Triangle-area football teams claim ACC weekly honors

Lexi Baird, Triangle Sports Network
Lexi Baird, Triangle Sports Network
Lexi Baird, Triangle Sports Network

GREENSBORO, N.C. – All three Triangle-area Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) football programs received Player of the Week honors as announced by the conference on Monday.

Collectively, the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, and N.C. State Wolfpack claimed six of the league’s eight picks following dominating victories on Saturday.

The Duke Blue Devils led all schools with three players receiving honors following a 34-20 Coastal Division win over 20th ranked Georgia Tech.

The Blue Devils’ Jeremy Cash was recognized as the ACC Defensive Back of the Week, while A.J. Wolf was named the Defensive Lineman of the Week, and DeVon Edwards selected as the Specialist of the Week.

Cash was also named National Defensive Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Foundation, as well as Lott IMPACT Player of the Week for his play against the Yellow Jackets.

Cash finished with a team-high 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, one quarterback sack, two caused fumbles, and four quarterback pressures against the Yellow Jackets.

Led by Cash, the Duke defense held Georgia Tech to 173 rushing yards – 204 below its season average (377), which ranked second nationally entering the week – while snapping the Yellow Jackets’ nation’s-best 17-game streak of consecutive outings with 200-plus rushing yards.

Edwards helped swing the momentum back in Duke’s favor with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

With 6:54 remaining in the third quarter and immediately following a Georgia Tech touchdown that cut Duke’s lead to 19-13, Edwards returned his only kickoff of the day for a score.

The runback for a touchdown was the second of the year for Edwards, and the fifth of his career.

Wolf played a key role in Duke’s defensive game plan, finishing with eight tackles, six of which limited Georgia Tech rushers to two yards or less.

Wolf and the defense held Georgia Tech to 20 points, 32 below its season average (52), which ranked sixth nationally entering the week.

The defense also kept the Yellow Jackets to 2.9 yards per rushing attempt, 4.4 below their season average (7.3), which ranked third nationally entering the week.

North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky picked up ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors, and his teammate Mack Hollins was selected the Receiver of the Week after the Tar Heels beat the Delaware Blue Hens 41-14.

Trubisky set single-game career highs for completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes completed.

He completed 17-of-20 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns, set a single-game North Carolina record for pass efficiency rating (282.04), and also ran the ball six times for 39 yards.

Hollins caught three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, and claimed his second career two-touchdown game along with his third career game with 100 or more receiving yards.

NC State’s Joe Thuney was named the ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Wolfpack’s dominating 63-13 road win at South Alabama.

Thuney helped pave the way for the Wolfpack to gain 586 total yards, including 330 rushing yards, and earned a team-high grade of 92 percent while participating on 47 offensive snaps and did not miss an assignment or allow a sack.

Notes: The remaining two honors awarded by a 14-member media panel were bestowed upon Boston College’s Connor Strachan who was recognized as the ACC Linebacker of the Week and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, chosen as Freshman of the Week.