(Photo by Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images)
Well here we go again. I think everyone that follows the ACC respects what Dave Clawson has done at Wake Forest. It’s every bit the rebuilding job that David Cutcliffe faced at Duke, and all Wake Forest has done is average 7.5 wins the last 4 years and win 3 bowls.
This year though, it seemed like maybe Wake Forest would face a bit of an overhaul. QB Jaime Newman inexplicably left Wake Forest, went to Georgia then left there, where former walk-on Stetson Bennett now starts. Wake Forest’s best offensive player WR Sage Surrat opts to sit out the season and prepare for the NFL.
That’s a lot offensive talent that Clawson no longer had. It doesn’t matter. After losing to Clemson, which doesn’t even count, because they beat everybody, Wake Forest lost NC State to fall 0-2.
Maybe this season would just be just be too much for the Deacs. After beating Campbell, a well coached Virginia team awaited, then the Virginia Tech Hokies and their ACC best – rushing offense.
Wake Forest defeated Virginia 40-23 which raised some eyebrows, but well Virginia Tech next was a double digit favorite.
The Deacs came up with one of the defensive performances of the year in the ACC coming up with 3 turnovers, holding the Hokies to over 100 yards below their season average in rushing, and only allowing 16 points to an offense that was averaging over 40 points a game.
It was 23-16 victory that could set the tone for the rest of the Deacs season. Now 3-2 and seeming to improve each week, the Deacs face a struggling Syracuse team next week. Win that game, and even with a difficult finish with games Notre Dame, Miami, and UNC remaining , Wake Forest may still be able to find itself at the end of the year with a winning record.
I feel like that should be surprising, but it isn’t really. Wake Forest year in and year out is one the best coached teams in the ACC, and Dave Clawson is a coach with a program that never should be underestimated.
Make sure you follow the All Sports Discussion Twitter account at @AllSportsDACC and please like our Facebook Page
Leave a Reply