Can Wake Forest Generate Explosive Plays Against North Carolina?
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons play a Big Four rivalry matchup today against the North Carolina Tar Heels! The game is announced as a sellout, so there should be a good crowd in the stadium cheering on their 6-3 football team. Wake Forest is already bowl-eligible, while North Carolina is still chasing bowl eligibility, but records go out the door in a game like this. The question is, what Wake Forest offense will we see Saturday night?
The Deacs were able to beat AP #12-ranked Virginia despite not mustering one offensive touchdown. The one touchdown came from Carlos Hernandez on special teams. It was a lot of the same against SMU, where the Deacs only scored one offensive touchdown. Wake has been trying to push the ball down the field with Ashford and Purdie at QB, but the question is can they convert on some of these big opportunities?
Run Game Breakthrough
Coach Dickert said at his weekly press conference that the offense is so close to breaking one of these run plays open. Demond Claiborne is a dynamic running back and has shown it all season. He was able to rush well against Virginia, picking up some first downs with ten-yard carries, but he has not been able to break one for a huge gain.
The Deacs are already a team that has shown struggles in the red zone, so generating an explosive run for a touchdown would be a big deal. Claiborne is fifth in ACC rushing yards, and if he can break a big one this weekend, he will surely move up that list. Expect him to be heavily involved, and let's see if the blocking can come together to give him an explosive run.
Robby Ashford's legs can also be a factor this weekend. Against Virginia, he showed the ability to extend plays and get first downs on the ground. I think this will only continue against UNC, and maybe we will see him break a big run for a touchdown.
Explosive Pass Plays
Since Deshawn Purdie lit it up against Oregon State, the Deacs have not been able to generate explosive passes within their offense. They tried last weekend against Virginia, but sadly could not convert.
Putting up 64 passing yards again today will likely not get it done. The Deacs need to come out firing and get their QBs some easy completions to boost their confidence. Whether it is Purdie or Ashford, converting on pass plays will be crucial for the Deacs in getting a win. Let's hope Chris Barnes is fully healthy, as he is a critical part of this passing game.
This matchup is setting up to be a good one. In my prediction, I pick Wake Forest to win in a tight game. Let's see if the Deacs can generate some big plays and take down the Tar Heels!
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.