Wake Forest has started this season with three strong performances, led by a defense that has done well to contain opposing offenses. While their offense has gotten a lot of focus, the Deacs have flown under the radar on the defensive side of the ball. The start to the Miami game was bad, to say the least, but the defense regrouped and held a Miami offense that could be the best in the country in check in the second half. This group will get another test this week as Louisville’s offense has been piling up points and yardage at will this year.
Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke are the key players up front for Wake, and they man the edge spots for the defense. Hardy is the son of former Illinois great Kevin Hardy, while Kirschke leads the team in pressures with 8 this season. Both players were lauded with preseason accolades, and they have both started the season well. Kirschke has been outstanding, and the Cards will have to account for him as a run defender as well as when he rushes the passer.
The Deacs are a little undersized up front, but that works for their defensive scheme as they look to create havoc with their front four. Dallas Afalava is the main man in the middle of the defense. He plays the 3-technique, which allows him to do what he does best, which is shoot gaps and get into the backfield. He has done a good job collapsing pockets as a pass rusher, and he holds up against the run as well. Louisville will get another good test to see if their success running the ball against SMU can be sustainable.
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Wake runs into issues on defense once you get past the front four. While this defense has played well, opposing offenses have essentially been playing 7-on-7 against their pass defense. That starts at linebacker, where Frank Cusano and Aiden Hall have had no success stopping the pass. The defense as a whole has only seen 14 passes not be completed. For context, Lincoln Keinholz had 11 incompletions against Ole Miss and 9 against SMU. The linebackers are struggling in coverage, but they do a solid job against the run, with Vincent Firenze being an efficient playmaker when he’s in the game.
While the secondary is pretty much allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw against air, they have done a very good job of containing explosive plays. Wake has only allowed 5 passes for more than 10 yards this season, and no completions have gone for 30 yards. It’s as if they have a forefield behind the defense. They force everything short and once the pass is completed, they get downhill to make the tackle. More than half of the passing yards they’ve given up are after the catch, because quarterbacks are taking what is given to them. It’s a good strategy, but I’ve never seen it work this well.
The plan has worked well for them, but the Deacs are giving up 235 yards per game through the air, and they don’t have an interception yet. Malachi Toney had a field day in the first half last weekend because he is electric after the catch. While Lawayne McCoy and Tre Richardson are not Toney, they have both shown that they can be dynamic with the ball in their hands. It will be fascinating to see if the Wake game plan will work against the Cards.
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