Suspension served: Smenda excited to return
Linebacker Ryan Smenda missed Wake Forest’s season opener against VMI due to a targeting call on a hit to Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsett in the Gator Bowl. In this clip, it’s clear that the linebacker barely made contact with the target.
Smenda led with his head, but didn't lower his crown or even hit the sliding quarterback with his helmet. In fact, it’s abundantly clear that he was trying to avoid him.
“The officiating crew we had, they did a great job,” head coach Dave Clawson said following a preseason practice. “Ryan had a play where he was correctly called for a personal foul. For whatever reason, the replay official, who is supposed to correct on-field mistakes, jumped in. It was an incorrect call.”
“I’m a big boy,” Smenda said of the missed call. “I understand these things happen.”
In 2021, an ejection of this nature would see a player miss the first half of the next game. But, there was no next game, and because it was Smenda’s third ejection of the year, his suspension extended to a whole 60 minutes. After an appeal of the decision was denied, Clawson did not mince words about the outcome.
“To me, it's another example of why major college football needs a commissioner,” Clawson said following a fall camp practice. “As a fifth-year senior captain, Ryan has to miss one of his 12 opportunities to play football in his last year. He misses 20 minutes of a bowl game he shouldn't have missed, plus the first game of his senior year for a targeting everybody agrees he didn't commit.”
On Tuesday, Clawson’s main source of displeasure came from the NCAA not allowing Smenda to be with the team during the game.
“They wouldn't even let him be on our sidelines last week,” Clawson said. “You make a bad decision, then you just double down and triple down on it. Usually when you’re ejected you get to be on the sidelines. They wouldn’t even let him on the bench.”
Later in the press conference, Smenda expressed his gratitude for Clawson’s outspokenness on the issue.
“I can't ask anything more than for him to do his best,” Smenda said. “That's what he did. Every time we come into the meeting, [Clawson] would say ‘I did this and this today.’ All I could say was ‘Thank you coach. This means more than you’ll ever know.’ It's great to have someone on my side.”
However unjust, the damage is already done. Smenda's focus is now solely on Vanderbilt.
“Just wipe the lenses and move on to the next thing,” he said. “I’m excited to be back out there with the boys. I’m fired up to go to Nashville and get the job done.”
Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.