SWC75
Bored Historian
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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- Because they are better than we are. Sure they are the only Atlantic Division team we have a winning record against, (5-3), but they’ve won 3 of the last 5 and it’s not 4 of rhe last 5 because of Trill Williams. They’ve been to five straight bowls and are undefeated and ranked #19 in the country. We lost to Florida State, 30-33. They beat Florida State 35-14. Next case.
- Because their ex-Bowling Green coach is better than our ex-Bowling Green coach. Dave Clawson had gone 3-9, 3-9, 7-6, 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 4-5 (during the Covid year) and now 5-0. He hasn’t taken a step backwards and now has his best team. Dino Babers has gone 4-8, 4-8, 10-3, 5-7, 1-10, (in the Covid year) and now 3-2. We haven’t built on our 2018 success at all. Clawson has built his team through getting guys who had potential to be good college players, redshirting them and playing them until they are beginning their mid-20ties. Dino has tried to get NFL types and succeeded a few times but failed other times and seen his players leave early for the pros. Clawson’s way has worked better – and he has done it at a school with little history of success. Dino walks by the statues of our great players and coaches every day. But he hasn’t been able to duplicate their greatness.
- Dino had so little faith in what he was doing or in his players that he just changed his offense in mid-season. “Orange is the new fast”, which was supposed to shock the ACC, is gone and instead we have 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Ben Schwartzwalder would be proud. Dave Clawson has a system he believes in and has stuck with it – and it works. Wake is consistently good and this year they’re great.
- Perusing the numbers (see NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com )
They are 29th in offense with 445 yards per game. We are 71st (392). They are 45th in passing with 258. We are 117th with 171, (forget about winning a shoot-out or making a big comeback). They are 15th in scoring with 38 points a game. We are 58th with 30. We are better in total, rushing and passing defense but they are better in scoring defense: 28th with 18 points per game to our 40th with 20. Possible reasons: They are +6 in turnovers. We are -2. They are 36th in third down conversions (46%) to our 110th (32%) – they hold onto the ball while we give it up. They are 18th in kickoff returns, (a 28 yard average) to our 58th (22) and 19th in punt returns (15) to our 57th (9). They score 92% of the time in the red zone (31st) to our 80% (which sounds good but it’s 89th) They have 10 rushing TDs in the red zone, 6 passing and 7 field goals. We have 11-0-5. That’s right: we have no passing touchdowns in the red zone this year – and that's the difference between 31st and 89th.
- They have a better kicking game than we do. Andre Szmyt is 141 for 144 extra points and 62 of 73 on field goals (84.9%). But Nick Sciba is 150 for 150 extra points and 67 for 74 field goals. Wake’s punter, (90.5%). Ivan Mora is averaging 41.4 on his punts for the Deacons. We don’t even know who our punter will be.
- We have a great running back in Sean Tucker. But they have three good ones and two of them are Christians: Beal-Smith (4.8 yards per carry) and Turner (4.0). the other is Justice Ellison (4.8).
- They can pass the ball: Sam Hartman has 44TD passes and 17 interceptions in his career and 11/2 this year. Garret Shrader is 10/7 on his career and 2/2 this year. Again, forget winning a shoot-out or making a big comeback. This is a balanced team against a team that isn’t.
- Their offensive line has only given up 7 sacks in 5 games and their backs are getting 4.2 yards per rush. One statement jumped out at me in Dino’s show last night: “They wait for the defense to move out of the way and the backs find the creases.” I wondered what that meant and finally decided it meant that they take advantage of aggressive defenses by staying into front of them and then moving ahead when those creases appear.
- Yes 4 of Wake’s 5 games have been at home. But they won their one road game by 20 points at Virginia.
- This will be Wake’s third trip here in three years. They just might be a little bit pissed off about that.
- Because their ex-Bowling Green coach is better than our ex-Bowling Green coach. Dave Clawson had gone 3-9, 3-9, 7-6, 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 4-5 (during the Covid year) and now 5-0. He hasn’t taken a step backwards and now has his best team. Dino Babers has gone 4-8, 4-8, 10-3, 5-7, 1-10, (in the Covid year) and now 3-2. We haven’t built on our 2018 success at all. Clawson has built his team through getting guys who had potential to be good college players, redshirting them and playing them until they are beginning their mid-20ties. Dino has tried to get NFL types and succeeded a few times but failed other times and seen his players leave early for the pros. Clawson’s way has worked better – and he has done it at a school with little history of success. Dino walks by the statues of our great players and coaches every day. But he hasn’t been able to duplicate their greatness.
- Dino had so little faith in what he was doing or in his players that he just changed his offense in mid-season. “Orange is the new fast”, which was supposed to shock the ACC, is gone and instead we have 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Ben Schwartzwalder would be proud. Dave Clawson has a system he believes in and has stuck with it – and it works. Wake is consistently good and this year they’re great.
- Perusing the numbers (see NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com )
They are 29th in offense with 445 yards per game. We are 71st (392). They are 45th in passing with 258. We are 117th with 171, (forget about winning a shoot-out or making a big comeback). They are 15th in scoring with 38 points a game. We are 58th with 30. We are better in total, rushing and passing defense but they are better in scoring defense: 28th with 18 points per game to our 40th with 20. Possible reasons: They are +6 in turnovers. We are -2. They are 36th in third down conversions (46%) to our 110th (32%) – they hold onto the ball while we give it up. They are 18th in kickoff returns, (a 28 yard average) to our 58th (22) and 19th in punt returns (15) to our 57th (9). They score 92% of the time in the red zone (31st) to our 80% (which sounds good but it’s 89th) They have 10 rushing TDs in the red zone, 6 passing and 7 field goals. We have 11-0-5. That’s right: we have no passing touchdowns in the red zone this year – and that's the difference between 31st and 89th.
- They have a better kicking game than we do. Andre Szmyt is 141 for 144 extra points and 62 of 73 on field goals (84.9%). But Nick Sciba is 150 for 150 extra points and 67 for 74 field goals. Wake’s punter, (90.5%). Ivan Mora is averaging 41.4 on his punts for the Deacons. We don’t even know who our punter will be.
- We have a great running back in Sean Tucker. But they have three good ones and two of them are Christians: Beal-Smith (4.8 yards per carry) and Turner (4.0). the other is Justice Ellison (4.8).
- They can pass the ball: Sam Hartman has 44TD passes and 17 interceptions in his career and 11/2 this year. Garret Shrader is 10/7 on his career and 2/2 this year. Again, forget winning a shoot-out or making a big comeback. This is a balanced team against a team that isn’t.
- Their offensive line has only given up 7 sacks in 5 games and their backs are getting 4.2 yards per rush. One statement jumped out at me in Dino’s show last night: “They wait for the defense to move out of the way and the backs find the creases.” I wondered what that meant and finally decided it meant that they take advantage of aggressive defenses by staying into front of them and then moving ahead when those creases appear.
- Yes 4 of Wake’s 5 games have been at home. But they won their one road game by 20 points at Virginia.
- This will be Wake’s third trip here in three years. They just might be a little bit pissed off about that.
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