Wake Forest thoughts: If ever there was a game to gamble, why not this one?
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said he just didn’t feel right having his players go full-contact until about three weeks ago, when he was more confident there’d be an ACC football season.
Unfortunately, that lack of tackling practice showed profoundly in the first half of Saturday’s nationally-televised opener against No. 1 Clemson. The Demon Deacons won’t regularly face tailbacks of Travis Etienne’s quality, but what Etienne exposed was telling.
Wake Forest hardly ever brought down Etienne on the first hit. The sloppy defense, combined with Etienne’s rare balance to stay upright through contact, drove the Tigers to a 24-0 halftime lead, en route to a 37-13 victory.
That felt like the biggest takeaway from the Deacons’ opener. Four other thoughts:
Why kick?
Down 14-0, and in Clemson territory, Clawson chose to attempt a field goal, rather than go for it on 4th-and-1. At home, against the No. 1 team in the country, what’s the downside to such a small gamble to keep a drive alive?
Sure, there is an argument for getting points on the board. But how many chances do you get for a sustainable drive against Clemson? Also, what message does that decision send to the offensive line about trusting them to gain a yard?
Sciba surprise
Deacons placekicker Nick Sciba had a tremendous season a year ago, making 24 of 25 field-goal attempts. Over two seasons, he made 34 consecutive field-goal attempts, an NCAA record.
And then, he missed a line drive from 44 yards out off Clawson’s decision not to go for it.
There’s been some talk around college football that special teams have taken a hit from the disjointed preseason caused by the pandemic. Those plays rely so heavily on timing and repetition.
Sciba got Wake on the board early in the second half, with a 39-yard field goal. Then, he hit the upright in the fourth quarter to miss a second attempt.
Wake QB depth
Clawson said Tuesday he likes the Deacons’ depth at quarterback, despite Jamie Newman transferring to Georgia (and subsequently opting out of the season).
Sam Hartman, who started Saturday, isn’t your typical fill-in: He won the starting job as a freshman in 2018 and played in nine games, before Newman overtook him.
Hartman has a big arm. He has a downfield target in Donavon Greene, but the Deacons passing game is going to have to develop more targets. Saturday, it looked very predictable.
Power up-front
Wake Forest could have a decent defensive front this season. Carlos “Boogie” Basham got to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence early, and is obviously that unit’s star.
But keep an eye on defensive tackle Tyler Williams. who had a strong second half of last season. There is a fierceness about him that will probably show better results against teams that don’t have offensive lines filled with future pros.
