After a bye week, Boston College football faces its second-highest ranked opponent yet in No. 13 Wake Forest. BC and the Demon Deacons have had polar opposite starts to their seasons so far. BC is 2–4 to start the year while Wake is 5–1. Its only loss is to College Football Playoff contender Clemson. The road matchup will test the Eagles’ toughness, and a victory in Winston-Salem would be the biggest win of the Eagles’ season so far.
Who is BC playing?
Wake Forest
When is BC playing?
Saturday, Oct. 22, 3:30 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
Truist Field, Winston-Salem, N.C.
How to watch:
The game will air on ACC Network and BC Sports Network on WEEI 93.7 FM/850 AM.
Series History:
The Eagles lead the teams’ all-time series 14–12–2. Lately, however, Wake Forest has dominated the series, winning three of the teams’ last four matchups. In 2021, Wake Forest demolished BC 41–10, the largest point spread in the entire series. The last time the Eagles played in Winston-Salem, they came out with a 41–34 victory. BC will look for similar success on the road as it embarks on the second half of its season.
What to Expect From Wake Forest:
Offense
Wake’s offense is a balanced pass-run attack. The Demon Deacons don’t rely on either tactic too heavily and do what they need to keep the chains moving.
A two-headed monster leads Wake Forest’s rushing offense: Justice Ellison and Christian Turner. They both receive similar carry numbers, but Ellison seems to be used for eating up yards and Turner for blocking and punching in scores. Head coach Dave Clawson tends to stick with the hot hand if one of them gets going early.
Quarterback Sam Hartman, who boasts the third best QBR in the conference and the 20th best in the country, leads the Demon Deacons’ aerial assault. He’ll look to connect with his top target, wide receiver A.T. Perry, whose 482 receiving yards are good for fourth in the ACC. The Eagles’ secondary should also look out for Jahmal Banks, who leads the team in receiving touchdowns with six.
Defense
Wake Forest ranks in the middle of the pack of the ACC for most defensive statistics. The Demon Deacons have given up the seventh-most total yards and eighth-most points in the conference. Wake comes in at seventh place in total sacks and interceptions.
Kendron Wayman and Rondell Bothroyd, who have each recorded three sacks on the season, lead the Demon Deacons’ defensive line. Linebacker Ryan Smenda Jr. leads Wake in total tackles, and lineman Kobie Turner leads in tackles for loss. None of these players rank exceptionally high when it comes to these stats in the conference rankings, but BC’s struggling offense should look out for their impact on Saturday.
Outlook:
If BC wants to win against the Demon Deacons, it’s going to have to win in a shootout. Though Wake’s defensive success is far from the Demon Deacons’ offensive success, BC’s defense hasn’t fared better. It will be up to BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who currently has the worst QBR in the conference and is the only quarterback in the ACC whose points attributed against is in the double-digit negatives, to turn his season around with a high-scoring game. Look for wide receiver Zay Flowers to make big plays regardless of the game’s outcome.
