The first seven years of Clawson’s tenure in Winston-Salem produced steady growth and improvement.
Starting in 2016 the Deacons turned a corner, unveiling a high-powered offense that powered Wake Forest to its first bowl game in five years. Since then, the Demon Deacons have continued to improve, winning eight or more games twice in the last four years and moving towards Clawson’s goal.
The Dave Clawson era at Wake Forest has seen a number of program records set and 2020 was no different.
The Deacs continued to build on their own program record, reaching a fifth-straight bowl game. That mark is the third-longest streak in the ACC, trailing just Clemson and Miami (FL).
The month of October saw the Demon Deacons go a perfect 4-0, marking the first time since the 2007 season a Wake Forest team had accomplished that feat. The run included a three-game ACC winning streak and was highlighted by a 23-16 victory over No. 18 Virginia Tech, their first win over a ranked opponent since 2018
With the help of two 50-plus point games, Wake Forest set a new program record, scoring 36.0 points per game.
Defensively, Wake Forest had its highest turnover margin in the Dave Clawson era with a +10 mark on the season. The Deacs were one of just seven FBS schools to post a +10 or better margin in the country, tying for fourth in that category.
Wake Forest finished the year with 14 interceptions and became one of just five schools to have 13 or more interceptions in both 2019 and 2020.
The 2019 season produced a number of firsts in school history: a record fourth consecutive bowl invitation, a record 14 players named to the All-ACC team, and a record-tying seven consecutive wins. Wake Forest also entered the second week of November with a 7-1 record and a No. 19 ranking from the College Football Playoff.
Wake Forest’s fourth consecutive bowl invitation was to the 2019 New Era Pinstripe Bowl in venerable Yankee Stadium.
With wins over North Carolina, NC State and Duke, the Deacons claimed the Big Four championship for the first time since 2007 while setting a school record for home wins in a season.
A program record 14 players were named to the All-ACC team and the Deacons were awarded 12 ACC Player of the Week honors.
The team broke or tied 100 NCAA, ACC and school records in finishing 15th in the nation in total offense while the defense gained the second-most turnovers in the last 11 seasons.
In 2018, Clawson established himself with more wins through his first five seasons than any other coach in school history. Wake Forest boasted a 1,000-yard rusher in Cade Carney and a 1,000-yard receiver in Greg Dortch, marking the first time since 1979 a Deacon team had accomplished that feat.
That season marked Wake Forest’s third consecutive bowl invitation despite breaking in two first-year starting quarterbacks. Clawson maintained a steady hand at the controls as the Demon Deacons navigated a dozen season-ending injuries to win four of the last six games of the season including the Jared Birmingham Bowl.
The bowl win gave Clawson his third bowl win and made him the fastest Deacon coach to three bowl victories.
The Demon Deacons set 105 records in 2017, tied another 15 marks, and became one of the nation’s most efficient and productive offenses. Wake Forest set major records for points scored in a season, obliterating the record by 97. The offense set new marks for total offense yards in a game and in a season, yards per carry, most touchdowns scored and most TD passes in a season. The defense set a record with 106 tackles for loss.
Two numbers stood out from that campaign, Wake had 11 players selected for 12 All-ACC positions, and as a team, the Deacons beat six bowl teams in 2017.
On December 10, 2013, Clawson became the 32nd head football coach in Wake Forest University