WINSTON-SALEM – Wake Forest doesn’t have the option to carry over the quarterback change that it made in the first half of Saturday’s loss at Virginia Tech.

The Deacons might have to go to another option.

Michael Kern relieved Mitch Griffis on Saturday and was sacked on the first play of a drive late in the fourth quarter, after the Hokies had scored to make it 30-13.

“Michael Kern is going to be out for a couple of weeks. Mitch took some shots. We’re not 100% sure of his availability,” coach Dave Clawson said on Tuesday. “We’re going to let the week play out and see where we are.”

Kern was 14 of 22 for 166 yards against Virginia Tech. He lost two fumbles on strip-sacks and was sacked five times.

Griffis started the game 6 of 11 for 27 yards. His last throw before being relieved by Kern was an interception on the sideline — Wake’s first turnover, which led to a missed field goal — though Clawson said after the game the interception wasn’t the only factor in his decision to change QBs.

He reentered the game after Kern’s exit and finished 8-for-17 for 61 yards.

“We have a lot of new starters that I thought would take to their roles quicker than I thought,” Clawson said earlier Tuesday, in relation to the offense as a whole.

The other quarterbacks on Wake’s roster are third-year player Santino Marucci, freshman Charlie Gilliam, and walk-ons Troy Hoilman and Tyler Mizzell.

Marucci has had an interesting time behind the scenes at Wake Forest. In spring of 2022, his position jostled a few times and at certain points he was playing running back; at others he was playing linebacker and safety. Billy Edwards Jr. transferred to Maryland after that spring and Brett Griffis transferred after the 2022 regular season, necessitating Marucci’s move back to QB.

Gilliam and Mizzell have not been traveling for games.