Wake Forest HC Dave Clawson on traveling to play FSU: “You certainly hope the ACC will make the right decision”

The Florida State Seminoles are hot. With the ‘Noles football team undefeated and leading ESPN’s Strength of Record ratings, it is clear now is not the best time to face FSU. Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson apparently agrees.

“You certainly hope that the ACC will make the right decision,” he said on Tuesday. ”If they don’t, we will. We’re not going to travel down there and put anyone at risk.

We’re monitoring the weather. Obviously this in the league’s hands and Florida State’s hands. You would hope they make the right decision, but if we feel there’s any danger to our players, we’re not going to go.”

Clawson brought up the risk of travel with the approach of Hurricane Ian on the Florida peninsula. But Wake Forest isn’t playing USF (who has relocated), the Demon Deacons are scheduled to play FSU. In Tallahassee.

Current modeling predicts Ian will make landfall somewhere between Tampa and Venice on Florida’s west coast. Tallahassee faces a 30-40% chance of tropical storm force winds, per NOAA’s most recent predictions, and a 0% chance of hurricane force winds.

Leon County Schools are open tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28th. FSU and the ACC have not announced any change to the game time, and a location change seems very unlikely.

After Ian continues its path through Florida into the southeast, the remnants of the storm are currently poised to pass into western North Carolina overnight Saturday.

“When these things happen, everyone is a weather expert — there’s a major storm hitting Florida. It’s not just the flight. It’s the hotel — does it have electricity? Are they going to be able to feed us? You can’t go down there and not food. If all those things are checked, we feel it’s safe, the ACC determines it’s safe and we determine it’s safe, there’ll be a game.”

“If they say they feel they can host the game and it’s safe, then it’s in our hands to say if traveling is safe.”

“We want to play — we absolutely want to play. If it’s safe and appropriate.”

Clawson discusses flying and travel during the storm (beginning at 7:30 of above embedded video), which is understandable. But considering the location of the storm and its path, this is about as unsafe as any late summer afternoon flight in or out of Tallahassee. Clawson says “we can’t go down there and not have food” in his press conference, which is patently ludicrous.

If Wake Forest wants to forfeit, they can forfeit. We will be eating nice warm food here in Tallahassee either way.