Wake Forest has a chance to prove new head coach Jake Dickert right. The Demon Deacons travel to Tallahassee this weekend to take on a beleaguered Florida State team. At ACC Kickoff in late July, most of the media had Wake Forest pegged for last or at least close to last place in the conference. A win will give Wake its sixth win of the year, assuring the Deacs of a bowl game, something Dickert knew all along his team could achieve.
The Matchup
Wake is 5-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play after last week’s last-second win over SMU. Florida State is 3-4 overall, but 0-4 in ACC play, and coming off a bye week. The last two months have shown that the Seminoles’ season-opening win over Alabama was a mirage. All of Tallahassee is now on coach watch with the status of Mike Norvell in limbo.
Dickert’s high-energy style has permeated the program to this point. That has led to players believing that they belong in any postseason conversation. Last Word’s latest post-season projections have Wake in the Fenway Bowl two days after Christmas. Of course, with five games left to play, the more wins, the better the bowl game.
Buying In
While there are certainly still plenty of things that need to be fixed, Dickert said the belief the team has in itself continues to grow. “I really believe that our belief in what we’re doing in all three phases is truly unshakeable,” he said at his weekly press conference. He called Wake’s defensive performance against SMU, “The most unselfish defensive performance I’ve ever seen.” He pointed out that even as the offense committed five turnovers, none of them led directly to SMU points because the defense stepped up.
In terms of growth, Dickert goes back to the defense. He said the loss to NC State in the conference opener was a determining factor in what happened going forward. After that game, linebacker Dylan Hazen said players needed to make sure they were not trying to do so much above and beyond their assignments. “We had to fail at NC State to be this successful against SMU,” Dickert said. He said that the game showed that defensive players were trying to do too much and do each other’s jobs. “They learned from that and they grew from that,” he said this week. He said the players failed in that game, but did not point fingers, and weeks later, the result was the defense that stifled SMU’s offense.
Mike Norvell’s Take
Norvell is also impressed with the development of Wake’s defense. “You see a defense that’s playing at a really high level,” he said earlier this week. “I thought they did an outstanding job this past weekend against SMU.” He added, “They’re going to play sideline to sideline.”
Norvell also acknowledged that Wake’s record could be/should be one game better than it is. “Obviously, you see that they found a way in a lot of contests. In all reality, they got screwed out of a Georgia Tech win at the end of it. We’re going to have to play our best game as we go into this week.”
At the end of the day, the proof is in the results. A Wake Forest defense that has been ranked 90th or lower much of the last two seasons is currently 23rd in the country in total defense.
The Work
Of course, there is still so much work ahead. Wake has spent significant time this week on ball security. Wake had five turnovers last Saturday, leading Dickert to say after the game that the team “Disrespected the football.” He said it wasn’t just the fumbles, but the habits that could have created more turnovers, like loose ballhandling. “There are so many little details in this game in our preparation.”
And while the penalties have fallen off, Wake Forest still committed six of them against SMU. Well, five if you ask Dickert. The illegal formation flag on the fake punt had Dickert incensed on the sidelines, and not much afterward. He sent the tape of the formation and the play to the ACC offices, saying he is owed an explanation and that the call on the field was wrong.
The Quarterbacks
Quarterback Robby Ashford has been listed as probable for Saturday night’s game. That does not mean he will go back to being the starter. He played sparingly last week, still recovering from injuries. He was four of 10 passing for 33 yards and a touchdown. Deshawn Purdie was 14 of 26 for 183 yards. Dickert made it clear that there is a quarterback competition. Ashford has been hampered over the last two weeks of practice because of injuries. “They’ve got to be ultra-competitive this week,” he said while complimenting their mindset of getting there. “He’s got to continue to get healthy as we work through this final stretch of games,” Dickert said of Ashford, adding, “We will always do what is best for the team,” with regard to making the quarterback decisions.
The quarterback issue on the side is resolved, but not well. Tommy Castellanos has been the starter all season. But it has been a roller coaster. He was a 50% passer (14 of 28) for 242 yards and no touchdowns in the loss to Stanford two weeks ago. But the week prior, he was 16 of 23 (69%) for 245 yards and three touchdowns. He has nine passing touchdowns on the season to go with five interceptions. Castellanos is also the second leading rusher on the team with 319 yards.
While the momentum of the two teams is going in opposite directions, Dickert cautions not to get too caught up in it. “If you don’t humble yourself, this game will humble you really quickly.”
How to watch Wake Forest at Florida State
Date: Saturday, Nov. 1; Time: 7:30 pm Eastern
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
TV: ACC Network
Main Image: Wake Forest athletics
