Wake Forest defeats Florida 82-71 and follows it up with a convincing 76-57 home victory over Rutgers. Efton Reid is now eligible and began his Wake Forest career with a well-rounded performance against the Scarlet Knights. The Deacs are gathering momentum and have the potential to make noise in conference play and beyond.

Essex and Ben break all this down and more on an hour-long Wake Forest basketball special.

Follow the Boots On The Ground Pod on X @BootsOTGPod.

Listen at Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/boots-on-the-ground-pod/id1704942201

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JxIByv01dKvjidAXIlkyD?si=a8ba381176a343b2

Essex and Ben run through Wake Forest’s 26-6 Senior Day loss to NC State and do a deep dive into Dave Clawson’s emotional presser after the game. Ben gives his extended thoughts on the state of Wake Forest football, the scope of the team’s breakdowns this year and Clawson’s performance as a head coach this season. Lastly, the crew discusses the quarterback change ahead of a strangely familiar matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday + the future of the position going forward.

Essex and Ben recap Wake Forest’s closely contested 80-77 road loss at Georgia, focusing on the foul trouble and shooting woes that had the Deacs a little out of sorts.

Also: who made the biggest impact on the game + the progress of the freshmen through two games.

Lastly, the crew looks ahead to Wake’s impending trip to Charleston and the critical opportunities that await Steve Forbes’ squad across state lines.

DOUBLE EPISODE

Essex and Ben recap Wake Forest’s back-and-forth blowout 101-78 victory over Elon, focusing on the stellar play of the guards and how the freshmen looked in their intro to regular season college ball. Then, the crew looks ahead to the Deacs’ next contest on the road at Georgia and discusses why Wake’s true big men need to find their groove fast. Plus, another conversation on the Efton Reid situation.

Lastly, BOTG reviews the football team’s heartbreaking 24-21 loss to Duke and gives predictions for Saturday’s home rivalry affair against NC State.

All that and more on the Boots On The Ground Pod.

Essex and Ben recap Wake Forest’s exciting 88-80 exhibition win over Alabama on Sunday and talk through who shined and who faltered. BOTG briefly discusses the Efton Reid transfer waiver situation, and lastly, gives a preview of the Deacs’ first game against Elon in the Joel Monday night, including a look at potential starting lineups.

Essex and Ben recap Wake Forest's 25-point loss to No. 4 Florida State over the weekend and revisit what the future holds at the quarterback position. Plus, a look into the new-look ACC matchups through the 2030 season. Lastly, BOTG caps off the episode with an in-depth look at a short-week Thursday night matchup against Duke that could be anybody’s game.

Essex and Ben recap Wake Forest's last gasp win over Pitt, including thoughts on Demond Claiborne, the growing utilization of Ke'Shawn Williams and the defense play.

Plus, a discussion of Santino Marucci's performance and why he has made the Wake Forest QB position a "conversation".

So, who should start at QB against Florida State.

As always, BOTG ends with keys to the game and game predictions.

Ben, Essex and special guest Christian Odjakjian take a DEEP DIVE into Wake Forest basketball's 2023-24 roster, including thoughts on transfers, returners and freshman + where they all slot into the lineup and their potential impact.

Also, the gents discuss the ACC as a whole, Wake Forest's schedule (and the importance of the early games), along with a favorable home/away setup.

Stay for discussion on Damari Monsanto's injury, Efton Reid's transfer waiver, tournament aspirations and an angry rant on the NCAA.

All that and more on the Boots On The Ground Pod.

Essex and Ben *finally* begin preparation for the 2023-24 Wake Forest men's basketball season, discussing last year's struggles in big games, the transition from departed to new, exciting players on the roster and how critical the quad system is.

Then, the BOTG crew welcomes team walk-ons Kevin Dunn and RJ Kennah to talk new faces, how the team has progressed in the preseason, leadership and who Deacon Nation should be excited to see on the court.

Stick around for important topics like Kevin's most-likely to be president vote, whether RJ would rather face one Kevin-sized duck or 20 duck-sized Kevins and Essex's running skills.

All that and more on the Boots On The Ground Pod.