Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson on end of season, living up to a new standard
After Wake Forest’s heartbreaking 36-34 loss to North Carolina on Saturday, head coach Dave Clawson was disappointed in Wake Forest’s inability to start the game fast. The Deacs punted on their first two drives of the game, allowing North Carolina to jump out to a 14-0 lead.
Wake Forest’s struggles in that department have been a theme for the majority of the season, especially during the three-game losing streak. The Deacs gave Clemson 14 points at the beginning of their back-and-forth shootout. Against Louisville, it was 13 points. Then, there was North Carolina.
“I have to find a way to help our team start faster,” Clawson said. “In three of our four losses, we've just gotten off to bad starts. [In] all of those games, we battled back and took the lead. But we can't keep spotting people 13 and 14-point leads in the first quarter and expect to come back and beat good [teams].”
READ: "No Shot" - Quarterback Sam Hartman says he will not return to Wake Forest for a sixth season
In past seasons, especially last year, Wake Forest has mastered the art of winning the close contests. In 2021, the Deacs took down Syracuse in overtime, Louisville on a game-winning field goal and NC State by just three points.
This season, Wake has struggled to execute in those close games — the time when each play counts more.
“This year, we basically lost on the last play of the game to Clemson and close to the last play to Carolina,” Clawson said. “We were fortunate to find a way to beat Liberty. So this year, in those games, we’re 1-2. Against NC State, if we get a stop, we have a chance to win that one. We haven't won as many close games as we usually have.”
Part of executing for Wake Forest is limiting penalties, and the team has failed to do that this year. Yes, the Deacs are the least penalized team in the ACC — No. 18 in the nation — but to Clawson, the standard is higher. That’s especially important when these penalties tend to come in key situations.
“I'm looking at the penalties we've had, the amount of holds and false starts,” Clawson said. “It's disappointing. It's frustrating that we haven't got it fixed, because it certainly has cost us. Without question. It's a lot of the same players that won 11 games last year and didn't have these issues. Whenever you lose a close game, the first place you have to look is in the mirror, and [ask], ‘why are we not getting these things corrected?’”
Earlier today, quarterback Sam Hartman spoke to the media for the first time in over three weeks. After referencing that this would be his last year at Wake Forest, Hartman pointed out the strides the program has taken over his time in Winston-Salem.
When Hartman first started, a six-win season was fine. Now, the expectations are much higher. To Clawson, despite not hitting the mark this season, that high bar is a good thing.
“When I got here, if we were 6-4, people would have been thrilled and excited about it,” Clawson said. “The thing I'm most proud of is we're 6-4 and people are disappointed. I'm proud of that. I think it’s good that we've elevated the standard of what a good season is here.”
“Now we have to live up to that standard,” Clawson continued. “At times this year, we've done that. And other times we've come up short. We still have three games to play, and we're just trying to go 1-0. If we can do that, I think we set ourselves up to have one of the better seasons in the history of the school.”
When talking about the growth of the program, Clawson put much of that on the shoulders of his quarterback. Over the past five years, his own personal growth has been just as monumental as that of the team.
“I don't know if I've ever had a player like Sam,” Clawson said. “The way he rewired himself and how he learned from adversity. His career wasn't normal.”
When Hartman entered Wake Forest as a freshman, he wasn’t supposed to play. Clawson himself wanted to redshirt him. But, due to unforeseen circumstances, Hartman started. After breaking his leg, Jamie Newman took over and won the starting job for the following year. After Newman was injured, Hartman regained the No. 1 role for the remainder of 2019 and the COVID-shortened season in 2020.
READ: Week 12 ACC Football Power Rankings
“After the 2020 season, [Hartman] embraced all the leadership aspects of being a quarterback,” Clawson said. “He truly became the heart and soul of our football team. The way that he's invested in all his teammates, his genuine care and concern for [them], he's become one of the best leaders I've ever coached.”
Now, the goal is finding a way to send the seniors out with a win in their final game at Truist Field.
“We just need to have a good week,” Clawson said. “Our guys are playing hard. I'm proud of our football team. The effort the last two weeks has been outstanding. [With] a little better execution, we'll give ourselves a good chance to compete and hopefully find a way to win this week.”
Follow @DeaconsDaily on Twitter and Instagram for more Wake Forest content
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.