Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2022 College Football Preview
August 6, 2022
<update August 10>
2021 Recap
Record – 11-3
ATS – 8-6
Yes, guy.
The Demon Deacons treated their fans to a fun ride as they rocketed out to an 8-0 start and never looked back en route to an Atlantic division crown. There were a few close shaves along the way (LUA-VUH, Syracuse, NC State) but they did what they had to do. Sadly, they were no match for the mighty Pitt Panthers in the ACC Championship Game (L45-21), but at least MEGALOCKS members cashed a 5,002 STAR DEATH BOOSTER FOOT-LONG BLOOD CLOT BUSTER LOCK.
Can Wake Forest do the unthinkable and win the division again? Let’s dig in.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2022 Outlook
OFFENSE
The Deacs had one of the most potent offenses in the country LY and averaged a whopping 41.0 PPG (#4 FBS) whilst finishing the season ranked #12 in the country in passing offense. This was thanks in large part to the efforts of star QB Sam Hartman who threw for over 4,000 yards in 2021 (4,228, 39-14 TD to INT). Hartman also ran for 363 yards and 11 (!) TDs in his spare time and is clearly one of the best QBs in the nation. He just needs to clean up the INTs a bit. The THROW GAME should still be deadly with the return of three of the top-four WRs including the great AT Perry (1,293,18,2,15 TD! LY), and don’t sleep on a RB group that returns two of three doods that booked 500Y rushing in 2021. Getting WR Donavon Greene back is a nice bonus (20.1 YPC in 2020). We like the continuity up front as they bring back over 100 career starts. Wake may not hit 40 PPG but they’re still one of the best offenses in the ACC. UPDATE AUG 10 – Wake Forest will be without starting quarterback Sam Hartman for “an extended period of time” because of a non-football-related issue, the school announced Wednesday. Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said Hartman will be back this year and that the quarterback had a medical procedure Tuesday night to address the issue.
DEFENSE
Wake didn’t play defense like a division champ LY (29 PPG, #9 ACC; 195 YPG, #12 run D) but they managed to force a pile of turnovers (29, #5 FBS) and get to the QB on the regular (38 sacks, #3 ACC). New DC Brad Lambert has just six returning starters to work with and will be without leading sack producer Luigi Vilain (9), stud DT Miles Fox, and possibly their best defensive player in LB Luke Masterson (#1 tackler, 13 TFL). The DL should improve as they’ve got good size at DT and a pair of promising DEs including Rondell Bothroyd (8 sacks LY). The alarm bells are going RINGY DINGY DINGY when we look at a LB group that loses a pair of excellent players, and it’s not like the Deacons can just hit the reload button at LB and make everything fine. The secondary should be “average” or better as they’ve got several experienced bodies, but it doesn’t help to lose an NFL-bound CB in Ja’Sir Taylor. We think they take a step back on defense this year and can’t see them forcing a ton of turnovers again, but you never know.
SPECIAL TEAMS
It’s never good to lose an all-UNIVERSE PK in Nick Sciba (23-25 FG, 65-65 XP LY) but they still have a fine punter in Ivan Mora (40.3 net LY) and an above-average PR/KR in Taylor Morin.
Schedule Analysis
Overall – It looks pretty sweet, yo. They get a nice draw from the Coastal (North Carolina, Duke) and don’t have any killer non-conference games.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – September 17 – Liberty
Their most important game of the regular season (Clemson) is on deck. We doubt we’ll be playing the home chalk in this bad boy.
Season Win Total
per BetOnline Aug 6
Over 8.5 +120
Under 8.5 -150
MEGALOCKS says:
Lean: Under
This is probably the way to go. Wake has only booked 9+ regular season wins once in the L10Y.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
According to the INTREPID Phil Steele, Wake Forest ranks #126 in the FBS in undergraduate enrollment. The Demon Deacons have been quite competitive for a small school.
HC Dave Clawson has done a good job in the point spread role of road underdog (18-13, 58%).
MEGALOCKS Outlook:
It’s going to be impossible for these guys to sneak up on anyone this year, but the good news is that the roster looks very similar to the one that won the Atlantic Division last season. The September 24th meeting with Clemson is BIBLICAL and a MUST-WIN in our view as we don’t see Clemson losing two conference games in 2022. We’ll call for eight or nine wins and a decent bowl bid.
Go get ’em, Deacs!
Want more Wake Forest football ?
WEBSITE
https://godeacs.com/sports/football
FORUM
http://www.ogboards.com/forums/index.php
https://247sports.com/college/wake-forest/board/deacon-sports-club-103621/
https://wakeforest.forums.rivals.com/forums/the-pulpit-premium.6/
NEWS
https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/154/wake-forest-demon-deacons