A sloppy Thursday night opener at Pittsburgh set the tone for another uneven week for ACC quarterbacks, but the top of the league’s pecking order is starting to sharpen. Through three weeks, Darian Mensah has been the cleanest operator, Lincoln Kienholz has kept climbing, and the Week 4 slate brings a few more chances for movement before conference play starts to bite.
Mensah remains the standard at the top. His completion percentage through three weeks sits at 89.9%, the best in college football, and the bulk of his 30 completions against Wake Forest came on shorter throws that his receivers turned into bigger gains, including Malachi Toney.
Miami now gets Central Michigan in its second non-conference game of the season on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EDT on CW, and Mensah’s day should end early for the third time this year.
Kienholz has been the biggest riser. After outdueling Kevin Jennings and SMU last week, he keeps moving up because he’s doing damage in more than one way.
He has made plays with his legs, threaded passes into tight windows, and delivered one of the prettier throws of the week on a first-half over-the-shoulder touchdown to Lawayne McCoy. Louisville opens ACC play against Wake Forest on Saturday at noon EDT on ESPN, and the Demon Deacons have already shown they’ve struggled to slow down quarterbacks over the last two weeks.
Kienholz is also the first one they’ve seen who can threaten them on the ground.
Jennings, meanwhile, was busy but costly in Louisville’s 41-31 win. He flashed plenty of arm talent, but the mistakes mattered more.
His first interception sailed too far for the receiver to do anything with it, then he lost the ball while crossing the goal line on a drive that would have trimmed the margin to a field goal, and he ended the night by throwing the game-sealing interception on the next series. SMU hosts Missouri State in its second non-conference game of the season at 9 p.m.
EDT on ACC Network, and Jennings likely won’t need to play long with the conference opener against Boston College looming.
Gio Lopez still holds the No. 8 spot despite a costly game-sealing interception. The mistake was bad, but other quarterbacks in the mix have been rougher through three weeks.
Lopez has already shown enough to matter in wins over Akron and Purdue, and his 312-yard outing helped make Wake Forest’s loss to Miami look more respectable. Wake Forest heads to Louisville for its ACC road opener at noon EDT on ESPN, with the Cardinals’ defense already having seen Trinidad Chambliss and Kevin Jennings this season.
At Virginia, Beau Pribula couldn’t get much going on the ground against West Virginia, which is a key part of both his game and the Cavaliers’ offense. He did finish 21-of-33 for 197 yards and two touchdowns, with the second one squeezed through traffic to tight end John Rogers.
Virginia closes non-conference play at home against Delaware at 6 p.m. EDT on ACC Network.
The Blue Hens faced Vanderbilt in Week 2, though the Commodores didn’t turn to Jared Curtis as their permanent starter until last week.
Ethan Grunkemeyer helped Virginia Tech cruise past Maryland, 35-26, in the Hokies’ non-conference finale. His 339-yard, three-touchdown night featured several high-difficulty throws along the sideline and an 18-yard touchdown run that showed off his movement early in the second quarter. Virginia Tech starts ACC play at Boston College on Saturday at noon EDT on ACC Network, and the Eagles split their non-conference games against Cincinnati and Rutgers.
Pittsburgh’s Mason Heintschel dealt with wet conditions again and never really found a rhythm against Syracuse. He finished 10-of-23 for 123 yards and threw an interception right to a Syracuse defender, though he still managed 41 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Panthers finish non-conference play against Bucknell at noon EDT on ACCNX, and if they build a big enough lead, Heintschel may not need to finish the game.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele’s day was cut short in California’s 49-7 win over Wagner, ending in the middle of the third quarter. The Golden Bears didn’t need much from the passing game, with their longest completions coming on screens, but Sagapolutele did connect with Cooper Perry on a fade to the back right corner of the end zone late in the first half.
California hosts Clemson in its ACC home opener on Friday at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN, and the Tigers have already played Sam Leavitt and Billy Edwards at quarterback in sloppy conditions this season.
The Week 4 ACC quarterback board is still fluid, but the early shape is clear: Mensah is setting the pace, Kienholz is pushing upward fast, and several others are still trying to clean up the mistakes that have already changed games.
In Other News...
Louisville Faces A Real Test After That Statement Win
Louisville has spent the past couple of weeks showing both sides of its profile, with a double-digit win over SMU followed by a competitive showing against Ole Miss. Even with that momentum, the Cardinals are heading into a matchup that feels more revealing than routine, because their defense has given up plenty of points lately and now has to deal with a Wake Forest offense that has quietly improved as the season has gone on.
Gio Lopez has helped steady that side of the ball for the Demon Deacons, and Carlos Hernandez has been a reliable target as the passing game has found more rhythm. Put that together with Louisvilles recent issues on defense, and this looks like one of those games that can turn into a real test rather than just another conference date, with both sides carrying reasons to believe they can control it. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest's ACC Standing Looks Clearer Heading Into A Bigger Test
Wake Forests place in the ACC picture is getting a little easier to read after another round of conference power rankings from the editorial staff, which again sorted the league into tiered groupings based on recent play and votes from 10 writers. Miami stayed a unanimous No. 1, Louisville climbed to No. 2 after its latest win, and the Demon Deacons held steady at No. 8 even after the loss to Miami.
For Wake Forest, that kind of stability matters more than it might seem in late September. Sitting in the top half of the league keeps the Deacons in the conversation as the ACC season starts to separate into clearer layers, but the margin for moving up is still thin with a bigger test looming. The rankings suggest Wake Forest has earned enough respect to stay put for now, while still leaving plenty to prove against the teams ahead of it. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Faces A Louisville Test Built On Pressure And Mistakes
Louisville arrives as a useful measuring stick for Wake Forest, with the conversation around the Cardinals centered on how they are trying to clean up the same things that tend to decide these kinds of games. In a recent Q&A, Louisville football writer Matt McGavic pointed to the importance of key offensive and defensive contributors, including running back Keyjuan Brown and quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, while also noting that the Cardinals have shown progress at tight end.
For Wake Forest, the bigger takeaway is familiar: pressure and mistakes can tilt a matchup quickly, and Louisvilles recent film has provided a clear list of areas that still need polishing. Limiting big plays and avoiding penalties remain priorities for a team trying to keep its footing, and the Deacons will have to sort through a Louisville group that looks capable of making them pay if those issues linger. [Read more 🡒]