ACC offensive balance: Who'll be running more in 2012?

ACC teams ran slightly more often than they threw last season. Georgia Tech ran four out of every five plays, while Duke ran on two out of every five. Which teams will see their playcalling balance shift this season?

By Shawn Krest

Aug 16, 2012 at 6:57 pm ET • 2 min read

Football coaches say they want their offense to have a balance between the run and pass, but that balance is rarely a 50/50 split.

Last season, ACC teams ran the ball on 54.4% of offensive plays, and passed on 45.6%. That’s more aggressive than the SEC, who ran 58.5% of the time, but not quite as wide open as the NFL, where just 44.5% of plays were runs instead of passes.

Here’s a look at each ACC team’s 2011 run/pass breakdown and how that might change this season.

Georgia Tech (81.1% run): The Yellow Jackets had the most lopsided percentage in the ACC by a wide margin. Head coach Paul Johnson isn’t going to change, and don’t expect a facelift for his offense, either. The ratio should stay about the same, even with a senior QB in Tevin Washington.

Virginia Tech (59.3% run): RB David Wilson (1,709 rushing yards) is gone and QB Logan Thomas is a senior. Look for the Hokies to pass more often this season.

Boston College (57.4% run): All-time leading rusher Montel Harris is gone, but he wasn’t there much last year, either. The Eagles lost TE Chris Pantale indefinitely with a broken foot, taking away one of QB Chase Rettig's targets, so the run number will likely stay put or increase slightly.

North Carolina (54.3% run): RB Giovanni Bernard (1,253 yards) is the ACC’s leading returning rusher, but coach Larry Fedora’s fast-tempo offense will increase the number of plays -- and passes -- in each game. The Tar Heels’ run/pass breakdown will be more NFL than SEC this season.

Miami (54.0% run): The two big changes on the Hurricane roster are RB Mike James replacing Lamar Miller (1,272 rushing yards) and the QB tandem of Stephen Morris and Ryan Williams instead of Morris and Jacory Harris. Both moves are likely to increase the number of passes.

Florida State (53.3% run): It’s surprising to see such a high percentage of plays were runs for the Seminoles, but they led late in most games, which cut down on the need to pass. They’ll have a lot of leads again this year.

Virginia (52.8% run): The Cavaliers’ RB combination of Perry Jones and Kevin Parks will carry the team, which means the run percentage will increase this year regardless of who wins the QB competition.

Wake Forest (50.4% run): It should be easier for RB Joshua Harris to run behind a depleted offensive line than for QB Tanner Price to find time to throw behind it. Look for the runs to increase.

Clemson (50.2% run): WR Sammy Watkins will miss the first two games, and RB Andre Ellington won’t. That should help tip the scales further in favor of the run this year.

Maryland (49.2% run): The loss of QB CJ Brown for the season means Maryland will have to run the ball more.

NC State (49.0% run): The Wolfpack will rely on senior QB Mike Glennon and his experienced offensive line. Look for the pass to be an even bigger part of the offense this year.

Duke (42.5% run): The Blue Devils have a deep group of RBs and might lead in a few games this year, which will increase the number of runs.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from ACC bloggers Shawn Krest and Sean Bielawski, follow @CBSSportsACC.