Wake Forest Football: Week 12 PFF Grades Roundup
Wake Forest snapped a three-game losing streak with a 45-35 win over Syracuse on Saturday night. There were great performances on both sides of the ball en route to the victory — here’s how the Deacs graded out against the Orange according to Pro Football Focus.
READ: ACC Football Power Rankings: Week 13
Quarterbacks:
- Sam Hartman- 78.0
Hartman was fantastic on Saturday night, throwing for 331 yards and four TDs in his final game at Truist Field. He was named ACC QB of the week for his performance and is now the only player in ACC history to record 20 or more games of over 300 passing yards in his career. His 104 career TD passes trail only Tajh Boyd in the ACC (107). Hartman did a great job of spreading the wealth, completing 30 passes to seven different receivers. The matchup with Syracuse was the first game since Week 8 where Hartman didn’t record a turnover. His grade of 78.0 is his fourth-highest of the season and his eighth mark of over 70.
READ: Five Takeaways from Wake Forest's 45-35 win over Syracuse
Running Backs:
- Christian Turner- 69.5
- Quinton Cooley- 68.6
- Justice Ellison- 60.4
Wake’s ground game looked much more effective for the second week in a row against Syracuse. Starters Christian Turner and Justice Ellison rushed for 136 yards on 31 carries (4.4 ypc), and tertiary back Quinton Cooley added 33 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. The team has combined for 382 rushing yards over the past two weeks after putting up 25 yards on the ground against NC State three weeks ago. This is Turner’s second-highest grade of the season, Ellison’s third-lowest and middle of the pack for Cooley.
Pass Catchers:
- A.T. Perry- 78.3
- Jahmal Banks- 71.1
- Taylor Morin- 65.7
A.T. Perry was the highest graded offensive player on the team and stole the show on Senior Day with a 10-catch, 119-yard, three-touchdown performance. With one game to play in the regular season, Perry leads the team with 62 receptions and 893 yards. He earned ACC Wide Receiver of the Week honors for his performance on Saturday. Banks and Morin turned in solid outings as well, combining for 10 catches and 124 receiving yards of their own. Perry’s grade is his fifth of the season higher than 78 and Banks’ was his fifth of higher than 70. Morin has now graded above 65 on five occasions this year.
Offensive Line:
- Spencer Clapp- 65.6
- Michael Jurgens- 64.7
- DeVonte Gordon- 64.3
The offensive line looked much better opening up holes for the running backs against UNC last week and had another solid outing against the Orange. The backs have been able to get downfield and Hartman has had more time to get through his progressions and find open receivers. The trio of Clapp, Jurgens and Gordon all finished in the top half of the team’s offensive grades for the week.
Defensive Line:
- Tyler Williams- 88.4
- Jasheen Davis- 71.9
- Dion Bergan Jr.- 71.7
The defensive line was the highest graded defensive unit for the Deacs, with six players finishing in the top 10 for the week. Davis and Williams each had a sack and had three of the team’s eight TFLs. Williams had five total tackles including 0.5 TFLs, and Davis added half a sack and 2.5 TFLs. Williams’ grade trails only his mark against Boston College (88.9), Bergan’s was his second-highest of the year and Davis’ was middle of the pack.
Linebackers:
- Chase Jones- 72.5
- Ryan Smenda Jr.- 68.1
- Dylan Hazen- 55.5
Jones finished with five total tackles (two solo), while Smenda added a solo tackle and 0.5 TFLs. Smenda is now up to 96 total tackles on the season, already 13 more than he had in 2021. Smenda’s and Hazen’s grades were middle of the pack, and Jones’ was his fourth-highest of the season.
Defensive Backs:
- Brendon Harris- 74.1
- Jermal Martin Jr.- 66.5
- DaShawn Jones- 63.9
The most impactful defensive play of the game came from Brendon Harris, a 36-yard pick six in the fourth quarter off QB Garrett Shrader. Both Jermal Martin Jr. and DaShawn Jones have stepped into expanded roles due to injuries in the secondary and have made meaningful contributions throughout the back half of the season. Martin added two solo tackles and a TFL on Saturday. Harris’ grade of 74.1 is his highest of the season, Martin’s was third-highest and Jones’ was middle of the pack.
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