Why Claiborne is Key in the Deacs Powering Past the Ponies
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Wake Forest will certainly have their hands full this weekend. In front of a sure-to-be electric crowd for homecoming, the Deacs will need to bring their best ball to get past SMU. Everyone has talked about Kevin Jennings, rightfully so, and how dynamic this SMU offense is; however, there is one part of this football team that is remarkably better than a season ago.
This SMU defensive front unit has been playing some spectacular football. They held Clemson to a mind-boggling 35 yards rushing last weekend; they held Stanford under 80 rushing yards the prior week as well. This shows how effective the Mustangs are at stopping their opponents on the ground.
They can also get after the quarterback in passing situations. SMU has accumulated 23 sacks on the season so far and 10 interceptions due to this high QB pressure. The defensive front is led by senior Cameron Robertson, who has already accumulated five sacks and two forced fumbles, and senior Isaiah Smith, who has four sacks. Both of these players make up a dynamic defensive end core for the Mustangs.
Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert talked about how SMU's defensive front is very good at creating short fields for its offense by pushing opponents back with its constant pressure. This is why it is key that Wake Forest is able to establish a good ground game with running back Demond Claiborne.
Claiborne has been solid on the ground all season for the Deacs. He had another stellar game in his last outing vs Oregon State, running for 144 yards on 16 carries. This is the type of performance the Deacs will need from the dynamic back to pick up the victory.
If Wake fails to establish Claiborne on the ground, then they will put their offense in obvious passing situations, allowing that SMU front to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback in the way they have been so effectively all season.
If Ashford is, in fact, the quarterback for the Deacs, then expect him to also play a role in establishing the Deacs' ground game. In order to give this offense opportunities to go over the top, the ground game has to be working, and the Deacs must make third downs more manageable. Running the football well will open up an array of opportunities for this offense.
It's homecoming weekend in Winston-Salem, and there is certainly a buzz in the air. The only question is, can the Deacs take another big step forward and rise to the challenge? Georgia Tech was a physical football team, but SMU's athleticism and speed will present new challenges for this Wake offense to overcome. Let's hope Claiborne, Ashford, and all the Deacs go crazy to lead Wake to a big victory!
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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.