Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Virginia Tech Hokies Preview
With North Carolina and NC State bowl eligible, is it time for something good to happen to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake has played all year with a young offense that has simply not scored enough to take advantage of a veteran defense. That story has been the standard all year long and does not change with the arrival of the Virginia Tech Hokies this weekend.
More from Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- Webb Simpson wins RBC Heritage Open on Father’s Day
- Four North Carolina players selected in first round of MLB Draft
- Battle 4 NC: Ranking the Top 5 Football Teams in NC after Week 11
- Wake Forest Football: How to watch College Football Playoff Rankings Show
- Surratt, Dimukeje, Acceus Named ACC Players of the Week
The Hokies are the one team in the ACC that has not really blown away their competition this season. The nature of Beamerball is not to run away from your opponent unless you have a lot of talent to do that. Therefore Virginia Tech offers Wake a chance of a close game late. Again, the Wake Forest offense must do something to make that happen.
Date: November 22
Time: 12:30 PM
TV: ACC Network
Venue: BB&T Field
Last Time: 2011
A large dose of Logan Thomas in the second quarter obliterated an early 10-0 Wake lead and the middle of the third quarter saw a 28-10 Hokie advantage that grew to 38-17 in the third and fourth quarters. Receiver Jarrett Boykin was everywhere with 149 yards while running back David Wilson had 136 rushing yards of his own for the Hokies.
Nov 15, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Frank Beamer (R) watches from the sidelines against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
Opponent: Virginia Tech Hokies (5-5)
This would have been a better matchup if the Virginia Tech Hokies did not have something to play for. They are on the border of bowl eligibility and they would like to get their post season plans settled sooner than later. Anything could happen against a desperate Virginia team next week.
The Hokies lost to Georgia Tech, but beat the two ACC teams that beat Georgia Tech. That seems to be par for the course in the cannibalistic Coastal Division.
Nov 1, 2014; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies cornerback Kendall Fuller (11) and linebacker Deon Clarke (40) and defensive end Dadi Nicolas (90) react in the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Here is a paraphrased version of what I said about the Hokies earlier this year:
This year has not quite gone to plan. The Hokies have an offense with a lot of new pieces, and they have been hurt by turnovers from their offense. However, some of these pieces are really good. One only has to look at freshman wideout Isaiah Ford, who is something like a track star.
Attacking the Hokie offense will probably mean bringing pressure to Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer from the left side of the defense against the younger linemen on the right side. Coach Frank Beamer prefers a conservative power running attack when he can get it. Picking on the Wake secondary is not the best plan, so don’t be surprised if the Hokies simply try to pound the Demon Deacons defense of the Devils.
Hokie running back injuries will take some of Beamer’s preferred attack out of play. This should not be a concern to Michael Brewer, who came from a pass heavy offense at Texas Tech. Brewer has looked brilliant at times this year, but he also has the chance to pull the stupid play. Against Kevin Johnson, that might be a greater possibility.