Raise your hand if you foresaw Duke, Georgia Tech and Virginia as the top teams in the ACC football standings heading into the third weekend of October. Yeah, we didn’t either.
Yet, that is where we are as we prepare for Week 8 of the college season. The Blue Devils, Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers all sit at 3-0, while SMU is a half-game back at 2-0. Miami suffered its first league loss Friday night against Louisville. Preseason favorite Clemson has two losses, while Florida State is an inexplicable 0-3.
Suddenly, Duke’s high noon showdown against visiting Georgia Tech today (Oct. 18) becomes high-stakes ACC TV. The winner improves to 4-0 in the league and keeps an inside track to Charlotte for December’s ACC title game. Indiana is becoming a football school. Why not Duke?
Appalachian State, meanwhile, continues its own conference quest to return to the top of the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers, looking for their third win in a row, host rival Coastal Carolina for homecoming.
Charlotte is the only other in-state FBS team in action today. The 49ers host Temple, aiming to snap a three-game losing skid. NC State and Wake Forest are idle. East Carolina beat Tulsa on Thursday night, while UNC played an ACC After Dark game at Cal late Friday.
Follow our Game Day thread below for live updates and scores from today’s North Carolina FBS college football action. Bookmark and check back throughout the weekend for quick-hitter recaps, storylines and top performers.
🔗 Jump To: Live FBS Scoreboard | Wrap-Up
🏆 More Scores: Full North Carolina College Scoreboard
🏈 Game Day Required Reading
DUKE-GEORGIA TECH PREVIEW: Blue Devils, Yellow Jackets battling for top spot in ACC standings
MORE MISERY FOR TAR HEELS: Late fumble at the goal line dooms UNC in late-night game at Cal
WHO MADE THE FABULOUS 15? Check out our latest statewide college football rankings to see where Duke, NCSU and ECU landed this week.
THURSDAY PRIME TIME: East Carolina plays for the fourth time on a Thursday night, racing past Tulsa 41-27.
📊 Live Scoreboard: North Carolina FBS Football
| TOTAL | ||||||||
 | Georgia Tech | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 27 | Final | |
 | Duke | 0 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 18 | ESPN | |
| TOTAL | ||||||||
 | Coastal Carolina | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 45 | Final | |
 | App State | 14 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 37 | ESPN+ | |
| TOTAL | ||||||||
 | Temple | 7 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 49 | Final | |
 | Charlotte | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | ESPN+ |
✅ North Carolina FBS Wrap-Up
Check back here at the end of the day as we recap the highlights and standout performances from North Carolina FBS college football for Saturday, Oct. 18.
🏆 Biggest Win of the Day
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💪 Standout Performance
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⚡ Biggest Upset
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🔥 Other Highlights & Takeaways
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