Five Good Minutes: Talking Wake Forest Football With Blogger So Dear

As BC and Wake Forest prepare for another installment of #therivalry, we got the chance to talk to Griffin over at the excellent Wake Forest blog.Blogger So Dear he has to say about this Saturday's matchup

BC Interruption: Wake Forest's passing offense is ranked 24th in the country, and that has been without John Wolford for the past few games. Do you expect us to see Wolford or Kendall Hinton on Saturday? If so, what are the strengths and weaknesses of both?

Blogger So Dear: Dave Clawson has been mum about John Wolford's status for Saturday's game. He has reiterated, however, that when healthy, the sophomore is the starter. The elusive freshman Kendall Hinton has performed admirable in his 11 quarters under center. Each week, larger factions of the Wake fan base push for Hinton to maintain his QB1 status.

In what is eerily similar to the Troy Flutie and Jeff Smith situation, Wolford is surprisingly athletic, but his bread is buttered in the pocket. He quickly surveys the field and accurately finds the open receiver about as easy as it is to find an open bar in Boston. Hinton has a livelier arm, but sometimes rushes his reads and mistimes short-to-intermediate routes. With 218 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, he keeps defenses off balance and makes plays all the way from Duxbury in Alumni Field. Moral of the story: if Wolford is 100 percent, he starts. If so, I imagine Hinton will still get some wildcat packages.

BC Interruption: The Demon Deacons have three wide receivers with 20+ receptions. Let BC know a little bit about each, and why they are so dangerous.

Blogger So Dear: Wake has a wide array of playmakers in the backfield and on the outside. The biggest concern is giving the quarterback enough time to give the athletes space to expose the defense. To discuss them all would be like discussing each Square in Boston... I digress, the three you brought up are grad transfer from South Carolina KJ Brent, sophomore tight end Cam Serigne and freshman Cortez Lewis. Brent has a tremendous combination of size and speed. He has been the dynamic deep threat receiver that requires constant attention. On the other side, Lewis- famous for his 50+ hand shakes on the team- shockingly, is very sure-handed on intermediate routes and moves the chains. Serigne, a Freshman All-America candidate last season, embodies the perfect skill set for a tight end in modern football. He is a mismatch for any linebacker due to his strength and sneaky-quick feet. If the quarterbacks have time, these guys are all difference makers.

BC Interruption: Dave Clawson has installed quite the defense in Winston-Salem. Expect a lot of runs out of the Eagles. Which defensive players are going to be critical for the Demon Deacons to shut down BC's rushing game?

Blogger So Dear: Wake's front seven has been physical and dynamic. The linebacking core of Hunter Williams, Brandon Chubb and Marquel Lee is arguably the best in the ACC. They eat up opposing running backs, rush the passer and are effective in pass defense when necessary. The defense can be exposed in the secondary. Given BC's quarterback situation, that doesn't appear likely. In past games, however, wide receivers have gotten behind the last line of defense for momentum-changing plays.

BC Interruption:  How are you feeling about the shape of the Wake Forest program after going toe to toe with FSU last weekend?

Blogger So Dear: Since Day 1, Clawson has recruited better than anybody in Wake's history- even Jim Grobe after winning the ACC in 2006. Last week served as an example that his message has resonated with these young guys. They fight for him, they get better under him and they play with a chip on their shoulder against the perennial powers. Equally as important, is what Clawson said during the press conference. Following the 24-16 loss- Wake was at FSU's 30 yard line with under a minute to go- he would not stand for moral victories. He's proud of how the Deacs competed, but it doesn't matter until the Deacs get a ‘W.' This is the attitude that Wake needs to return to ACC prominence.

BC Interruption: Finally, BC...Wake Forest. THE RIVALRY. Give your prediction.

Blogger So Dear: I expect this game to go like I-90 on weekday mornings... slow and uneventful. Both teams have upper echelon ACC defenses with also-ran offenses. Wake (remarkably) has yet to force a turnover through five games. Hinton (assuming he's under center) dazzles and creates offense with his legs, but BC's elite defense will force a mistake or two. Otherwise, you could go to Fenway this October and watch a similar game... grass growing.