Wake Forest Football: Week 9 PFF Grades Roundup

Check out how the Deacs graded in their 48-21 loss to Louisville

Wake Forest fell to Louisville 48-21 on Saturday, giving the Deacs their second loss of the season and moving them down 10 spots in the AP Poll. Wake Forest didn’t play their best football in any aspect — let’s see how the Deacs graded out in the road defeat.

Quarterbacks:

1. Sam Hartman- 54.9
2. Mitch Griffis- 42.1

Hartman didn't have his best stuff on Saturday and accounted (but was not necessarily at fault) for all six of the Deacs turnovers in a disaster of the third quarter. With three interceptions and three fumbles lost, the team’s season totals were doubled in both categories in that 15-minute frame alone. Hartman’s grade was his worst of the season by a full seven points (Vanderbilt). Mitch Griffis wasn’t much better in relief, throwing for 39 yards, an interception and a touchdown in the final minute of the game.

Running Backs:

1. Will Towns- 80.5
2. Christian Turner- 66.9
3. Justice Ellison- 63.9
4. Quinton Cooley- 59.0

The Deacs’ primary tailback trio of Turner, Ellison, and Cooley, combined for just 67 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. The longest run of the day came from Turner, a 21-yard scamper in the second quarter. Pass blocking was hit or miss — Ellison graded out at a 76.5, while Cooley was tagged at a 12.8, though he only played six snaps. Towns shined in garbage time, breaking off runs of 9, 12 and 18 yards once the backups came in. This is Turner’s second-highest grade of the season (76.5 against Army), and Ellison’s third-lowest.

READ: Week 10 ACC Power Rankings

Pass Catchers:

1. Blake Whiteheart- 81.6
2. Ke’Shawn Williams- 76.1
3. A.T. Perry- 65.0

The pass catchers didn’t display their usual dominance against Louisville, with Jahmal Banks contributing the only touchdown from the six starters. Whiteheart (4 receptions, 52 yards), graded well across the board, putting up a 77.2 receiving mark and a 71.1 pass blocking rating. His overall offensive rating of 81.6 was his best of the year. Williams’ 76.1 mark is his fifth grade of over 70 this season.

Defensive Line:

1. Tyler Williams- 65.2
2. Kevin Pointer- 65.0
3. Kobie Turner- 64.5

This unit was playing without a key player for the majority of the game, as DE Rondell Bothroyd went down with an injury early on. The Deacs struggled to get penetration all day, with Pointer registering the team’s only sack in the third quarter. Pointer’s and Williams’ ratings were middle of the road for their season metrics, and Turner registered his lowest grade of the season.

READ: Takeaways from Wake Forest's Loss to Louisville

Linebackers (min 10 snaps):

1. Ryan Smenda Jr.- 65.4
2. Chase Jones- 57.9
3. Jaylen Hudson- 46.4

The linebackers were quiet on Saturday, with Smenda chipping in the unit’s only tackle for loss. The grades were all over the map — there was a 19-point gap between the highest and lowest qualifying performances. Both Smenda and Hudson registered tackling grades below 50. Smenda’s grade is his third-lowest of the year, Hudson’s is his lowest and Jones’ is his second lowest (48.4 against Liberty).

Defensive Backs:

1. Caelen Carson- 71.2
2. Evan Slocum- 69.7
3. DaShawn Jones/Gavin Holmes- 68.7

This was the highest-graded unit on the team, as four out of the top five total defensive grades came from defensive backs. Caelen Carson was the team’s top-graded defender and had a strong return to action, netting four solo tackles and an 80.7 tackling rating, his highest of the year. Slocum’s grade was his highest of the season, Jones’ was his second highest, and Holmes’ was in the middle of the pack.

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