Healthy Demond Claiborne Heals Wake Forest

What a difference a week makes. Last week, it was a sluggish Wake Forest offense, with an injured Demond Claiborne, and pedestrian quarterback play. After enduring two weather delays totaling more than four hours on Saturday night, Wake Forest destroyed Western Carolina 42-10.

A Healthy Demond Claiborne

The storyline was Claiborne coming back from a presumed rib injury and running wild on the Catamounts’ defense. He finished the night with 10 carries for 193 yards and three touchdowns. The touchdown runs were 33, 27, and 85 yards. That 19.3 yards per carry average is not bad for a guy who spent the second half last week on the sidelines with an ice pack on his rib cage. It’s easy to stay healthy when no one on the defense lays a hand on you on any of the three touchdown runs. He was on the sidelines for the last quarter-and-a-half with the game well out of hand.

Cooling Their Heals

The two teams got in a couple of series each before the weather/lightning delay hit and lasted more than two hours.

When play resumed, Wake quarterback Robby Ashford had a hard time connecting with his receivers. The ball was getting there, but the catches were not being made. He took matters into his hands with a 41-yard sprint to the end zone to cap a five-play, 62-yard scoring drive.

A Receiver Star is Born

Any connection issue with the receivers was soon resolved. The answer came in the form of Chris Barnes. He became Ashford’s go-to target for much of the rest of the game, and he delivered. Ashford and Barnes connected on a 25-yard pass play to the WCU 41-yard line. Two plays later, it was all Claiborne. The sprint to the right side went 33 yards for the touchdown. Wake failed on the two-point conversion, but had a 13-0 lead.

Defense Makes a Stand

The Wake defense had its way with the WCU offense as well. Catamounts quarterback Bennett Judy was under pressure all through the first half. On WCU’s next possession after the Claiborne touchdown, Judy threw off his back foot and was intercepted by Zamari Stevenson at the Western Carolina 32-yard line. He returned it to the 27-yard line. The ensuing Wake drive was one play. Claiborne busted through a small hole on the left side and was untouched on his way to a 27-yard touchdown run. Another two-point conversion failed, but the Wake lead was a healthy 19-0.

For anyone tuning in and out of the game on TV, or running for shelter at the stadium, the halftime score made it look like Wake was perfect. WCU had a bad snap from center at its own one-yard line. The ball went out the back of the end zone for the safety and the 21-0 “perfect score” lead.

WCU managed a 23-yard field goal by Christian Lowry to get on the board just before the end of the first half.

The inclement weather hit again right as the two teams were finishing the first half. There was another 42-minute delay.

Finishing What They Started

Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert isn’t exactly used to weather delays, having come to Winston-Salem from Washington State. He used much of the downtime to prepare, adjust, and re-prepare. “We brought out Thursday’s practice tape and started going through it again,” he explained after the game. He added that the key was to let them relax but also keep them mentally focused.

When the second half started after the second delay, the focus was still there. The defense shut WCU down on five plays. And then it was Claiborne time again. He went right up the middle, untouched, for an 85-yard touchdown run and the 28-3 Deacs lead.

The Claiborne Impact

Dickert said the team had been guarded with Claiborne all week. When asked when they knew the running back would be ready to go, Dickert said, “Not until he came in before pre-game and said, ‘I’m going.’” He said it was a pain tolerance thing, but considering he did not take a lot of hits during the game, and had the two significant breaks with the weather delays, he was able to withstand it all.

Wake had one more big strike in it. In the third quarter, and already up by 25 points, Ashford hit Barnes along the left side for a 27-yard completion to the Wake 34-yard line. WCU got called for pass interference on the next play, shortening the field for the Deacs. Then Ashford connected with Sterling Berkhalter on a perfect post pattern, with the receiver making the catch over the shoulder just a step behind the defender. The 51-yard scoring play put the game out of reach at 35-3.

The QB Numbers

Ashford finished the night 13 of 22 passing for 227 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Dickert referred to adjusted passing stats that they will compile when they look at the top. While the completion percentage may look subpar, the coaches are going to find at least three drops by receivers in the early part of the game.

Once Ashford started connecting with Barnes, it was a difference maker. Barnes had a breakout game with six catches for 149 yards.

Deshawn Purdie came in at quarterback late in the third quarter. He engineered a scoring drive that resulted in a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Melvin.

The defense definitely got its appreciation from Dickert also. He said the defensive line may be the best unit as a whole on the team right now.

And WCU did score a fourth-quarter touchdown. But the 19 points the defense has given up over two games is the fewest amount of points over a two-game period for Wake Forest since 2017.

Work To Do

Still, Dickert said there is much to clean up in the short week before they play North Carolina State Thursday night. He talked about the penalties and taking care of the football. He said the team will be back at it on Sunday at 4 pm.

Last Word will have more coverage of the post-game comments on Sunday.