Wake Forest PFF Grade Standouts from Victory Over Louisville
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The Demon Deacons' victory over Louisville seemed to be their most complementary win of the season. All three phases played a key role in the win, and the analytics clearly showed it. Some guys continued the momentum they had been building over the past week or two, and some guys had nice breakout performances against the Cardinals. Let's go through some major headlines.
Solid Run Defense
Coming into this matchup, the Deacs were tasked with slowing down two high-level running backs along with a mobile quarterback. After giving up 158 yards on the ground last week, Wake limited Louisville to just 75 yards rushing. This was a big key in ultimately securing victory by making the Cardinals pretty one-dimensional.
PFF shows us that a handful of guys were standouts in stopping the run. Eight players had grades of 70 or higher in the run-defense department. Frank Cusano led the pack with a stellar 88.4 run-defense grade. Defensive lineman Matt Herron also contributed very nicely to stopping the run with an 84.4. The linebacker opposite Cusano, Aiden Hall, also had a nice day against the run with a 72.2 grade in that department. Lastly of note, young defensive end Tyler Walton did well against the run too, with a 73.8 grade in 18 total snaps. These guys, along with others, helped contribute to some defensive success, especially in the fourth quarter.
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Offensive Line Improvements?
We have previously discussed how effectively Wake ran the football in this one. It was absolutely one of the key aspects that led to the victory. Both Deuce Lawrence and Ty Clark III had great days in that department.
However, one interesting thing the analytics show is that the Deacs' interior offensive line actually pass-blocked exceptionally well in this one. Clinton Richard, Will Way, and Ryan Berger all had pass-blocking grades above 80, showing their productivity. This was certainly helpful to Gio, being able to let big plays to develop downfield, including the bomb over the top to Hernandez.
The part of this that leaves more to be improved is the blocking from the tackles. Aidan Martin's pass-blocking grade was just 38.4, and Tolu Olajide's was 23.7. This will definitely be an area where the Deacs can look to continually improve to ensure Gio can stay upright and have time in the pocket and not be hit from the edges.
In the run block, wide receiver Drayden Dickmann had a great grade of 82.9 in 12 total snaps. He is someone who could become more situationally involved on run downs to help provide more blocking for the backs.
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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.