Stats and stuff

Combing through the ACC numbers to find some stats that matter...

-- It's early, but the ACC has an explosive quality that's a sight for sore eyes given that the 12-team ACC era has been offensively challenged.

The ACC has recorded 24 scoring plays of 60 or more yards through the first four weeks, the most of any conference.

Clemson and Georgia Tech have combined for half of these. The Yellow Jackets have eight, the Tigers four.

-- Florida State's Dustin Hopkins has totaled 14 touchbacks on kickoffs this year, including five last Saturday against Clemson. Add in four touchbacks by Auburn the previous week, and Clemson's return game has been bottled up by nine touchbacks the past two games.

Clemson's opponents have totaled 10 touchbacks, most in the nation.

And here comes Virginia Tech's Justin Meyer, who has 12 touchdbacks in four games.

-- Freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the ACC have accounted for 41 touchdowns so far. Sammy Watkins, North Carolina redshirt Giovani Bernard and Virginia redshirt Kevin Parks have totaled six apiece. Florida State freshman Rashad Greene has five, and Georgia Tech redshirt Synjyn Days has four.

-- Georgia Tech QB Tevin Washington has compiled a pass-efficiency rating of 286.6. Joshua Nesbitt's rating last year was 105.4. Washington has completed 27 of 42 passes for 821 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year Nesbitt completed 39 of 105 with seven touchdowns.

-- Boston College is last in the ACC in yards per play at 5.2 yards, and Clemson is second at 6.3 yards. That's a difference of 1.1 yards per play.

Georgia Tech is averaging 9.4 yards per play. So the separation between Nos. 1 and 2 is 3.1 yards per play.

-- N.C. State's running game is putrid, averaging 2.8 yards per rush. Florida State's isn't much better (3 per rush).

-- N.C. State has intercepted eight passes, most in the ACC. But the Wolfpack rank last in the conference in pass defense, allowing 269 yards a game. Opponents have attempted 144 passes, most in the conference.

-- Clemson has only attempted six field goals through four games. This time last year, the Tigers had attempted just three field goals. But they ended up attempting 21 in the last nine games (and missing nine of them).

-- Virginia Tech is limiting opponents to a 46.6-percent passing clip.

-- Maryland is allowing opponents to complete 74.4 percent of their passes. Yikes.

-- Florida State has accumulated 34 penalties for a total of 297 yards, most in the ACC.

-- Clemson is tied for 10th in sacks with four. Virginia Tech is first with 14.

-- Virginia Tech is first in time of possession, holding the ball for 36 minutes per game.

-- Virginia Tech is 11th in fourth-down conversions (1 of 4). Clemson is 12th (1 of 6).

-- Clemson ranks 11th in red-zone offense, scoring points on just 70.6 percent of its trips. But 11 of the Tigers' 12 scores have been touchdowns, and two of the fruitless possessions came at the end of games against Wofford and Auburn.

-- The Hokies have made just 4 of 7 field goals (and misses from 30, 37 and 40 yards), and rank last in punting average (33.2).



LW