ACC Rewind | How the league fared in Week 1

Florida State eked out a win. Virginia nearly de-railed UCLA's national title hopes. And Syracuse staved off Villanova — along with plenty of embarrassment.

A look around the ACC for Week 1 of the college football season, in order of the league's preseason poll:

Atlantic Division

1. Florida State —Seminoles players walked away from Saturday night's 37-31 victory over Oklahoma State calling the game an eye-opener. The defending national champions didn't have a close call until a late September game against Boston College last year. "This year it hit us right off the bat, so that's a good thing," junior cornerback P.J. Williams said. (http://on.tdo.com/1rHyXu1)

2. Clemson — Georgia's Todd Gurley scored four touchdowns on his way to national player of the week honors, and the Bulldogs raced past Clemson 45-21. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said field position — on average, Geogria started at its 43 and Clemson its 19 — "was the difference in the game." (http://bit.ly/1ug4fF6)

3. Louisville — With no game until Monday, Cardinals coaches capitalized by landing a four-star quarterback commitment. (http://cjky.it/1ph3ya7)

4. Syracuse — On a Friday night in the Carrier Dome, the Orange held off Villanova in overtime, 27-26. The game also featured an ejection for its quarterback after Terrel Hunt punched a Wildcats linebacker. (http://bit.ly/1vYxGgc)

5. NC State — Saying the Wolfpack looked like a different team in the second half Saturday, quarterback Jacoby Brissett rallied NC State to a 24-23 comeback win over Sun Belt Conference foe Georgia Southern. Brissett threw for three touchdowns in his debut under center, including a game-winner inside of two minutes to go. (http://bit.ly/VYhwa2)

6. Boston College — In the "Battle of the Bay," the Eagles used a bruising running game to bully rival UMass in a 30-7 win. Transfer quarterback Tyler Murphy did it all, rushing 13 times for 118 yards while completing 17 of 24 passes for 173 yards. (http://bit.ly/W0liiE)

7. Wake Forest — New coach Dave Clawson has a rebuilding project ahead of himself, though Week 1 opponent Louisiana-Monroe was no slouch. The traditional Sun Belt power beat the Deacons 17-10 in a game where Wake Forest struggled with a true freshman under center. (http://bit.ly/W0lj6r)

Coastal Division

1. Miami — Three starting jobs are still up for grabs before Monday's game against U of L: right tackle, cornerback and safety. "It would be silly of me to sit here and select it right now without making sure I go back and evaluate the tape and give everybody a fair opportunity," coach Al Golden said. (http://bit.ly/1rHz4FO)

2. Duke — Duke carried over momentum from a feel-good 2013 season to open by routing Elon, 52-13, at home. Said confident Blue Devils quarterback Anthony Boone: "We expect to win every game on our schedule." (http://bit.ly/VYhGxZ)

3. Virginia Tech — Nine true freshmen played for the Hokies in a 34-9 rout of William & Mary.The goal? Coach Frank Beamer wants "to change the tempo a little bit." (http://bit.ly/Z3sHzW)

4. North Carolina — UNC broke open an eventual 56-29 victory over Liberty in the third quarter, scoring on back-to-back plays from scrimmage in the third quarter. But coach Larry Fedora said, "We've got a long way to go. There's nothing pretty about that game when you get outside of that four minutes." (http://bit.ly/VYhK0Q)

5. Georgia Tech — The Yellow Jackets gave up a school-record, 92-yard touchdown on defense and led Wofford just 10-9 at the half. But using extended drives and its triple-option offense, Georgia Tech pulled away to a 38-19 win. (http://on-ajc.com/1tQrWpj)

6. Pittsburgh — The Panthers were nearly flawless in a 62-0 victory over Delaware, but they suffered a key injury. Receiver Tyler Boyd, who set school records for a freshman in receptions and receiving yards, dislocated his finger in the first half and didn't return. (http://bit.ly/1pYSNhP)

7. Virginia — The Cavaliers, U of L's permanent Coastal Division rival, gave a scare to UCLA, who's expected to compete for a national title this season. Virginia switched quarterbacks and fell just short of a major upset, falling 28-20 at home. (http://wapo.st/VYhQ8s)

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.