Addressing the media earlier this week, Wake Forest Football Head Coach Dave Clawson says he asked his team about what they wanted to look like this season the night before their opener against North Carolina A&T.
“We made a big point the night before the game of ‘What do we want the identity of Wake Forest football to be?’” Clawson said. “When we’ve had our good teams, we’ve had those types of effort plays show up consistently.”
Clawson said he witnessed his talented offense make plenty of those plays across the field in that game. Now — with some much-needed clarity about how their team’s talent can compete — Wake Forest football will look for their first win in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) against Virginia, having to keep pace with a more competitive program.
“Your best players have to make plays, and now, the challenge is, as the level of competition goes up, we need those same guys to make those same plays,” Clawson said ahead of this Saturday’s game. “The level of execution will have to get better against a better football team.”
Of course, top of everyone’s mind remains the quarterback question. Transfer Hank Bachmeier made a sturdy case to become Wake Forest’s starting quarterback after his 263-yard, 3-touchdown performance in the season opener. While Bachmeier will start Saturday’s first snap, Clawson said the team isn’t ready to move on from Michael Kern, and that he’s been taking reps with the first team.
“After one game against a [Football Championship Subdivision] team, I’m not ready to declare this over, but Hank played really well,” Clawson said at Tuesday’s press conference. He later added, “We’re gonna need two quarterbacks.”
Whoever is under center for Wake Forest will continue to play with plenty of advantage on offense. Virginia’s defense allowed its opponents to throw for the fourth-most air yards per game and recorded the fewest sacks in the ACC last season. Although the Hoos are equipped with Preseason All-ACC safety Jonas Sanker in the secondary, Wake Forest can expect to have another successful outing stretching the field as Bachmeier and Kern continue dueling for the starting quarterback spot.
Likewise, the Cavaliers let their opponents rush for over 180 rush yards and two touchdowns per game last year, meaning another big outing could be on the horizon for Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne.
On defense, Wake Forest’s secondary can expect a much tougher test this week against Virginia. Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea is a mobile passer that can extend plays and pick up plenty of yardage on his feet, passing for nearly 2,000 yards in 2023 in six starts and eight total games. Wide receiver Malachi Fields, meanwhile, ranked among the ACC’s leading receivers in yards and receptions last season, and is poised to lead the team in receiving.
Even if Virginia doesn’t stretch the field vertically, Clawson said the team’s already elusive offensive scheme will force Wake Forest to play particularly attentive coverage.
“Having good gap control, having our eyes in the right place and then downing the football’s gonna be really important this week,” Clawson said.
When it comes down to it, Wake Forest’s defensive line really holds the potential to halt Virginia’s offense. Lining up against an offensive front that allowed the second-most sacks in the ACC last season, the Demon Deacons can wreak havoc in the trenches and disrupt the pass game.
Likewise, stopping the run should come easy enough for Wake Forest. Although the Demon Deacons struggled to stop NC A&T’s run game last week, they still came up with three sacks and applied consistent pressure. Clawson also explained those struggles to be a function of decreased reps tackling in fall camp just ahead of Demon Deacons’ non-ACC opener.
If Wake Forest can regulate Virginia’s pass game with pressure from the defensive line and continue to have explosive playmaking, the Demon Deacons may have their best chance all season of winning back-to-back games.
Wake Forest will face off against Virginia this Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
