“One of the hardest things to do as a defensive lineman is transitioning from run to pass,” said Clawson. “So the RPO thing really slowed the passport frenzy. It ran defensive linemen in front of the pass. …
“Warren is a brilliant, brilliant offensive spirit, and he’s very creative, and he kind of established our entire offensive system – the RPO stopped being a complementary game and it became the bread and butter of what we did. We run Inside Zone, Outside Zone, Counter, Power, Tackle Wrap. We all run traditional games that other people play, but we run them with an RPO. … I think Wake Forest is a place where you have to be a bit unconventional. “
Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall, a defensive specialist, considers the Deacons offensive “unique” to the Power Five and Clawson to “one of the best coaches in college football”. Little wonder. After losing 37-17 to Wake last month, he’s 0-3 to Clawson’s Deacons.
Funding has allowed Wake Forest not only to keep coaches like Ruggiero, but also to improve facilities that Clawson said were worse than Bowling Green. Clawson credits these investments with helping him be more successful than any Deacons coach since the ACC’s inception in 1953.
What else Clawson’s wake program has to do is have a successful ACC season, make it into the Associated Press top 25, or earn the conference title. The Deacons did all three in 2006 under Jim Grobe and won the program’s second ACC championship and the first in 36 years, starting a three-year run ranging from 28 to 12 years.