter Woods – Clemson (27)
DE – Tyler Baron – Miami (24)
DE – Elijah Roberts – SMU (23)
DE – Rueben Bain, Jr. – Miami (18)
DT – Zeek Biggers – Georgia Tech (32)
DT – Kevin Pointer – Wake Forest (31)
DT – Joshua Farmer – Florida State (30)
DT – Ramon Puryear – Louisville (29)
DT – DeMonte Capehart – Clemson (27)
DT – Aaron Hall – Duke (25)
DT – Akheem Mesidor – Miami (25)
DT – Kori Roberson Jr. – SMU (24)
DT – Darrell Jackson Jr. – Florida State (24)
DT – Nick James – Pitt (23)
LB – Ahmad Walker – SMU (46)
LB – Wade Woodaz – Clemson (45)
LB – Xavier Carlton – California (43)
LB – Justin Barron – Syracuse (40)
LB – Power Echols – North Carolina (35)
LB – Stanquan Clark – Louisville (29)
LB – Marlowe Wax – Syracuse (27)
LB – Cade Uluave – California (26)
LB – Sean Brown – NC State (23)
LB – Alex Howard – Duke (23)
LB – Tre Freeman – Duke (18)
LB – Kam Robinson – Virginia (18)
CB – Dorian Strong – Virginia Tech (46)
CB – OJ Frederique – Miami (26)
CB – Alijah Huzzie – North Carolina (25)
CB – Corey Thornton – Louisville (25)
CB – Brandon Crossley – SMU (23)
CB – Azareye’h Thomas – Florida State (20)
S – R.J. Mickens – Clemson (52)
S – Ahmaad Moses – SMU (36)
S – Jaylen Stinson – Duke (33)
S – Jonathan McGill – SMU (31)
S – Bishop Fitzgerald – NC State (27)
S – Khalil Barnes – Clemson (22)
PK – Collin Rogers – SMU (54)
PK – John Love – Virginia Tech (23)
PK – Brock Travelstead – Louisville (19)
P – Jack Stonehouse – Syracuse (53)
P – Kade Reynoldson – Duke (35)
P – Daniel Sparks – Virginia (17)
SP – Antonio Williams – Clemson (45)
SP – Alijah Huzzie – North Carolina (41)
SP – Collin Rogers – SMU (35)
SP – Que’Sean Brown – Duke (28)

– Via Clemson Athletic Communications 

Duke wide receiver earns annual ACC award after bounceback season

The Duke Blue Devils surpassed expectations on the football field in 2024, and one offensive star earned a conference award for his efforts.

Duke football fans would have been forgiven for having tempered expectations for fifth-year wideout [autotag]Eli Pancol[/autotag] in 2024.

After Pancol stacked 565 yards and five touchdowns in his first three collegiate seasons, he missed the last four regular-season games in 2022 and the entire 2023 campaign with two separate ankle injuries.

In his final season with the program, however, Pancol paced the Blue Devils with 55 receptions and nine receiving touchdowns. He surpassed 100 yards twice this year, including a 188-yard performance against Virginia Tech that featured three trips to the end zone in Week 13.

He earned ACC Receiver of the Week honors for that game against the Hokies, and he took home another conference accolade on Monday when the ACC named him the recipient of the 2024 Brian Piccolo Award.

The award, given to the conference’s most courageous player, has been given out each year since 1970, but Pancol is the first Blue Devil honored since it was given to defensive lineman Scott Youmans in 1993.

That monster night against Virginia Tech came in Pancol’s final game at Wallace Wade Stadium, and he offered a small glimpse into his appreciation for this season on the ACC Network show “ACC Huddle” after the win.

“Seriously, it felt like a dream come true,” Pancol said. “Someone asked me out there, ‘What’d that feel like?’, it felt like a dream come true. I prayed for this.”

Through Week 14 of the college football season, Pancol is one of four ACC receivers with at least 50 receptions, 700 yards, and nine touchdowns. Only 25 wideouts across the entire country have matched that trifecta thus far.

Where are the Duke Blue Devils on the USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank?

Check out where the Duke Blue Devils landed on the USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank after their 9-3 regular season.

The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t quite break into the top 25 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after their ninth regular-season win in Week 14, but USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg thinks head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] is leading a top-25 team.

Myerberg released his updated ranking of all 134 college football teams on Monday, and the Blue Devils crept up two spots to 22nd after their 23-17 comeback over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, one spot below the Colorado Buffaloes.

The Blue Devils don’t have a top-25 win on their resume, but if fans include their last-minute field goal to force overtime against Northwestern, Diaz and his team have come from behind in the fourth quarter four times in 2024. Quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] completed 16 of his 20 passes in the second half, running for a touchdown before launching a 39-yard scoring throw to Jordan Moore on the final play.

With Syracuse’s upset over Miami, the ACC title game race got thrown into chaos at the buzzer. After a 9-0 start to the season, the Hurricanes won’t even make the trip to Charlotte after a pair of late losses, instead crossing their fingers for an at-large College Football Playoff berth.

Myerberg slotted Miami at No. 16 in his updated rankings, a full ten spots behind the SMU Mustangs (No. 6) at the top of the conference. The Clemson Tigers (No. 17) will head to the title game despite three regular-season losses, but no other ACC team finished above Duke on Myerberg’s list.

Duke football closes in on the AP Poll Top 25 after Wake Forest win in Week 14

The Duke Blue Devils, after their nine-win regular season, almost made their way into the top 25 of the AP Poll on Sunday.

After three straight wins to close the 2024 regular season, the Duke Blue Devils nearly cracked the top 25 of the updated AP Poll on Sunday.

After only receiving six votes last week, leaving them as the unofficial No. 31 team in the rankings, Duke shuffled up to 28th thanks to 30 votes this week.

The Blue Devils appeared to be in danger in Winston-Salem on Saturday, dropping behind in-state rival Wake Forest 17-3 early in the third quarter after an inopportune fumble. However, quarterback [autotag]Maalik Murphy[/autotag] orchestrated three touchdown drives over the final 18 minutes for the comeback victory. On the final play of the game, he found senior wideout Jordan Moore for a 39-yard touchdown to clinch the 23-17 win.

Only four other ACC schools won nine games during the regular season, but each of the others ended up in this week’s top 25. The Syracuse Orange vaulted up to 23rd after a home upset of the Miami Hurricanes, who tumbled down to 14th and out of the conference title game with their second loss in three games.

The SMU Mustangs (No. 8) and Clemson Tigers (No. 18) will meet in Charlotte to decide the conference’s automatic berth into the College Football Playoff.