BC-Wake is a Case of Mirror Images

If Wake Forest had any questions about what it's like to return to the national rankings, it would only have to look across the sideline this week at Boston College.

It was only a year ago, after all, that the Eagles created a crest of momentum by beating the Demon Deacons, 41-34. The game kept BC undefeated at 3-0 and pushed it into the national polls for the first time in a decade. It touched off a wave of celebration in Chestnut Hill, puffing the team's chest as it soared into Indiana for a non-conference game against Purdue.

That's where it ended. The ensuing loss sent the Eagles out of the polls, and they wouldn't return for over a month.

So if the No. 24 Deacs want to celebrate their first national ranking since 2008, that's fine, but they shouldn't overlook the team they're going to see on Saturday afternoon.

"If you don't show up to play against BC, they're going to get after you," head coach Dave Clawson said. "That's one thing that Steve (Addazio)'s teams have always done. They always play with that physical nature. If you ever show up and play BC and think you're ready, you're going to get embarrassed."

Thus begins preparation for arguably the most underrated matchup in ACC football: BC-Wake Forest. It's an even game where no team has won consecutive games since Steve Addazio's first seasons at BC. The road team has won the last five games dating back to the 2014 meeting in Winston-Salem. It is two teams, indelibly tied to one another for the way they've built together since bottoming out in the dubious, 3-0 game in 2015.

"Dave and I have known each other for a long time," Addazio said. "(We) played against each other here at Boston College and Wake Forest for a number of years. I've got a lot of respect for Dave Clawson. He's done a great job. They've always been a very good defensive football team since I've been here. On offense, they've got some really good playmakers."

It creates an atmosphere between two teams incapable of giving into one another. Since Clawson's arrival in Winston-Salem in 2014, one year after Addazio arrived in Chestnut Hill, there has been only one game decided by more than once score. Every game seemingly goes down to the wire, including even the 2015 game, because the teams simply force each other to earn every play.

"This is always a really competitive game," Clawson added. "It's a program that we have a ton of respect for. It's always a great football game. It's become, every year, one of the biggest games in the ACC for us."

Wake enters this game with an earned swagger generated by unmistakable playmakers on both sides of the ball. The headliner - quarterback Jamie Newman - is already a breakout star on Heisman Trophy watch lists, and he enters Saturday with 200 more yards than he accumulated all of last season. He torched Utah State and Rice in the first two weeks of the season, throwing for 713 yards and six touchdowns while completing over 75% of his passes. His production seemingly dipped against North Carolina in the air, but he flexed dual-threat muscle with 78 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Then came last week's five-touchdown game against Elon where he passed for 351 yards.

"They've always had dual threats," Addazio said. "(Newman) is a big kid. He's got good size. He's throwing the ball pretty accurately, and he's a very physical runner, especially in short yardage, goal line, down in those areas. I think he's playing at a high level. I like him a lot.

"I think he's a heck of a football player," he continued. "Any time a quarterback can throw it and starts running with it, it can certainly be problematic."

Newman would be lethal on his own, but he possesses a number of athletic weapons because several key option returned from 2018. Cade Carney was a 1,000-yard rusher last season with eight touchdowns, and Sage Surratt caught 41 passes for 581 yards. Fellow receiver Scotty Washington is already taking the next step, and there are two highly-athletic tight ends in Jack Freudenthal and Brandon Chapman.

On top of that, Wake Forest added another piece in freshman running back Kenneth Walker III. The true freshman has 310 yards on 31 carries, a perfect 10.0 yards-per-carry average. In his debut game against Rice, he scored on a 96-yard touchdown run.

"(The receivers) are big, tall guys," Addazio stated. "They go up and catch the ball. I mean, (Newman) throws it well, and they go up and catch it. It gives them another dimension. I think it's a good (advantage). It matches up a little bit to what they want to do."

It gives the Deacons an advantage on offense, but there's balance and true synergy within its team scheme. Wake Forest out-dueled Utah State in the season opener, 38-35, but hasn't allowed more than 21 points since. The defense enters Saturday as an elite unit in college football, a leader in sacks and red zone efficiency. It's in the top half in rushing defense and is at an elite level in points allowed.

The perfect example came two weeks ago in a rare non-conference game against North Carolina. Wake held the Tar Heels to 18 points in a six-point victory, which at a surface level doesn't seem like much. But consider that it was a full touchdown less than what UNC scored in its own first two games, and the one score flipped the entire final on its head.

"I think in '16, we went into every game thinking, 'we've got to hold them to 20 (points or fewer) or we're in trouble,'" Clawson said. "And in '17, I think we thought that if we didn't score 40, we were in trouble. I do feel this team is capable of doing either of those things. I think this is the best balance we've had here between offense and defense. I think we can win a 20-17 game or a 17-10 game, and I think we can win a 45-42 game."

This is arguably the most talented Wake Forest team in recent memory, and there's a reason why it enters Saturday with an affixed number. It's a good football team deserving of the honor, and BC is the first team in line to issue a challenge. But Wake should adhere to the caution illustrated after the Eagles won last year. Success can be fleeting, and there are no surprises when these teams meet.

"I think you certainly have enough film and video evidence of who (the Demon Deacons) are," Addazio said. "That doesn't mean there's no tweaks and changes and things that happen. But (it's) unlike week one or two or three (or) even in week four, where we had two games this season on Rutgers.

"I think you're starting to head down the point where your information is usually more accurate, and then you have some history to validate things," he added. "All of us will tweak along the way. I think we're heading into game five now. In Wake's case and our case, you've got four games in. You're able to evaluate it better."

Boston College and Wake Forest will kick off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. from Alumni Stadium. The game can be seen on the ACC Network and via ESPN online streaming for ACC Network subscribers. An updated list of providers carrying ACC Network can be found at www.getaccn.com.

Boston College Athletics

Related News

Related Videos