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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Saturday delivers a jam-packed lineup of nine Atlantic Coast Conference matchups, headlined by a top-10 showdown in Death Valley as No. 4 Clemson hosts No. 9 LSU in one of the marquee games of Week 1. In all, three ACC teams will square off against opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Preseason Poll.
With games airing across ABC, ESPN, ACC Network and ACCNX throughout the day, Saturday’s action is part of the ACC’s unparalleled five straight days of football, culminating on Labor Day night when North Carolina hosts TCU in primetime on ESPN—marking the Tar Heels’ debut under six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.
The ACC continues to set the standard for Labor Day Weekend. No other league in college football plays across all five days from Thursday through Monday in Week 1, a feat the ACC has now accomplished six times since 2017.
Saturday, August 30 | Noon ET
Syracuse at #24 Tennessee
Series: Tennessee leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: Tennessee, 33-9 (2001)
TV:ABC
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 138 / SiriusXM 193
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 955
In the first of two Aflac Kickoff Games in Atlanta this year, Syracuse will look to earn its first-ever win against Tennessee, as the Volunteers hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series.
The Orange are making their first neutral-site season opener since 2013, when they faced Penn State at MetLife Stadium in the New York College Classic. Syracuse has been strong in openers, winning 10 of its last 11, with the lone setback coming at North Carolina in 2020.
Offensively, Syracuse brings plenty of firepower. The Orange led the nation in passing (370.0 yards per game) last season, while also ranking in the top 10 nationally in total offense, time of possession, fewest fumbles lost, and third-down conversion rate. This year, they will turn to Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli at quarterback. Angeli appeared in 21 games for the Irish, including the College Football Playoff semifinals and national championship game.
Tennessee, coming off a 10-3 season (6-2 SEC) that ended with a College Football Playoff loss to Ohio State, enters the matchup riding a four-game winning streak against ACC opponents under head coach Josh Heupel.
Saturday, August 30 | Noon ET
Duquesne at Pitt
Series: Pitt leads, 5-2
Last Meeting: Duquesne, 21-13 (1939)
TV:ACC Network
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 161 / SiriusXM 194
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 956
Separated by less than two miles, Pitt and Duquesne will meet on the gridiron for just the eighth time when the Panthers host the Dukes this weekend. Pitt leads the all-time series 5-2, with the last meeting dating back to 1939.
Defense has long been the identity of head coach Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers, and 2024 was no exception. Pitt finished the regular season ranked fifth nationally in defensive touchdowns (4), sixth in sacks (3.15 per game) and fourth in tackles-for-loss (8.2 per game).
Looking ahead to 2025, Pitt will be anchored by preseason All-Americans Kyle Louis on defense and Desmond Reid on offense. At quarterback, Eli Holstein returns after a breakout redshirt freshman campaign in which he became the first Pitt QB since Dan Marino (1979-80) to win his first seven starts.
Duquesne, representing the Northeast Conference (NEC), enters the season picked to finish second in the league’s preseason coaches poll after receiving two first-place votes. The Dukes have claimed at least a share of the regular-season title in each of the past two years under veteran head coach Jerry Schmitt, who has guided the program to 10 NEC championships and three FCS playoff appearances across 21 seasons.
Saturday, August 30 | 2 p.m. ET
Fordham at Boston College
Series: Boston College leads, 14-11-2
Last Meeting: Boston College, 21-7 (1954)
TV:ACCNX
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 382
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 972
Boston College and Fordham will open their 2025 seasons on Saturday, meeting on the gridiron for the first time since 1954.
In his second year at the helm, head coach Bill O’Brien looks to build on a 7-6 campaign that ended with a trip to the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. The Eagles will debut Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan as their starting quarterback. A former ESPN Top-50 recruit in the Class of 2023, Lonergan appeared in three games with the Crimson Tide over the past two seasons.
Defensively, Boston College returns plenty of experience in the secondary. Seven of the eight defensive backs who logged at least 250 snaps last year are back, including safeties KP Price and Carter Davis, the team’s highest-graded returning defenders.
Fordham enters the matchup aiming to build momentum after a 2-10 finish in 2024, though the Rams closed with wins in two of their final four contests. Picked eighth in the Patriot League’s preseason poll, Fordham is led by standout linebacker James Conway, who set the league’s career tackles record a year ago.
Saturday, August 30 | 3 p.m. ET
Eastern Kentucky at Louisville
Series: Louisville leads, 20-8-1
Last Meeting: Louisville, 30-3 (2021)
TV:ACC Network
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 138 / SiriusXM 193
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 955
Louisville and Eastern Kentucky renew their in-state series on Saturday, with the Cardinals holding a 20-8-1 all-time advantage dating back to 1927. Louisville has won the last five meetings, while the Colonels’ last victory came in 1985.
Head coach Jeff Brohm has revitalized his alma mater, guiding the Cardinals to a 19-8 record over his first two seasons — the program’s best two-year stretch since 2014. Louisville will also look to extend its streak of home-opening victories to 15, having last dropped a home opener in 2010 against Kentucky.
Offensively, the Cardinals return a dynamic backfield duo in Isaac Brown and Duke Watson. The pair combined for 1,770 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns a season ago, with Brown eclipsing the 1,100-yard mark and Watson adding nearly 600 yards on the ground. Louisville has also found success against EKU in recent years, topping 30 points in each of the last three meetings, including a 44-point outburst in 2013.
On the other side, Eastern Kentucky enters under the leadership of sixth-year head coach Walt Wells. The Colonels finished 8-5 in 2024, securing their 23rd appearance in the FCS Playoffs. EKU closed the regular season with five consecutive wins and victories in five of its final six contests, carrying momentum into the new campaign.
Saturday, August 30 | 3:30 p.m. ET
#8 Alabama at Florida State
Series: Alabama leads, 3-1-1
Last Meeting: Alabama, 24-7 (2017)
TV:ABC
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 84
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 81 / SiriusXM 84
Florida State and Alabama will meet for the sixth time on Saturday, with the Crimson Tide holding a 3-1-1 advantage in the all-time series.
Florida State also looks to notch its first home victory over an AP Top-10 opponent since 2020, when it edged No. 5 North Carolina, 31-28. This marks the seventh time the Seminoles have opened a season against a Top-10 foe, and the second time in the last three years — highlighted by their 45-24 win over No. 5 LSU in Orlando to kick off the 2023 campaign.
Leading the Seminoles’ offense will be Boston College transfer Tommy Castellanos, a dual-threat quarterback who started 20 games for the Eagles. Castellanos accounted for 3,614 passing yards and 1,307 rushing yards during his time at BC.
Alabama enters off a 9-4 (5-3 SEC) season that concluded with a trip to the ReliaQuest Bowl. Saturday’s contest will mark the Tide’s first true road game against an ACC opponent since visiting Duke in 2010.
Head coach Kalen DeBoer begins his second season at Alabama and his 11th overall as a head coach. The former Washington leader owns an impressive 114-16 career record, with successful stops at Sioux Falls, Fresno State, Washington, and now Tuscaloosa.
Saturday, August 30 | 6 p.m. ET
Coastal Carolina at Virginia
Series: Virginia leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Virginia, 43-24 (2024)
TV:ACC Network
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 161 / SiriusXM 194
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 956 / SiriusXM 990
Virginia and Coastal Carolina meet for the second time, with the Cavaliers holding a 1-0 series edge after last season’s 43-24 victory in Conway, S.C.
Tony Elliott begins his fourth season as Virginia’s head coach, coming off a 5-7 campaign in 2024. The Cavaliers return 15 starters, including eight on defense, and feature one of the most experienced rosters in the country, with 14 senior starters and 13 senior backups.
At quarterback, Virginia will rely on North Texas transfer Chandler Morris, who excelled in the Mean Green’s air raid system last year, throwing for 3,774 yards. He’ll be protected by one of college football’s most seasoned offensive lines, a unit that has combined for 213 career starts — the most of any FBS team.
Coastal Carolina enters its third season under head coach Tim Beck, who led the Chanticleers to back-to-back bowl appearances in his first two years. The team will feature new leadership on both sides of the ball, with Drew Hollingshead taking over as offensive coordinator and Jeremiah Johnson stepping in as defensive coordinator.
Saturday, August 30 | 7:30 p.m. ET
#9 LSU at #4 Clemson
Series: LSU leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: LSU, 42-25 (2019)
TV:ABC
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 82 / SiriusXM 84
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 82 / SiriusXM 84
Clemson, coming off its 2024 ACC Championship victory over SMU and a trip to the College Football Playoff, opens the season ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll — the Tigers’ first Top-5 ranking since November 2022. The season opener also marks Clemson’s first non-conference home game against an AP Top-10 opponent since a 24-22 win over No. 6 Notre Dame in 2013. The Tigers enter the year as the ACC preseason favorite, according to media voting.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik continues to impress, standing out as the only active FBS signal-caller with at least 7,000 passing yards and fewer than 20 interceptions (18). On defense, Clemson is anchored by All-Americans T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, who combined for 15 tackles-for-loss in 2024.
LSU leads the all-time series against Clemson, 3-1, with the last matchup dating back to 2019. The Tigers went 9-4 overall last season, including a 5-3 mark in the SEC and a 1-3 record versus ranked opponents. This marquee matchup features two of the 14 winningest programs in FBS history, with the teams combining for 1,623 all-time victories — LSU with 815 (12th all-time) and Clemson with 808 (13th all-time).
Saturday, August 30 | 9 p.m. ET
East Texas A&M at #16 SMU
Series: First Meeting
TV:ACC Network
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 138 / SiriusXM 193
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 955
Despite being just over 70 miles apart in Texas, SMU and East Texas A&M will meet on the field for the first time.
SMU enters the season coming off its first trip to the College Football Playoff and a strong debut campaign in the ACC. The Mustangs fell to Clemson in the 2024 ACC Championship Game on a last-second field goal, following a perfect 8-0 conference regular season. Head coach Rhett Lashlee begins his fourth year at the helm with a 29-12 record, including an 11-3 mark in SMU’s inaugural ACC season.
Quarterback Kevin Jennings, who took over as the starter in Week 3 last year, threw for over 3,200 yards and added more than 300 rushing yards, leading the Mustangs to nine consecutive victories. Defensively, SMU returns key contributor Isaiah Nwokobia, a standout safety who finished second on the team with 100 tackles in 2024.
East Texas A&M is coming off a 3-9 season, including a 2-4 record in Southland Conference play. This game also marks the Lions’ third consecutive season facing an FBS opponent.
Saturday, August 30 | 10:30 p.m. ET
California at Oregon State
Series: California leads, 40-37
Last Meeting: California, 44-7 (2024)
TV:ESPN
SiriusXM Radio: SiriusXM 161 / SiriusXM 194 / SiriusXM 386
SiriusXM App: SiriusXM 956 / SiriusXM 976
California and Oregon State, former conference rivals, will meet for the 78th time, having faced each other annually since 1995. The Golden Bears hold a narrow 40-37 edge in the series and dominated last year’s matchup, defeating the Beavers 44-7 in a non-conference game. Cal has scored 40 or more points in each of its last two meetings with Oregon State.
Justin Wilcox begins his ninth season as Cal’s head coach, aiming to guide the Golden Bears to a third consecutive bowl appearance. Opening the season at quarterback for Cal will be true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagopolutele, a 5-star recruit who set the Hawai’i high school career passing record with 10,653 yards.
Oregon State looks to build momentum after a challenging 2024 campaign. Despite starting last season 4-1, the Beavers finished 5-7 in Trent Bray’s first year as head coach. Oregon State will aim for its fourth straight season-opening win and fifth consecutive home-opening victory. Former Duke standout Maalik Murphy will lead the offense at quarterback, coming off a season in which he threw for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns.