Special Teams Wake Forest's Secret Weapon in Securing Bowl Eligability
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The best sign of a good football team is one that is making the necessary adjustments to improve week after week. No team starts perfect, but a good team or unit continues to grow and get better throughout the season. Wake Forest's special teams unit has come a long way since the beginning of the season. They played their best game of the season against Virginia, which was key in securing victory.
Special teams normally do not get talked about as much as offense or defense, yet many games come down to special teams performance. Wake Forest's special teams unit stepped up hugely; they went 3/3 on field goals, had a punt return TD (along with other solid returns), and the punting was better than in recent weeks. All of these aspects were key to Wake winning in a close game. All of their points came from special teams. Let's break down the improvement further:
Carlos Hernandez Redemption Game
Carlos Hernandez was certainly the object of a lot of Deacon fans' frustrations during the SMU game. While returning punts, Hernandez fumbled one in Wake territory and misjudged another one off the bounce, backing the offense up way in their own end. He ended up getting benched by Barnes during the game. Despite that, Hernandez was put back on punt return duty and came through in a huge way against Virginia.
Hernandez scored the only touchdown of the game by either team, taking an 88-yard kick to the house for a touchdown. This score came at a crucial time when Wake's offense looked defeated and the team needed to put some points on the board. The return changed the whole complexion of the game in favor of the Deacs. Hernandez has had his fair share of ups and downs this season, but it's great to see a coaching staff that believes in him, and he has the confidence to make big plays in big moments.
Rock Solid Connor Calvert
To say Calvert has been impressive for the Deacs in recent weeks would be an understatement. We all know Calvert kicked the 50-yarder to win it for Wake at the end against SMU, but he played an even better game against Virginia. Calvert was 3/3 on Saturday night. He made 39, 49, and 50-yard kicks. These are not easy kicks for a college kicker, especially in a hostile venue. However, Calvert stepped up and was perfect on the night.
Imagine how far Calvert has come this season. He missed a makeable field goal earlier in the season against Georgia Tech in a big moment, and some fans may have started to doubt. However, Calvert has been rock solid ever since. All of these kicks on Saturday came at key moments and were pivotal in Wake securing victory. The offense was struggling to put the ball in the end zone, so Calvert's leg was the vessel scoring points for the Deacs.
Overall, the Deacs' special teams came up huge Saturday night, and they would not have won the game without them. I am so impressed with how we have seen this unit grow and develop this season, and I am confident they will continue to move in the right direction!
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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.