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Offense: Jordan Howard, Junior RB
Last week, the Deacs faced one of the leading rushers in the NCAA. This week, they face THE leading rusher in the NCAA, Jordan Howard. Last year for UAB, Howard put up big numbers rushing for 1587 total yards and 13 TDs. This season, Howard has run 78 times and amassed 507 yards (6.5 ypc) and 3 TDs. In his last game against Western Kentucky, he rushed 31 times for an impressive 203 yards. He has broken the 100 yard mark in every game this season. The Deacs will be in a tough spot between trying to stop Howard from picking up big yards in the ground game while also being wary of the play action pass. Indiana's QB Nate Sudfeld has a big arm and loves to go deep off the play action, so look for Indiana to set up the deep ball with Howard on the ground.
Defense: Jonathan Crawford, Freshman Safety
Crawford is a true Freshman and currently 3rd on the team with 18 total tackles. In his last game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, he picked off QB Brandon Doughty twice and received Big 10 Freshman of the Week for his effort. With just 3 games under his belt, Crawford has shown that he has a talent for disruption, and can react quickly to make big plays. He will only continue to improve as he gains experience with each game. Since Wake Forest usually struggles to get the ground game going and relies heavily on the pass, whoever starts at QB for the Deacs will need to be make sure they are not starring down the receiver, or Crawford may end up going the other way with the pass.