For so many questions surrounding Wake Forest football, the offseason provided such few answers.
After last fall’s disappointing and discombobulated 4-8 season, questions arose about how and if the Demon Deacons could recover this upcoming year. Meanwhile, the team lost several starters to the transfer portal and NFL Draft — and, if Wake Forest’s future didn’t already seem unclear enough, Head Coach Dave Clawson named both redshirt senior Michael Kern and recent transfer Hank Bachmeier to play in Thursday night’s season opener.
However, Wake Forest’s cross-Triad clash with the North Carolina A&T Aggies this Thursday could provide much-needed clarity for the Demon Deacons. The matchup may shed light on the quarterback candidates and serve as a valuable test of the Demon Deacons’ defense.
The first position to clear up is quarterback. With both Kern and Bachmeier expected to play at quarterback in Thursday’s game, Wake Forest is likely to gauge each QB’s long-range capability and pass the football. The Demon Deacons have a talented receiver corps to make catches; although they’ll be tested too, lining up against the second-best pass defense in the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) last season. Thursday’s offensive performance should indicate if this team is capable of striking deep and making big plays through the air.
That said, Wake Forest should be prepared to reign in the pass game. In addition to a formidable Aggies secondary, the lack of continuity at quarterback throughout the game could make it difficult for the offense to find its rhythm through the air.
If that’s the case, after averaging 4.28 yards per carry in 2023, Wake Forest junior running back Demond Claiborne needs to be assessed as an offensive weapon with help from a historically staunch offensive line. No better matchup for the Demon Deacons to try out the run game than against the CAA’s worst rushing defense from last season.
On the other side of the football, Wake Forest’s defensive line will be forced to step up and stop N.C. A&T’s downhill rushing attack. Before coming to A&T for this season, the Aggies’ new offensive coordinator David Marsh led last year’s top rush offense in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at Texas Southern. With the Aggies sure to run the football, Thursday will be a great test for the Demon Deacons’ front line. Plus, this defense front needs to produce more pressure than it did last year, having recorded the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) 11th-fewest sacks last season. Fortunately for Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons managed to retain much of last season’s defensive front for this season, which should make applying pressure a little easier.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest’s reconstructed secondary will have a chance to dip its toe in the water and find out what it’s capable of. After the Demon Deacons lost four of their starters at defensive back this offseason, stopping the pass game emerged as a major hole in Wake Forest’s defense. Sure, A&T is more likely to run the ball if anything, and the Aggies ranked dead last in the Football Championship Subdivision for air yards per game last season. But at the very least, Wake Forest’s new defenders should have the chance to make some plays and gain valuable situational experience.
All that being said, Thursday’s game should help Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons can evaluate their stronger positions while giving their developing ones a chance to learn and grow, and, most importantly, clarify what about this team works right now.
This season won’t be any easy road to rebounding. Wake Forest is staring down the barrel of a loaded ACC that includes four teams named to the AP’s preseason Top 25 Poll. But the sooner this team can redetermine its identity, the better chance they have at winning on Saturdays.
