Wake Forest bowl games are always entertaining. Pinstripe Bowl should be no different
Logic says Friday’s Pinstripe Bowl in New York City will be a defensive struggle between Wake Forest and Michigan State.
If for no other reason, Michigan State’s sluggish offense and powerful defense indicate points will be at a premium in the game, set for a 3:20 p.m. kickoff at Yankee Stadium.
But this is Wake Forest, and the Demon Deacons’ bowl games don’t usually go that way.
The Deacons (8-4) have made a bowl for the fourth straight year under head coach Dave Clawson, and the previous three have provided some of the most entertaining holiday moments for football fans.
Three years ago, Wake Forest raced to a 31-7 halftime lead in Annapolis, Md., against Temple in the Military Bowl. Then the Deacons fought off an Owl comeback and held on, 34-26.
In 2017, the drama switched to Charlotte in the Belk Bowl. In a wild back-and-forth battle not decided until the final minute, the Deacons edged Texas A&M, 55-52.
And last year produced another back-and-forth game, with Wake Forest edging Memphis, 37-34, in the Birmingham Bowl.
Still, Clawson is concerned about Michigan State’s defense.
“They are an excellent defensive team,” he said. “They are a top-20 or 25 team, whether it’s total defense, scoring defense, third-down defense, or red-zone defense. ... When people get the ball in space, that space just closes in a hurry,” he said.
Six Michigan State defenders earned all-Big Ten honors this season.
Offense is another story.
The Spartans (6-6) had to rally late in the season, winning their final two games to become bowl-eligible. They are averaging only 123 rushing yards a game, near the bottom of the FBS rankings, and quarterback Brian Lawenke has thrown 16 interceptions.
Michigan State has scored one touchdown or less in seven of its 12 games, but Clawson isn’t buying that as a reason to assume his defense can dominate.
“I believe their record is a little bit deceptive,” Clawson said. “If you break down their season, they played four teams in the top 14 (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan). You can’t erase games from a schedule, but I’m going to do that.
“If you take away those four games, they’re 6-2 and have outscored their opponents 2-1.”
Clawson added: “Everyone in a bowl game is a good team.”
Injury update: Wake Forest’s leading receiver, Lincolnton’s Sage Surratt, will miss the game after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in November. Quarterback Jamie Newman, recovering from a leg injury, is still listed as “questionable,” as is wide receiver Scotty Washington (ankle).
Good news for 2020: A pair of Demon Deacon standouts with one remaining season of eligibility announced over the weekend that they’ll return next year — Surratt and defensive lineman Carlos Basham Jr. are first-team all-ACC selections. Surratt averaged 112 receiving yards a game, and Basham had 10 sacks. Each could have decided to turn pro.
Familiar ground: The trip to New York has put Clawson in a place he knows well. He was head coach at Fordham from 1999-2003, met his wife Catherine in New York City, and was married there. He was only 31 when he became Fordham’s head coach. “I’ll admit to the people at Fordham that I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said with a laugh last week.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle