Beating Goliath: Wake Forest's Keys to Victory Over Georgia Tech
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Many have already written the L next to Wake Forest's (2–1, 0–1 ACC) matchup against No. 16 Georgia Tech (4–0, 1–0 ACC). It is understandable to feel helpless when facing a nationally-ranked opponent. However, here is how Wake Forest can rally the troops and give the Yellow Jackets a surprise, if not an upending.
Wealth Distribution (In Football)
Against NC State, the Deacs were reliant upon big plays. They took the opening kickoff 98 yards, had a 70-yard connection, a 42-yard strike, and back-to-back 26-yard pickups—all were or led to scores. After that, the well ran dry.
Those aforementioned plays were essentially the extent of Wake Forest's offense. This is a problem, and it doesn't even mention the ineptitude of the run game.
Wake Forest Receivers | Stats Against NC State |
|---|---|
3 Receptions, 76 Yards | |
Sterling Berkhalter | 3 Receptions, 43 Yards |
Eni Falayi | 1 Reception, 42 Yards |
Demond Claiborne | 8 Recpetions, 33 Yards |
Micah Mays Jr. | 1 Reception, 26 Yards |
Carlos Hernandez | 3 Receptions, 23 Yards |
Jeremiah Melvin | 1 Reception, 9 Yards |
JaMario Clements | 1 Reception, 0 Yards |
Aside from the big plays, Demond Claiborne caught 8 passes for just 33 yards. These plays were not looking to go long; they were putting the ball in the hands of their best player, hoping something would happen.
Lightning-in-a-bottle plays will happen every game, but they do not consistently win games. This weekend's matchup is going to be—in many ways—very similar to that against the Wolfpack. Coach Jake Dickert has indicated over the past two weeks that the offense is continuing to be tailored around Robby Ashford. If that is the case, the offense should become more methodical and be able to manufacture points.
Blake's Take: Robby Ashford and the Wake Forest offense are going to be pressed and flustered again this Saturday; it's the nature of the beast. But how will they respond in the inevitable times of crisis? Throwing the ball to Demond Claiborne 8 times for 33 yards is not going to cut it. This offense must be able to create opportunities for itself. If the playcalling changes and opportunities are created, the spotlight will shift to one player: Robby Ashford.
Dethrone Haynes King
They did it with CJ Bailey, and they'll have to do it again with Haynes King. The Demon Deacons cannot get beaten by the legs of the opposing quarterback. This week is going to be particularly more difficult, though. Georgia Tech relies on the legs of their 6th-year signal caller; QB runs are going to be game-planned.
If Haynes King records his third 100-yard rushing game of the season, the chances of victory look grim, as they already have to worry about Georgia Tech's accomplished running back, Jamal Haynes. With that being said, if King's stat line were to read 250 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, it would be easier to stomach than a run-game explosion. If King runs wild at Allegacy Stadium, it will likely mean Wake's defense was worn down and trampled.
Opponent | Haynes King Pass Stats | Haynes King Rush Stats |
|---|---|---|
@Colorado | 13/20, 143 YDS, 1 INT | 19 CAR, 156 YDS, 3 TDS |
Clemson | 20/28, 211 YDS | 25 CAR, 103 YDS, 1 TD |
Temple | 13/18, 161 YDS, 2 TDS | 8 CAR, 15 YDS, 1 TD |
King has not been strenuously tested through the air this season, and if Dickert and the Deacs hone in on the defensive line like advertised, it could make the Yellow Jackets work.
Blake's Take: Georgia Tech is going to score points. Haynes King will likely break off a big run. The mindset is not domination. My hope for the Demon Deacons, especially on the defensive side of the ball, is to show competence against one of the top dogs in the ACC. They showed it for a half against NC State, so I know it's in there, somewhere.
Run Game Pulse Check
It was ugly.
Demond Claiborne had 12 carries for 35 yards, and Robby Ashford had 9 carries for 21 yards. They both found the end zone, but the inefficiency is not sustainable if wins are the intention.
Demond Claiborne will not remain contained the rest of the season, and we will likely see magic from him on Saturday. Outside of Claiborne doing his thing, Wake Forest needs a way to control the clock and give its defense a rest. That became a huge issue last time out—one that, if repeated, will certainly be exploited by the Yellow Jackets.
Claiborne was the only running back to receive carries in week three. Perhaps that was a design feature, or a symptom of the run-game failures. Long story short, the Demon Deacons don't need to put up 250 yards of rushing, but they need to be able to hold their own in time of possession.
Blake's Take: Coach Dickert mentioned in his weekly press conference that the intention is to trim down the run game, in its appearance, not quantity. I wonder what that will look like: Potentially giving Claiborne and Ashford better looks to gain yardage? The term complementary football is very important this weekend. Notice how I mentioned both the pass and run game in this article. If either of these two can see some semblance of revival, the other is bound to benefit by default.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have three options on Saturday:
1. Shock the world
2. Play respectably in a loss
3. Face plant and get embarrassed.
Life-long Deacs in delusion are chanting No. 1, cynics are craving No. 3, and everyone in between is pleading for No. 2.
The keys to victory are before us. Now it is just time to wait and see if the Demon Deacons can fit it all together and gain more positive momentum.
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Blake is a Sophomore at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. When not living on campus, he resides in West Virginia, where he was born and raised. He is studying communication and is invested in all things related to sports media. In his Freshman year, he completed an internship with the National Sports Media Association, and also worked as a sports editor at Wake Forest's student-run newspaper, the Old Gold & Black. Currently, Blake does play-by-play broadcasting for Wake Forest Club Ice Hockey and holds a job at Learfield, working as a studio host. In a perfect world, he would spend his free time road tripping and attending concerts all across the United States.
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