Before the season, most people would probably not have thought that the biggest ACC football game would be on Nov. 13 between No. 16 NC State and No. 12 Wake Forest, but that is the case: The two teams meet in Winston-Salem with the ACC Atlantic Division title on the line.
The Wolfpack (7-2, 4-1 ACC) and the Demon Deacons (8-1, 5-0 ACC) have the two best records in the Atlantic, and while each team has two more games following this one, the winner will be in the driver’s seat to make the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 4 in Charlotte.
This will be the 115th all-time meeting between the two teams, and in the long history of the rivalry, there may never have been more on the line for both teams than this year’s game.
“It’s going to be a great game and a great challenge,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “Since we lost that game to Miami, we’ve been approaching every game as a must-win game. We’ve been in a playoff mode. We have to win this game, the next game and the next game to be in Charlotte.”
Prior to last week’s loss against North Carolina, the Deacs were off to their best start in school history at 8-0 and had reached No. 9 in the initial College Football Playoff Rankings. The last time Wake Forest won the ACC Championship was in 2006, and this could very well be the best team the school has had since then.
Key to Wake’s success this season has been the stellar play of quarterback Sam Hartman, who is third in the ACC in passing yards and has thrown an average of 419 yards and scored 18 total touchdowns in the last three games. Helping Hartman has been the lethal wide receiver tandem of Jaquarii Roberson and A.T. Perry, both of whom are in the top five in the ACC in receiving yards.
That trio has led the Deacs to one of the highest scoring offenses in the country and will be matched up against the NC State defense, which allows the fewest points per game in the ACC. The Pack has suffered major injuries on the defensive side of the ball this season, including losing redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson and redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore for the year, and while the unit has held its ground the past two weeks, it will have its hands full this week.
“They’re a high-scoring group and they’re playing with confidence on offense,” Doeren said. “We’re gonna have to play really well in the secondary. We’re gonna have to help our secondary with pass rush, with underneath coverage, with change-ups and we’re gonna have to compete.”
On the other side of the ball, the Wake Forest defense has given up a lot recently, surrendering 58 points to North Carolina and 56 in a win over Army. That should bode well for redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary, who recently became the first NC State quarterback since Russell Wilson to pass for over 300 yards and four touchdowns in back-to-back games.
“[Leary] is playing really good football,” Doeren said. “His stats don’t lie and the film doesn’t lie.”
NC State fans know how much trouble the Pack has had recently at Wake Forest as the team has only won in Winston-Salem once since 2001. Unlike many of its recent trips to Winston-Salem, however, NC State will be a slim underdog this time, while Wake is the favorite.
In the past, Wake has played the spoiler for the Pack’s hopes of making it to the championship. Perhaps it is time for a role reversal this year.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
