Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 26, 2020 41 ing for the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last Nov. 9, Surratt was still selected first-team All-ACC and a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award by snaring 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns in his nine games played. Seldom does Wake Forest have such a premier talent — the school has produced only five first-round picks in its history — and Surratt was deemed as perhaps the best wideout to come from the school since Ricky Proehl, who was drafted in the third round in 1990 and had a 17-year NFL career. TOP 10 TRAVAILS While head coach Dave Clawson has rightfully been renowned as a su- perb program builder, there is also a ceiling with the Wake Forest football operation when it comes to getting beyond a certain threshold. It is reflected the most in its record versus the teams that are ranked in the Associated Press top 10 at the time of the game: 1-62. The lone victory occurred versus No. 4 Tennessee on Oct. 26, 1946, while the most recent encounter resulted in 37-13 defeat at home to No. 1 Clemson Sept. 12, which at least was a more competitive out- come than the 52-3 defeat to the Ti- gers last year. This will be the sixth meeting ever between Wake Forest and Notre Dame — and the fifth in a row where the Irish are ranked in the Associated Press top 10. The initial game was at Winston-Salem in 2011, a 24-17 Irish victory in which neither team was ranked. After that, the next four results were: • In 2012, the 10-0 Irish entered the contest No. 3 and easily cruised to a 38-0 victory. That evening, losses by Oregon and Kansas State, the two teams ahead of the Fighting Irish, helped elevate third-year head coach Brian Kelly's team to No. 1 for the first time in 19 years. • In 2015, Notre Dame was No. 6, but a non-dominant 28-7 win versus the 3-9 Demon Deacons dropped the Irish in the eyes of the playoff selec- tion committee. • In 2017, a 48-37 win over Wake Forest — where Notre Dame at one point led 41-16 and 48-23 — im- proved the ledger to 8-1 and No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rank- ings. • Finally, in 2018 Notre Dame trav- eled to Winston-Salem ranked No. 8 with junior Ian Book getting the nod over Brandon Wimbush to start at quarterback, even though the Irish were 3-0 with Wimbush, highlighted by a win over Michigan. Book and the Irish cruised to a 56-27 win over the Demon Deacons. ✦ GAME PREVIEW: WAKE FOREST Demon Deacons wide receiver Sage Surratt, who reeled in 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns in just nine games played last year, opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY BRUCE CHAPMAN/COURTESY WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS Predictions Todd Burlage: Notre Dame 28, Wake Forest 17 Notre Dame has thrived on the road against ACC opponents the last two seasons, winning each of its previous five games since 2017 by an average of 26.6 points, including 56-27 at Wake Forest in 2018. Don't expect that kind of victory margin this year, but the Irish will get through. Patrick Engel: Notre Dame 31, Wake Forest 14 Adding Sage Surratt to the list of already im- portant skill position players lost from last season zapped a lot of explosiveness from the Wake Forest offense. Notre Dame's should be able to score 30 on a middle-of-the-pack defense that was susceptible to allowing chunk yardage a season ago. Andrew Mentock: Notre Dame 30, Wake Forest 9 The Notre Dame defense will keep Wake Forest outside of the end zone and score a touchdown itself. Quarterback Ian Book will struggle early, but finish with multiple passing touchdowns and look more comfortable as the game progresses. Mike Singer: Notre Dame 38, Wake Forest 13 Wake Forest is down two of its best weapons from last season and just doesn't have the horses to run with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame shouldn't have any issues with the Demon Deacons. Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 31, Wake Forest 17 Ian Book took over for good as the starter in Win- ston-Salem in 2018 during a 56-27 rout despite a shaky start. The Demon Deacons should be better on defense, led by end Carlos Basham, and will be more competitive this time.