Wake Forest Athletics
Kamara and Deacs Prepared to Bounce Back
11/26/2020 12:30:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“We’ve been down before, like in the beginning of the season, but we got back up and went on that winning streak.” - Sulaiman Kamara
After a tough loss, the next week of football practice is always challenging. There's the desire to fix the mistakes that led to defeat coupled with the desire to return to the gridiron to show those were simply an anomaly.
Bye weeks following those losses can seem terminal. One can only imagine then how difficult it is for the Deacs right now, as the season is temporarily put on hold because of a combination of positive cases, quarantine of close contacts and injuries.
The next known game is Dec. 5 at home against No. 12 Miami, which would equate to a three-week gap between that contest and the heartbreaking 59-53 loss at North Carolina.
"There were a lot of missed tackles," redshirt senior defensive tackle Sulaiman Kamara said. "That was a big emphasis going into the game. We had plenty of opportunities and didn't capitalize. We were not focused on what we needed to do on the field together. Everybody played their heart out, but it wasn't enough. You really have to give everything, when two good teams go head-to-head."
The Deacs evaluated the tape of the game the next day, then started to prepare for the road ahead starting the following day.
"When we win we celebrate for 24 hours and when we lose we mourn for 24 hours," Kamara said. "Those 24 hours are up. We addressed the issues on Sunday and worked on what we needed to fix. We have to move on and focus from there."
Kamara has 13 tackles and three tackles for loss so far this season. He now has 78 stops with nine TFLs in his Wake Forest career.
"I feel like the focus is here and nobody has given up on the season," Kamara said. "It was a big loss, but that's what happens when you play an all-ACC schedule. You're going to have some ups and downs. We've been down before, like in the beginning of the season, but we got back up and went on that winning streak. We just have to do it again."
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson admitted the team was 'crushed' after losing a 21-point second half lead to the Tar Heels.
"That was a feeling that nobody wanted at the end of the game," Kamara said. "No team wants to feel like that. It snapped up back into reality. This is a hard schedule. Every game we have to bring our A-game. We have to come out playing like we did in the first half against North Carolina, but then finish.
"We were up by so much, we probably figured if we time managed it right we would be able to run the clock out and win the game. When you play a team like North Carolina, you can't relax on either side of the ball. You have to keep your foot on the gas and keep going. The offense played their hearts out and we're proud of them. That's a hard one."
The Deacs already regrouped once this year. After opening the season with losses to Clemson and North Carolina State, the Deacs reeled off four-straight victories.
"What are we doing here after we sacrificed so much to come back for this season?" Kamara said they asked themselves. "We can't let it all go to waste and put together a bad record. We've put in too much work for it to go down that way. We had to finish hard. We're still in that mindset, but we just needed a reminder. From now on, we know our last few games are going to be tough. We just have to bring it."
Bye weeks following those losses can seem terminal. One can only imagine then how difficult it is for the Deacs right now, as the season is temporarily put on hold because of a combination of positive cases, quarantine of close contacts and injuries.
The next known game is Dec. 5 at home against No. 12 Miami, which would equate to a three-week gap between that contest and the heartbreaking 59-53 loss at North Carolina.
"There were a lot of missed tackles," redshirt senior defensive tackle Sulaiman Kamara said. "That was a big emphasis going into the game. We had plenty of opportunities and didn't capitalize. We were not focused on what we needed to do on the field together. Everybody played their heart out, but it wasn't enough. You really have to give everything, when two good teams go head-to-head."
The Deacs evaluated the tape of the game the next day, then started to prepare for the road ahead starting the following day.
"When we win we celebrate for 24 hours and when we lose we mourn for 24 hours," Kamara said. "Those 24 hours are up. We addressed the issues on Sunday and worked on what we needed to fix. We have to move on and focus from there."
Kamara has 13 tackles and three tackles for loss so far this season. He now has 78 stops with nine TFLs in his Wake Forest career.
"I feel like the focus is here and nobody has given up on the season," Kamara said. "It was a big loss, but that's what happens when you play an all-ACC schedule. You're going to have some ups and downs. We've been down before, like in the beginning of the season, but we got back up and went on that winning streak. We just have to do it again."
Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson admitted the team was 'crushed' after losing a 21-point second half lead to the Tar Heels.
"That was a feeling that nobody wanted at the end of the game," Kamara said. "No team wants to feel like that. It snapped up back into reality. This is a hard schedule. Every game we have to bring our A-game. We have to come out playing like we did in the first half against North Carolina, but then finish.
"We were up by so much, we probably figured if we time managed it right we would be able to run the clock out and win the game. When you play a team like North Carolina, you can't relax on either side of the ball. You have to keep your foot on the gas and keep going. The offense played their hearts out and we're proud of them. That's a hard one."
The Deacs already regrouped once this year. After opening the season with losses to Clemson and North Carolina State, the Deacs reeled off four-straight victories.
"What are we doing here after we sacrificed so much to come back for this season?" Kamara said they asked themselves. "We can't let it all go to waste and put together a bad record. We've put in too much work for it to go down that way. We had to finish hard. We're still in that mindset, but we just needed a reminder. From now on, we know our last few games are going to be tough. We just have to bring it."
Players Mentioned
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