ACC Notebook: 5 Things to Watch in Week 3
By Rory-Joe Daniels
With the ACC Notebook running behind this week, we are going to ‘Scrap the Recap’ and purely look forward to week 3! With plenty of major games and storylines, here are five that we believe deserve your attention this weekend.
Can the Cardinals slow down Kevin Jennings’ and his galloping Mustangs?
It’s an ACC quarterback who currently leads the nation in passing yards. Kevin Jennings has thrown for 767 yards and eight touchdowns, completing a ridiculous 76.9% of his passes. Add in an average of 14.75 yards per attempt and it shows just how well Jennings has been playing. Okay, the games have come against FSU and UC Davis, but so far he has passed the eye test. This looks like a more mature version of Jennings, and now he faces a real test.
Louisville’s defense was a top-15 unit in 2025 and returns some serious pass-rushing talent. Clev Lubin and AJ Green headline the group, with rotational depth from Tyler Thompson. Those three will certainly ask questions of the SMU offensive line and look to force Jennings out of rhythm.
The concern is the secondary. Louisville gave up multiple chunk plays against Ole Miss in Week 1, and we know Jennings has the arm talent to punish them again. If the Cardinals can’t get pressure before those routes develop, it could be a long afternoon.
On paper, this has all the makings of an offensive showdown between Jennings and Cardinals quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. It is must-watch ACC football.
Stanford must be first to slow down Sheppard
Were it not for the fact that Memphis running back Jaylin Carter has played three games, Nate Sheppard would almost certainly lead the nation in rushing yards. His 374 yards leave him just one shy of Carter, while Sheppard is averaging a remarkable 187 yards per game.
At 5’10”, 205 lbs, Sheppard has a compact build and an ideal combination of speed, quick feet and excellent contact balance. He attacks crowded boxes and somehow finds his way through, combining those traits to turn very little into significant gains.
Next up is Stanford, and despite already having to face Miami, the Cardinal weren’t dominated on the ground. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Marty Brown combined for just 77 rushing yards, although the Darian Mensah-Malachi Toney connection was doing most of the damage through the air.
Fifth-year linebacker Matt Rose will be a key piece in Stanford’s attempts to contain Sheppard. If Duke can establish its star running back early and force Stanford to commit more bodies to the box, it could be difficult for the Cardinal to get their noses back in front.
The Tait Reynolds era begins for Clemson
The plan was always for Tait Reynolds to enter the Georgia Southern game on Clemson’s fourth series. It wasn’t the plan for him to stay in. Christopher Vizzina’s arm injury gave Reynolds a prolonged audition, and he completed 16 of his 27 throws for 178 yards. The biggest issue was finishing drives. The Tigers kicked five field goals after Reynolds entered and failed to score a touchdown.
As the starter, for now at least, the pressure is on Reynolds to convert those drives and ease some of the mounting pressure on Dabo Swinney. The next hurdle is an in-state rivalry game against North Carolina. There is just as much volatility surrounding the Tar Heels program, and for both sides, a win might be more about papering over the cracks than anything else. That said, local bragging rights are always worth having.
Time to take notice of Franklin and the Hokies
A lot of the buzz surrounding James Franklin’s appointment at Virginia Tech centred on him bringing Ethan Grunkemeyer with him from Penn State to play quarterback. However, for me, the real storyline has been this defensive front. The Hokies lead the ACC with 12 sacks, five more than any other team in the conference.
The group is headlined by another two former Nittany Lions. Both four-star recruits, Mylachi Williams and Cortez Harris barely featured at Penn State, but Franklin clearly spotted their potential. Both have three sacks apiece, with Williams also adding 6.5 tackles for loss.
Maryland will present a different challenge, particularly with explosive quarterback Malik Washington. This is the first real test for the Virginia Tech defense, but I wouldn’t bet against this Franklin-led group.
Can the ACC land another blow to the Big Ten?
Our final feature to watch from the weekend action is whether the ACC can improve its non-conference record. As it stands, they are well on top against the Big Ten. As we mentioned, Virginia Tech have a chance to extend that advantage if they can get one over on Maryland. However, the ACC has drawn a blank against the SEC so far.
They get two chances this week. Can Florida State pull off the upset against Alabama? Well, there is history, but it feels unlikely. Although Kentucky kept it close for a while last week, Keelon Russell eventually settled in and looks like the real deal at quarterback. It’s hard to see the Seminoles suddenly finding the offensive gear needed to keep pace.
NC State, on the other hand, had a formidable return to form last week. Even though it was only against Richmond, the 73-0 romp was exactly the confidence boost CJ Bailey and the Wolfpack needed. They will hope to carry that momentum into Vanderbilt. A win in Nashville, combined with the ACC’s early success against the Big Ten, would add further weight to the argument that the conference deserves more respect nationally.
Rory-Joe DanIELS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.
