Wake Forest is heavily favored to bounce back from a sluggish season opener wiht a decisive victory over Western Carolina this Saturday, according to a scouting report. The Deacs struggled offensively against Kennesaw State, scoring only 10 points, but analysts anticipate a much-improved performance against the Catamounts, who allowed over 600 yards of offense in their first game.
The report highlights concerns about Wake Forest’s running game, which produced just 130 yards on 47 carries against Kennesaw State. Establishing a more effective ground attack against Western Carolina, which yielded over 300 rushing yards in its opener, will be crucial. A failure to average at least 3 yards per carry could signal deeper offensive issues.
Despite Western Carolina limiting Hampton to 12 completed passes, those completions resulted in 292 yards-averaging nearly 25 yards per completion-suggesting vulnerabilities in the Catamounts’ secondary. The report suggests Wake Forest should exploit these weaknesses with downfield passing plays, perhaps involving quarterback Deshawn Purdie.
Historically, even during a rebuilding year in 2014 when Wake Forest averaged under 40 rushing yards per game, the team still defeated its FCS opponent by nearly 20 points.This precedent, combined with having a game under their belt, leads to optimism for a stronger showing against Western Carolina.
