Earlier this year in one of my first articles previewing the ACC season, I picked Wake Forest as one of the worst teams in the conference. In fact I predicted them to finish with their same 3-9 record from last year. Well they already have four wins this year in only five games played, including a perfect 3-0 in conference. Last week, the expected doormat took down a pre-season top-5 team in FSU, which proved a lot of people wrong regarding output this season from both those teams.
So while Duke has rebounded from a couple early season losses to still keep bowl dreams alive, and UNC has been able to ignore off the field and coaching issues to also have only one loss so far this season, Wake Forest has definitely been the story in the my home state this year. This team is a lot like the 2006 Demon Deacon team that won the ACC, playing behind unheralded playmakers and great coaching.
Of course back in 2006 when the Deacs were riding high at 9-1 and #14 in the country, in came the Hokies for an evening game in Groves Stadium. Just like they were early in their ACC career, the Hokies still maintain a perfect (11-0) record in ACC road games played in the Tar Heel State. Last year the Hokies went 5-0 against all the 1-A football programs in NC, and are already 1-0 this year after knocking off ECU on the road. The state has been dominated lately by a small land-grant school just northwest of its borders, and that tradition looks to continue this Saturday night in front of millions of viewers.
What's that? This game against a couple one loss teams who are fighting for seeding atop their respective divisions isn't on tv? Surely it's just the national crowd that isn't interested. Oh, it's not even on locally for the conference fanbase, when it's being played just 30 minutes away from conference headquarters. Well I guess that's what happens when the powers that be make all their decisions based on the names on the jerseys instead of actual output on the field. But I still feel like FSU has a chance at that national championship, so let's keep riding that for a few more weeks.
Wake Forest Offense
At the beginning of this season, if I thought Wake Forest had any chance of being in the position they are now, I would have said that they would be riding the legs to Josh Harris to victory. Harris, who ran all over the Hokies last year for 200+ yards, only broke the century mark for the first time this year against the Noles last week with 136 yards. He only has 2 TDs on the ground, but a respectable 4.5 ypc average.
He is currently listed as doubtful for this game, but even if he plays at less than 100%, that could be one of those things that determines the outcome of this game. With the Hokies DL currently depleted and down two starters, the Deacs would have loved to try and get Harris going to control the clock and the tempo. But now a running offense that currently ranks 102 nationally will become even less dangerous with Harris gone or hurt.
Luckily for the Wake Forest faithful, as one star became dim, another has lit up the offense. Quite literally, assuming the term literal can be used for football idioms. Tanner Price is only a true sophomore, but has apparently turned a negative into a positive by taking all the losses last year and learned how to improve enough to turn those games into wins this year. He has already topped last year's throwing yards total, his completion percentage is 6 points higher, and his ratio went from 7:8 to currently 10:2.
Wake Forest has a plethora of receivers to rely on, and like most good passing programs, they all bring their own strength. You got your hands guy, your speed guy, your big body guy, etc. The most dangerous of this corp is the ACC's #1 receiver in terms of yards, Chris Givens. If the Gobblers want to load up on him however, there are plenty of capable receivers on the field with him in Danny Dembry and Michael Campanaro, just to name a couple.
Another facet of the Deacon offense the Hokies need to be disciplined about is misdirection and trickeration. In 2006 when Wake was doing this almost at will against most teams, the speed and discipline of the Hokie D was at its best, and for the most part shut down any attempt to confuse them. If we were at 100% on that side of the ball, I would say this team was just as capable of stopping this, but with injuries putting a lot of young bodies out on the field, we'll see how good the instincts and positioning of these inexperienced guys are.
Wake Forest Defense
Quick, in under 5 seconds name one defensive player for Wake Forest. That's what I thought. This unit isn't littered with big name stars, or guys that are talked about individually by the talking heads. They more than make up for that fact by each playing a role in the bigger picture. The Deacs defense last year was pretty abysmal, but being the incredible coach that he is, Grobe made a few tweaks this year to put his team in the position to win.
After looking at who he had, and what skills and attributes they possess, Jim Grobe changed his defense from a regular 4-3, into more of a 3-4/4-3 hybrid model. This hasn't turned them into a defensive juggernaut by any means, but besides some big pass plays given up, it has been rather effective. They have also been big in creating turnovers, including 5 last week against the Noles. If the Hokies want to put themselves in the best position to win, it would need another great mistake-free game like last week, where the only turnover was on an errant snap.
It would be unfair to not talk about a couple of the individuals who help anchor this unit. Nikita Whitlock, while undersized, is a great defensive tackle. Just a sophomore (are we noticing how young this surprising team is this year?), he started every game as a freshman, and is one of those diamond-in-the-rough type of recruits. He was only listed as a 2-star, but at this rate, could be one of those players that are talked about by the end of his career.
Some of the few seniors on this starting D are safeties Cyhl Quarles (spellcheck is freaking out) and Josh Bush (now it's happy again). These guys are not only great at being the experienced leaders of the team, but their production hasn't been too bad either. Quarles is a tackling machine, while Bush can create turnovers when the ball comes his way.
Conclusion
I know that Wake Forest is better than anyone has given them credit for this year. They've proven that on the field. I know that Jim Grobe is one of the best coaches in the country, even if outside the conference most don't see what he's capable of doing with less. I also know that the Hokies have been anything but consistent on offense, and are losing manpower seemingly every game on defense.
However, I just can't see this game being as close as many think it will be. I mean no disrespect to what Wake has accomplished this year. I've admitted I was wrong in my early season perception, and maybe I'll have to eat crow again after this weekend. But unless the Hokies unravel to the tune of 3+ turnovers, over 100 yards in penalties, and/or become completely overwhelmed with the amount of young bodies out on D, I don't see their perfect record in the state coming to an end.
This game should be good, and might even be close. And if so then great, because Wake Forest is a program that is almost a mirror image of Virginia Tech 20ish years ago. It would be great to see another program succeed and grow in the same way I've enjoyed watching my team become a household name. But that doesn't mean that we're done being king of the castle yet.
Score Prediction: Gobblers 31 Demon Deacons 17
H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!!
Follow along on Twitter @UtProsimGobbler
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