The ACC wasted no time handing out hardware in Week 0, and Virginia walked away with a pile of it after its 34-8 win over North Carolina State.
Quarterback Beau Pribula earned the conference’s quarterback of the week honor after a sharp dual-threat outing for the Cavaliers. The Missouri transfer threw for 155 yards and ran for 110 more, needing just 11 pass attempts to help power the blowout.
Virginia’s dominance showed up all over the weekly awards sheet. Monroe Mills was named offensive lineman of the week after helping the Cavaliers pile up 413 yards of offense. A seventh-year player, Mills missed last season at Virginia because of injury and has also spent time at Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Louisville.
The Cavaliers also landed defensive back of the week Brandyn Hillman and specialist of the week Will Bettridge. Hillman picked off a pass and forced a fumble as Virginia held NC State to 168 yards and eight points. Bettridge drilled a pair of field goals from 40-plus yards and outscored the Wolfpack by himself.
North Carolina also came out of Week 0 with multiple honors after its 15-10 upset of TCU. Xavier Lewis was named defensive lineman of the week, while Derek McDonald took linebacker of the week.
Lewis piled up 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. McDonald, a Syracuse transfer, finished with 11 tackles.
Stanford’s Micah Ford claimed running back of the week after rushing for 99 yards and three touchdowns. He was the only running back in Week 0 to score multiple times on the ground. The Cardinal also had rookie of the week Atticus Joseph, who caught four passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in Stanford’s 37-27 win.
Florida State’s 34-17 victory over New Mexico State wasn’t especially clean, but Samuel Singleton still earned receiver of the week. He caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, added 42 rushing yards and another score, and chipped in 68 kick return yards.
In Other News...
UNC Found A Defensive Lineman Fans Never Saw Coming
Xavier Lewis was not supposed to be the defensive lineman turning heads in Chapel Hill. A sophomore who came out of high school with only one Power 4 offer, Lewis initially signed with Austin Peay before opting for a preferred walk-on chance at UNC after Bill Belichick took over as head coach. Since then, he has gone from an overlooked recruit to a scholarship player who has carved out a real role on the Tar Heels defense.
Lewis rise has made him one of the more interesting developments on a unit that needed emerging pieces, and his work against TCU offered another reminder that he belongs in the conversation. For a program trying to build depth and toughness up front, finding production from a player who was never widely recruited is exactly the kind of payoff that can change the feel of a defense. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Sent A Loud Message About The Belichick Era
North Carolinas Week 0 opener against TCU in Ireland did more than kick off the season for Bill Belichicks first Tar Heels team. It also pulled a huge audience, with ESPN reporting an average of 4.9 million viewers and a peak of 5.8 million, a turnout that stood well above the rest of the holiday weekend slate and helped make it the second-most watched Week 0 game since 2019.
For a program trying to establish a new identity under one of footballs most recognizable names, that kind of national attention matters. The numbers also suggest the interest is not just about the overseas setting or the novelty of the opener, but about what Belichick means for North Carolina as the sport watches to see how the era unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Already Faces Early Pressure In A Major 5-Star Recruitment
Demarcus Henrys recruitment is moving fast, and North Carolina is already in the mix for one of the most coveted players in the 2027 class. The 5-star small forward is set to take an official visit to Louisville first, with several other schools expected to get their turns as his process unfolds. UNC is among the programs tracking him closely, alongside Ohio State, Kentucky, BYU, UConn, Arkansas and Kansas.
For the Tar Heels, the early pressure is less about one visit and more about the momentum Louisville is trying to build around Pat Kelseys aggressive approach on the trail. Henry is the kind of prospect who can reshape a class, which is why every stop matters and every impression tends to linger. North Carolina will have to stay active if it wants to keep pace in a recruitment that is already shaping up to be crowded and highly competitive. [Read more 🡒]