Behind Enemy Lines: Wake Forest
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
Boston College has had two weeks to prepare for No. 13 Wake Forest. But the Demon Deacons have also enjoyed the same luxury. The Atlantic Division foes are often linked because they are the two smallest full-time members of the ACC, enrollment-wise.
And, for much of the last decade, they have traded blows. Interestingly enough, the road team has won each of the teams' last seven meetings. Five of those seven games have been decided by one score.
Last year's matchup was a blowout, however, as the Atlantic Division champion Demon Deacons dealt BC a 41-10 loss in the regular season finale—granted, a total of 32 Eagles were affected by the flu that game.
Wake has built off its magical season in 2021 with more top of the shelf ACC success this fall.
Here at Eagle Action, we reached out to DeaconsIllustrated publisher Conor O'Neill to learn about this year's Wake Forest ahead of Saturday's Week 8 matchup.
Q: Did the bye come at the right time for Wake? Who got healthy, and which position groups are still notably affected by injury?
O'Neill: "So … yes and no. The 'no' answer is because Wake Forest, as Dave Clawson pointed out Tuesday, played three strong, complete football games in a row entering its off week. Going toe-to-toe with Clemson was a step forward for Wake’s program, despite the loss. The Deacons were able to wrestle the Atlantic Division crown from the Tigers last year, yet still lost by 21 down there.Then Wake Forest went on the road and scored 28 straight points on Florida State and held off a late charge, and, before the off week, the Deacons exorcised some 2021 demons by not giving up 56 points to a triple-option Army team and won handily, 45-10.
But the 'yes' part overrules how well Wake Forest was playing as long as the Deacons didn’t completely lose their steam.
Wake Forest was banged up in the secondary. Most notably, their best cornerback, Caelen Carson, didn’t play in the last three games. Their next best two, Gavin Holmes and JJ Roberts, both missed the Army game.
Clawson said he’s hopeful on Carson this week and sounded more optimistic that Holmes and Roberts will be back–obviously a big gain when facing Zay Flowers.
There are other positions–safety and defensive line come to mind–where Wake Forest hasn’t had guys miss games, per se, but have had guys limited in practices during the week. Those situations will have been smoothed out a bit with an extra week of recovery."
Q: Jeff Hafley believes the Deacons have the deepest WR corps BC has faced this season. Most are aware of AT Perry's downfield threat, but what can you tell us about the other four wideouts with 15-plus catches this season?
O'Neill: "Man, Wake Forest has really become a factory of developing talented receivers.The other two perimeter threats are Donavon Greene and Jahmal Banks. Greene doesn’t have the height of Perry–he’s 6-2, 210; Perry is 6-5, 205–but he’s more of a burner and creates separation because of that and because of his physicality. Even though he’s in his fourth season, it’ll be his first time playing BC–he played in the last four games of 2019, had a good COVID season, and then tore his ACL last summer and missed the season.
Banks is the only new contributor–he’s a third-year player whose last season of high school football was at a familiar high school for BC fans: St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. He flashed last year in fall camp but didn’t do much; he has put it all together this season, and it’s not crazy to think he might be the best future pro of the group.
Taylor Morin and Ke’Shawn Williams are the slots, and for what’s really the first time under Clawson, Wake Forest can actually split the slot reps 50-50. It’s always been the goal … but they’d always fall short.
Williams has actually had the better performances of late. He made a couple of third-down catches on a win-sealing drive at FSU that were remarkable. Morin is the older player, and he’s honestly the one who feels due for a breakout."
Q: Wake has committed just three turnovers this year. A big part of that is Sam Hartman taking a hack at his interception total from last year, which mounted toward the end of 2021. Where has Hartman grown the most in his decision-making ability?
O'Neill: "Honestly this might be a little hard on him … but I think you’ve got to wait until after the season to evaluate this.Hartman’s interceptions have typically come in bunches, and it’s not like they’ve been forecasted. He threw one in the first eight games of 2020, and then threw four in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. He threw three in the first eight games last season, and then threw 11 across the next five games–including another four in the same stadium (Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium).
So going back to the bowl game against Rutgers, he’s only thrown two–both against Liberty–in Wake’s last six games. Hartman has done a fairly decent job of keeping the ball out of harm’s way in those games, too–PFF only has him with four turnover-worthy plays in five games this season.
It’s just hard, based on the last two seasons, to say it’s going to be that way for the entire season."
Q: Who are three players BC fans should know on Wake's defense, and why?
O'Neill: "Given BC’s struggles in protecting Phil Jurkovec–and since I’ve already named their best corners who’ll be tasked with attempting to cover Flowers–I’ll give you two defensive linemen and a safety who’s used in third-down packages as a blitzer.Kobie Turner has been a revelation as a defensive tackle transfer from Richmond. He’s PFF’s highest-graded overall defensive player (92.8) heading into Wednesday night’s game. Turner is able to generate pressure as an interior rusher, but it’s his consistent penetration and motor that shines on every snap.
Rondell Bothroyd was Wake’s best defensive player last season and might not have the same caliber of stats, but he’s still probably the most important piece of the equation. I think he’s a future NFL defensive end.
Malik Mustapha means two of these three are Richmond transfers. Wake Forest got Mustapha last season and he was … OK. But he’s graduated his game this season– despite a torn ACL in the bowl game–to another level and is second in tackles (35) and TFLs (4.5), and is third in sacks (2.5).
On obvious passing downs, Wake Forest will line up with a three-man line that’s almost certain to include Turner and Bothroyd, and they’ll try to flush the QB to one side with Mustapha coming to that side on a delayed blitz."
Q: Is the big play the Achilles' heel of Wake's defense, or are the Deacons' 14 plays of 30-plus yards allowed this season simply a reminder of the Clemson shootout?
O'Neill: "The big plays are definitely an area of concern for Clawson.Bringing things back to Carson, Wake Forest has given up several chunk plays through the air, even against Army, and Clawson has been frustrated that defensive backs have been in position but haven’t made plays on the ball.
Otherwise: You’re going to misfit a run every now and then. Will Shipley went for 53 yards on his first carry because Wake’s linebackers were too wide. And Liberty hit them for a couple of 40-plus-yard touchdown runs because Hugh Freeze knows how to call a game.
The goal is to just get those things stopped in the 15-25-yard range, and that’s not happened as often as they’d like."
