The Daily Journal caught up with Wake Forest beat writer John Dell of the Winston-Salem Journal to see what he considers the keys to the Ole Miss-Wake Forest matchup.
Wake Forest had a down year in 2023 after a couple really strong seasons. The Demon Deacons are 1-1 currently, coming off a tight loss to Virginia. What is the general vibe around this program under Dave Clawson? Does it feel like things are back on track?
The Demon Deacons are in rebuilding mode thanks in large part to the landscape that is college football these days. The school does have a collective but it’s not as big as some of the top ACC schools or SEC schools. Clawson has always been a developmental coach but it’s harder to do that these days with the transfer portal.
Hank Bachmeier is well traveled in his college career, now on his third school in six seasons. What has he brought to the quarterback room, and what have been his strengths so far? His numbers through two games are very, very good.
He’s now the starter after Michael Kern and him were considered the co-starters for the first two games. I’ve been impressed with his arm strength, but he tends to hold the ball a little to long, which is partly why he was sacked six times last week against Virginia. He’s definitely the best QB option for this season.
The Demon Deacons’ offensive line had a rough game against the Cavaliers last week, surrendering six sacks. Was that a one-off, or does the offensive line feel like it could be a concern all season? How does that group match up with Ole Miss’ star-studded defensive line?
The good news is the offensive line has been injury free so far and it’s a deep set with three others rotating in among the starting five. Clawson raved about how good the defensive line is for Ole Miss and compared it to the Clemson defensive line that won a national championship. The line will need to play near perfect but that won’t be easy.
What is the strength of the Wake Forest defense? Who are the key players to look out for?
Wake’s got a solid defensive line, but Jasheen Davis, who might be their best defensive player, is doubtful with an injury. You will see safety Nick Andersen (No. 45) fly around all game. He’s fun to watch and he’s had a bunch of tackles already this season.
In your eyes, what is the most important matchup — whether individually or as a group/unit — that will decide this game?
It’s got to be how Wake’s defensive line plays because if Jaxson has time to throw the weakest part of the defense is the secondary. That won’t bode well for the Demon Deacons if they can’t get any pressure on the QB.
This matchup is sold out, and it’s homecoming at Wake Forest. Does this game feel like it has a lot of energy around it in the community?
Sold out is sort of a marketing term because there will be plenty of seats available. While the school announces a sellout for most games that usually means its tickets sold or given away. There would have been a little more hype to this game if Wake would have held on for the win against Virginia. By the way, Wake Forest hasn’t beaten a top 10 ranked program since 1946 when it beat Tennessee on the road. Wake is 0-64 since that game against top 10 ranked opponents.
If Wake Forest is going to pull off the upset, ___ has to happen.
It must play a full four quarters and like most 23-point underdogs it needs to hang around until the final few minutes. The Rebels haven’t played in a close game yet so there’s one advantage Wake Forest might have.
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