ACC Year in Review: Newcomers Shine, Historic Powers Falter

© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The 2024 regular season in college football has officially come to a conclusion for teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. This year has provided fans with drama and upsets on a weekly basis, and ACC teams were at the forefront of national attention for much of the season. As fans gear up for what might be the most anticipated postseason in college football history, we decided to look back at the teams, athletes and storylines that stood out from a chaotic year of ACC football.

Mustangs Dominate in ACC Debut

Expectations were tempered for the No. 11 SMU Mustangs (11-2, 8-0 ACC) as they prepared to play their first year in the ACC after being a member of the American Athletic Conference for 11 years. While the Mustangs had plenty of success at the Group of 5 level, many thought that their skill would not translate to the Power Four level right away.

SMU proved the doubters wrong. The Mustangs did not just survive in their first year in the ACC—they dominated the competition and finished their first regular season with an 8-0 record in conference play. The Mustangs thrived on both sides of the ball, ranking second in the ACC with 39.9 points scored per game and first in the ACC with 20.8 points allowed per game. Sophomore quarterback Kevin Jennings threw for more than 3,000 yards and accounted for 27 touchdowns in just 10 starts, showcasing the young talent that has a chance to stay at the forefront of the conference for a long time to come.

The Mustangs ultimately fell short of an ACC Championship win after a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the No. 16 Clemson Tigers (10-3, 7-1). But, thanks to the 12-team College Football Playoff, SMU still earned a spot in the postseason and has a chance to turn an amazing season into one that will be remembered for generations to come.

Hurricanes Collapse, Tigers Capitalize

For a majority of the season, the No. 13 Miami Hurricanes were at the center of national attention. They charged out to a 9-0 record behind an elite offensive attack led by transfer quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist Cam Ward and seemed to be in prime position to earn a spot in the CFP.

Then, the Hurricanes dropped two of their last three games, giving up nearly 300 yards rushing in a loss to the injury-riddled Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7-5, 5-3) and allowing nearly 400 yards passing in a shootout loss to the No. 21 Syracuse Orange (9-3, 5-3). The losses were enough to cost Miami not just a spot in the conference championship, but a spot in the CFP.

The Clemson Tigers followed a similar path to the Hurricanes. After jumping out to a 6-1 record that earned them a spot in the Associated Press Top 10, the Tigers lost two games late in the season to seemingly put their CFP hopes to rest. Thanks to a stellar record in ACC play, however, Clemson was given a second chance. Miami's second conference loss allowed the Tigers to go to the ACC Championship with an automatic bid to the CFP on the line, and they were determined to not let the opportunity go to waste.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik went 24-of-41 passing with 262 yards and 4 touchdowns and kicker Nolan Hauser made a 56-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Tigers over SMU for the ACC title. While Miami and Clemson both came up short of expectations in the regular season, Clemson made their second chance count in the end and is still fighting to make their 2024 season one to remember.

Transfer Quarterbacks Lead Turnarounds

While Ward led national headlines as the leader of one of the most dynamic offenses in the nation, several others transfer quarterbacks were making waves with exciting performances of their own.

Quarterback Eli Holstein won the starting job for a Pitt Panthers (7-5, 3-5) team that had finished 3-9 in 2023. Behind his explosive ability and confidence, the Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 start that included unforgettable comeback wins over the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-7, 3-6 Big 12 Conference) and West Virginia Mountaineers (6-6, 5-4 Big 12). While injuries derailed Pitt's promising season, Panthers fans still have plenty of hope for the future with Holstein at the helm.

After losing head coach Mike Elko to the Texas A&M Aggies (8-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) in the offseason and seeing key players transfer out of the program, many thought the Duke Blue Devils (9-3, 5-3) would collapse in 2024. Instead, quarterback Maalik Murphy stepped in and maintained the positive momentum of the program, leading the Blue Devils to a nine-win season behind nearly 3,000 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.

After failing to achieve expectations with the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten Conference) in 2023, quarterback Kyle McCord found a new home with Syracuse in the offseason. With the Orange, the former five-star prospect was able to regain his confidence and rejuvenate a team that desperately needed experience and leadership in head coach Fran Brown's first year. McCord finished the regular season as the nation's leading passer and led the Orange to a 9-3 record thanks to a memorable upset win over the Hurricanes.

Freshman Excel Across Conference

While exciting transfer additions dominated many of the season's storylines, there were also several promising freshman that found a way to make an instant impact with their schools.

At Clemson, freshman wide receivers TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. contributed to a dynamic passing attack that the Tigers had been sorely missing in the past few seasons. Wesco had the statement performance of his young career in the ACC Championship, hauling in 8 receptions for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Tigers narrowly escape the explosive SMU Mustangs.

In what was supposed to be a down year for the Louisville Cardinals (8-4, 5-3), two freshman running backs made instant contributions that helped Louisville stay relevant against a brutal schedule. Isaac Brown led the backfield with 1,074 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, while Duke Watson shined late in the season with 514 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. If the Cardinals can retain their dynamic backfield duo through the offseason, they have a chance to compete at the top of the conference once again in 2025.

Seminoles Implode Under Pressure

Coming off an undefeated regular season in 2023, many fans had high expectations for the Florida State Seminoles (2-10, 1-7) in 2024 despite the large turnover of players. Instead, Florida State crumbled in historic fashion, falling to 2-10 in the second-largest drop in wins ever.

There was not one major thing that went wrong: instead, a plethora of issues contributed to the Seminoles' consistently abysmal showings. Florida State allowed the most sacks in the country while ranking in the bottom six in scoring, rushing, and completion percentage. Their defense and special teams could be found near the bottom of the country in multiple categories, as well.

Thanks to the transfer portal, rebuilding a college football program is not nearly as long of a process as it used to be. But after a collapse of this magnitude, head coach Mike Norvell will have his work cut out for him if he wants to keep his job in 2025 and beyond.

© Melina Myers-Imagn Images

In 2024, fans of teams in the ACC came to expect the unexpected. Against all odds, SMU rose to the top, Florida State fell to the bottom and surprising players made headlines for dynamic performances throughout the season. With anticipation building for the 12-team playoff, fans can only hope that the postseason can continue to deliver the chaos and drama that made the 2024 season so special.