Wake Forest Athletics

By the Numbers and Notes: Louisville
12/10/2020 11:55:00 AM | Football
Here are some of the key numbers and notes heading into the Louisville game this weekend.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest football team is two days away from visiting North Carolina at the Kenan Stadium.
Before the Deacs travel out of the state of the North Carolina for the first time this season, below are some numbers and notes on the game:
By the Numbers:
23 - Boogie Basham's is currently fourth on the Wake Forest all-time sack list with 20.5 career sacks, sitting 3.0 away from Duke Ejiofor for third.
21 - Demon Deacons have 21 rushing touchdowns. Wake Forest had 18 rushing touchdowns during the entire 2019 campaign.
12 - The Deacs 12 interceptions this season which leads FBS and leads the ACC by two. Nick Andersen and Ja'Sir Taylor are the only two Wake Forest players with multiple picks this year.
15 - Wake Forest leads FBS with a +15 (+2.14 per game)turnover margin, +3 better than the next closest.
8 - Sam Hartman's streak of 234 passes without an interception ranks eighth in ACC history. He is nine pass attempts away from breaking into the top five on the list.
Notable
SECURE THE BAG
• One of the points of emphasis for the Wake Forest football team is winning the turnover battle. They have been one of the best teams in the country in that category since the start of the 2016 season.
• In three of the last four seasons, the Demon Deacons have finished inside of the top 25 in turnover margin while placing in the top three of ACC in each of those seasons.
• Over the past five season combined Wake Forest has a combined +36 turnover margin. Only 2018 saw the Deacs finish with more turnovers lost than gained:
Season TO Gained TO Lost TO Margin
2020 16 1 +15
2019 25 17 +8
2018 16 19 -3*
2017 21 13 +8
2016 27 19 +8
*Only season in Wake Forest history where the Deacs reached a bowl game with a negative turnover margin.
• Winning the turnover battle has been a key to victory for the Demon Deacons since Dave Clawson arrived on campus ahead of the 2014 season:
Turnover Margin Record When
Even 9-10
+1 or better 27-10
+2 or better 16-3
+3 or better 10-0
DEACON WINDICATORS UNDER CLAWSON
• 150 or more rushing yards in a game:
• Record: 30-11
• Leading at halftime:
• Record: 27-9
• Turnover Margin +1 or better:
• Record: 27-10
• Allowing 21 or less points:
• Record: 26-7
• 400+ yards total offense
• Record: 24-8
50 BURGERS
• Since 2017, Wake Forest ranks second in the ACC with ten 50-plus point games, trailing just Clemson:
Rk. School '17 '18 '19 '20 Total
1. Clemson 2 4 7 2 15
2. Wake Forest 3 4 1 2 10
3. Syracuse 1 5 1 0 7
KICK SCIBA
Before the Deacs travel out of the state of the North Carolina for the first time this season, below are some numbers and notes on the game:
By the Numbers:
23 - Boogie Basham's is currently fourth on the Wake Forest all-time sack list with 20.5 career sacks, sitting 3.0 away from Duke Ejiofor for third.
21 - Demon Deacons have 21 rushing touchdowns. Wake Forest had 18 rushing touchdowns during the entire 2019 campaign.
12 - The Deacs 12 interceptions this season which leads FBS and leads the ACC by two. Nick Andersen and Ja'Sir Taylor are the only two Wake Forest players with multiple picks this year.
15 - Wake Forest leads FBS with a +15 (+2.14 per game)turnover margin, +3 better than the next closest.
8 - Sam Hartman's streak of 234 passes without an interception ranks eighth in ACC history. He is nine pass attempts away from breaking into the top five on the list.
Notable
SECURE THE BAG
- INTERCEPTING THE OPPOSITION: Last season, the Demon Deacons finished the year with 14 interceptions by 10 different players. Through seven games, Wake Forest is on pace to break that mark as nine different players have accounted for the Deacs' 12 total interceptions. After week 13 of the FBS season, Wake Forest is the one of just four teams in the country to have three or more interceptions returned for touchdowns. Ja'Sir Taylor and Zion Keith have both returned their interceptions 45 yards for TDs while Gavin Holmes touchdown at Syracuse was from 32 yards out.
- STREAKING: Wake Forest has forced a turnover in the last 16 contests. The last time the Demon Deacons failed to force a turnover came against Elon on Sept. 21, 2019.
- PROTECTING THE ROCK: Through seven games, Wake Forest has only turned the ball over once this season and the Deacs are the only FBS schools who has played more than five games yet to throw an interception this season and the only ACC school who has not thrown an interception this year. The Demon Deacons +15 turnover margin this season ranks first nationally and leads the ACC.
• One of the points of emphasis for the Wake Forest football team is winning the turnover battle. They have been one of the best teams in the country in that category since the start of the 2016 season.
• In three of the last four seasons, the Demon Deacons have finished inside of the top 25 in turnover margin while placing in the top three of ACC in each of those seasons.
• Over the past five season combined Wake Forest has a combined +36 turnover margin. Only 2018 saw the Deacs finish with more turnovers lost than gained:
Season TO Gained TO Lost TO Margin
2020 16 1 +15
2019 25 17 +8
2018 16 19 -3*
2017 21 13 +8
2016 27 19 +8
*Only season in Wake Forest history where the Deacs reached a bowl game with a negative turnover margin.
• Winning the turnover battle has been a key to victory for the Demon Deacons since Dave Clawson arrived on campus ahead of the 2014 season:
Turnover Margin Record When
Even 9-10
+1 or better 27-10
+2 or better 16-3
+3 or better 10-0
DEACON WINDICATORS UNDER CLAWSON
• 150 or more rushing yards in a game:
• Record: 30-11
• Leading at halftime:
• Record: 27-9
• Turnover Margin +1 or better:
• Record: 27-10
• Allowing 21 or less points:
• Record: 26-7
• 400+ yards total offense
• Record: 24-8
50 BURGERS
• Since 2017, Wake Forest ranks second in the ACC with ten 50-plus point games, trailing just Clemson:
Rk. School '17 '18 '19 '20 Total
1. Clemson 2 4 7 2 15
2. Wake Forest 3 4 1 2 10
3. Syracuse 1 5 1 0 7
KICK SCIBA
- Nick Sciba could not only on his way to becoming the best kicker in program history, but potentially the best kicker in the history of the ACC after a record-breaking 2019 campaign.
- Sciba is coming off the North Carolina game where his finished 1-of-1 on field goals. The 41-yard make extended his streak to 10 straight field goals made, dating back to the Campbell game (10/2).
- In his career, Sciba owns a .887 field goal percentage (55-of-62), which ranks second in ACC history and is a Wake Forest program record.
- With 119 points during the 2019 campaign, he set a new program record for points in a single season. Sciba came into this season fourth in program history with 43 career field goals made.
- He comes into the week needing just 45 points to break the Wake Forest record for career points currently held by Sam Swank with 337 career points.
- Over the course of 2018 and 2019, he combined to make 34 consecutive field goal attempts, setting a new NCAA record.
- Sciba was named to three different All-America teams as a sophomore, garnering first team All-America honors by ESPN, second team by Sports Illustrated and third team by the AP. He is the first Wake Forest placekicker to be named an All-American since Sam Swank in 2006.
Players Mentioned
Steve Forbes - Postgame Presser vs. Navy
Thursday, March 19
Jake Dickert Pre-Spring Press Conference (March 18, 2026)
Wednesday, March 18
Wake Forest Women's Golf: Kim Lewellen Women's History Month Feature
Monday, March 16
Men's Basketball Postgame Presser vs. Clemson, 2026 ACC Tournament
Thursday, March 12



