Is it really a rivalry game when Duke and Wake Forest face off? On the final Saturday of the season, the 2 teams in the state who aren’t typically football powerhouses are slated to fulfill their rivalry week requirement in Durham. In recent years, these two programs have taken two very different paths. Wake has been on a consistent decline, resulting in the resignation of Head Coach Jim Grobe, while Duke has experienced a renaissance of sorts, making an ACC championship game appearance last season and currently sitting at 8-3. However, those trends are reversed when we examine the teams coming into this game.
Duke blew their chance at an ACC championship berth this season with back to back losses against inferior opponents Virginia Tech and UNC. Wake Forest just scored their first ACC win under Dave Clawson in a 6-3 double OT thriller against that same Virginia Tech team. Anthony Boone has struggled in both outings and that could be a cause for concern in this game against a strong Wake Forest defense. Boone has put up QBR’s of 19.7 and 38.2 against VT and UNC respectively. The defense didn’t do them any favors either, allowing the Tar Heels to put up nearly 600 yards of offense.
The bright spot is that the Demon Deacon offense poses absolutely no threat. They rank last in the nation in rushing, next to last in scoring, and 111th in passing. It’s abysmal. John Wolford has played well under center, but the offensive line is so young that they just haven’t been able to hold up. This bodes well for the Blue Devils, who have forced almost 2 turnovers and 2 sacks per game on the defensive side of the ball. Wolford will be under pressure as always, and mistakes will happen.
Wake Forest has momentum and Duke doesn’t. It is somewhat true that neither team really has anything to play for. However, this is senior day for arguably the most important senior class in program history for Duke. This group of players has helped revive a program that was by far the worst in the ACC and made it into a legitimate contender in the conference. This will be the last time that Anthony Boone, Josh Snead, Jamison Crowder, and countless others take the field at Wallace Wade Stadium. And it will be the first time Wake Forest has lost at Wallace Wade Stadium since 1999.
Prediction: Duke 17, Wake 10
Game Info-
Kickoff: 7 P.M.
T.V.: ESPNU
Location: Durham, NC
Duke blew their chance at an ACC championship berth this season with back to back losses against inferior opponents Virginia Tech and UNC. Wake Forest just scored their first ACC win under Dave Clawson in a 6-3 double OT thriller against that same Virginia Tech team. Anthony Boone has struggled in both outings and that could be a cause for concern in this game against a strong Wake Forest defense. Boone has put up QBR’s of 19.7 and 38.2 against VT and UNC respectively. The defense didn’t do them any favors either, allowing the Tar Heels to put up nearly 600 yards of offense.
The bright spot is that the Demon Deacon offense poses absolutely no threat. They rank last in the nation in rushing, next to last in scoring, and 111th in passing. It’s abysmal. John Wolford has played well under center, but the offensive line is so young that they just haven’t been able to hold up. This bodes well for the Blue Devils, who have forced almost 2 turnovers and 2 sacks per game on the defensive side of the ball. Wolford will be under pressure as always, and mistakes will happen.
Wake Forest has momentum and Duke doesn’t. It is somewhat true that neither team really has anything to play for. However, this is senior day for arguably the most important senior class in program history for Duke. This group of players has helped revive a program that was by far the worst in the ACC and made it into a legitimate contender in the conference. This will be the last time that Anthony Boone, Josh Snead, Jamison Crowder, and countless others take the field at Wallace Wade Stadium. And it will be the first time Wake Forest has lost at Wallace Wade Stadium since 1999.
Prediction: Duke 17, Wake 10
Game Info-
Kickoff: 7 P.M.
T.V.: ESPNU
Location: Durham, NC