College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Wake Forest Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 8-5 overall, 4-4
Head Coach: Dave Clawson, 7th year, 36-40
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 41
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 53
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 57
Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Offense 3 Things To Know
– The Demon Deacon attack was a blast for most of the season, but it fizzled at odd times. Even so, the O led the ACC in third down conversions, was second in passing offense, and was 15th in the nation in total yards per game.
And now it’s going to have to do it all with QB Jamie Newman off being a Georgia Bulldog. That’s okay – sophomore Sam Hartman showed in 2018 that he can handle the work, and now he’s in his third year in the system. He has to be great, though, with only freshmen as the backups.
CFN in 60 Video: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview
– Just when it looked like Sage Surratt was going to make a push to be the nation’s best receiver, he went down with a shoulder injury. He’s back, but the rest of the top pass catchers have to be replaced. 6-2, 200-pound redshirt freshman Donavon Greene is the second-leading returning receiver with 13 catches, but the offense helps make the receivers shine. This is a very big group – lots of 6-2 targets – that should shine around Surratt.
– The ground game wasn’t just along for the ride – it more than carried its weight. However, leading rusher Cade Carney is done, and Newman added 574 rushing yards, too. Sophomore Kenneth Walker is a nice 200-pound back who should average close to five yards per carry, and junior Christian Beal-Smith is a good option. Hartman can run, too.
The O line loses left tackle Justin Herron, but the entire interior is back. If Maryland transfer Terrance Davis can play a role early on, the coaching staff can play around with the configuration – it needs to settle the tackles.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense will never be Alabama, but as long as it’s just okay at holding serve once in a while, it’ll be doing its job. There’s reason to expect more production with nine starters returning including the entire front six. Only two main guys are gone, but they were big ones.
Essang Bassey was a terrific all-star corner, and Justin Strnad was a special leader and tackler – but he missed half of last year. His absence allowed others to emerge, and now the 1-2 linebacking punch of junior Ryan Smenda and Ja’Cquez Williams should combine for over 150 tackles.
– Both starting corners are done, but Trey Rucker is a big tackling sophomore at one safety spot and the senior Ja’Sir Taylor got in just enough work to be ready for one of the corner gigs. As long as the pass rush is doing its job, and as long as the defensive backfield can be as good as the 2019 version at coming up with third down stops, the D will be okay.
– 6-5, 275-pound Carlos Basham turned into a massive factor with 11 sacks. He’s the leader of a line that not only gets all four starters back, but welcomes the return of former Old Dominion transfer to one of the tackle jobs. The 290-pounder was going to be a massive part of the rotation, but he missed last year with a torn Achilles. The tackle rotation might be the best year under head coach Dave Clawson.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Wake Forest Demon Deacons Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Wake Forest Demon Deacons Players
Best Wake Forest Demon Deacons Offensive Player
WR Sage Surratt, Jr.
The 6-3, 215-pounder was fantastic from the start, catching 41 passes for 581 yards and four scores, and then it became his time to be the No. 1 man. He ripped it up as a sophomore with 66 catches for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns – including a 196-yard, three-touchdown day against Louisville – before getting knocked out for the year with a shoulder injury. He’s got the size, deep speed, and strength to be even more dominant.
2. QB Sam Hartman, Soph.
3. PK Nick Sciba, Jr.
4. C Zach Tom, Jr.
5. RB Kenneth Walker, Soph.
Best Wake Forest Demon Deacons Defensive Player
DE Carlos Basham, Sr.
What could the 6-5, 275-pounder do to up his game after a 64-tackle, 4.5 sack sophomore season? He made 57 stops with 11 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in an All-ACC junior campaign. Tough enough to hold up against the run, eh can work inside if needed, but he’s got the quickness and closing ability to shine on the outside again.
2. S Nasir Greer, Jr.
3. LB Ja’Cquez Williams, Sr.
4. LB Ryan Smenda, Jr.
5. DE JaCorey Johns, Soph.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Wake Forest Demon Deacons Offense
Keep on moving the chains. The whole system and everything Wake Forest does relies on the offense cranking up consistent production. Even when the points weren’t there, the O was still hitting third down conversion after third down conversion.
The Demon Deacons improved in each of the last four years, and last season led the ACC by converting over 47% of its tries, hitting the mark or better in eight games. It was 6-0 when it was able to do it, and then came the collapse to Syracuse and the loss to Michigan State despite the ability to keep things moving.
Over the last four seasons, Wake Forest is 17-3 when converting 47% of its third down attempts, and was 17-1 before the final two games of 2019.
Biggest Key To The Wake Forest Demon Deacons Defense
The coverage teams have to be a whole lot better. It all ties into the defensive side of things for a team that was great at getting its D off the field.
Wake Forest was great on third downs, it would force a punt, and then bad things would happen.
The Demon Deacon punt coverage team – the nation’s second-worst – allowed almost 16 yards per return, but the kick coverage team was even worse, giving up three touchdowns.
Back to the third down side, The team allowed just two offenses to covert more than 42% of their third down tries, and it lost both games. The program is 1-6 over the last two seasons when it does that.
Key Wake Forest Demon Deacons Player To A Successful Season
OT Spencer Clapp, Jr.
The Demon Deacons were fine on the offensive front. The interior is going to be a plus, but the tackles have to be great from the start. All-star Justin Herron is now a New England Patriot, and that means 6-6, 290-pound junior Spencer Clapp will get the first look at taking over the job after spending last year as the backup. If he’s not it, 6-3, 295-pound senior Je’Vionte Nash has to rise up into the role. No matter what the tackles have to keep QB Sam Hartman in one piece.
Key Game To The Wake Forest Demon Deacons Season
Syracuse, Nov. 7
There are a whole slew of keyACC games before this – beating Florida State on the road would be a big deal, and taking out NC State in Raleigh would help the cause – but beating Syracuse for the first time in three seasons is a must in the midst of a rough run.
The Demon Deacons last in a 39-30 overtime heartbreaker last year and dropped a 41-24 defeat in 2018. This time around, the date with the Orange comes after dealing with FSU and NC State, and before going to Louisville – it’s the home oasis in a run of road games. And after the Cardinals? Clemson.
– Wake Forest Demon Deacons Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Wake Forest Fun Stats
– Fumbles: Opponents 23 (lost 11) – Wake Forest 16 (lost 4)
– Penalties: Opponents 84 for 737 yards – Wake Forest 57 for 460 yards
– Field Goals: Wake Forest 24-of-25 – Opponents 17-of-19
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Wake Forest Demon Deacons Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Seriously, when will Dave Clawson start getting his just due as one of the elite coaches in college football?
You think that might be overstating it a bit? Okay …
Wake Forest – the small school for very smart people, around 7,500 of them – has enjoyed four straight winning seasons under Clawson. The last time this small school for smart people had four straight winning campaigns was …
It was actually five straight from 1944 to 1949. Even then, the program won 31 games over the span and won 30 in the last four years under Clawson.
He’s been able to carve out a nice niche, and the success doesn’t appear to be stopping.
The overall talent isn’t there to win the ACC title, but could it catch Clemson on the right day? Considering the last two games were Tiger wins by a combined score of 115 to 6, that might still be a stretch, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a player in the race – and the Clemson game is in Winston-Salem.
This is a more experienced team defensively, and there’s just as much pop offensively.
Set The Wake Forest Demon Deacons Regular Season Win Total At … 6.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 6.5
At Old Dominion, Appalachian State, Villanova. Start with those three games, and Wake Forest needs to be 3-0. The rest of the schedule isn’t easy, but it can win two of the three home dates against Miami, Syracuse and Boston College, and it can win a firefight against a Louisville and/or a Duke.
Give Clawson the benefit of the doubt that six wins is a given, but will that seventh come in a bowl game or the regular season?
At least Wake Forest will be in a bowl game again.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
.png?w=600)
