It didn’t have much drama and at times lacked aesthetic beauty, but the game didn’t really need it. Wake Forest produced a workman effort as the Demon Deacons thump Army West Point 45-10.
This didn’t have the scoreboard absurdity of last year’s 70-56 win at Army. This was a step-by-step dismantling of the Black Knights. Wake Forest did enough right in almost every area against a hugely outmanned Army team. The game at Truist Field was an announced sellout in terms of ticket sales. But it was a couple of thousand shy of an actually filled stadium in terms of people in the seats. They saw all they needed to see in the first half.
Fast Start
On the first possession of the game, Army drove downfield only to give the ball away. Jakobi Buchanan fumbled the carry and it was recovered by Wake’s Chase Jones at the Demon Deacons’ nine-yard line. Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman moved the Demon Deacons downfield with the help of a 46-yard completion over the middle of the field to A.T. Perry. Running back Christian Turner picked up 25 yards on three carries before pushing up the middle from one yard out for the touchdown. The run capped a 91-yard drive and gave Wake the 7-0 lead.
As if Wake needed any assistance, Army turned the ball over on downs at the Demon Deacons’ 44-yard line. Justice Ellison turned in runs of 18 and 14 yards. He then added a 15-yard run that included a 360-degree spin move around a defender at the five-yard line. He finished off the 56-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run for the 14-0 lead.
Army had a couple more possessions to try to make an imprint on the game. They turned it over on downs on one possession and punted on the other. Hartman drove Wake downfield again. The 12-pay, 82-yard drive was highlighted by a Hartman scramble that kept the play alive before he found receiver Donavon Greene, who had lost his defender. The two connected for 13 yards along the right sideline, down to the Army one-yard line. Quinton Cooley ran it in from there for the 21-0 lead which held up through the rest of the first half.
Good Seats Available
With the Carolina Classic festival within walking distance of Truist, much of the crowd did not feel compelled to come back for the second half. They missed some of Wake’s piling-up stats against an overmatched Black Knights squad. It wasn’t like there was much suspense in the third quarter so even the NFL scouts in the press box got all they needed from the game and left.
Hartman hit A.T. Perry in the back of the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown pass on Wake’s first drive of the third quarter for the 28-0 lead. Hartman now has a touchdown pass in 23 consecutive games.
Army turned it over on downs again. More time for more offensive stat-building for Wake Forest. Hartman connected with Jahmal Banks for a 37-yard completion in the middle of the field. On the very next play, Turner rushed from four yards out for the touchdown. Wake needed only four plays and 1:19 off the clock to go up 35-0.
Matthew Dennis added a 38-yard field goal near the end of the third quarter for a 38-0 lead.
Wrapping Up
About the only drama left was if Wake’s defense could hold on to the shutout and how much longer Hartman would play in the blowout.
The answer to the first part was clear. Army’s third quarterback of the night, Jemel Jones threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Alston to end the shutout effort.
As for Hartman, he came out for one more series in the fourth quarter for a drive that lasted all of three plays. He finished 13 of 19 for 246 yards and a touchdown.
For the dozens of fans still left at the point, Mitch Griffis came in and led Wake on an eight-play, 41-yard touchdown drive. He threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Grimes to go up 45-7. Army added a 33-yard field goal from Quinn Maretzki for the final score.
Moving On
Of course, head coach Dave Clawson will review the tape of the game, but at least for Saturday, the Wake Forest results appear to have all fallen into place. Well except for one thing. Clawson said he was a little mad at the head coach. “I’m kicking myself a little for going for that fourth and three at midfield [up 14-0 in the second quarter],” he said after the game. “I was getting a little aggressive there. I went into the game thinking I’d have to manage it more aggressively. If I had that one over…”
The post-game locker room was much more in harmony Saturday than it was after the Army win last season. After giving up 56 points in New York, Clawson said the defense had to live with that for the last 12 months. “The offensive guys were happy, and the defensive guys were upset.” He added, “Tonight this was a team win. The defense did more than their part and played really well.”
Clawson, along with linebackers Dylan Hazen and Chase Jones gave a lot of the credit for the defense’s performance to the Wake Forest scout team, which spent the week mimicking the Army offense in practice. “Most of the credit goes to them [the scout team],” Hazen said. “Army’s offense is no joke. So them taking that role, it really allowed us to play, to execute really well.”
Wake Forest is now 5-1 overall, 1-1 in the conference, and has a bye week before hosting Boston College.
NOTE: All Wake Forest players were wearing green tape around their wrist, and the coaches were wearing green ribbons in honor National Health Care Week.
Main Image courtesy Scott Inser
