At No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings this week, NC State football now has a fighting chance at working into the New Year’s Six bowl conversation. The Wolfpack will need to win out to do so, however, starting with a visit from in-state rival Wake Forest Thursday.
Technician caught up with Sam Wexler, sports editor of Old Gold and Black, Wake’s student newspaper, via email to break down the matchup.
Technician: How has this season gone for the Demon Deacons?
Sam Wexler: Coming off of two consecutive bowl wins, I think everyone was excited to keep the momentum rolling into this year. The loss of John Wolford definitely loomed large, but having a healthy Greg Dortch, as well as a really experienced offensive line looked to benefit the team greatly this season. Everyone knew that there were big losses in the defense, particularly the secondary, given the guys who graduated and Jessie Bates going into the league, but I think the strengths coming in definitely outweighed what was lost.
So far, the season definitely hasn’t gone as planned, but a lot of that can honestly be credited to horrendous luck. The team has seen 12 total guys lost for the whole season; basically all of them were projected to be in the 2-deep coming into the year. The depth is just not there, and playing week in and week out has done a number on a lot of positions, especially in the defense. After a season-saving win at Louisville, I definitely think there is still an optimistic outlook and fire burning to grab two more wins and make a third consecutive bowl to send this senior class out on a high note. Losing Sam Hartman for the year will definitely shake things up, and I think the team still remains optimistic.
T: What impact has the quarterback turmoil had?
SW: When you think of Wake Football this year, you definitely look to the quarterback position, and for good reason. John Wolford was an incredible loss, as he really matured into a smart, skilled player at the end of his tenure at Wake, which was on full display in the Belk Bowl. Coming into the spring, really everyone was focused on Kendall Hinton, as he had been challenging Wolford for the starting spot even going into last year. His suspension to start the year really was impactful on getting Sam Hartman into the spotlight and getting him reps. The fact he was able to come in in the spring was definitely huge in terms of learning the plays and getting a feel for the college environment.
Now, after losing Hartman, it should be very interesting to see how the team lines up this week. I honestly don’t think it will be a big transition, given that Hinton was taking first team reps in the Spring, then Hartman and Newman were splitting them throughout the summer until Hartman was named the starter. Newman’s lack of tape and potential to move on the ground could surprise the Wolfpack, but at the same time, our run game has been a focus this year. Greg Dortch can catch almost anything thrown his way, so I truly feel like the quarterback turmoil has had less of a role in the success this year as compared to the difficulties defensively.
T: What are Wake’s strengths and weaknesses?
SW: In terms of strengths, their receiving corps is really good. Dortch leads a handful of guys that can make plays at any time throughout the game. The question is just can the quarterback get it to them. I also think they are a disciplined football team, you may see a few, but not many penalties that are costing tons of yardage. I think there are some players that are playing very well defensively, like Justin Strnad and Essang Bassey, and inspiring others to do the same through their work ethic.
After firing defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel, the play calling has been improved on defense, and it seems to be flowing more smoothly, even if there are some issues with tackling and other things. Clawson said today that over 90 percent of the alignments were correct on Saturday, it was just smaller things that went wrong, which is reassuring, because that can be fixed. I truly think this is a good football team, but one that has been dealt a string of bad luck this year through no doing of their own based on the injuries to the team.
For weaknesses, I can single-handedly point to injuries this year. Nothing has killed the Deacs more than the lack of players they have in practices and games every week. Clawson has mentioned in multiple press conferences that he has never seen anything like this before, the sheer skeleton of a team that is playing is simply absurd. One position that has just been absolutely obliterated is the linebacker position. There are seven scholarship linebackers, and only two are still standing. That’s insane. Arkenn Byrd was lost before the season even started, then Justin Herron and Coby Davis are done for the year right as we enter September, all of them due to a torn ACL. Elontae Bateman is out and then Nate Mays goes too, it’s just ridiculous and there’s really nothing that can be done to change it at this point.
T: Who are some key players?
SW: Most everyone in the nation is watching the tape on Greg Dortch and trying to find a way to contain him, and I’m sure the coaches over in Raleigh are no different. He’s so elusive and quick, and just makes hustle plays that no one would see coming. The entire receiving core this year is star-studded, with Alex Bachman, Scotty Washington, Sage Surratt and more lining up alongside Dortch. As a lot of the nation saw in the game against Louisville, Matt Colburn has been a monster on the ground this year, and Cade Carney has punched in a lot of low-yardage touchdowns. If the offensive line can hold strong against a strong defensive line attack, look for the running backs to make plays.
On the defensive side, we’ve seen so many promising people lost for the year, but others have stepped up in their absence. Strnad is having a fantastic year, as is Bassey. Bassey ranked in the top five of the ACC last week against Syracuse in preventing the air attack. Boogie Basham, hopefully recovered from his concussion sustained against Louisville, showed flashes of brilliance in that game, topped off with a scoop and score touchdown. Additionally, Luke Masterson is playing well after being moved around a ton given all of the injuries on the defense. Overall, I’m impressed with the defense’s ability to be flexible in what position they’re in day-in and day-out in order to meet the needs of the team.
T: How does Wake Forest match up with NC State?
Given the 17-point spread currently, I’m somewhat weary of how the Deacs line up with the Wolfpack right now. One of the main differences that I see is consistency at the quarterback position. Ryan Finley has been playing exceptionally well in the last few weeks from what I’ve seen, with a passer rating of around 70 percent if I am looking at a good source. I think the lack of depth and the passing defense this year will struggle to contain him.
Additionally, the Wolfpack’s defensive game may be too much for an offense looking to a new starting quarterback to make plays. The concrete rushing defense will definitely cause problems, and force the new quarterback to throw the ball more than Wake normally does. If Colburn and Carney are shut down, a lot of Wake’s offensive production will be as well. Overall, I think a healthy Demon Deacon team could play very competitively with NC State right now, but unfortunately that is not the hand they have been dealt, so I see this match up going south for the Deacons.
T: What is your prediction for this game?
SW: NC State 42, Wake Forest 21
While I liked what I saw throughout the Syracuse game, I am not sure it will be enough. The turnover battle was huge in making that decision, so Wake will need to cut down on turnovers to have a shot in this game. Additionally, the defense is going to need to stand strong and get off the field on third down to keep this close in any way. Considering Wake has lost the last five straight in Raleigh, I’m afraid this NC State team will be too much for the ailing Wake Forest team to handle, especially at home. I think this gets out of hand around the second quarter and blows up.
