Richmond 23, Duke 21

Three-and-out

1. Again? For the third straight time and second time in three seasons, Richmond beat Duke. And where to start? Could it be that the offense was bad enough in the first half to spoil the whole game? Duke's first-half drives: punt, punt, turnover on downs, fumble, touchdown, fumble, punt and end of the half. Could it be poor decision-making by the staff? Coach David Cutcliffe blamed himself for attempting another play when the Devils had no timeouts and the ball at the Richmond 19 with less than ten seconds in the half, then came away with nothing after being tackled in play. Or could it be kicker Will Snyderwine? An All-American, Snyderwine missed a 28-yard chip shot with 1:43 remaining in the game that would have given Duke the lead. It was only his second career miss form 21-29 yards.

2. In with the new. Duke's new defense (they played almost exclusively in nickel) was mostly good. Duke's offense pinned the defense in bad situations, leading to ten Richmond points off turnovers. Its only fault was allowing two touchdown drives immediately after Duke scores.

3. Running free. The Duke running game found life in the second half. Desmond Scott (who left the game in the third quarter with a leg injury) and Juwan Thompson combined to rush for more than 100 yards in the third and fourth quarters.

Player to watch: S Matt Daniels. Daniels was the best player on Duke's defense. He was constantly near the ball: he had nine tackles and six pass break-ups.

End line: The Devils needed anything but what they got against Richmond; they play Standford on Saturday and open ACC play the week after.

North Carolina 42, James Madison 10

Three-and-out

1. Right on time. Tar Heels fans (and the media covering them, for that matter) were sick of hearing about investigations, firings and misdeed, and ready for football. Bryn Renner's perfect first quarter touchdown throw to Dwight Jones, who had run a great route through two defenders, was timely, to say the least.

2. Man of the Hour. Renner, against a team who upset eventual ACC champion Virginia Tech last season, was a Phil-Simms-like 22-for-23 for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Not bad for a first career start.

3. Seventh Heaven. UNC's front seven was stout against the run. The Heels held James Madison to 60 yards rushing, and a miserable 1.5 yards-per-carry.

End line: Though against an FCS team, interim coach Everett Withers got a near-perfect start.

Virginia Tech 66, Appalachian St. 13

Three-and-out

1. 'D' for Dominant. The Hokies' defense was superb on Saturday. Appalachian St. built its brand on a speedy, ultra-athletic offense, and Virginia Tech wouldn't let them get anything going. The Mountaineers' first three drives: Fumble, three-and-out, three-and-out. It was 17-0 Hokies before the “Star-Spangled Banner” got to the second verse.

2. Mr. Wilson! Va. Tech running back David Wilson (16 carries, 162 yards, 3 touchdowns) looked like a fine candidate for First-Team All-ACC. Wilson's speed – against a very quick team – was in a class of its own. The offensive line moved the Mountaineers all game, and Wilson took full advantage.

3. QB Questions? Logan Thomas, in his first start filling in for graduated Tyrod Taylor, was shaky throwing the football. Thomas' accuracy wasn't there on most throws. Virginia Tech's passing game is predicated on being able to run, using misdirection and low-risk throws as a change of pace. Against better opponents, Thomas (9-for-19) must be more consistent.

End line: Appalachian St. is a very good FCS team, and Virginia Tech embarrassed it. The Coastal favorites lived up to the preseason title.

Florida State 34, Louisiana-Monroe 0

Three-and-out

1. Playing favorites. The clear ACC favorite didn't sway the mindset in either direction. It was an easy win, but it should have been.

2. The new guy. E.J. Manuel, replacing now-Minnesota Viking Christian Ponder, admitted to having jitters early in the contest, but settled down and was decent. He finished 22-for-34 with two touchdowns and an interception.

3. Biding time. We're less than two weeks away from No. 1 Oklahoma's visit to Tallahassee. Florida State has another walk-over (Charleston Southern) before we learn if its a real contender for the National Championship.

End line: If the 'Noles' defense is as good as it played Saturday, Florida State stands a good chance of beating the Sooners.

Northwestern 24, Boston College 17

Three-and-out

1. Raising Kain's. Northwestern backup quarterback Kain Coulter was essential in the Wildcats' win in Chestnut Hill. Coulter was 18-for-25 and Northwestern recorded its first win since Nov. 13, 2010.

2. Missing Montel? Not so much. Boston College running back Andre Williams rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns in the absence of Montel Harris, the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.

3. Starting a trend. The conference was supposed to have a down year, and the first weekend proved, to some degree, that might be the case. Losses to teams at the bottom of the Big East and Big Ten, and then another to an FCS team, won't help the conference come time for bowl bids.

End line: If the Eagles couldn't beat, at very best, the seventh best team in the Big Ten at home, ACC play could be disastrous.

N.C. State 43, Liberty 21

Three-and-out

1. Opportunity knocks. The Wolfpack forced seven turnovers in a game that was closer than the final score indicates. Certainly the deciding factor in N.C. State's win, the defense tied a school record for turnovers forced, which led to 20 points.

2. Glennon iffy. In his first start, Mike Glennon was not convincing, but he didn't have to be. The defense, special teams and running game were so good that Glennon only needed to be mediocre. There were more positives than negatives for Glennon.

3. Intangibles. The 'Pack did a lot of things correctly in the first game that many teams need weeks to get right. N.C. State blocked very well on punt and kickoff returns, which, because of the scrambling nature, are difficult to execute. Tackling support, as evidenced by the high volume of turnovers, was also good.

Player to Watch: RB Curtis Underwood. Underwood provided a huge boost to N.C. State, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries.

End line: All eyes will be on Glennon – and Russell Wilson in Madison – as N.C. State opens ACC play this week at Wake Forest.

Clemson 43, Troy 19

Three-and-out

1. Bend but don't break. Holding Troy to 19 points is an accomplishment. The Trojans run a permanent hurry-up offense, attempting a ton of plays and usually getting in shootouts. While Troy ran 77 plays for 418 yards, Clemson kept it to only two touchdowns.

2. Discipline. Clemson committed only two penalties and one turnover, which is even more of an accomplishment when considered it was both teams' first game.

3. Freshman muscle. Freshman gained 266 of Clemson's 468 total yards against Troy. Clemson relies fairly heavily on its young guns, and it will need statlines like this to get wins.

End line: Clemson better gets its growing pains out of the way quickly: Starting on Sept. 17, the Tigers play host to Auburn, then Florida State, then they go to Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech.

Virginia 40, William & Mary 3

Three-and-out

1. Which is it? Was Virginia that good or William & Mary that bad? Probably the latter. The Tribe had 169 yards of total offense and allowed nearly 500. Willaim & Mary was on the verge of being shutout until Drake Kuhn hit a field goal late in the fourth quarter.

2. Parks' recreation. Virginia running back Kevin Parks averaged 7.2 yards per carry and made three visits to the endzone. The Cavaliers' offense will likely go through him.

3. Specialty item. Kicker Robert Randolph (Family Band not present) booted four field goals for Virginia. In the hotly-contested, much-anticipated race for First-Team All-ACC kicker, Randolph has to be the early leader.

End line: Virginia plays arguably the worst out-of-conference schedule in the ACC. We won't know anything about them until they play someone in the Top 75.