The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will host the FCS Elon Phoenix on Thursday, but the weather in Winston-Salem could be dicey. Although most public books aren’t taking action on Thursday night’s contest yet, Week 1 marks an important milestone for the Demon Deacons, as they no longer have star quarterback Sam Hartman. Let’s dive into how Hurricane Idalia could affect the weather forecast for Thursday night’s Elon-Wake Forest college football game.
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Elon-Wake Forest Weather Forecast: Hurricane Idalia Looms on Thursday
Will Hurricane Idalia Affect Elon-Wake Forest on Thursday?
Although Winston-Salem is relatively far inland, the current forecast calls for some dicey weather in north-central North Carolina on Thursday — at least for football purposes. The National Weather Service is reporting a chance of showers at around 20%, but if Hurricane Idalia lingers over Florida and Georgia, that number could tick up. The forecast also calls for winds between 15 and 20 mph with gusts up to 31 mph, steadily decreasing as the evening wears on. With kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, Thursday’s Elon-Wake Forest game may not dodge the storm.
Hurricane Idalia is currently a major hurricane. According to the Winston-Salem Journal, the storm is expected to bring heavy rain and coastal flooding to the Carolinas — although Winston-Salem should dodge its worst effects. CBS News reported that it had strengthened into a major Category 4 storm by Tuesday, but it is expected to weaken significantly once it makes landfall in Florida. Still, it will carry rainfall and strong winds across the southeastern United States.
Wind and rain can be disastrous for passing offenses, so Sam Hartman’s replacement, Mitch Griffis, may have a harder time than usual. Griffis is entering his fourth year with the Demon Deacons and has completed 58.9% of his passes for 7.2 yards per attempt, six touchdowns and one interception. Most of that production came against FCS VMI last season, so he is no stranger to beating up on lower-quality opposition, but he may now have to do it in the rain.
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