As Week 0 rolls into the first full week of the 2022 season, there is always an array of unusual match-ups. We get one Thursday night in Winston-Salem. Much is expected of the Demon Deacons this season. But not much will be known after this week as Wake Forest opens against VMI.
There is limited upside to facing an FCS school, but at least Wake is doing it in week one as opposed to those that do it in mid-November. Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson has an admitted soft spot in his heart, and respect in his preparation for FCS schools, having coached at that level for the first eight years of his career.
Clawson will be looking to see how his defense handles the change in schemes from new defensive coordinator Brad Lambert and he will hope the team comes out in good health. Everything else is up to subjective analysis as to what we know or don’t know going forward.
What We Know
There are a few things we do know going into Thursday night. Linebacker Ryan Smenda will not be on the field. He will serve a one-game suspension going back to an incorrect call in the Gator Bowl. Despite even ACC commissioner Jim Phillips agreeing that it was an incorrect penalty, the NCAA refused to overturn its decision. Clawson has not been short of thoughts on the suspension. He continued that on Tuesday. “I just think it’s shameful that he’s not able to play in this game,” he said. “Everybody you talk to that is in a leadership position will acknowledge that he did not commit the targeting.”
We also know about the Demon Deacons’ quarterback. Sam Hartman has yet to be medically cleared to begin workouts towards a return to the field. Clawson was specific for those who want to try to read between the lines. “Sam has not been cleared yet. We feel he is progressing well.” He went on to make it clear that Hartman’s return will be based on medical analysis and will not be a football-based decision.
Griffis’ First Start
That makes it Mitch Griffis’ game to start for the first time in his three years at Wake Forest. It is made slightly easier by all of the returning talent in front of him on the offensive line, and surrounding him at the skill positions. Still, “The quarterback has to play well,” Clawson said in a more general sense. “It’s not like he hasn’t been in the offense,” Clawson said referring specifically to Griffis. “For Mitch’s first start, he has a lot more experience under his belt than other starters we’ve had in their opening start.”
Griffis has now gone through his first weeks of game prep knowing he will be the starter. “He’s a baller now,” Clawson said. “The great thing about Mitch is that even when he wasn’t a one, he prepared like he was a one.”
What We Will See
Going into the game missing your best linebacker and your starting quarterback usually poses a problem. That should not be the case Thursday night. The Keydets are 23-52 in seven years under head coach Scott Wachenheim. They have seen a slight uptick in the last two seasons, going 6-2 and 6-5 respectively. They were Southern Conference champions in the Covid-altered 2020 season, having completed their first winning season since 1981.
If there is a common theme between the schools that will be on display at Truist Field, it is experience. While the Demon Deacons return so many critical elements from the 2021 team that went 11-3, so does VMI.
Seth Morgan is in his third year as the starting quarterback. Last year he completed passes at a 61.6% clip while throwing for 2,175 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Returning And The Mysteriously Missing
They have talent returning at running back as well, although we may not be sure who it is going to be Thursday. Kory Bridy is the leading returning rusher. He ran for 668 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021. But he was not on the depth chart released by VMI this week. Rashad Raymond would be taking the carries in his absence. Raymond ran for just over 500 yards with three touchdowns last year.
On defense, the Keydets return their top tackler from 2021. Linebacker Stone Snyder had 102 tackles last year. Returning defensive back Josh Knapp added 82 tackles.
While Nick Reveiz is in his first year as defensive coordinator at VMI, the Keydets return offensive coordinator Patrick Ashford. It makes it easier for Clawson to watch some of last season’s game film to prep for week one. “You’re studying both films; one for personal and one for scheme,” Clawson said. “There’s a lot more of a guessing game of what they’re going to be on defense. On offense, with their quarterback returning, you’d expect them not to change too much.”
Justice Is Not Guessing
Demon Deacons running back Justice Ellison does not seem to be guessing what the defense will look like. Reveiz comes over from Albany. That is good enough for Ellison. He told us Tuesday that all of his free time has been watching Albany last year, and that was not easy. It’s not like you could find the games on ESPN. “Some of the camera work was kind of off,” he said. “But we could hone in on things from the end zone copy of the film.” Ellison said because Reveiz was at Albany and now is at VMI, he focused on the defensive schemes. “It doesn’t matter the players they have. When you match up the schemes, come game day, you’ve already seen it a thousand times.” He is glad he does not have to wait until the typical Saturday game. “Oh man, I’m already excited,” he said about Thursday’s opener.
Expectations
Wake tight end Blake Whiteheart offered his analysis of what he expects to see from the VMI defense. “It is not complex, but what they do, they’re good at,” he said. “They play hard, and they are competitive.”
From the players to Clawson, the word “disciplined” was used to describe VMI. So, the Keydets are not going to beat themselves with a lot of mistakes. That will be up to Wake to take the game from them. “Openers are all about focusing on your team and not turning the ball over and having false starts and beating yourself,” Clawson said.
If you have gotten this far, you have seen the word Keydets several times. You may be wondering how an odd school nickname came to be. There is an urban legend that it evolved from the southern twang changing the pronunciation of the word “cadet.” That story is false. The official explanation is that it is a word that denotes the specific shade of gray in the standard uniform of a cadet.
You are now officially ready for Thursday night’s kickoff.
