Takeaways from Wake Forest's heartbreaking loss to UNC

Down multiple players, the Deacons' defense found a way to put the team in a position to win

For the third-straight year, Wake Forest fell to North Carolina in heartbreaking fashion. The 36-34 loss also marked the Deacs’ third loss in a row this season, sending a once No. 10 team to 6-4. Read below for our takeaways from the game.

Sam Hartman seemed to have it turned around, until he didn’t

For the most part yesterday, Hartman looked like the quarterback that dazzled last season and the early part of this year. He accounted for 320 yards through the air and four touchdowns, and looked especially good moving the ball down the field after overcoming a slow start in the first quarter. Some of Hartman’s passes were spectacular, including two third-quarter touchdowns of 32 and 60 yards. Specifically on the latter pass, Hartman led Donavon Greene right in stride to the end zone. That’s something Hartman had been missing since the win over Boston College.

A thing of beauty 🤩 https://t.co/bDgbzkwokv pic.twitter.com/jdzaOkYxkA

— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) November 13, 2022

But, what Hartman hasn’t been missing is the turnovers. Over the course of Wake Forest’s three-game losing streak, head coach Dave Clawson has made it clear that his quarterback is not at fault for all of his interceptions and fumbles. Looking back at the film, that seems to be a fair assessment. And, it’s a big ask for a quarterback to completely avoid turnovers in a shootout between two prolific offenses.

READ: Wake Forest stumbles late in 36-34 loss to UNC

But, this interception is pretty hard to defend. Leading late in the fourth quarter, all Wake Forest had to do was push the ball for a few more first downs and run the clock out. Instead, Hartman took a big shot through the air towards a receiver he thought was wide open, failing to recognize a safety lurking below. That interception, which at any other point may have been far less consequential, put North Carolina in prime position to kick the game-winning field goal.

Clawson has been quick to support his quarterback on turnovers over the past few weeks, but in his postgame press conference, he put this one squarely on the shoulders of Hartman.

“He just threw it late,” Clawson said. “[Greene] was open right out of the break, and he waited. That was the difference between a 15-yard play and an interception.”

All things considered, the defense did pretty well

Before Wake Forest even hit the field against one of the best performing quarterbacks in the country, the defense was at a severe disadvantage. Defensive back Malik Mustapha, linebacker Jaylen Hudson and lineman Kendron Wayman were all unable to play due to undisclosed injuries. Then, lineman Rondell Bothroyd and cornerback Caelen Carson could not finish the game after playing for a small part of the night. Lastly, safety AJ Williams was ejected early on a targeting penalty.

No doubt, the team got punched in the mouth to start the game, giving up three-straight touchdowns in the first quarter. But, the offense stormed back and got the Deacs back into the game for the second half. From there, Wake Forest only allowed nine second-half points and forced two turnovers on downs that put the team in position to score points.

READ: Key Stats from Wake Forest's 36-34 loss to UNC

Without Carson, Mustapha and Williams, the Wake secondary made some plays, posting seven pass breakups that limited the Heels from being even more dominant. The Deacs’ pass rush also outperformed North Carolina’s, registering six quarterback hits and three key sacks.

Taking away that first quarter, and considering where the game stood in the second half, the defense put Wake Forest in a position to win. Against an offense like UNC’s, that should be commended.

We need to talk about the end of the first half

Trailing by six points, Wake Forest got the ball back with just over a minute remaining in the first half with all three timeouts at their disposal. Instead of making any attempt at moving the offense forward, Clawson ran the ball twice and went to the locker room.

All season long, this has been Wake Forest’s story — an opportunity to score at the end of the half that is squandered. This has been a theme long before the losing streak, but was likely ignored because the Deacs were winning games. Now, it’s clear that there is a problem.

READ: Game Summary - North Carolina defeats Wake Forest 36-34

It’s understandable why Clawson elected to run the clock out. Wake Forest was on their own five-yard line and the team could have easily given the ball back to UNC with a few quickly missed passes. If that happened, and the Tar Heels ended the half with even more points, there would be a new discussion about time management.

But, this was a shootout. Everyone knew that coming into the game, and it was clear based on the play on the field. Even Clawson himself called it “a touchdown game” when asked about his fourth-down calls. So, if scoring points was so critical, why not at least make an effort to push the offense forward at the end of the first half?

Maybe Clawson’s decision was a mistake, maybe it wasn’t. But because the offense never took the shot, we will never know. In a one-point loss, those types of choices will always leave more questions than answers.

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