What the Stats Say About Wake Forest vs. Miami
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons pulled out a thriller in Week Two after beating the Purdue Boilermakers in the ACC vs. Big 10 showdown after an exasperating two-overtime win.
Now, Jake Dickert and his team welcome in conference play against arguably one of the top teams in the country, and certainly the leading contender in the ACC, the Miami Hurricanes. Led by plenty of offensive firepower, they make a stop in Winston-Salem for a meeting.
The odds don't particularly favor the Demon Deacons in this one, but the stats often can tell different stories or offer keys to victory, so what do the stats say about this Week's Three-matchup?
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The Hurricanes have been one of the most efficient teams in college football this season, using their offense at will against every opponent. Part of that success is having a balanced attack, running and passing the ball, and with new quarterback Darian Mensah at the helm, the ferocious attack seems only to grow better each week.
Part of the success for Mensah and the Hurricanes through the first two weeks, however, stems from his ability to remain comfortable in the pocket. He is yet to be sacked this year, and while the level of competition hasn't been intense, it's still a telling number of the play from his offensive line.
On the other hand, the Demon Deacons are sacking quarterbacks 6.25 percent of the time, and that includes playing a Power Four opponent. The pass rush will be tasked with getting home this weekend.
When pressured last year with the Duke Blue Devils, Mensah completed passes less than 45 percent of the time, so putting some form of pressure on him, will be key in this one.
Finish Drives
Having discussed the high-powered nature of the Hurricanes' offense, it is pertinent that the Demon Deacons try to keep pace with them for as long as possible. The critical part of that is finishing drives, and the Demon Deacons have had 12 scoring opportunities (scoring opportunities are counted once an offense has the ball past their opponent's 40-yard line), but are only averaging 4.4 points per opportunity.
For reference, the Hurricanes have had 20 such opportunities, and are averaging 5.2 points per chance. The Demon Deacons won't be able to stop every drive from the high-powered offense, but keeping pace, especially when the opportunity is there, is the big difference between a historic upset win and the first loss of the season.
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JD Andress is an accomplished sports writer and journalist with extensive experience covering a wide range of collegiate sports. JD has provided in-depth coverage of the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. He looks forward to being part of the coverage of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. His experience spans various sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, rifle, equestrian, and others, reflecting his broad interest and commitment to sports journalism.