Time for the Eagles to WAKE up. Sorry. BC-Wake Forest Final Preview and Prediction

Undefeated Wake Forest comes to town looking to avenge a shootout loss at home in last year’s edition of #TheRivalry. Wake is ranked 24 in the Coaches Poll and is the leading “other receiving votes” getter in the AP. It’s the first ranking for the Demon Deacons since 2008.

Last Time Out

Last year’s electric 41-34 BC win in Winston-Salem came on the heels of Hurricane Florence, and was a career day for Anthony Brown. He had 304 yards passing and five touchdowns, and AJ Dillon had 185 yards on the ground. They’ll need to channel this magic to keep up this time around. The quarterback on the other side then was Sam Hartman, but after a leg injury later in the season, Jamie Newman took over and hasn’t looked back.

Team Preview

Newman has lit it up this season. In only four games, he has 15 total touchdowns, over 1,400 total yards, a 71.1 completion percentage, and only two turnovers. Only nine other quarterbacks in the last decade can match that output. The junior leads the ACC (yes, Trevor Lawrence included) with an 88.7 passing grade to start the season per PFF. He is the nation’s highest graded QB on passes of 10+ yards downfield.

He will continue to light it up.

The worst part is that Newman also seems impossible to take down and can make plays running the ball. The read option has proved deadly, as Newman has added 160 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. This guy is a legit dark horse Heisman contender. Fun fact; Newman is also Eagle linebacker John Lamot’s cousin. Top receivers Sage Surratt and Scotty Washington are bigger than all of BC’s defensive backs, and Kenneth Walker leads the ACC by a mile in yards after contact. This all bodes so well.

Defensively, the Deacs are allowing under 3.5 yards per carry, good for 46th in the nation, and 236.8 yards passing. Boogie Basham is top five in the conference when it comes to QB pressures. We all know about BC’s maddening defensive problems and shaky quarterback play. This game will serves as a great barometer for how the rest of conference play will go.

Should the Eagles continue to play with tempo and try to keep pace in a shootout, or be more ball control to keep Newman and more importantly the Eagle defense off the field?

The Oddsmakers

Spread: Wake -6.5

Straight Up: Wake-235/BC+195

Over/Under: 69 (nice)

Number of headsets thrown: o/u 1.5

Suffice it to say, this game will not end in 3-0. Maybe. I think. Please god, no. BC opened up as only a four point underdog, but it’s pushed up considerably. The road team has actually taken this game the last five years. That being said, there is a fun trend in which low ranked teams tend to be susceptible in these road games (This season for example, see, Syracuse losing to Maryland week 2, who lost to Temple week 3, who received votes and lost to Buffalo last week).

Staff Predictions:

Arthur: 45 Wake - 17 BC

Grant: 38 Wake - 24 BC

Niraj: 42 Wake - 24 BC

More or less, a demon deacon.

It’s going to be a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and the stadium will surely be packed with the parents in town.

LET’S GO EAGS!!!