2011 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Football: Wake Forest vs Notre Dame

The old question goes like this: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Similarly, if two struggling football teams play on national television during the LSU-Alabama game this Saturday night in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will anyone watch? The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons might not be seen by a lot of eyeballs this weekend, but they’ll both need to focus on the task at hand and tend to their very similar shortcomings.

It’s true that this game – which will be televised by ABC and ESPN2 in a split-national broadcast window – will be reduced to a low-level broadcast attraction because of the “Game of the Year” event between LSU and Alabama, which was moved to prime time on CBS a few weeks ago. Moreover, this clash between the Irish and the Deacons won’t possess the same degree of sizzle it once promised. Notre Dame has now been knocked out of the running for a BCS bowl bid, which makes this campaign a less-than-fully satisfying one in South Bend, Indiana. As for Wake Forest, the Deacs – who were riding high at 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference – have been brought down to earth by two old-fashioned country thumping’s. Wake got its face handed to it on a silver platter in October, receiving a 38-17 whacking at the hands of Georgia Tech and then suffering a 49-24 loss at North Carolina this past weekend. This non-conference clash just doesn’t stimulate the senses the way it once did, so the key for both of these teams is to emphasize the need to weed out bad habits and develop strong fundamentals for the rest of the season.

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Notre Dame needs to build better mechanics and establish a penchant for being ruthlessly and mechanically efficient. The Irish found some of that efficiency in a 56-14 win over Navy last weekend, but the challenge for coach Brian Kelly’s team is to be strong each week. Notre Dame, after all, posted an emphatic 59-33 win over another service academy team – Air Force – on Oct. 8, only to then face-plant against USC on Oct. 22. Notre Dame’s turnovers have ruined so much of this season; as the Irish work toward their season finale against Stanford at the end of November, they will need to display first-rate ball security.

The challenge is similar for Wake. Head coach Jim Grobe watched in dismay last weekend as his quarterback, Tanner Price, threw three interceptions against North Carolina. Wake committed five turnovers, allowing North Carolina to possess the ball for more than 35 minutes and accumulate over 560 yards. If Wake can eliminate turnovers, the Deacons have a chance to move the ball on Notre Dame. The Irish figure to score a lot of points in this contest, but if Wake can play an airtight brand of ball, the Irish – as already mentioned – can implode. The team that doesn’t shoot itself in the foot is the team that will win, and if both teams clean up their acts, Notre Dame – by virtue of having superior skill-position talent – will likely win in a shootout.

The only question is this: Can Notre Dame get out of its own way? That’s the question which has dogged the Irish throughout this 2011 season. If Brian Kelly’s boys can answer that question properly, they’ll reduce at least some of the frustration that has characterized this particular autumn.

Wake Forest vs Notre Dame Football Preview