Wake Forest will have a different starting quarterback when the Demon Deacons play Virginia on Saturday.
Michael Kern drew the start in the win over N.C. A&T last week, but Coach Dave Clawson said Hank Bachmeier will start against the Cavaliers.
“We don’t have a predetermined plan, but we’d like to get Michael in there,” Clawson said, adding that he will continue to play both quarterbacks. “Hank played really well.”
Bachmeier had more success moving the Demon Deacons in the second half, but Clawson is adamant that one game wasn’t going to determine the starter for the rest of the season.
“I’m not ready to declare this over,” Clawson said. “ … I thought we got into a rhythm, and we had those two drives at the end of the half (with Bachmeier), and then we scored in every drive in the second half.”
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Also helping both of their causes, according to Clawson, was neither quarterback had a turnover against the Aggies.
“Both guys did a good job of taking care of the football, and I’m glad we didn’t turn it over,” Clawson said.
Early ACC game
Clawson was diplomatic about his Demon Deacons playing an ACC team in just their second game of the season. With 17 teams in the league now, however, Clawson said being the conference schedule maker is not easy.
“We have 17 teams and all these different time zones and all these preexisting contracts for out of conference games,” Clawson said. “I would not want to be the ACC schedule maker. We have a big game at home the second weekend on national television (ESPN2), so if this game gets us more exposure, then that’s a good thing.”
Last season, the Demon Deacons played three nonconference games before playing Georgia Tech in their ACC opener. In 2022, they also played three nonconference games before the ACC opener against Clemson.
It’s a timeout
Because the NFL has always used the two-minute warning at the end of each half, college football for this season has adopted the two-minute timeout. It works much the same as the NFL for the most part, giving college coaches an extra timeout per half.
Clawson joked about not calling it the two-minute warning.
“Everybody in football knows it’s a two-minute warning,” Clawson said. “ … We’re basically a farm system for them and we can’t use two-minute warning?”
Clawson said he has had to change how he and his assistants manage the clock now with the extra timeout.
“For 24 years (as a head coach), I’ve been doing it one way, and I’ve kind of had all these automatics,” Clawson said about managing the clock with his timeouts at the end half of each half.
Virginia update
Clawson said Virginia coach Tony Elliott has started to build his program in Charlottesville. Both the Demon Deacons and Cavaliers struggled last year, losing close games.
“He knows the ACC well, coming from Clemson,” Clawson said. “In the first year they they struggled, and they had the tragedy that occurred, and didn’t even end up finishing the season. And then last year, they were 3-9, but a very competitive 3-9.”
Clawson said teams that lose those close games sometimes turn around the next season and fare much better.
“They had five other games that they lost by a touchdown or less, and for those games, they lost by a field goal or less,” Clawson said.
Clawson compared his 2014 and ’15 seasons, his first two at Wake Forest, to what Elliott has gone through.
“They’ve got 16 starters back on offense and defense, their punter is back, and their place kicker is back,” Clawson said. “Their entire offensive line is also back.”
Watch list for Mora
Redshirt senior Ivan Mora was named to the Ray Guy Award list following his play against N.C. A&T last week.
Already named to the Ray Guy Award Preseason Watchlist, Mora opened the 2024 season with a bang, booting a career-best matching 66-yard punt to pin the Aggies deep.
His first punt put the Aggies inside the 20 with a 57-yard effort and the second punt traveled 50 yards. Mora finished the game with three punts for 173 yards and a 57.7 average.
Since taking over full-time punting duties at the start of the 2020 season, Mora has been one of the best punters in the ACC. In 2022, he was tied for the smallest percentage of punts returned in the conference as just 15% of punts that were returned. Additionally, Mora led the ACC with an average of 4.08 seconds hang time per punt in 2022.
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ACC This Week
Friday
BYU at SMU, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Duke at Northwestern, 9 p.m. (FS1)
Saturday
Pitt at Cincinnati, noon (ESPN2)
Ga. Tech at Syracuse, noon (ACC Network)
Cal at Auburn, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Duquesne at Boston College, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
Jacksonville State at Louisville, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
Charlotte at North Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network)
Marshall at Virginia Tech, 4:30 p.m. (The CW)
Florida A&M at Miami, 6 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
Virginia at Wake Forest, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Cal Poly at Stanford, 7 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)
N.C. State vs. Tennessee (in Charlotte), 7:30 pm. (ABC)
App State at Clemson, 8 p.m. (ACC Network)
ACC Players of the Week
QUARTERBACK – Cam Ward, Miami, QB, West Columbia, Texas
Ward made his highly anticipated Miami debut on Saturday versus Florida, leading the Miami offense in the 41-17 rout of the Gators. Ward finished 26-for-35 for 385 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while adding 33 rushing yards. Ward became the first Miami quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns in a season opener since Ken Dorsey in 2001 at Penn State.
RUNNING BACK – Treshaun Ward, Boston College, RB, Plant City, Florida
Ward totaled 138 all-purpose yards against his former team in the Eagles’ season-opening win at Florida State. He scored on a 13-yard reception in the second quarter. His longest reception was a 42-yarder, the longest of the day by Boston College, as he posted three receptions for 61 yards. On the ground, he rushed 12 times for 77 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry with a long of 23.
RECEIVER – Kevin “KC” Concepcion, NC State, WR, Charlotte, North Carolina
Concepcion hauled in three receiving touchdowns in the Wolfpack’s season-opening win over Western Carolina. The three touchdowns tied the NC State sophom*ore single-game record and is second-most throughout FBS football in Week 1. Concepcion recorded 121 receiving yards on a career-high nine receptions, while also adding a 20-yard punt return. He leads the ACC and ranks third nationally in scoring with 18 points.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Zach Carpenter, Miami, C, Cincinnati, Ohio
Making his first start for Miami at center, Carpenter was Miami's top-graded offensive lineman and helped quiet a hostile crowd in Gainesville. The Hurricanes outgained the Gators 529-261 and finished with 144 rushing yards. Throughout the afternoon, Miami averaged a whopping 7.7 yards per play.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Jahvaree Ritzie, North Carolina, DL, Kernersville, North Carolina
Ritzie led the North Carolina defense with a career-high three sacks in the Tar Heels' 19-17 road win at Minnesota to start the season. Ritzie finished with six total tackles, five of which were solo stops. He recorded his 100th career tackle in the victory. His three sacks were the most in a game by a Tar Heel since Tomon Fox had three on September 7, 2019. The mark is tied for the third most in a game by a North Carolina defender.
LINEBACKER – Marlowe Wax, Syracuse, LB, Baltimore, Maryland
Wax had 2.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack, a forced fumble, a quarterback hurry and six total tackles in Syracuse’s win over Ohio, despite suffering a third-quarter injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Wax moved into sole possession of second place in program history in forced fumbles (9), now trailing just Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney (14).
DEFENSIVE BACK – Jaden Harris, Miami, S, Atlanta, Georgia
Harris totaled seven tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss and recorded the first interception of his career in an impressive performance against Florida to begin his first season as a full-time starter. Harris played a key role for a Miami defense that limited the Gators to 261 total yards in a dominant 41-17 victory.
SPECIALIST – Noah Burnette, North Carolina, K, Raleigh, North Carolina
Burnette led North Carolina to a 19-17 road victory over Minnesota to start the 2024 season, connecting on all four of his field goal attempts, including the game winner with 1:56 to play in the contest. Burnette was good from 29, 52, 42, and 45 yards out. He also put through his only extra point attempt of the game. Burnette is now tied for sixth at North Carolina with 38 career field goals. His 52-yarder was the longest by a Tar Heel since 2016.
ROOKIE – Eli Holstein, Pitt, QB, Zachary, Louisiana
Holstein completed 75-perecnt of his passes, going 30-for-40 through the air with three touchdowns versus Kent State. Holstein’s 336 passing yards were the most by a Pitt Panther since Kenny Pickett’s 340-yard performance against Virginia in November of 2021. Holstein also became the first Panther to complete 30 passes in a game since Pickett completed 39 against Miami in October of 2021.
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