Sept. 30, 2009

FOOTBALL

• NC State leads the nation this week in total defense. The Wolfpack is allowing only 201.25 yards per game. Clemson's C.J. Spiller also leads the nation in punt returns this week, averaging 36.4 yards per return.

• Duke senior CB Leon Wright helped seal the Blue Devils 35-19 win over Army by returning two pass interceptions for touchdowns on back-to-back plays from scrimmage on returns of 33 and 51 yards. It is believed to be the fi rst time this has been accomplished in NCAA history.

• Virginia Tech freshman TB Ryan Williams has rushed for 100 or more yards in three of his first four college games. Williams leads the ACC this week in rushing, averaging 123 yards per game.

• Just three weeks into the 2009 season and ACC punt returners had already recorded more touchdowns on returns than were scored in all of the 2008 season. Four league returners matched that total on the first weekend of the season.

• Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the 11th time in his career after rushing for 158 yards on 19 carries against North Carolina. Dwyer also topped the 2,000-yard mark for his career and now has 2,157 career rushing yards.

• NC State quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown 12 touchdown passes in his last three games. Wilson has thrown four TD passes each in wins over Murray State, Gardner-Webb and Pittsburgh.

MEN'S SOCCER

• Maryland's Kevin Tangney was named the NSCAA National Player of the Week for Sept. 30, after helping the Terrapins to a pair of victories including an upset win over No. 2 North Carolina in a nationally televised game. The win over the Tar Heels extended Maryland's unbeaten streak to six games and was the 600th victory for the men's program.

• Three of the top four teams in this week's College Soccer News Top 25 poll hail from the Atlantic Coast Conference, while the league also boasts three of the top five in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's top 25.

• In all, six of the ACC's nine men's soccer programs are currently ranked in national top 25 polls. However, the three unranked league teams (Boston College, Clemson and Virginia Tech) all produced upset wins over the weekend against ranked ACC foes.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

• Florida State's Tiffany McCarty was named the NSCAA National Player of the Week for Sept. 30, after helping lead the No. 5 Seminoles to victories over two ranked ACC opponents last week while registering five points on two goals and an assist. Florida State is now 5-0 against fellow ranked opponents in 2009, including a perfect 4-0 record against teams ranked in the Top 10.

• Defending national champion North Carolina owns a 32-game unbeaten streak, dating back to early September of the 2008 season

• Sophomore keeper Vikki Alonzo set a Miami school record of 15 career shutouts in Sunday's 2-0 win over Maryland while Miami head coach Tricia Taliaferro recorded her 100th career win with the victory.

FIELD HOCKEY

• ACC teams hold the top four spots in the most recent Kookabura/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Top-20 Poll: Maryland (1), North Carolina (2), Virginia (3), and Wake Forest (4).

• With a 43-2 record (.656 winning percentage) against non-conference opponents, the ACC has proven to be the dominant conference so far this season. The ACC is a collective 11-0 against foes from the Big Ten, its best mark against any single conference and have posted a 17-1 record against ranked opponents. North Carolina has shutout 7 consecutive opponents and outscored opponents 58-2 this season.

• No. 1 Maryland, No. 2 North Carolina, and No. 3 Virginia are a perfect 10-0 to start the year.

VOLLEYBALL

• No. 17 Florida State's ranking in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll matches the highest in school history while finishing the month of September undefeated for the second time in school history.

• ACC teams have combined for 98 double-doubles this season. NC State leads with 18 double-doubles, and is followed by Clemson with 13, and Wake Forest and Duke with nine a piece. Overall, 35 student-athletes have had double-doubles in 2009.

• Clemson freshman middle hitter Alexa Rand had an .882 hitting percentage in a 3-0 loss to North Carolina. That was the second-best performance by a freshman, and the third best in school history.

• Duke sophomore setter Kellie Catanach only needs 62 more assists to reach 2,000.

CROSS COUNTRY

• The ACC has four men's teams ranked in the Top 30 of this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll, led by 14th-ranked Virginia, then NC State at No. 19, Florida State at No. 26 and Duke at No. 27.

• On the women's side the ACC has three teams ranked in the Top 30 with No. 3 Florida State leading the way, then Virginia at No. 18 and Duke ranked at No. 30.