Tag: Wake Forest football

Everything Dabo Swinney said ahead of Clemson vs. Wake Forest

Here’s what Dabo Swinney said at his weekly Tuesday press conference ahead of Clemson-Wake Forest.

Week 7 will see the Clemson Tigers visit Winston-Salem for a noon ET kickoff (ESPN) against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in ACC play. Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney spoke to reporters at his weekly Tuesday press conference ahead of the game.

“Excited to have another opportunity to just keep getting better,” Swinney said in his opening remarks. “Wake Forest, it’s a typical Dave Clawson team: well-coached, play hard every snap, fundamentally sound, incredibly disciplined, challenging scheme that’s well put together, and they’ve got some playmakers.”

Clemson (4-1) is ranked No. 10 in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll and No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Tigers are 3-0 in ACC play following last Saturday’s 29-13 win over Florida State. Wake Forest (2-3) is coming off a 34-30 upset win at NC State.

In Clemson’s last visit to Winston-Salem in 2022, the Tigers came away with a 51-45 double-overtime win in a game that pitted two Top 25 teams. Clemson was ranked No. 5; Wake Forest was ranked No. 21. Both teams were 3-0 when they met in Week 4.

A year ago, the Tigers pulled out a 17-12 win over the Deacs in Death Valley.

“Those of you who were with us a couple of years ago, that was a tough one,” Swinney recalled. “We were very, very fortunate to win that game. We literally made one more play than they did. So, got a lot of respect for Wake Forest and how well-coached they are, how hard they play. Year in and year out, they’re a tough challenge.

“It was a tough challenge here last year. It was 10-6 in the fourth quarter. Always a hard-fought battle and don’t expect anything different this year,” Swinney added.

Here’s everything Swinney said at Tuesday’s press conference.

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Kickoff time, TV info announced for Clemson football vs. Wake Forest

Kickoff time for Clemson vs. Wake Forest on Oct. 12 was announced Monday.

The ACC on Monday announced kickoff times for Week 7 games, including the No. 14 Clemson Tigers’ matchup against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem on Oct. 12.

The Tigers (3-1) and Wake Forest will kick off at noon ET from Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.

This will mark the 90th meeting between the two schools. Clemson leads the all-time series, 71-17-1 and has won the last 15 meetings against Wake Forest dating back to the 2008 season. The Tigers won last year’s contest, 17-12, at Memorial Stadium. Dabo Swinney is 15-0 in his coaching career against Wake Forest.

Clemson is coming off a 40-14 victory over Stanford and has won three straight games. Wake Forest (1-3) has dropped its last three, including a 41-38 contest to Louisiana last Saturday in Winston-Salem. Dave Clawson’s team faces NC State this weekend.

RELATED: Kickoff time, TV info announced for Clemson-Florida State game

Here’s the full list of ACC kickoff times for Oct. 12, per the ACC’s press release Monday.

  • Clemson at Wake Forest — Noon ET on ESPN
  • Georgia Tech at North Carolina — Noon ET on The CW
  • Stanford at Notre Dame — 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
  • Syracuse at NC State — 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network

The following games will have the network designated after Week 6 games this Saturday, Oct. 5.

  • Louisville at Virginia — 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ACC Network
  • California at Pitt — 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ACC Network

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions. 

ACC starting quarterback rankings for 2024

Here are our ACC quarterback rankings for 2024, with projected starters.

We are still some time away from the start of the 2024 college football season, but that doesn’t stop us from looking ahead.

Today, we are looking at the ACC starting quarterbacks for 2024 and ranking them ahead of the season. This is just a preview, as it is still many months from the season, and things can change fast. While every team doesn’t have a starting quarterback on paper, we are making projections on these starters based on what we know right now.

The ACC is a bit different now, with the addition of new programs and new faces to the conference. Try not to get mad with these, they’re subjective! That said, here are our ACC starting quarterback rankings heading into the 2024 season.

– Updated 5/11

Alabama Football lands Wake Forest transfer defensive back DaShawn Jones

The Alabama football program added talent to its secondary as Wake Forest DaShawn Jones announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide.

After taking an official visit to Tuscaloosa over the weekend, Wake Forest transfer defensive back DaShawn Jones has committed to Alabama. Jones is the second defensive back to commit in as many weeks joining Charlotte transfer safety Kameron Howard.

Jones was pursued by multiple other programs including the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, and LSU Tigers. In the end, the Alabama coaching staff was able to sell the Maryland native on why Alabama was the best fit for him and his family.

Jones spent three seasons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina playing for the Demon Deacons. He recorded 61 tackles, three interceptions, and seven pass deflections.

In all likelihood, Jones will compete for the starting corner spot alongside Alabama cornerback Domani Jackson. The chances of Jones seeing early playing time are increasingly high given Alabama’s inexperience at cornerback.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama football program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

Commanders sign Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman

The Commanders are bringing in former Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman.

The Commanders, still looking for players to fill their 90-man roster, have signed Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.

Consequently, Hartman went undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft, which concluded a few hours ago. Now, NFL teams are signing the players they would like to bring into their off-season program.

The signing of Hartman brings the Commanders’ quarterback room to five: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel, Jake Fromm, and Hartman.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 208 pounds, Hartman committed to and signed with Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference. As a freshman, Hartman saw action in nine games, completing 161 of 291 passes (55.3) for 1,984 yards, 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and a 125.2 passer rating.

After playing only four games in the 2019 season, Hartman completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 2,224 yards in 2020 with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 138.7 passer rating.

Hartman enjoyed largely productive seasons in 2021 and 2022, when he passed for 39 and 38 touchdowns with 14 and 12 interceptions, respectively. He also had his highest passer rating numbers of 148.6 and then 159.4.

Due to Covid altering the 2020 NCAA Football season, Hartman having one more year of eligibility, determined to transfer to Notre Dame. For the Fighting Irish, Hartman completed 63.5 percent of his 301 passes for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 159.5 passer rating.

Born in Charlotte, NC, he will turn 25 in July. He played his High School ball at Oceanside Collegiate in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and became a three-star college quarterback recruit.

 

ACC Football Teams Ranked by Returning Production for 2024

A look at each ACC team’s returning production for the upcoming 2024 season.

Forecasting which teams will rise to greatness in college football in any given season can prove challenging. However, a key indicator often lies in the roster’s returning players.

From seasoned fifth-year senior linebackers to up-and-coming junior quarterbacks, the presence of experienced athletes opting to continue with their respective programs can significantly bolster a team’s competitive advantage. This continuity becomes particularly crucial as other teams contend with talent depletion due to NFL draft selections, transfers, or eligibility regulations.

ESPN recently released a list of all 134 FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, with each ACC team naturally being listed. Here is a look at each ACC team’s returning production on offense, defense, and total.

Updated 4/7

A look at Clemson football’s complete 2024 schedule

Here is a look at Clemson football’s entire 2024 schedule.

After a long wait, we finally have a complete look at the Clemson football team’s 2024 schedule.

While we have known who the Tigers will be facing for some time, we now have the date and week for each game. Times are yet to be determined, as many factors go into the time choices for each game. Even so, we know what week each game will take place, so Clemson fans can now plan accordingly.

With the release of the schedule, we put together a week-by-week schedule of our own for you to see who Clemson will face each week and where it will be. Take a look at Clemson’s complete 2024 schedule below.

Updated 3/31

Every ACC football team’s ESPN preseason SP+ ranking

The ACC has some strong teams heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s SP+.

The 2024 college football season is months away, but we all know that football remains on the mind throughout the offseason. 

Early rankings have been released all over the place, with ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently releasing the preseason ESPN SP+ rankings ($$$) for the 2024 season. These SP+ rankings consider multiple key factors regarding a football team, including returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. A strong model; here is a bit more of what Connelly had to say about the rankings. 

“It’s a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking. Along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the season. These are simply early offseason power rankings based on the information we have been able to gather to date.”

Straightforward and to the point, these are power rankings based on what we know right now. So, how do Clemson and the rest of the ACC stack up in the first SP+ rankings for 2024? Check it out below.

Updated 2/16

Every ACC Football Team’s 2024 Recruiting Class Ranking After National Signing Day

Here is a look at every ACC team’s final 2024 recruiting class ranking.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff showcased their recruiting prowess in the 2024 class, adding considerable talent to their roster. However, the burning question remains: how does Clemson’s recruiting effort compare to other ACC powerhouses following National Signing Day?

Today, we delve into the post-National Signing Day landscape, dissecting each ACC football team’s 2024 recruiting team ranking according to 247Sports. While Clemson remains a formidable force in ACC recruiting circles, they find themselves not at the summit for this particular recruiting cycle. Another program is poised for a significant resurgence, and the 2024 class appears to be the catalyst for their potential return to past glory.

From perennial ACC contenders to emerging teams within the conference, let’s examine the 2024 recruiting team ranking for each ACC program, shedding light on the evolving dynamics within the conference.

–Updated 2/13

Former Washington QB dies at 84

Snead was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1961 NFL draft by Washington.

Norm Snead, who was selected to two Pro Bowls as Washington Redskins quarterback from 1961 to 1963, died Sunday in Naples, Florida, at the age of 84.

Snead grew up in Newport News, Virginia, and attended Wake Forest. During his last two years for the Demon Deacons, he was first-team All-ACC. He was taken by the Redskins with the second overall selection of the 1961 NFL draft.

Washington struggled during Snead’s tenure, posting records of 1-12-1 (1961), 5-7-2 (1962) and 3-11 (1963).

Following the disappointing 1963 season, Snead was traded to the rival Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for QB Sonny Jurgensen.

Jurgensen came to Washington and had a tremendous career, resulting in his being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 1983. Snead would start a total of 159 games for the Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants. His teams had a record of only 52-100-7 in those games, and his 257 interceptions rank sixth all-time.

Commenting years later on the trade, Jurgensen said: “Maybe it was a good thing for Norm, too. Because he had been thrust on the field as a rookie without the surrounding cast that a young quarterback needs. There’s no question he could throw the ball. He just needed surrounding people. So, it was good for him to get out and start fresh.”

One of the more unusual facts regarding Snead’s career was that he was traded for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Not only was he traded for Jurgensen in 1964, but he was also dealt for Fran Tarkenton in 1972.

The latter trade brought Snead to the Giants, where he enjoyed perhaps his best NFL season, leading the NFL in completion percentage and earning a Pro Bowl selection as the Giants went 8-6. However, it was mostly overlooked because Dallas (the defending Super Bowl champion) and Washington (the NFC champion that season) were both in the top tier of NFL teams in 1972.

Snead had a big arm, but because his teams were so often playing from behind, he led the NFL in interceptions in four different seasons (1963, 1968, 1969, 1973).

Snead passed for 30,797 yards and 196 touchdowns in his career (1961-1976). He was voted to the Pro Bowl four times.