You didn’t need to be well-versed in Dave Clawson’s tone to pick up on his sarcasm about there being bad blood between Wake Forest and Stanford, one of the ACC’s three new additions this year — and the first of two the Deacons will play this season.
At least these teams have played in this century, though.
Wake Forest won at home in 2009, overcoming a two-touchdown deficit at halftime and winning 24-17 on Riley Skinner’s rushing touchdown with two seconds left. The Cardinal repaid the favor of winning in 2010, with Andrew Luck throwing four touchdowns in a 68-24 rout at Stanford.
So, if the Deacons remain unbeaten on the road this season, they will have their first-ever victory on the home field of this storied ACC rival.
Here are five things to know about Stanford ahead of Saturday’s game:
1. Unwelcome note
Stanford pulled off a bit of a shocker in its first ACC game, traveling to Syracuse and beating the Orange 26-24. Emmet Kenney kicked a 39-yard field goal on the game’s final play to deliver the Cardinal’s first win in its new league.
And Stanford is still looking for its second ACC win.
Clemson, Virginia Tech and SMU all handled Stanford by scores of 40-14, 31-7 and 40-10, respectively. Mixed into that is the ACC’s member-when-convenient program, Notre Dame, beating Stanford 49-7, spelling out a four-game losing streak.
There have been silver linings. Stanford gave up three early touchdowns to SMU last weekend and then leveled things off; a touchdown in the final minute of the first half against Clemson made it a 17-7 game at halftime; the Cardinal scored first against Notre Dame.
“I think this is a good, solid football team,” Clawson said, “(and) it’s going to be a very, very competitive game and we’re going to have to play well.”
2. Who’s in first?
Wake Forest has to prepare for two quarterbacks who excel in doing different things.
Ashton Daniels has been Stanford’s starter in six of seven games, missing the game against Virginia Tech. He’s a running threat, evidence enough being that he’s Stanford’s leading rusher (298 yards on 66 attempts).
But Daniels was replaced last weekend by Elijah Brown, a freshman who’s more of a pocket passer. Brown was injured in practice last month and progressed faster than anticipated; he had 153 yards and a touchdown, along with two interceptions, against SMU.
“With this situation, it’s like you’re preparing for two different styles of quarterback,” defensive tackle Kevin Pointer said. “It is kind of a little tough, we don’t know if we’re going to get 14 (Daniels), who runs the ball like Lamar Jackson at times.
“Or if we’re going to get the pro-style quarterback who likes to throw bombs.”
There is a third leg to this equation:
Justin Lamson started in place of Daniels against Virginia Tech, going 13-for-24 for 103 yards and an interception. He did have 36 rushing yards in that game despite being sacked five times, and he’s the only player on the roster who’s scored a rushing touchdown (he has three of them). It’s best to think of Lamson as the rushing-package QB.
3. One big weapon
Whoever plays quarterback will have the benefit of throwing to one of the best receivers in the ACC.
Elic Ayomanor is worth trying to force the ball to. He’s a 6-2, 210-pound redshirt sophomore who’s scored a touchdown in four of the last five games — which becomes more impressive when considering Stanford has a total of six offensive touchdowns in that span.
“He can play anywhere in the country,” Clawson said of Ayomanor. “He’s an elite receiver.”
Ayomanor exploded onto the scene last year, at about this time of the year, with a 13-catch, 294-yard, three-touchdown game against Colorado. His career-high before that game was 89 yards.
He does get force-fed the ball. Stanford has targeted him 64 times, according to Pro Football Focus; second-place is Ismael Cisse, with 31 targets. Of the 61 first downs Stanford has gotten through the air, 21 have come on Ayomanor targets; but of the eight interceptions thrown by Stanford QBs, three of them were when targeting Ayomanor.
4. Woe is defense
N.C. State has given up the most points in the ACC, 249. But the Wolfpack has also played one more game than Wake Forest and Stanford.
And that’s why this matchup pits the ACC’s two worst scoring defenses against each other; Wake Forest has allowed 224 points in seven games and Stanford has allowed 225.
The Cardinal has mostly been gashed through the air. All seven of Stanford’s opponents have thrown for at least 200 yards; three of them have gone over 300 yards, including SMU’s 322 last weekend. In five of seven games, Stanford’s opponent has had a passer efficiency of at least 150.
Stanford’s rushing defense averages look good; the reality is they’re being buoyed by a strong first three games. The Cardinal allowed a combined 155 rushing yards to TCU, Cal Poly and Syracuse; in four games since, Stanford has allowed 694 yards on 143 carries (4.85 yards per rush) and nine touchdowns.
5. The Bachmeier Bowl
They won’t be on the field at the same time — barring a crazy position switch — but you’ll see brothers matched up against each other in this one.
Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier has a younger brother, Tiger, who is sophomore receiver for the Cardinal.
Tiger has made more of his impact as Stanford’s punt returner; he has 111 yards on punt returns this season, 90 of which came on a touchdown against Cal Poly.
Hank is in his final season of eligibility but there will still be two Bachmeiers in college football; younger brother Bear Bachmeier is a 4-star quarterback who committed to Stanford in February.
