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Week 1 Studs & Duds

Chris Bennett
Senior Writer
September 05, 2010

Tasked with the unique challenge of wrapping up Week 1 in the ACC while it hasn't even finished, while also looking ahead to Week 2, I've decided to ignore the duo that will take the field Monday in Baltimore and Washington D.C.  And judging by some of the performances we've had already, it may be tough for any Terps or Hokies to crack this list.

Studs

Virginia quarterback Marc Verica, 24 of 35, 283 yards, 1 TD

North Carolina quarterback T. J. Yates, 28 of 46, 412 yards, 3 TDs

First off, it would be easy to list most ACC quarterbacks, as four other passers had three touchdowns or more, and yardage was plentiful for a few others.  But I am beyond obligated to give Verica and Yates some positive ink.  The brunt of many jokes this off season, these two have this young author eating lots of crow this morning.  Verica was solid, and deferred the scoring responsibilities to his rushers, but the most important part of his day was the zero interceptions.  Verica isn't going to throw for this many yards too often, but if he can keep the turnovers down, he will slide into the middle tier of ACC quarterbacks.  And the scores will come

Who played QB for the 'Heels last night, and what has Butch Davis done with T.J. Yates?  There isn't a great chance Yates throws for 400 yards again, and we could be back at square one by October.  But with no running game to speak of, Yates will shoulder the heavy lifting for UNC for the forseeable future.  It was Yates' third career game with over 300 yards, but his first since 2007.  Take a quick look back to the start of his '07 season - 901 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs.  It's taken Yates three years, but maybe he's ready to put together some consistency.  He certainly has the arm strength to do so.

Virginia running back Keith Payne; 16 carries, 114 yard, 4 TDs

A 6 foot 3, 255-pounder who didn't play for UVA last season, Payne looks more like a goal line vulture than an every down back.  But Richmond had no chance to tackle the bulldozer, and as a result, the Cavaliers may have found their backfield answer.  Perry Jones was serviceable (9 carries, 73 yards) and he won't disappear from the rotation by any means.  Of all the RBBCs in the ACC, this is the one that may have thinned out the most in Week 1.  Payne should get enough carries to get him some yards each week, and he will be the back when the Cavs get close.  If Marc Verica can remain a solid game manager, Payne could easily reach ten touchdowns this season.

Miami wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, 6 catches, 115 yards, 2 TDs

This is short and sweet.  Hankerson did his damage in one half of action, and as deep as the 'Canes receivers are, he clearly has Jacory Harris' confidence.  Hankerson looked like a 1st round pick (albeit against Florida A&M) and he should improve on last season's solid totals.  He's risky next weekend at the Shoe, but he is an every week WR.

North Carolina wide receiver Jheranie Boyd, 6 catches, 221 yards, 2 TDs

As wrong as I was (at least after a week) about Verica and Yates, it's time to toot my horn a bit here.  Boyd broke out in a major way in prime time last night, finishing with seven yards more than he had in all of 2009.  He's got speed to burn as evident by his 97 yard scoring grab, and 75 yard catch and run earlier, and now the question will be if Boyd can continue his success now that teams will be game planning for him.  

Duds

Wake Forest quarterback Ted Stachitas, 7 of 13, 84 yards, 10 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD

It was a terrific offensive week for the ACC, so finding duds was somewhat difficult.  Stachitas' numbers were serviceable, but against Presbyterian, you had to expect more.  His backups didn't fare any better (a combined 3 of 11) so there is little reason to think he won't start against Duke next week.  But Jim Grobe seems committed to playing all of his quarterbacks, making Winston Salem the last ACC destination to look towards for quarterback help.

Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker, 9 of 17, 170 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

This is simple.  Parker's return to Clemson was much more important to the Tigers than your fantasy team.  No wide receiver emerged this summer, or yesterday, and as a result it is going to be difficult for Parker to win many games for anyone with his shoulder alone.  

Georgia Tech running back Anthony Allen, 6 carries, 28 yards

Yikes.  That's not what anyone wants to see out of their 3rd or 4th round selection in FBS leagues.  There is no indication Allen is suffering effects from a blow to the head that caused him to miss practice over a week ago, so for now, we'll assume this was just a bump in the road.  12 Yellow Jackets rushed the ball Saturday, a number that will surely decrease at Kansas next week.

North Carolina State wide receiver Jarvis Williams, 2 catches, 37 yards

Touchdowns are a finicky stat, and it's never a good thing to put your faith in someone who relies so heavily on scores to maintain his value.  T.J. Graham stole lots of Williams' looks, and this may not bode well for the future.

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