2009 Wake Forest Campus Correspondent Portfolio

kelly laffey: Wake Forest Campus Correspondent 12 Days of ACC Football: BC Preview August 3, 2009 Boston College has undeniably suffered the greatest offseason losses of any ACC team.

They’re coming off of two seasons of Championship game appearances yet are slated for a last place finish in the Atlantic division. The former powerhouse will not return Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski, linebacker Mark Herzlich, and quarterback Dominique Davis. Three strikes and you’re out, according to the preseason media poll, anyway. I have a little more faith in Boston College. Maybe it’s because Wake Forest’s 2006 season is still strongly ebbed in my mind. (For those of you who don’t remember, Wake was picked to finish last in the Atlantic division in the preseason media poll but went on to win the ACC Championship game and compete in the Orange Bowl.)

Despite losing two very strong would-be returning starters in addition to those who graduated, there’s no question that Boston College is a talented team. I think that it’s all going to come down to what new coach Frank Spaziani has up his sleeve. Although this is his first headcoaching position, the BC former defensive coordinator has more than 30 years of experience as an assistant coach on the FBS level. Actually, I stand corrected- Spaziani was named the interim head coach after Tom O’Brian left the program. He led the Eagles to a 25-24 victory over Navy in the 2006 Meineke Car Care Bowl and thus starts his 2009 season with a 1-0 record overall.

But, most importantly, Spaziani wants to coach BC’s program. As the third head coach in the past four seasons, BC could definitely benefit from Spaziani’s passion and work ethic. Best case scenario? The team rallies around Spaz and overcomes losses at key positions to head to the ACC Championship game yet again. The excitement from such an unexpected season will lead to a trip to the Orange Bowl. (ok, my best case scenario is actually that Dear Old Wake Forest is in the Orange Bowl, but I’ll save my predictions for the Old Gold and Black for August 8.)

Yet despite my belief that BC will fare better than its last-place Atlantic Division prediction, I don’t think that the Eagles will be able to completely overcome their loss of players. With quarterbacks Chris Crane and Dominique Davis gone, the Eagles are left with very little experience. The team also faces serious losses on defense with linebacker Mark Herzlich (2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year) being the most significant. The two NFL-bound defensive linemen, Ron Brace and BJ Raji, will also be sorely missed. But, let’s not forget that Spaziani was once a defensive coordinator. Can he mold BC’s young talent? Sophomore running backs Josh Haden and Montel Harris proved that you don’t necessarily have to have extensive college experience to be a successful player. They’re back after making a name for themselves last year as freshman. With 12 returning starters (7 offense, 5 defense), maybe BC’s less-experienced set will yield similar results.

With 2009’s stacked Atlantic Coast division, every win is significant. BC should have no trouble dominating Northeastern and Kent State, but I’m sure that the next four games- Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, and Virginia Tech- will be more difficult. Overall, I think that BC will go 6-6, 3-5 in the ACC.

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12 Days of ACC Football: Clemson Preview August 4, 2009 All I can say is- after Wake Forest’s 2006 heartbreaking loss to Clemson during a rainy Parent’s Day weekend, a Deacon victory at the expense of the Tigers is always a season highlight. Last year’s win, however, proved just how far the favored Tigers had fallen. Their 7-12 loss came with an inexplicably low 198 total yards of offense. After starting out the season 3-3 despite being the preseason ACC favorite, Clemson head coach Tommy Bowdon was replaced by Dabo Swinney who garnered a 4-3 record for the second half of the season and led the Tigers to the Gator Bowl. It was the team’s first January bowl appearance since the 2003 season. While this clearly speaks to Swinney’s abilities as both a coach and team motivator, how feasible is it for his to expand upon his success and lead the team to an ACC Championship?

Senior running back CJ Spiller is Clemson’s realistic Heisman Trophy candidate. With a schoolrecord 12 touchdowns of 50-plus yards, Spiller is sure to be a dominant force on the field this year. His reputation definitely ignites fear into the opposition and, at the very least, I think he’s in the running (no pun intended) for ACC Player of the Year. Spiller is extremely talented with the potential to do some great things for his team, but the crux of the matter is that the Tigers have yet to definitively select a quarterback. Three underclassmen- Willy Korn, Kyle Parker, and Tajh Boyd- are all viable candidates. While all three have had a number of successes in the past, it’s difficult to predict how the offense will perform without knowing who’s arm will lead it. A quarterback’s role as team leader off the field is just as important as his job on the field.

Ricky Sapp assured me that the team would be happy with any of the candidates but no one knows exactly how the team will gel under yet-to-be-determined’s leadership. Clemson faces an additional offensive setback with the departure of wide-receivers Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham.

Kelly led the conference last year with 232 grabs.

Luckily, the defense has fared better. Although the team lost both starting safeties, they do return 8 starting defensive players in total. Clutch returnees are senior cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor who will begin their third season as starters. The pair have a combined 18 career interceptions and are poised to add to the list. All-in-all, the Clemson defense should be one of the top in the conference.

Despite Clemson’s talent and Coach Swinney’s enthusiasm, I’m not going to send the team to Tampa Bay. My prediction would be 8-4. But, maybe lower expectations than 2008 (the 2009 preseason ACC poll gave Clemson a second place Atlantic Division finish) will help Clemson to win on its own terms. The ACC Championship game is definitely within every team’s reach.

On another note- I really wish that people would stop discounting the ACC as a viable football league based on Clemson’s poor performance in 2008. While the Tigers were a huge disappointment according to numerous preseason forecasts, the talent in the ACC does not solely rest with them. Just because Clemson could not be as solid of a team as was expected does not mean that the ACC harbors little football skill. With the Atlantic division expected to be so congested, expect numerous stellar performances from all of the teams. Should be a great season!

12 Days of ACC Football: FSU Preview August 6, 2009 According to quarterback Christian Ponder, FSU football is “looking forward” in 2009. The

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theme applies to so many aspects of the program. Though the team has recently strayed from the powerhouse that it was in the 90s, Florida State enters the 2009 season as the preseason favorite to finish first in the Atlantic Division. Although dealing with an ongoing investigation into an academic cheating scandal, the program needs to let the past be the past and focus on being a football team and winning some games. Coach Bobby Bowden has spent his tenure proving that the Seminoles are capable of just that. With his contract set to expire after the 2010 season, you can be sure that Bowden will do everything in his power to leave on a high note.

The season opener vs Miami should make for an epic Monday night football battle. The rivalry dates back to 1951 and has only intensified since Miami joined the ACC in 2004. I strongly believe that the outcome of this game will dictate the rest of FSU’s season (much like the Clemson/Alabama game in 2008. Clemson’s loss was the first of many in a disappointing season). With their strong offense (especially the running backs), FSU should be victorious. But, don’t expect the ‘Canes to go down easily.

The FSU preseason prediction makes sense given FSU’s 2009 lineup. The team is returning all five starters on the offensive line, making them one of, if not the best in the ACC. (Although I do think that Georgia Tech will give them a run for their money). Dekoda Watson (linebacker) and Patrick Robinson (cornerback) will be the Seminoles’ top defensive players in 2009. Watson accumulated 46 tackles last season and Robinson is widely believed to be a candidate for AllACC and All-American.

That being said, I’m not 100% sold on the FSU comeback story. As Clemson proved last year, highly regarded teams seem more apt to fall. I’m a huge fan of the recent Wake Forest-FSU rivalry that has recently sprung up. (For those of you who don’t know, in 2006 Wake Forest was the first team to shutout Bobby Bowden at home. The Deacs have since taken every victory in the series.) Despite many predictions to the contrary, I think that Wake will best FSU for the fourth time in a row. With both teams being as talented as they are, attitude and atmosphere are going to play a huge part in the win. FSU will be coming off of games against Georgia Tech, NC State, and Clemson. Wake will hopefully be able to use FSU’s difficult schedule to its advantage.

FSU is lucky, however, that Virginia Tech is absent from its regular season. Overall, I predict 8-4.

12 Days of ACC Football: NC State Preview August 8, 2009 Head Coach Tom O’Brien enters his third year at NC State with a lot of enthusiasm. He finished the 2008 season with a team that showed a lot of promise and, if O’Brien can pick up where he left off, The Pack may finish better than the preseason media poll suggests. (NC State was picked to finish third in the Atlantic). To refresh everyone’s memory, last year O’Brien led the team to its first bowl appearance since 2005. NC State returns 15 starters so O’Brien has a lot of opportunity to build on 2008’s success. And, as an added bonus, the Wolfpack will host a record eight home games.

Chief among NC Sate’s assets is the return of All-ACC and ACC Rookie of the Year Quarterback Russell Wilson. The whole offense does seem to be State’s strength, but they’ll be competing with equally stacked offenses in, for example, FSU. Russell can’t carry the team by himself. He’s joined by running backs Jamelle Eugene and Tony Backer in the backfield. Eugene accumulated over 650 total yards last year. Baker sat last season out due to injury but has managed to tally over 1600 total career yards.

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Defensively, State should be confident with linebacker Ray Michel who led the team in tackles last year. The position was a little more solid this spring, but junior Nate Irving suffered injuries in a June car crash and his return this season is debatable. The secondary is also a concern to State fans as there is little depth.

The Wolfpack will have some tough road games this season- especially Wake Forest and FSU. While Tom O’Brien will continue to build the program, I don’t predict an ACC Championship appearance. The Pack will go 7-5.

12 Days of ACC Football: Wake Forest Preview August 8, 2009 Welcome Wake Forest Football fans to The Road to Tampa Bay blog! I will be following the Demon Deacons through the 2009 season as they vie for the coveted ‘number one’ slot in the Atlantic Division, an ACC Championship, and a trip to a January bowl game. Given the program’s history, the Deacs are coming off of three stellar seasons and the memory of the 2006 championship title is still fresh in every fan’s mind. (Yet the fact that many people consider last season’s eight wins an underachievement really speaks to the current state of the Wake football program). The preseason media poll ranked the Old Gold and Black fourth in the division, but the Deacs did receive seven first place votes. Quarterback Riley Skinner remembers all too well the last time the Deacs were seriously underrated. Now, as in 2006, Wake forest is “flying under the radar.” And that, according to Skinner, is “when we play our best.” I couldn’t agree more.

Let’s start with a breakdown of the positions, and then I’ll give my overall prediction of the 2009 season.

Coaching: While not technically a position, the coaching staff really can be credited for all of Wake Forest’s current successes. To say that Head Coach Jim Grobe is effective is an understatement. To mention some of his Wake Forest career highlights- Since entering Wake Forest in 2001, Coach Grobe has led the Deacs to five over .500 seasons. In 2006, he led the team to finish 11-3 (the school’s first season with double-digit victories) and to an ACC Championship. For that, he was named both the ACC and National Coach of the year. In the past two seasons, the team has finished 9-4 and 8-5, respectively. (To put this accomplishment in perspective, Wake Forest’s next most successful three-year stretch was from 1944-1946 with a combined 19 wins.) In addition, much to Coach Bobby Bowden’s dismay, Coach Grobe continues to find talent from the state of Florida. (The tactic seems to be working as Wake has destroyed FSU for the past three years). Under Grobe’s leadership, the future of Wake Forest football is very promising.

And now, on to the Deac’s offense. Wake Forest should feel pretty confident with its offensive lineup. They have 9 returning players and senior left tackle Chris DeGeare will come back after sitting out the 2008 season for academic reason. While in the past the Deacon offense was overshadowed by the more promising defense, this year the roles will reverse. With one of, if not the top offenses in the conference, the Deacs have what it takes to get the points on the board.

Quarterback: Not much to say here as Senior Riley Skinner’s stunning statistics speak for themselves. After beginning his tenure as a freshman in 2006 with an ACC Championship, Skinner has continued to make impressive strides. He is the school record holder in completion percentages (67.3) and passing efficiency (132.3). His 26 career wins is also a Wake Forest record. In last year’s inaugural Eaglebank Bowl, Skinner set the NCAA record for completion

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percentage in a bowl game when he completed all 11 attempts in Wake’s 29-19 win over Navy.

He is clearly a clutch member of what is looking to be a very promising Deacon offense.

Running Backs: The team’s solid running backs provide impressive depth. Brandon Pendergrass is the team’s leading rusher with 528 yards. He is joined by junior Josh Adams who ranks fifth in career rushing yards among active ACC rushers with 1,355. The running backs are rounded out by senior Kevin Harris who held Wake’s highest 2008 rushing total by an individual when he rushed 24 times for 136 yards. All in all, the Wake Forest offense should feel pretty confident with their running backs poised for success.

Wide Receiver: This is the only position on the Wake Forest offense that was hurt by graduation with the departure of DJ Boldin and Chip Brinkman. Last year, Boldin was the Deacon’s leader in receptions with 77. The next top three receivers had a combined 68 receptions. Devon Brown returns for his third season as a Deacon. Although hampered by a back injury through most of the season, Brown led the team in kickoff returns (16) and yards (350). He is joined by the top returning receiver from 2008, Marshall Williams. While they are young, the two will do a decent job as starting wide receivers.

Offensive Line: As with the other offensive positions, the Deacs should feel confident with their O-Line for its depth and experience. Six returning linemen combined to make 63 of the Deac’s 65 possible starts last year. The seven returning starters have a combined total of 116 starts.

Senior left tackle Chris DeGeare will be returning after being academically ineligible last season.

No concerns about the Deac’s ability here.

Where Wake Forest struggles is in its defense. The squad only returns 4 starters and the loss of linebackers Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux, cornerback Alfonso Smith, and safeties Chip Vaughn and Kevin Patterson will be especially hard to overcome. Last year, ‘interceptions’ was Wake’s middle name. The team led the FBS with 37 takeaways in 2008 and they lead the nation with 72 takeaways over the past two seasons. With the entire Wake defensive coaching staff returning for the 2009 season, don’t be surprised if the defense continues to enjoy success.

Defensive Line: Seniors John Russell and Boo Robinson are two of the conference’s best defensive tackles. In 2008, Robinson finished 11th in the ACC in sacks and Russell was second on the team with four sacks. They should make the Deacons strong up front and can hopefully balance out the lack of experience on the rest of the defense.

Linebackers: Talented linebackers Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux will be difficult to replace.

A first-team all-conference pick and All-American, Curry ended his tenure at Wake Forest with national recognition and numerous awards. While Curry and Arnoux may have overshadowed their younger replacements, 2009’s starting linebackers do show some promise. Junior Matt Woodlief led the Deacs in special teams tackles last year with seven. He was followed closely by junior linebacker Hunter Haynes who had six special teams tackles. And, junior Jonathan Jones played in 11 of the Deac’s 13 games last season right alongside Curry. Let’s hope that some of his winning ways have rubbed off on the underclassman.

Secondary: The losses on defense continue as Brandon Ghee is the lone returning starter in the secondary. The team will especially miss Alphonso Smith and his 21 career interceptions. However, Ghee did finish second in the ACC in fumbles forced. Sophomore cornerback John Bush played in all 13 games last year. Hopefully his experience will strengthen the Deacon offense.

Special Teams: The Deacons will sorely miss kicker Sam Swank for his reliability (especially late in the game) and consistency. Replacement Shane Popham was luckily able to get playing time

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in 2008 while Swank was injured and he will be the Wake Forest starting punter and placekicker.

Ranked the No. 13 kicker in the nation during high school, Popham definitely has the ability to fill Swank’s large shoes. Hopefully his experience last year will translate well into the 2009 season.

2009 Prediction: Can Wake Forest pull off another conference title? The team is certainly talented enough to make the trip to Tampa Bay. With the Atlantic Division as congested as it is, every game is going to count- big time. The Deacons are lucky enough to begin the season with five of their first six games at home. Trust me, BB&T field (I think we need a more intimidating name- akin to Death Valley) provides an unparalleled home field advantage. Though the nonconference games against Baylor (September 5) and Stanford (September 12) will not be “easy wins,” it is possible for the Deacs to start off the season 6-0 (with conference wins against Boston College, NC State, and Maryland). The latter half of the season is definitely more difficult, but I predict a final mark of 8-4 with an especially sweet victory against recent-rival Florida State.

This may be a lofty goal because Wake’s inexperienced defense will make it difficult to get the wins against some of the nation’s top offenses, but Coach Grobe never ceases to work wonders.

For those in-the-know, WF really stands for “We Finish” so, if nothing else, expect to see Wake Forest compete in some hard-fought battles.

12 Days of ACC Football: Duke Preview August 9, 2009 I’ll never forget the 2006 Wake/Duke game. With seconds left on the clock, Duke’s Joe Surgan attempted a 27-yard field goal. The three-pointer would have meant curtains for the Wake Forest football season. Thankfully, Chip Vaughn blocked the kick and the rest is history. The Deacs won the ACC Championship, went to the Orange Bowl, honored Coach Jim Grobe as National Coach of the Year, you know the story…

Yet the Blue Devils of today are very different from the Blue Devils of 2006. For starters, they’ve finally won an ACC regular season game, their first since 2005. Their four total victories of 2008 is equal to as many as the team has had over the past for years- combined. The team certainly seems to be headed in the right direction as they enter into coach David Cutcliffe’s second season.

The Blue Devils have 11 returning starters. The team’s key loss is wide receiver Eron Riley who was a first-team all-ACC pick last year. His skills at the position will be hard to replace. On defense, end Greg Akinbiyi and linebacker Michael Tauiliili will be sorely missed. Tauiliili led Duke in tackles per game in every game that he started in his four year career.

Duke is very strong at quarterback. Senior quarterback Thaddeus Lewis was a second-team allACC pick last year. And, the position has depth with redshirt freshman Sean Renfree. It remains to be seen how much playing time Renfree will get, but his 2010 season will only be better if he has experience in 2009. Senior Re’quan Boyette is back from his knee injury after sitting out the entire 208 season. He led the team in rushing during the previous years and his return will definitely boost the Blue Devils running game.

All in all, there’s nowhere for this program to go but up. I predict a 4-7 season (and a better record in 2010).

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12 Days of ACC Football: Georgia Tech August 10, 2009 The ACC preseason media poll picked Georgia Tech to finish second to Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division. But, the division is going to be a fierce ‘battle of the Techs’ as GT will be a very strong contender in the conference with one of the best offenses in the nation. Will VT be stronger? Don’t discount GT Coach Paul Johnson who is back for his second season after winning Coach of the Year. His offense ran circles around some strong 2008 defenses and I expect him to have spent the off-season coming up with new plays.

The Yellow Jackets finished the 2008 season 9-4 and they were ranked fourth in the nation in rushing offense. They return ACC Offensive Player of the Year Jonathan Dwyer and quarterback Josh Nesbitt. Dwyer is one of the nation’s top running backs and led the ACC in rushing last year with 107.3 yards per game. Nesbitt battled leg injuries in 2008, but is 100% back now and, rumor has it, has improved his throwing game.

The defense suffered losses to graduation. End Derrick Morgan is the unit’s only returning starter but the team is pretty confident with newbies Ben Anderson, Jason Peters and Robert Hall.

However, it will be hard to replace end Michael Johnson. Hall has some big shoes to fill.

Despite being picked second, anything less than a trip to the ACC Championship will be a disappointment for Yellow Jacket fans. However, I don’t think that I’m going to send them to Tampa Bay this year. Virginia Tech is just too powerful and Georgia Tech’s losses on defense will not be able to match the powerful offense. I predict another 9-4 season but wouldn’t be surprised if VT gets ’stung.’

12 Days of ACC Football: Miami Preview August 11, 2009 Miami opens up the season against long-time rival Florida State but the ‘Noles may have more on the line than the Hurricanes. FSU is picked to finish first in the Atlantic Division and I believe that the outcome of the game will dictate the rest of their season. Yet while Miami picked to finish fourth in the Coastal Division, don’t discount the ‘Canes just yet. The program has a lot of young talent and is definitely on the rise under head coach Randy Shannon. Formerly the Miami defensive coordinator for six seasons, Shannon enters his third season as head of the program with an impressive record. In brief, Shannon has coached a total of 15 all-Americans and, in 3 of his years as defensive coordinator, Miami led the nation in pass defense. He definitely has the potential to do some great things for Miami.

The Hurricanes return 8 offensive starters. Given their bleak performance last year, this may or may not be the greatest statistic. Luckily, however, Miami will enter the 2009 season with new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. There are high expectations for him to turn the offense around. Hopefully, he can improve upon starting quarterback Jacory Harris’s abilities. Harris played in the bowl loss to California, but showed a lot of promise. Junior running back Graig Cooper is poised to back-up Harris as he led Miami in rushing in both of the previous season.

The Miami defense definitely has a lot of potential as well. The defensive line will be led by junior Allen Bailey and sophomore Marcus Forston, who combined for 54 tackles last season.

Linebacker Sean Spence was the 2008 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and he returns for his sophomore year at Miami.

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Luckily for Miami, the team was not especially hard hit by player losses. To be honest, many of last years starter may have been replaced by the Hurricane’s young talent anyway. While I think that Miami will give FSU a run for its money, they won’t be able to win their season opener. The team is still growing and will finish 8-5. While they won’t win the Atlantic Division, expect them to make some Category 5 worthy waves.

12 Days of ACC Football: UNC Preview August 12, 2009 Although picked to finish third in the Coastal Division, many have hailed UNC as the conference favorite to be a Dark Horse. The team was one of the most consistent in the ACC last year, beginning the season 7-2 with some clutch victories over Miami, Connectuict, and Georgia Tech. Although they finished 8-5, the Tar Heels have shown great potential. As Tar Heel nation tends to do, this year’s football team is going to make some noise in the conference this year. And, if they can build on last year’s success, they will be major contenders for the ACC Championship game.

Adding to the list of talented ACC coaches is UNC’s Butch Davis. He enters his third year at Carolina after managing to put his team in the running for the Coastal Division title last year.

Though they missed the cut after a sub-par November performance, they began the season strong and their fall may simply be attributed to the team’s youth.

Unfortunately for Carolina, the passing game took a hit in the off season. Although ranked one of the top in the ACC last year, the receiving corps won’t be the same without first-team AllACC wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. Nicks set new school records in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Yet adding to the Carolina offense is the healthy return of starting quarterback TJ Yates. Yates missed five games last year due to injury, but had solid performances when he played.

On defense, Carolina lost Trimane Goddard in the secondary. Goddard led the ACC with seven intercceptions last year. Yet overall, the defense returns a lot of talent. All four starters return up front. Watch out for sophomore Robert Quinn, who will start at end. Quinn played well in 2008 and is ready to begin his 2009 breakout season. Also returning is linebacker Bruce Carter.

Carter led the FBS last year with five blocked kicks.

While I personally do not predict a Tampa Bay appearance, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see UNC there in December (hopefully versus Wake Forest!) Overall, I predict another stellar rebuilding season for Carolina. They’ll finish 9-3.

12 Days of ACC Football: Virginia Tech Preview August 14, 2009 Virginia Tech enters the 2009 season surrounded by a lot of media hype. Fresh off of their Orange Bowl victory, the Hokies are one again picked to finish first in the Coastal Division.

They’re the favorite to win the Championship Game and the USA Today Poll ranks them at #7. Last time an ACC team was so highly praised, Clemson in 2008, they collapsed among the expectations. Can Virginia Tech live up to, or exceed, its preseason prediction? There is definitely a lot of excitement for the 2009 Hokies and, at the very least, they should make it to Tampa Bay.

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Junior Tyrod Taylor is this year’s starting quarterback. He hasn’t consistently played the position in the past two years, but has managed to compile a starting record of 13-2. While definitely commmendable, it remains to be seen how Taylor can preform on a week-by-week basis.

Overall, however, the offense seems to have improved since last year. Although sophomore running back Darren Evans will be out for the entire season as of Tuesday, the position does have some depth. However, Evans and his school record-breaking 2008 season will be hard to replace.

As per the past five seasons, the Hokie defense is nationally ranked and is the team’s strongest assett. Despite losing cornerback Victor ‘Macho’ Harris, the defensive backs seem to have enough talent to rally around Tech’s most experienced cornerback, Stephan Virgil. Virgil was named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week following his first start and has since accumulated a number of game-winning statistics.

Overall, the Hokies seem poised to have anothe stellar season. I predict a 10-2 season with a first-place Coastal finish. It is definitely possible for this team to go on to be national contenders, giving the ACC the respect it deserves once and for all.

Back in Black August 31, 2009 Hello fellow ACC football fans! (And a special welcome to supporters of the Old Gold & Black).

The week that you have all been waiting for is finally upon us. Classes have started, frat parties have been busted, the temperature is a balmy 90 degrees. Yes, it’s fall in the Forest. And fall means football. The only thing missing is the glorious sight of toilet paper flying above your head. A strange comment, perhaps, but down here in Winston we like to cover the quad in so much TP after a victory that the mummified trees last well into second semester. And, if all goes well, I’ll be able to post pictures of the tradition soon after Wake’s victory over Baylor on Saturday. Head to www.wakeforestsports.com tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11 am to hear a football press conference live chat where several players will comment on Saturday’s game. At 10:30 am, the Deacs will play their third scrimmage.

Be sure to check back here on Wednesday for my game prediction. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Baylor: Preview September 2, 2009 Three years ago, when I told people that I was going to school at Wake Forest they responded with high praises for the state of Illinois. That’s right- the Lake Forest suburb of Chicago was more recognizable than a U.S. News & World Report Top 30 School. So much has changed during my undergraduate years and I am proud to say that Demon Deacon fans have now infiltrated the Northeast. Wake’s rising recognition on the national stage has coincided nicely with the success of the football program. The Deacs have gone to three bowl games in three years. The team’s accomplishments since my freshman year have included an ACC Championship, an ACC Coach of the Year, an ACC Rookie of the Year, and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Coach Jim Grobe has developed the fledgling program to be able to compete with the nation’s top teams and this season promises to be as exciting as ever. The fact that high school friends have now heard of my school is merely a sweet bonus.

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That being said, Baylor has yet to enjoy a similar budding national reputation. Unfortunately for Wake, this could soon be the case as the Bears’ program is definitely on the rise. The Demon Deacons opened the 2008 season with a 41-13 road win against Baylor. While Wake should be able to duplicate the feat this year- especially playing at home- the season opener won’t be a cupcake. If the Deacs want to be a serious contender for the ACC Championship, it needs to begin the season at least 5-0 as the latter half of the program is definitely more challenging.

The theme of Baylor football under Head Coach Art Briles as he enters his second season is ‘rebuilding.’ Although Briles only went 4-8 in his first season at Baylor, the Bears accumulated some promising statistics. Chief among them is the 336 total points scored in 2008, the most since scoring 362 in 1994. Aiding the program’s reconstruction in 2009 is the return of 18 starters (9 offense and 9 defense). With so few losses, the program should definitely be able to build on 2008’s successes. After getting destroyed by Wake 41-13 at home, this year’s game will be a litmus test for how far Baylor really has come.

However, yet another indicator of Baylor’s improvement is in the caliber of recent recruiting classes. Sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin III shows a lot of potential and Wake’s Riley Skinner knows all too well not to underestimate the potential of a young quarterback. (Luckily, Skinner was named ACC Offensive Back of the Week after 2008’s Baylor game, proving that he knows how to get the best of Griffin.) Overall, Skinner outperformed Griffin in the 2008 season.

He has a 63.9 completion percentage versus Griffin’s 59.93 and completed 2347 passing yards as Griffin completed 2091. However, as a Wake fan, young Griffin’s statistics are alarming and Skinner will need to rely on the Deacon defense to halt Griffin’s offensive advances.

Unfortunately, the team is only returning 4 defensive starters. In Tuesday’s press conference, Head Coach Jim Grobe acknowledged that “the expectations are that this is a young defense and that we’ll probably start slow and come up at the end of the year.” The plan is to keep the offense on the field for long as possible. In other words, the more first downs, the better. “A big part of playing good defense is having an offense that can hang on to the football for a while and spend more time than the defense out there.” Luckily, the Deacon offense is in good shape with the return of Skinner, running backs Brandon Pendergrass, Josh Adams, and Kevin Harris and left tackle Chris DeGeare. Wake should feel pretty confident with one of, if not the, best offenses in the conference. (Check out more comments on the Deacon offense at http://www. theroadtotampabay.com/blogs/wf/2009/08/08/12-days-of-acc-football-wake-forest-preview/.)

And, senior defensive tackle John Russell is working to instill more confidence in Wake’s defense.

“We’ve all talked about taking that perspective of being a weakling and changing it from day 1.”

The entire senior class is hungry for another ACC Championship. Our Wake experience would then come full-circle. If nothing else, the excitement at BB&T Field should make for a Deacon win at home. More than likely, however, the Demon Deacons will clearly showcase their talent and send the Bears on a long trip back to Texas.

ACC Announces 2009 Football Championship Game Legends Class September 4, 2009 On Wednesday, the ACC announced its class of 2009 Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship game legends. Congratulations to Wake Forest’s Billy Barnes for this distinction. Barnes was the 1956 Player of the Year as he was the first player in conference history to rush for more

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than 1,000 yards (1,010) in one season. He was also a first-team All-ACC selection in 1955 and 1956 and was a first-team All-American selection by the FWAA in 1956. Barnes was a secondround draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles and he played for the NFL for nine years. His tenure included a 1960 World Champipsbip and a win over Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers in the 1960 title game. The Legends will be honored in Tampa during the ACC Championship game weekend. Lets hope that Barnes will be able to enjoy a sweet Deacon victory afterward!

The complete Legends roster is: Mike Mayock, Defensive Back for Boston College ‘80 Danny Ford, Head Coach for Clemson 1979-1988 Bob Pascal, Halfback for Duke ‘55 Chris Weinke Quarterback for Florida State, ‘00 Eddie Lee Ivery, Halfback for Georgia Tech, ‘78 Kevin Glover, Center for Maryland, ‘84 Vinny Testaverde, Quarterback for Miami, ‘86 Kelvin Bryant, tailback for North Carolina, ‘82 Willie Burden, Running Back for NC State, ‘73 Jim Bakhtiar, Running Back for Virginia, ‘57 Bob Schweickert, Quarterback for Virginia Tech, ‘64 Bill Barnes, Running Back for Wake Forest, ‘56

Wake Forest vs. Baylor: Postgame September 6, 2009 Result: The late Wake Forest rally was not enough to hold off the Bears as the Deacs fell 24-21 in the season opener at BB&T Field on Saturday.

I think that this pretty much goes without saying, but I never leave a football game early. Ever.

And on September 22, 2007, this paid off as the Deacs came back from a 21 point deficit to defeat Maryland in overtime in front of about 200 students and a smattering of die-hard fans.

I’ve learned to expect the unexpected and this game was no different. Granted, this week I expected Wake to beat Baylor, but, more than than, I expected that our drive in the final minute of the fourth quarter would lead us to victory. At the very least, we’d go into overtime play. I don’t know, maybe it was the students in front of me flapping their arms to summon the “Angels in the Outfield” or the guys to my left who flipped their hats inside out and wore them upside down (a rally cap), but I really believed we would prevail. Instead, our final plays were riddled with incomplete passes. Signs of Grobe’s elites were there, though- with 5:07 left in the third quarter, the Deacs were down 24-7 and they held the Bears, blocking a field goal attempt and coming within 3 points of tieing it at 24. We just need to play more consistently.

At the risk of being called too optomistic, I’m going to equate Saturday’s loss to the old adage “a bad dress rehersal means a good opening night.” Let’s make the Baylor game our ‘dress rehearsal.’ Some of the mistakes seriously conflicted with areas that are traditional Wake Forest strong points. Allow me to elaborate: Riley Skinner was sacked twice during Wake’s second drive. With six returning starters from last year, I know that the O-Line is capable of so much

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more. Skinner also threw a couple of interceptions, giving Baylor a touchdown in the Deac’s opening drive of the second half. Our quarterback ended last season with much different statistics by throwing 11-for-11 in the Eaglebank Bowl so, again, we know that Skinner can perform at a much higher level. Wake also turned the ball over four times compared to Baylor’s one turnover. For the past three years, Wake Forest has ranked among the top in the nation for our turnover margin. Grobe has some work to do, but the Deacs can definitely use yesterday’s loss as fuel for a win next week.

For what it’s worth, the game started off really well with Shane Popham’s opening kickoff deep into the end zone. Sam Swank will be sorely missed, but Popham proved that special teams will not suffer as much as everyone feared.

To comment on Wake’s young defense, from the stands it really looked like so many Baylor offensive players were left wide open. Baylor capitialized on our inexperience and quarterback Robert Griffin III, known for his speed, threw the ball much more than Wake anticipated. (Griffin did showcase his running skills later on in the game, successfully thwarting the Deacon defense.)

Our guys did have some shining moments, and Jim Grobe is just going to have to chalk this game up to experience and continue building for next week’s game.

The Deacs did show some promise that the outcome of this game is not an indication of things to come. Though Wake’s mediocre-to-poor performances seemed to dominate much of the game, let’s not discount some of the better plays. Wake had a 50-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter. And, like I mentioned before, Shane Popham’s kick-offs forced the Bears deep into their own territory. (Now, if only we could have gotten within field goal range…).

Our young defense blocked a field goal attempt (seasoned Wake fans know how important this is- Duke game, 2006 anyone?), and was able to force a turnover. The talent is there- we just need to hope that the team can fine-tune itself to be a more cohesive unit. We need more solid performances from both the offense and defense. Luckily, the season is no where near over.

Tune in next Saturday at noon to watch the Deacs play Stanford at home.

Women’s Soccer: Deacs in Top 10 in National Polls September 9, 2009 The Wake Forest Women’s soccer team is ranked 8th by the National Coaches Association of America poll, 10th by Soccer America, and 6th by Top Drawer Soccer. The Deacs have started off the season 6-0-0 with one of the best offenses in the ACC. The team’s next game is on Friday against No. 24 Penn State. Great job, ladies!

Wake Forest vs Stanford: Preview September 12, 2009 Wake Forest will play its first-ever regular-season Pac-10 match-up this Saturday at noon vs.

Stanford. After last Saturday’s difficult loss to Baylor, expect the Deacs to be back and ready to win. Stanford is coming off of a win against Washington State (39-13). However, they’ll also be coming off of a 6 hour plane flight and a four hour time difference. This will definitely be to the Deacs advantage. Let’s hope that this week of practice will revive Wake Forest to its former glory- to a time when Skinner threw 11-for-11 in the Eaglebank Bowl and the team led the nation in forced turnovers. I think we can do it…read on for my pregame prediction.

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Compared to last week: Luckily for the Deacs (I think…) this week’s game vs. Stanford should enable them to play a whole different ball game. The Baylor offense utilized a lot of unique plays and formations and they won with trick plays and options. According to Coach Grobe, “our young defenders {who} haven’t played much football saw a three-ring circus last week and now they are going to get a real tough physical offense coming to town…It’s a completely different plan from last week.” A major focus of that plan should be to fix the amateur mistakes that plagued the Deacs last week.

Our team was in rare form as they turned the ball over four times (they have been tops in the nation for forced turnovers in previous years), missed clutch tackles, and allowed Skinner to be sacked during key plays.

Deacon Defense: Despite the break from Baylor’s style of play, there is ‘no rest for the weary’ as the defense will have to contend with Stanford’s Tony Gerhart who was the Pac-10’s third-leading rusher last year.

Stanford’s quarterback, freshman Andrew Luck, “can {also} run” according to Wake linebacker Matt Woodlief. “…and if he starts scrambling we’re going to have to wrap him up just like a running back.” Luckily, Baylor’s quarterback, Robert Griffin III, was also known for his speed and I’m thinking that Wake was anticipating that he would run a lot more plays than he did. So, despite the “completely different plan” that Coach Grobe is advocating, I’m betting that a lot of the time that went into preparing for Baylor will also benefit the Deacs in the Stanford game.

Speaking of Speed…: Receiver Devon Brown was the team’s leading rusher last week with eight carries for 46 yards.

While a running receiver may seem like an oxymoron, look for Brown to continue to build on his breakout performance. All of Wake’s receivers are hoping to be able to harness their speed and be open targets for Quarterback Riley Skinner. According to Brown, “if we can beat them {Stanford} with our speed that we have at receiver then that should help us out a lot. If we receivers can do our job and beat our man off of the ball and get deep, then Riley definitely has the arm strength and accuracy to find us.” It’s good to hear some confidence from the players.

Expect a much more mature team to run onto the field on Saturday.

Tomorrow: I know that the Deacs are looking forward to the Stanford game as an opportunity to put the Baylor loss behind them. Despite the noon start, Wake should expect a nice home field advantage at BB&T Field. I think that we’ll be able to come out victorious- we have the talent and we just need to bring everything together. Last week was an opportunity for the team to get nerves out of their system. With one collegiate game under everyone’s belt, expect a more confident and cohesive Wake Forest team. We’re going 1-1 tomorrow.

What a Game!!

September 12, 2009 YES DEACONS! I don’t know what happened in the second half, but something just clicked and we started playing real football. The Deacons of the Baylor game got lost in the locker room or something. But, what a fantastic game! Big plays by Riley Skinner with his last-second quarterback sneak and Josh Adams for his 4th down run in the second half. Our defense didn’t allow Stanford to complete every pass. The atmosphere was incredible, everyone was excited,

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the fight song was constantly playing. I love late-game rallies. Check back tomorrow for my full post game report!

Wake Forest vs. Stanford: Postgame September 14, 2009 “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” A Tale of Two Football Games.

Result: After a sub-par first half, the Deacons get fired up during halftime and come back to defeat the Stanford Cardinal 24-17. We advance to 1-1.

First off, I’d like to start off by saying that I’ve really never liked the ‘Cardinals’ as a team mascotthe Louisville variety defeated the Deacs in the Orange Bowl three years ago and the St. Louis baseball team always seems to keep the Mets out of the World Series. So, you could say that this win was extra-sweet for me. The Deacons came back from a 17-3 deficit at the half with a totally new style of more mature and cohesive play.

The First Half…

Despite the victorious outcome, the Deacons did not start off well against Stanford. The opening kickoff left fans pining for the days of Sam Swank, especially after the Cardinal’s opening drive led to a touchdown. Popham wasn’t all to blame, however, as the Deacon defense played just as preseason polls expected the young group to perform. And, while the O-line was looking better, the offense in general was disappointing as Skinner brought the Deacs to within four yards of a much-needed touchdown before opting for a field goal. To put the first half in perspective: The Deacs had eight first downs compared to Stanford’s 15; Wake had 147 offensive yards while Stanford had 275; Wake had possession for 11:29 while Stanford played for 18:21. The score was 17-3 and morale was low as we watched Stanford complete a 53 yard field goal before both teams retired for the half.

Then the Deacs WAKE up The only reason I’m being so harsh on the ‘first-half team’ (so-named because they really are different from the team that played during the second half) is because I know how much better Wake Forest is capable of playing. They proved my suspicions correct and came up big for the win in the 3rd and 4th quarters. The Deacons opened up the second half with a 72-yard touchdown drive that began with Riley Skinner’s 16-yard pass completion to Ben Wooster. The pass marked Skinner 666th career completion and a new school record. Josh Adams’s 15-yard run on fourth and two at the 18-yard line was huge for Wake as fullback Mike Rinfrette was then able to score on a three yard carry.

Wake’s ensuing 73 yard touchdown drive saw wide receiver Devon Brown pick up 20 yards on two carries and running back Brandon Pendergrass pick up 21 yards on three carries. The score was tied at 17-17. Wake made the winning drive late in the fourth quarter and running back Lovell Jackson advanced the Deacs 43 yards to the Stanford three yard line after making the first reception of his collegiate career. Skinner’s quarterback sneak with two seconds left on the clock put the Deacs up 24-17.

The defense also had some great plays in the second half. They stopped the Stanford advance at 17 and sacked quarterback Andrew Luck in the 4th quarter.

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Big Day for Skinner Congratulations to quarterback Riley Skinner as he set the school record for career completions with 666. The 16-yard pass to Ben Wooster began the Deacon’s first touchdown drive of the epic second half. He also rushed for the winning touchdown late in the 4th quarter (a successful quarterback sneak) and caught the second pass of his career for a 20 yard gain in the second quarter.

We’re Awesome The Deacs were quick to turn the halftime stats around as they finished with 458 offensive yards to Stanford’s 391. This is a team that showed the fans what they’re truly capable of accomplishing. If the Deacs can work on the momentum that propelled them through the second half, the season is going to be a lot more exciting than many originally anticipated.

Check out Wake next Saturday at 6:30 pm as they take on regional rivals Elon at home at 6:30 pm. Go Deacs!

Way to Represent, Riley September 16, 2009 Congrats to Riley Skinner for representing the ACC this week! In Saturday’s game versus Stanford, Skinner completed a successful fourth-quarter, game winning drive. He’s being hailed as the ACC’s ‘Comeback Kid.’ Next task? Elon. Check back for my pregame report and Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Elon: Preview September 18, 2009 Right now, there’s one thing on every Deacon football fan’s mind: Elon + 6:30pm start = Great Saturday Night. Throw in last’s Saturday’s second-half offensive and defensive stats and the game becomes a highly-anticipated, epic Phoenix slaughter.

Real Rivals Not so fast, Deacon nation. While beating Elon is most certainly a viable feat, don’t discount our regional rivals simply because they’re a lesser-known, FCS team. Take heed to defensive end Gelo Orange’s words: “We think that every team could beat us, but also that we can beat every team.” The team is not taking this game lightly. “It’s very easy to turn the video on and see that Elon is very talented.” said Coach Grobe.

Elon is currently 2-0 and ranked 11th in the FCS. They’ve outscored Davidson and Presbyterian, their first two opponents, by a combined score of 97-7 and the offense has averaged 595 yards.

Talented receiver Terrell Hudgins will force the Deacon defense to contine to play as they did post-halftime against Stanford. (I think that we can pull that off for an entire game). In addition to leading the FCS in various career receiving categories, Hudgins is a mere 27 receptions shy of the FCS career receptions record. Quarterback Scott Riddle is the all-time Southern Conference leader in touchdown passes. And, the return of all five starters from last season makes for a very strong Elon o-line. (courtesy of wakeforestsports.com)

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The Halftime Talk: Unlike the Baylor game, the second-half of the Stanford game proved to both Wake players and fans how well our team can play. So, what exactly went on in the locker room between the halves? According to Coach Grobe, “They just needed to know they weren’t playing very well.

At times you use inexperience as an excuse, but after a while you just need to start playing well.

We just didn’t play very well in the first half and I just pointed that out to them and they chose to play better in the second half.” The fact that the Deacon defense held Stanford for the entire second half refutes claims that they’re too young and inexperienced to halt the advances of a skilled offense. With Elon tops in the FCS for yards averaged, the Deacs are going to have to continue to bring their A-game.

Yet despite the Wake comeback victory, Coach Grobe recognized that “We got a little bit better in the second half but only because we played harder. We still didn’t play really well fundamentally so we have a lot work on… I don’t think we have a defensive football team that’s patting themselves on the back even though we won and didn’t give up any points in the second half.” As with any game, the Wake offense is going to have to maintain control of the ball and keep the capable Elon offense off of the field. Last Saturday, the Deacs had several first-downs and three touchdowns. The key to the game lies in Wake’s ability to continue that drive.

Saturday: The Deacons definitely have what it takes to send our regional rivals back to Elon with their first loss of the season. For wide receiver Chris Givens, last Saturday’s comeback victory “shows us that when we execute, we can play to our abilities. It gives us a lot of momentum and just shows us what we’re capable of.” That positive attitude proves that no matter how highly decorated Elon is as a FCS team, this is Wake Forestthat they’re entering. Let’s not let Elon be the App State to our Michigan. Go Deacs!

O yeah, and what is it with the Deacs playing non-pluralized teams? The Cardinal? The Pheonix? Time to give Elon what we gave the singular Stanford team. The game starts at 6:30 pm at BB&T field. Hopefully the rain holds off!

Wake Wins!

September 19, 2009 The football analyst in me said to be rational- Elon could present a challenge for the Demon Deacons. The superfan said no way, we’re going to steamroll them. Superfan wins. Wake wins 35-7. Check back tomorrow for the full game analysis and go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Elon: Postgame September 23, 2009 Result: Wake Forest dominates throughout all four quarters, defeating in-state rival Elon 35-7.

The Deacs looked great during the entire game. While the game was entertaining to watch for the Wake fan, my favorite moment might have been when the halftime stats were projected onto the big screen. Wake had 273 offensive yards to Elon’s 100 and Elon had only rushed for 12 yards. Overall, we played really well against Elon. These past 2 games have proven that we have the talent to be contenders within the ACC. Let’s see what next week’s conference game at

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BC brings…

Deacon Defense The much hyped Elon offense was no match for our defense, however ‘inexperienced’ many consider them to be. At the end of the half, Elon had only rushed for 12 yards. Wake relentlessly put a lot of pressure on Elon Quarterback Scott Riddle and the results were evident in the score. Elon managed a measly one touchdown to our five. The Deacs successfully halted almost every Elon drive- including a blocked punt by Gelo Orange early in the the second half. Wake then scored its fourth touchdown when John Adams recovered Wake’s fumble and advanced the ball to the one-yard line. Jim Grobe nicely summed up the defense at Tuesday’s press conference- “I thought we played really against Elon, a really talented team and a team that’s thrown the football a lot of yards against a lot of teams.”

The Offense: No complaints here as the Wake offense, and especially Riley Skinner, had a great outing on Saturday. Skinner’s long pass in the 2nd quarter to Chris Givens was bested by his even longer, 80-yard touchdown pass in the 3rd. That set a new record at BB&T Field for the longest Wake touchdown pass. Skinner threw for a career-high 289 yards. Overall, Wake had 426 yards of total offense.

Result: Wake Forest improved their record to 2-1 and they’re looking for another W when they play their first ACC game on Saturday away at Boston College. While the Deacs haven’t fared too well against the Eagles in the past few years, we did stage a huge upset at BB&T Field in 2006.

Coach Grobe has reaffirmed in Tuesday’s press conference that “we’ve improved each week and we’ll need a great effort at Boston College.” Let’s hope that they can continue their momentum to come out on top. As always, Go Deacs!

PS…Happy Yesterday Birthday to Josh Adams and Me! The win was great way to kickoff the celebrations- no pun intended.

Wake Forest Suspends Junior Petit-Jean September 23, 2009 Wake Forest University head football coach Jim Grobe has suspended redshirt sophomore safety Junior Petit-Jean for the remainder of the season for a violation of team rules. During the 2008 season, Petit-Jean earned his first varisty letter by playing in each of the final games of the season. He made two tackles against NC State and Vanderbuilt while playing on the special teams.

Wake Forest vs. Boston College: Preview September 23, 2009 ACC play is finally among us and the Wake Forest/Boston College rivalry is shaping up to be quite the tradition. We upset them in 2006, keeping our hopes alive for an ACC Championship Game appearance. They staged a comeback late in the fourth quarter in 2008 to win 24-21. What will this Saturday bring? I’m obviously going to pick a Deacon win, but let’s check out why…

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Momentum: The Deacs are coming off of 2 home wins while Boston College’s 25-7 loss to Clemson revealed holes in the team’s offense. To be fair, it was their first away game and it was against conference powerhouse Clemson. Although they have a week to improve upon Saturday’s performance, by contrast the Deacon offense is looking strong after defeating Elon 35-7. Saturday’s win marks a halfway point for the Deacs- out of their first three games, they’ve officially looked like a strong football team for the latter one and a half. (To clarify, that would be the second half against Stanford and the entire Elon game). I know that we played an FCS team last weekend, but the Deacs seem to have found their stride and are looking to build upon their successes.

Riley Skinner has led the offense to some great plays and his 80-yard touchdown pass to Marshall Williams in the third quarter marked the longest pass ever completed by the Deacs at BB&T Field. If the Deacs can continue to play hard against the Eagles, they should come out victorious.

This just in…

As reported in the Winston-Salem Journal, BC may not be starting quarterback Justin Tuggle this Saturday. Tuggle struggled against Clemson on Saturday and the Eagle offense only managed to accumulate 54 total yards. Possible replacements could be either freshman Dave Shinskie or Mike Marscovetra. They’ve completed 17 of 27 passes for 185 yards and three of four passes for 21 yards, respectively. Another candidate, transfer student Codi Boek, has completed two of four passes for 18 yards. The possibility of BC having a relatively inexperienced starting quarterback is great news for the Deacon Defense. During the Elon game, Wake was wildly successful in putting a lot of pressure on quarterback Scott Riddle. However, note that the Eagle defense is one of the best in the conference. They didn’t allow any Tiger touchdowns on Saturday so Riley Skinner is also going to have to be prepared to face some intense pressure.

Coaching: I just needed to throw this one in here. Coach Frank Spaziani vs. Coach Jim Grobe. I know that Coach Spaziani has not had a lot of time to prove himself (he’s BC’s third head football coach in the past 4 seasons), but Coach Grobe is just so great at motivating, coaching, and encouraging a team that I’ll pick him and his nine years at Wake any day. (I think that the entire team would agree.)

Saturday If you take the season thus far, it’s looking like Wake’s biggest strength is in its offense and BC’s strength lies with its defense. The key to the game is going to be when Wake has possession.

Is the BC defense going to be able to stop Riley and co? Or will the Deacs be able to push through and match last week’s strong showing? Coach Grobe commented on this match-up and on the importance of maintaining a strong Wake offense at Tuesday’s press conference.

“Number one, they {BC} are a really good defensive football team. They are one of the better coached defensive teams we’ll face. They are fundamentally sound, they don’t beat themselves and they really make you make plays. If you don’t take care of the football things get ugly in a hurry.” It’s going to be a tight match and should make for some great Saturday football. You can be sure that Wake is excited for their first conference game. Tune into the Wake Forest ISP Radio Network or ESPN360.com at 2 pm for live game coverage.

Go Deacs!

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Chris Paul ESPN Homecoming September 24, 2009 ATTENTION DEMON DEACON FANS!! This evening at 7 pm ESPN will be at Wake Forest to film their show Homecoming with Rick Reilly and basketball superstar Chris Paul will be the guest of honor! Reilly’s interview will take place in Wait Chapel among Paul’s family, friends, and fans.

I will most definitely be there! If you’re a North Carolina local and would like to request free tickets to the event, check out the ONSET Productions website!

No Words September 26, 2009 What just happened? The Deacs fell to BC 27-24 in overtime after coming back from a 14 point deficit late in the 4th quarter. Why??? How can you forget which way to run?? For those of you who aren’t currently kicking yourself for spending a huge part of your Saturday glued to ESPN 360, I’ll give you a recap of the last few moments of the game: An 80+ yard drive late in the 4th quarter cuminated with Riley Skinner throwing a touchdown pass with 11 seconds left. The score was tied at 24 and the game went into overtime. BC won first possession and the Wake defense kept them to a field goal. BC Quarterback Shinskie, who had been fairly consistent with pass completions throughout the game, threw two incomplete passes. The momentum was clearly in Wake’s direction and the Deacs answered with two first down drives once we gained possession.

At second and goal on the three, Riley Skinner looked to hand the ball off to a running back and, finding no one, had to maintain possession. The ball was knocked loose and recovered by BC. Game over. So sad….

Check back later for a full game report!

Wake Forest vs. Boston College: Postgame September 27, 2009 Result: The Deacs rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 24, but fell short in overtime when they fumbled at the three yard line and the ball was recovered by BC. Wake loses 24-27.

High Hopes Because I sadly couldn’t be in Boston for the game, I was glued to ESPN 360 for a majority of Saturday afternoon. The camera occasionally panned the crowd, reveling rowdy college students and the painted chests BC Superfans. The announcers had a field day when they realized that particular group failed to correctly represent the ’E-A-G-L-E-S.’ The ‘L’ was missing, and at the time that made me smile. Wake may have been down by two touchdowns, but at least our fans can spell! Then, minutes later, the ‘L’ seemed to stand for ‘Late,’ as in Wake’s late rally to tie the game at 24. Perfect.

A ’self-inflicted’ loss?

As you already know from the final score, the fourth quarter rally didn’t result in a Deacon win.

I’ll touch on the OT catastrophe in a moment. For now, let’s focus on the game that was played during the regulation four quarters because, as Coach Grobe states, ” We could have been in a position where that {the OT fumble} didn’t matter. We had plenty of opportunities where we didn’t have to go to overtime.” Paramount to our loss was the amount of penalties called against

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Wake. Wake had a season-high 10 penaltiesfor 82 yards. The Wake offense seemed to halt its own advances as often as the BC defense did with so many yardage delays due to penalties.

The Quarterbacks I think that I can safely say that BC Quarterback Dave Shinskie’s performance on Saturday made Eagles fans forget about how much they missed Matt Ryan. OK, they probably still miss him- a lot- but I think Shinskie proved that Ryan is not irreplaceable. Shinskie had three touchdown passes to three separate receivers, his third being to Colin Larmond in the fourth despite having double-defensive-coverage by Wake. And, this is his first time playing as a starter.

Despite the penalty set-backs, the Wake offense had some shining moments. At the start of the second half, the ESPN 360 announcers recognized that Skinner still seemed to be putting his team in a position to win at the end. They were right in predicting that the Deacswould make a late rally, although I don’t think that they foresaw another BC touchdown and a scoreless Deacon third quarter. (In the past three games, we’ve scored the most points in the third quarter). Wake Forest played on Saturday with ‘multiple offenses,’ making them harder to defend. (I know that the score throughout the majority of the game didn’t necessarily indicate that we were ‘hard to defend,’ but the offense and their penaltiesreally did do as much damage as the BC defense to our total offensive yards). With about 3:15 left in the fourth quarter, the Deacs scored a touchdown, to bring the score to 17-24. Clutch to this drive was Josh Adams’ssneak down the sideline as he stayed in-bounds for a first down. Then, with 1:46 left in the game, the Deacs had possession on their 20. (Note that Wake should have had only about 1:15 left, but the Wake defense forced the Eagles out of bounds on their previous third down. A crucial factor in our final drive). Riley Skinner steadily drove the ball down into the endzone, throwing passes to various receivers who then had the added pressure of running out of bounds. With 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Skinner hit Marshall Williams in the endzone, tying the game at 24.

And, despite throwing his 8th interception in four games vs. BC, Skinner had a career high yardage day. Marshall Williams also finished the game with a career high 12 receptions for 180 yards.

The Overtime The title of my previous post was ‘no words’ and I still don’t exactly know what to say about how the game ended. Despite the exciting touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, the Deacs were very undisciplined (10 penalties? three turnovers?) throughout the majority of the game and that’s ultimately what cost them the game in OT as well. Basically, the Deacs started on defense in OT and we kept the Eagles to a field goal- an impressive feat considering Shinskie’scompletion rate throughout the day. We answered with two first down drives- both involving a Skinner hand-off to Brandon Pendergrasswho then ran for nine yards (both times!) to put the ball on the 6. This was the first time that Wake had attempted this type of play the entire game, making them difficult to defend. (Remember? Multiple offenses). Skinner rushed the ball to the three, and on the next play looked to hand the ball off to a running back. With no one around, he maintained possession, but the BC defense sensed the mix-up and was able to knock the ball out of Skinner’s hands. BC recovered the fumble, effectively ending the game for a Wake Forest loss.

Result: Grobe’s final analysis of the game is that “The good news is the kids showed a lot of heart. As poorly as we played, we gave ourselves a chance to win in a hostile environment.” Luckily for

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the Deacs, the next two games will not be played in hostile environments. Wake hosts the NC State Wolfpack next Saturday at BB&T field at 3:30 pm. Hopefully, this week’s practice will help the Deacs to overcome their more careless mistakes and focus on the season ahead. ACC play has only just begun and Florida State just lost to USF- the division is wide open. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. NC State: Preview September 30, 2009 As pumped as I was for Wake to play BC, there’s something about an in-state rivalry that makes a football game even more exciting. While NC State Head Coach Tom O’Brien has unfortunately accumulated a 6-1 record against FBS teams from the state of North Carolina, his only loss came at the hands of the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem in 2007. And, I was at NC State three years ago (pre- O’Brien) when Wake’s then-kicker Sam Swank completed three 50+ yard field goals. After last year’s loss, let’s hope for an equally impressive game on Saturday. While the Deacs may have failed to epitomize the ‘disicpline’ that has distinguished Coach Jim Grobe throughout his career, I’m confident that the mental errors of last week are a thing of the past.

As outside linebacker Jonathan Jones emphasized in Tuesday’s press conference, we have a solid football team that needs to stay focused and perform up to their potential. If they can do that, we’ll be a strong opposition as State tries to steamroll its way into Winston.

Penalties and such…

The Deacons had a total of ten penalties for a loss of 82 yards last Saturday. The game shouldn’t have come down to last-minute overtime drives because our mental errors cost us the game during regular play. If you look at the stats, despite being so un-disciplined Wake had some awesome moments and out last touchdown drive in the fourth proved that when we stay focused, we can get things done. Both quarterback Riley Skinner and wide receiver Marshall Williams had career-high days. The Deacs need to harness that individual potential throughout the entire game but also need to focus on playing as a solid team. Unfortunately, as the penalties proved, strong player performances do not necessarily win games.

Ironically, last Saturday’s game vs. Pitt was penalty-heavy for NC State as well and their 12 penalties cost them 81 yards. It says a lot about the Pack that they were still able to come up with a win. The Deacons need to take a lesson from the Pack and learn how to deal with such unfortunate mistakes while still on the field. It’s important to continue to play as a cohesive unit and not let mental errors be the determining factor in a game. Despite the win, I’m sure that NC State be working just as hard to eliminate the ’self-inflicted’ penalties and Wake should be prepared to face a team that’s coming to Winston hungry for their first ACC win.

The Battle of the Best Saturday’s game will pit the ACC’s top-rated offense (Wake) against the league’s top-rated defense (NC State). Wake’s offense averages 412.2 yards per game. However, note that NC State is in a close second, averaging just 6.2 yards less per game. State also leads the nation in total defense as they’ve allowed only 201.2 yards per game. Skinner threw for a careerhigh 354 yards last week vs BC and he’s going to have to continue his momentum in order to get through the Pack defense. Several other members of the Deacon offense – running back Brandon Pendergrass, wide receiver Marshall Williams, wide receiver Chris Givens, and wide receiver Devon Brown are inching their way into the record books. As long as they continue to connect with the team and have solid performances, the Pack defense should have a difficult

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time stopping our drives.

Also interesting to note is the relationship of the teams’ respective quarterbacks to interceptions.

NC State Quarterback Russell Wilson is the current record holder for consecutive pass attempts without an interception. He’s completed 364 passes. Since becoming the starting quarterback in 2006, Wake Forest has gone 20-3 when Riley Skinner does not throw an interception. (They’re 8-10 when Skinner’s passes get picked off). With Wake wide receiver Marshall Williams tied for the ACC lead with 5 receptions per game and wide receiver Chris Given ranked 10th in the ACC in all-purpose yards, Skinner should have multiple opportunities to connect with them.

As I’ve alrady emphasized, the key is going to be to stay focused and keep mental errors to a minimum. If the Deacon defense would like to break Givens’s completion streak, that would be great, too!

Saturday Overall, this Saturday should make for some great football. Beating State is going to be a challenge, but it is by no means impossible. And, my parents are coming in to town. As of late, Wake Forest has not been successful in choosing impressive games for Parents Weekend, with the most disappointing loss occurring on a cold, rainy day in 2006 at the hands of the Clemson Tigers. Fortunately, this isn’t Parents weekend, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t pull out a win…right? Go Deacs!

Kickoff is at 3:30 at BB&T field in Winston-Salem. It will be available on the Wake Forest ISP Radio Network and will be televised on ESPN U. On a side note- does anyone know how to get inside of the hamster ball between the first and second quarters? Leave a comment if you do, please!!

Coach Grobe with the One-Liner….

October 1, 2009 Coach Jim Grobe on State Quarterback Russell Wilson: “That guy hasn’t thrown an interception since Moby Dick was a minnow.” (Raleigh’s The News & Observer) Wilson has an NCAA-record streak of 364 consecutive passes without an interception.

Leave it to Coach to brighten up a Thursday evening!

Wake Forest vs NC State: Postgame October 4, 2009 Ladies and gentleman of the Wolfpack persuasion, start your tractors. …Is that too mean? Sorry — the Wake student section isn’t the most diplomatic of places to be. But, the game was one of the most exciting that I’ve ever been to and until Skinner started taking a knee, anyone could have won.

Result: Wake Forest wins their first ACC game of 2009 with a thrilling 30-24 win over NC State.

The Penalities…again: Just like last week, yesterday’s game was penalty heavy for both teams. NC State had eight penalties for a loss of 85 yards and Wake Forest had 9 penalties for a loss of 80 yards. Yet last week State was able to rebound from their setbacks to win against Pittsburgh while Wake

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lost at Boston College. In addition to the penalties, Wake was set back by Riley Skinner’s two interceptions. While it says a lot about the ‘Deacon drive’ that we were able to rebound and come up victorious, Wake still needs to work on playing as a more cohesive and disciplined unit.

However, compared to last week, the Deacs looked much better. No team can play a perfect game and Wake was eventually able to come up strong where it mattered most. When the Deacs gained possession after intercepting Wilson’s pass in the endzone late in the fourth quarter, every fan’s mind was focused on the same thing: will Wake get the first down? Deep in their own territory, a botched Wake play could mean a game-winning State touchdown. With about a minute left, Skinner threw the ball to runningback Josh Adams. Adams managed to thwart three Wolfpack tackles to get the Deacon first down. The Deacs recognized what they needed and were able to execute the clutch plays to get the win.

Broken Records: The term ‘broken records’ had a double meaning this game. On the Wake Forest side, Quarterback Riley Skinner threw for three touchdown passes for a career total of 45 — a new Wake Forest record. Not to discount his feat, but the record almost seemed inevitable when you consider the amount of times Wake threw the ball. We rushed for 30 total yards but passed for 361 total yards. Our numbers have never been that one-sided. If anything, I would say that we’ve historically favored rushing. But when you have leading offense in the ACC, opponents have to be prepared for Coach Grobe to tap into all of his team’s talents. Our receivers were easily able to break through the Pack defensive line, giving Skinner multiple opportunities to complete passes. Wake has multiple offensive strategies and Saturday’s game clearly exemplified that.

On the NC State side, Quarterback Russell Wilson broke his own NCAA-record setting streak of 379 pass attempts without an interception. On Saturday, he threw two. Sophomore cornerback Josh Bush picked off Wilson’s pass in the second quarter. Late in the fourth, freshman cornerback Kenny Okoro intercepted Wilson’s pass into the endzone — a game-changing play as a touchdown would have given State the lead. Consider that the Deacons entered the season with one of, if not the, lowest ranked defense in the ACC. With only four returning starters from 2008, the Deacs had a lot of young talent on the team. Hunter Haynes, Gelo Orange, and Cyhl Quarles recorded five touchdowns each. As the season progresses, the defense is proving that they are a strong and capable unit.

Overall: As I’ve said, the game was one of the most exciting that I’ve watched in my college career.

Every point scored was almost immediately matched by a drive by the opposing team.

Regardless of whether or not those drives were successful, they gave fans on either side enough of a scare that the final outcome of the game really wasn’t known until Kenny Okro intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass late in the fourth. The Deacs finally secured the win with a first down and less than a minute to play. Wake needed this win in order to continue to remain contenders in the Atlantic Division. Saturday proved why we’re the top rated offense in the conference, and calmed some fans’ doubts about the ‘inexperienced’ defense.

So, congrats Deacs. And, for those of you who are following my blog, I was in the Krispy Kreme Hamster ball race! Like a true Wake fan, I was decked out in my yellow sundress and black jewelry, so the race was interesting, to say the least. But, I won a dozen free glazed donuts — and was on the field for the last six minutes of the first quarter. I love Wake Forest!

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Wake Forest hosts Maryland next week for homecoming. With the Terrapins fresh off of their win against Clemson, the Deacs are going to have to build on this game’s successes and fix their mental errors in order to come out victorious. Kickoff is set for 6:30 and it will be broad-casted on ESPN360.com and the Wake Forest ISP Radio Network. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Maryland: Pregame October 8, 2009 Going into the 2009 season, the Deacons and the Terrapins were solid candidates for the bottom half of pre-season ranking polls. Back in August, people were making plans to not spend Saturday October 10th watching an inexperienced defense battle 2008’s most inconsistent team. Times have changed. (I mean, who’d have thought that BC would be the undefeated, Atlantic leader right now?) While it remains to be seen whether each team’s respective ACC wins last weekend are indicative of what we can expect for the rest of the season, Saturday’s game is sure to be an exciting one. With powerhouses Miami and Georgia Tech looming in the latter half of the season, Wake really needs a Maryland win to stay in the running for the Division title. And, we should be able to pull it off.

By the Numbers: While last week’s wins will give both teams a mental boost this Saturday, Lady Luck may have played a bigger role for Maryland than for Wake. The Wake Forest offense proved on Saturday why they’re first in the ACC and 19th in the nation in passing efficiency (154.4). Quarterback Riley Skinner set a career high for passing yards in a game with 361 vs NC State. And, lucky for Wake, the Maryland defense has allowed an average of 384 yards per game. Also, Maryland running back Da’Rel Scott, a key leader in the offense, will sit out for at least a month due to a broken wrist. The Deacs should be able to capitalize on their offensive advantage.

The Third Down: An interesting thing to note is the team’s respective records on the third down. Wake has been able to convert on 48.7% of their third downs, good enough for second in the ACC and 17th in the nation. Conversely, the Terps are tops in the nation on defensive third downs, allowing opponents to convert a mere 32% of the time. It would seem that getting the first down would be more of a struggle than the Deacs are used to, but with Skinner’s offensive statistics versus Maryland’s defensive statistics (see above), Wake should still be able to play quality offensive football.

The Coaches: In his nine years at Wake, Coach Jim Grobe has become the winningest coach in school history.

Under his leadership this year, the Deacs have played progressively better with each game as they’ve minimized mental errors and played with more consistency. Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen has also been with the program for nine years and he has led the Terps to six bowl games. He ranks 10th in all-time winning percentage in the ACC. However, with Maryland’s poor performance at the beginning of the 2009 season, he’s going to have a lot to prove as his team rolls into Winston.

Saturday: Overall, this Saturday should make for some great football. With the division still wide open (did I ever thank the Terps for beating Clemson?), both teams will be working off of the momentum

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from last week’s performances. Wake threw the ball a lot more on Saturday than they have in the past. Despite the interceptions, Coach Grobe’s gameplays were ultimately successful. It remains to be seen what type of offense will be playing on Saturday. But, if the Deacs are going to pull out a win, they need to continue to focus on minimizing their mental errors and on holding their opponents (I’m not referring to the holding penalty….) Last week’s game was great because we won, but NC State was able to answer almost every one of our scoring drives with points of their own. If we can build on last week’s successes and play with a little more consistency, then we should be in great shape to defeat Maryland.

The annual Wake/Maryland game is shaping up to be quite the rivalry. The last time the Deacs and the Terrapins met, Maryland shut-out Wake 26-0. Expect the Deacs to come out hungry for revenge. The last time I was at a Wake/Maryland game, Wake overcame a 21 point scoring deficit to win 31-24 in overtime. I was one of about 200 students to remain for all four quarters and you better believe that I’ll be sporting my ‘I STAYED’ shirt on Saturday. (No sundress this week). Never discount the Deacs.

One more thing: Come out to support Wake Forest’s 6th ranked soccer team as they battle #2 ranked UNC on Friday at 7pm. The game kicks off the weekend of homecoming festivities. Football will begin at 6:30 on Saturday at BB&T field. The game will be on ESPN360.com and Wake Forest’s ISP Radio Network. Go Deacs!

Wake Defeats Maryland October 10, 2009 Wake Forest played the best football of our season today, dominating Maryland 42-32 in our homecoming game. The stands were packed and the team was focused. Skinner played extremely consistently with no interceptions and no turnovers. All in all a great game. Next stop: Death Valley. Check back tomorrow for my full game report. Go Deacs!

John Russell Named Defensive Lineman of the Week October 14, 2009 From the Wake Forest University Athletic Media Relations: Wake Forest defensive tackle John Russell has been named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Russell, a 6-4, 280-pound senior from Jacksonville, Fla. (The Bolles School) matched his careerhigh with six tackles and recorded two sacks for losses totaling 15 yards in Wake’s 42-32 win over Maryland. Russell also helped anchor a defensive front that limited Maryland to just 62 rushing yards, a season-low for Demon Deacons.

Russell had a nine-yard sack late in the second quarter during a Maryland drive that reached midfield. His second sack came on a fourth and-and-five late in the third quarter when he dropped Maryland quarterback Chris Turner for a six-yard loss.

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Basketball Coach Guadio Receives Contract Extension October 14, 2009 From the Wake Forest University Media Relations: Wake Forest University Director of Athletics Ron Wellman announced today that basketball coach Dino Gaudio has received a contract extension through the 2013-14 season.

“Dino has continued to move our basketball program forward, much as was anticipated when he was hired two years ago,” said Wellman. “We are pleased with the progress of the studentathletes, both on and off the court, and Dino is responsible for that progress.”

Gaudio has compiled a record of 41-20 in his first two seasons as head coach at Wake Forest.

He led the Deacons to a No. 1 national ranking during the 2008-09 season as Wake Forest won its first 16 games of the year. The Demon Deacons earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament following the 2009 season.

Gaudio was named as Wake Forest’s 20th head coach on August 8, 2007, succeeding his friend and mentor, Skip Prosser.

Gaudio joined the Wake Forest staff as an assistant coach in 2002 when Prosser was named head coach. After three seasons, Gaudio was promoted to associate head coach. During his six years as an assistant coach on the Deacon staff, Wake Forest compiled a record of 126-68 and reached postseason play five times including four straight NCAA Tournaments from 2002-05.

Wake Forest vs Maryland: Postgame October 16, 2009 Result: The Deacs put 35 points on the board during the first half to cruise past the Terrapins 42-32.

Oh what a difference a week makes! This time, seven days ago, I was not drowning in midterms, nor was I best friends with the library. I was also not, however, looking at a Wake football team that was FIRST in the Atlantic Division!! Is it too early to get excited with Clemson, Miami, GT, and FSU rounding out our season? Perhaps….but I’m going to live in the moment. And if we continue to play the way we have been for the past two games, then who’s to say that the standings of this moment won’t be the same in December? Our 2007 football slogan was ‘The Time is Now.’ Let’s hope the team proves that to be our unofficial 2009 one as well….

The First Half: We outscored Maryland 35-10 as both sides retired for halftime. I previously said that the NC State game was one of the most exciting I’d ever been to because up until the last minute of the fourth quarter, either team could have won. But, I’ve got to say– it’s definitely equally exciting to just watch your team dominate from the onset. Five Deacon touchdowns in the first half? Yes, please. The questions that arises, however, is if this is something that we can expect for the rest of the season.

Given that we haven’t faced some of the conference’s toughest defenses yet, the scoring rate of the first half is probably more of an anomaly. But, the point is that Wake’s offense looked comfortable with the ball and they played with confidence. We converted 9 of our 15 thirddowns (60%). The defense performed well too, particularly in the first half when we held them 35-10. Overall, Maryland only had the ball for 24:11 to Wake’s 35:49. We still need to work on

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our penalties (we had 8 for a loss of 79 yards), but at least we’re not letting the inevitable little mistakes dominate our whole game.

Big Day for Skinner: Riley Skinner became the school’s all-time leader in passing yards, totaling 8,296 by the end of the game. He also made a career-best four touchdown passes. And the season’s not over yet….

Overall: The Deacs had a big day last Saturday. With each successive week, we’re improving offensively and defensively and are really starting to come together and play as one team. We’re definitely headed in the right direction but this doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement. In the words of Coach Grobe “There’s no question we need to run the ball better, we need to protect our quarterback better, we need to run routes better. Defensively we’re improving each week but we’ve hit some lulls. We’ve got to try to play consistently. We’ve got to be better on third down.” For now, we remain a talented team that received a boost of confidence on Saturday.

Let’s hope that translates well against Clemson on Saturday. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Clemson: Pregame October 16, 2009 How intimidating is it to play in a stadium nicknamed ‘Death Valley?’ I’ve always maintained that Clemson’s greatest strength is its stadium- just thinking about all of those screaming orange and purple fans and the glaring sun gives me the chills- and this year may be proving my theory correct. Clemson is 1-2 in the ACC. Unfortunately, this does not exactly mean that the Deacs should rely solely on their newly acquired team confidence to guide them through Saturday’s game. Clemson is a very capable team and if we want to win, we’re going to have to continue to stay focused, communicate, and play cohesively.

The Offenses: Clearly, we are capable of getting the points on the board. Wake’s offense has been incredibly successful this year, and they seem to top their performances with each subsequent game. To touch on some of the highlights: The Deacons will face Clemson after putting up 500 yards of total offense against Maryland last weekend. We’re on target to break the school record for total yards in a season. Skinner ranked is fifth in the nation this season for passing efficiency (163.5).

Wide receiver Marshall Williams is ranked first in the ACC with 5.33 receptions per game. Need I say more?

The question is, what do these numbers mean for Saturday? Because, despite their losing record, Clemson has the potential to counter with their own potent offense. Running back C.J. Spiller is the all-time ACC leader in all-purpose yards and remains a viable Heisman Trophy candidate. He’s first in the nation in kick returns and is ranked fifth in the ACC in rushing yards with 72. Clutch for Wake will be halting Spiller’s advances. Though ranked low in preseason polls, the Wake Forest defense has proved that it is a talented and capable unit. Like the offense, it too has improved with each game and John Russell was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week this week. We can stop Clemson’s advances.

The Penalties: For the past few weeks, I’ve been saying that the key to a Wake win is in minimizing the penalties. Though we still haven’t done that (we had 8 again Maryland), it’s good to know that

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we’re not letting them dictate the final outcome of the game. However, I’m going to go ahead and say that persevering despite the penalties is going to be more difficult against a team like Clemson. They’re explosive and have proven in the past that they are more than capable of taking advantage of any holes in our play. Safety DeAndre McDaniel has already accumulated four interceptios. And, CJ Spiller is fast, folks.

Saturday: A win for the Deacs this Saturday is not going to be easy. But it’s not impossible, either. These past few weeks have proven that when everyone comes together and does what they need to do, we can pull out a win. Wake hasn’t won in Death Valley since 1998, and it’s time to end that drought. Let’s hope that we show up on Saturday hungry for some Tiger meat.

Kickoff is set for noon at Memorial Stadium in Clemson. It will be televised on Raycom and can be heard on the Wake Forest ISP Radio Network. Go Deacs!

Wake falls to Clemson October 17, 2009 The Clemson Tigers beat Wake 38-3 this afternoon at Death Valley. Sad day for the Deacs, but hopefully we can pick ourselves up with a win against Navy next weekend!

Wake Forest vs. Navy: Pregame October 24, 2009 For the fourth time since 2007, Wake Forest will play the Navy Midshipmen in a gridiron football battle. The Deacs are coming into the game after a loss to Clemson last week and Navy most recently beat SMU last Saturday in overtime. The last time the teams met was in the Eaglebank Bowl. The Deacs took revenge on a 24-17 regular season loss to defeat Navy 29-19.

The Weather: Sloppy conditions are predicted for the game today and that might not bode so well for Wake Forest. Why? Bad weather favors the running game and Navy is ranked fifth in the nation in rushing offense. With such a potent offense, the key to the game is going to be our defense’s ability to stop the Navy drives (duh). Fortunately, the fact that we’ve met three times in the past two years means that we have a lot of experience with the Midshipmen and should hopefully fare better than their past opponents.

Wake’s offense, which was once ranked first in the conference for passing efficiency, suffered greatly at the hands of Clemson. Past statistics had Wake ranked number one in the conference for passing efficiency and it seemed like Riley Skinner set a school or personal record with each subsequent game. Junior Marshall Williams was leading the ACC with 5.33 receptions going into Clemson. Before last week, we were averging 426 yards of total offense, but the Tigers held us to a mere 178 yards. I’m banking on that game to prove to be somewhat of an anomaly for the season. We should definitely be able to pick up some more yardage against the Midshipmen, though their defense has held opponents to under 50 yards rushing twice this season.

Momentum: The momentum of this game does not seem to be in Wake’s favor, but that doesn’t mean that

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we can’t pull out a win. Navy is coming off of a four game winning streak, they have yet to lose a game at home, and the homecoming crowd is sure to be craving some action. Team confidence and momentum doesn’t necessarily win football games, though. The Deacs are just going to have to shut out mental factors if they’re going to pull out a win. As an added boost for Wake: If I recall correctly, the last time that we played in Annapolis, it was also homecoming. The Deacs took out the Navy QB to claim a victory. It’s Saturday duting college football season, anything can happen.

The Game In last year’s Eaglebank Bowl, Riley Skinner threw 11-11 for the Wake Forest comeback victory.

Let’s hope that the Deacs will pull out another stellar performance. A win is going to be difficult, but we’re going to have to brush off of last week’s loss and play like we had been. We’ve shown that we have the offense (and the defense) to play with any opponent. Let’s prove the point again.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm today at Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The game will be shownon CBS Sports and the Wake Forest ISP radio Network. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Navy: Postgame October 25, 2009 Result: It’s important to give Navy the respect that they deserve, but the Deacs did the Midshipmen one better by handing them a 13-10 win on a rainy Annapolis Saturday.

The good news: Wake got their offensive yards up. Clemson held them to a mere 178 and the Deacs managed to accumulate 308 yards on Saturday. The bad news: Navy, unlike Clemson, isn’t exactly known for their defense. And, prior to the Clemson game, the Deacs had been averaging over 400 offensive yards. Where has our football team gone? I’m not sure, but I know where they’re headed: Back to Winston next weekend. Let’s hope that the home crowd gives them a much needed boost of confidence.

The Weather: I mentioned in my pregame report that the rain would play a role in the outcome of the game and I was unfortunately correct. Riley Skinner (who, if you remember, threw 11-11 last time the teams met) only completed 13 of 25 attempts for 173 yards. While Navy had a terrible passing game as well (they didn’t complete any…see below), they certainly proved why they’re ranked fifth in the nation in rushing offense. 264 of the team’s 338 total yards were on the ground.

The Penalties: While the Deacs didn’t lost nearly as many yards due to penalties as they did against BC or NC State, an offsides penalty in the fourth quarter dashed Deacon hopes for a late, come from behind victory. There’s not doubt in my mind that Coach Grobe will continue to work on eliminating his team’s mental mistakes as they get ready for Miami.

The Bright Side: The defense racked up some quality statistics on Saturday. Four Demon Deacons completed the Navy game with a career-high in tackles. Dominique Midgett, Matt Woodlief, Tristan Dorty, and Lee Malchow all boasted this honor. And, the Midshipmen didn’t complete one pass the entire game. While this obviously means that we have to be ready to stop the running game as well,

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it’s good to see that we’re at least stopping them in one aspect.

Also, congratulations to true freshman kicker Jimmy Newmanwho tied the game at three early in the second quarter when he completed a 40-yard field goal. It was Newman’s career-long field goal and also the longest by Wake Forest this year. Between Newman and Shane Popham, who was named the King Fisher Society Student-Athlete of the Week, Wake’s special teams is not suffering nearly as much as I thought without superstar Sam Swank.

Overall: This was not Wake’s best game, but on the bright side, it wasn’t a conference match-up. While the rest of the season is definitely going to be a challenge with Miami, Georgia Tech and FSU (yes…FSU will stillbe a challenge) looming in the distance, the Deacons certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to enjoy a post-season run. The offense is really going to have to concentrate on third-down conversions and on eliminating mental errors now that we’re playing teams with potent defenses. Similarly, while the defense is playing well, they need to be more ready to stop dynamic offenses. We’re not playing Elon anymore…..

The Deacs return home nex Saturday for Parent’s Weekend to play the Miami Hurricanes at 3:30 pm. I know that we like being the underdogs and the Deacs are a tea mthat can really come up big in the face of adversity. Let’s hope they prove that to us again this weekend. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Miami: Preview October 31, 2009 Good News: After two losses on the road, the Deacs return to BB&T Field to try their luck in front of a home crowd for Parent’s Weekend. Bad News: They’re playing the 18th ranked Miami Hurricanes. But, hey, we’re both 2-2 in the ACC. Especially if the Deacs can get their offense back on track (we were averaging 400+ yards a game before our two road losses), this is by no means going to be a cupcake game for Miami.

The Rankings This is the Deac’s first game against a ranked opponent since beating #24 FSU 12-3 last year. But, Miami fell from being ranked eighth in the AP poll after last week’s overtime loss to Clemson. The game all but dashed Miami’s hopes for a championship title, and the ‘Canes are either going to come into the game mentally defeated or ready for revenge. The Deacs need to prepare for the latter. To name a few statistics: Quarterback Jacory Harris is averaging 253 passing yards per game. Wake also needs to watch out for Miami special teams- Junior PK Matt Bosher recorded a career -long 51-yard field goal last week. However, Harris leads the ACC with 10 interceptions. And, the Miami defense is missing stars Eric Moncur and Ray Ray Armstrong.

The Deacs need to capitalize on Miami’s weaknesses in order to win this game.

Wake’s Offense: Wake definitely has the ability to play with Miami. Through the first six games of the year, the Deacon offense was averging 426 yards per game. Presently, Riley Skinner sits as fourth in the conference in passing yards per game (right behind Harris) and in passing efficiency (yes, this stat includes the previous two road losses…). The Deacs are ready to bounce back- just ask Sophomore Joe Looney “I don’t think anything has been going wrong with the offense, we’re just struggling a little bit. You just have to come to practice every day and work hard. You have to get in the weight room, too, and get stronger. You have to come out to practice every day

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to get better and take it a step at the time. I’m pretty sure we’ll pick it up again.” (quote from Tuesday’s press conference).

Saturday: Sorry Deacs, but you just seem to choose really difficult opponents to celebrate Parent’s Weekend (Clemson 2006, anyone?). I’m not discounting Wake’s ability to win. I think that despite our previous two losses, we’ve proven that we’re a football team that is capable of stopping potent offenses and putting our own points on the board. To give an example, Riley Skinner’s last minute drive against BC in September showed fans that when we really come together as a team, we can perform like future ACC Champions. This game is going to be difficult. But, it’s not impossible to stop the Hurricanes. Go Deacs!

Kickoff is set for 3:30 at BB&T Field. The game will be broadcasted regionally on ABC and also on the Wake Forest ISP Sports Radio Network.

And, Wake Forest men’s and women’s cross country teams compete for their ACC title in Cary, NC Saturday morning at 9:30 and 10:30, respectively. Go Deacs!

Greetings from the game!

October 31, 2009 Today, I will be blogging about the Wake Miami game from the press box! Follow me on Twitter for play-by-play updates!

Go Deacs!

PS….Couldn’t have chosen a better day to watch the game inside! It’s a gray, rainy day here in Winston. Ready for that upset!

First Quarter October 31, 2009 I have to write this quickly…I only have the time it takes two college students to race across the field in a hamster ball before the second quarter starts. So….we’re winning 10-0. The Deacs look good. We’re holding Miami to ZERO third down conversions. Miami’s given us a few scares with some long pass completions, but so far they haven’t been able to capitalize on their drives. In contrast, Skinner and co are putting the points on the board. We’re not letting a few penalities set us back. Let’s continue our drive throughout the game!

Second Quarter October 31, 2009 Deacs are still looking good, but Miami is gaining some of their momentum back. They ended the quarter with a 39 second touchdown drive and Harris is starting to show off his arm. But, the Deacs have their fair share of stats as well: We’re winning 20-14 at the half. Jimmy Newman’s 42 yard field goal is career-long. We’ve had 18 first downs compared to Miami’s 13 and have already racked up 300 offensive yards. Honestly, right now the Deacs just look good. We’re scoring when we have possession. We’re playing with multiple offenses (did Williams really throw to Skinner?? yes). We’re sacking Harris. We’re getting things done. But, most importantly, we’re

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not giving up. This isn’t the same team that lost two on the road. We’re back home now and we’re playing like the talented team that we know we are. Here comes the second half….

Third Quarter October 31, 2009 The Deacs comtinue to look good through the third quarter! Our offense racked up another touchdown and the defense sacked Harris and intercepted a pass. I’m excited for the fourth quarter…especially because I just found out that the media gets to watch the end from the field!

Come on Deacs, hold ‘em for 15 more minutes!

Skinner Questionable for Georgia Tech November 1, 2009 From Wake Forest University Athlitic Media Relations: Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner suffered a mild concussion late in Saturday’s game against Miami and is considered questionable for this week’s game at Georgia Tech.

Skinner left the game after a hard hit along the Wake Forest sideline with 6:22 remaining in the game and the Demon Deacons holding a 27-21 lead over No. 18 Miami. On the play, Skinner picked up 12 yards on a third-and-eight to give Wake Forest a first down at its own 29. He was replaced at quarterback by fifth-year senior Ryan McManus. Miami scored with 1:08 to play in the game to pull out a 28-27 win over Wake Forest.

Skinner has undergone a CT scan and will be cleared by a doctor before returning to practice.

Wake Forest does not practice on Sunday and will return to the field Monday night.

Skinner completed 29 of 43 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns against Miami. He also scored on a seven-yard run and caught a 17-yard pass. McManus hit on five of nine passes for 42 yards during the most extensive playing time of his career.

During the Miami game, Skinner set the school record for passes attempted in a career and the most 300-yard passing games in a season with four. He also vaulted into second place in the ACC record book with 824 career pass completions.

Wake Forest will play at No. 11 Georgia Tech on Saturday, November 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be carried on ABC and ESPN2

Wake Forest vs Miami: Postgame November 3, 2009 I think you all know why I procrastinated writing this postgame report…

Result: After a stellar first half in which Wake Forest accumulated 421 offensive yards to Miami’s 268, the Deacs lose a heartbreaker in Winston-Salem to then #18 Miami as the ‘Canes came back to defeat the Deacs 28-27.

I know that I leave every lost game shaking my head and mumbling ‘we should have won’ but this time, that feeling really was legitimate. Who would have ever thought that unranked Wake Forest could play with, much less outscore for the majority of the game, the Miami Hurricanes? If it wasn’t for a few seemingly small errors, the mood in Winston-Salem would be quite different now.

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What went right There really isn’t a reason to harp on this loss when so much went right last Saturday. Running contrary to how we played on the road against Navy and Clemson, the Deacs accumulated 555 yards of total offense, a season high, proving that we are a team that can play with the best in the country. On the other side, the Deacon defense held Miami to 356 yards. How’s that for “inexperience”? Additionally, before being taken out in the fourth quarter, Riley Skinner accumulated 824 career pass completions, ranking him second in ACC history. Josh Adams and Devon Brown both had career high days, making five catches for 71 yards and 12 catches for 101 yards, respectively. True Freshman Jimmy Newman completed a career-high 42-yard field goal.

Despite the loss, the Deacs looked good. Our offense was continuously driving the ball and, until Miami’s 39 second drive late in the second quarter, the defense was doing a good job of holding off the Hurricanes’ powerful scoring attempts. The Deacs bested Miami in third-down conversions and Harris was sacked multiple times.

But, something went wrong….

Unfortunately, despite the gametime highs, we did lose on Saturday and that loss seems to be all the more poignant given that we’re playing a top 10 team this Saturday. The team needs to continue to develop its talent and work together to ensure that either 1) It won’t be necessary to make quick, late fourth quarter drives or 2) High pressure situations still result in Deacon successes. We’re getting there…. And, honestly, I think that given that the way we played this past weekend, next Saturday’s GT game just got a whole lot more exciting for ACC fans. Also, just in case you didn’t see the previous post, Riley Skinner is questionable for GT. So, for those of you who were following, I sat in the press box for the Miami game. It was such a fantastic experience to watch the game from a bird’s eye view. The best part may have been seeing the pre-game show. I never realized that the band spells out D-E-A-C-O-N-S. And, when the video-board is playing the ‘open the gate’ video, I got to watch as the entire team congregated right outside of the stadium. It was like a time-lapse montage. First one or two guys came out. Then ten. Then 25, and suddenly all of the Demon Deacons are at the gate, waiting to burst forward onto the field. The Deacon revs his motorcycle and accelerates into the stadium followed by a mass of black jerseys and fist pumps. I could feel the energy from way up in Deacon Tower. And that’s why I love Wake football.

Ok, truth be told, the BEST part about the press box was that it started pouring outside as the second half began. Hmm…how ironic- the rain came when the Hurricanes decided to step up their game. I hate irony. Sigh.

The Deacs have three games remaining in the regular season (and we need two more wins to be bowl-elgible). Next’s Saturday’s game at Georgia Tech is scheduled for a 3:30 pm start. Go Deacs!

Riley Skinner Cleared to Start vs. GT November 6, 2009 From the Wake Forest Media Relations: Wake Forest University quarterback Riley Skinner has received clearance from team physicians to play when the Deacons visit Georgia Tech Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ABC regionally and ESPN2 nationally.

Skinner suffered a concussion late in last Saturday’s game vs. Miami.

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Skinner did not practice Monday, saw minimal practice time Tuesday, and gradually returned to the regular practice routine later in the week.

The fifth-year senior quarterback is expected to start his 33rd consecutive game for the Deacons on Saturday.

Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech: Preview November 7, 2009 After last week’s heartbreaking loss at home, the Deacs head to Atlanta to take on another ranked team…#11 Georgia Tech. I think that most people would agree that Wake Forest’s 4-5 record is not really indicative of the level of play that the Deacons can achieve. Wake held then #18 Miami for three and a half solid quarters, making tomorrow’s game all the more interesting for ACC fans. I know that GT is predicted to win by 14 points and I know that even if they don’t, the Deacs won’t necessarily dominate, but I also don’t think that the Yellow Jackets can go into Bobby Dodd Stadium expecting to steamroll us. We’re a team that’s proven our skills on the field and let’s hope that we show that tomorrow.

The Offenses: Just in case you missed my previous post, I’d like to preface this one by saying that Riley Skinner will be suiting up tomorrow to start his 33rd consecutive game as a Demon Deacon. Skinner was taken out of the Miami game last Saturday after suffering a concussion. This is great news for the Deacs, although the team emphasized in Tuesday’s press conference that they would enter the GT game with confidence regardless of who takes the place behind center. Last Saturday, Skinner became one of just three quarterbacks in ACC history to throw for 2,000 or more yards in each of his four seasons. He also trails former UVA Quarterback Matt Schaub by .0004 points for the ACC record career completion percentage mark. Several Deacs had career-high days last Saturday, including Devon Brown, Chris Givens, and Jimmy Newman.

Unfortunately, the Deacs will have to contend with GT’s own dynamic offense in order to pull out a win. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt is ranked third in the nation in rushing. He’s rushed for more yards this season (763) than any quarterback in GT’s history. Jonathan Dwyer, the 2008 ACC Player of the Year, rushed for a career high 186 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries last week at Vanderbuilt. He’s rushed for 736 yards and six touchdowns in the last six games. Can the Deacon defense stop the Ramblin’ Wreck? The fact that the Deacs were familiarized with GT’s option spread offense at Navy earlier this season “helps us” according to Grobe. “Our players got to play it a couple of weeks ago, so we’ve got a little better understanding of the option. But then that helps Georgia Tech a little bit because they can see how we like to defend it. We’ve played Navy several times lately so they’ve got some pretty good film on it. But our players have a pretty good feel for what we are going to get on Saturday. Now we need to play better against Georgia Tech than we did against Navy and that remains to be seen whether we are able to do that.”

Saturday: Georgia Tech is going to come into Saturday looking to extend their six-game winning streak.

Key to Wake’s strategy is going to be stopping Nesbitt’s offense. Our young defense gets experience by the week and we made some headway against Miami, sacking Harris a few times and halting many of their third-down conversions. The offense greatly helped the defense with a staggering 38:52 time of possession to Miami’s 21:08. If the Deacs can keep that up this week,

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Nesbitt won’t have nearly as much of a chance to cause some damage. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an upset. Should be a great game!

O, and just in case anyone forgot, the last time the two teams met was in the 2006 ACC Championship. Wake defeated GT 9-6 and I participated in the most epic quad-rolling ever. Go Deacs!

Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm in Atlanta. The game will be broadcased by ABC and will be available in certain areas of the country on ESPN2. It can also be heard on the Wake Forest ISP Sports radio Network.

Wake Loses Third Heartbreaker of the Season…

November 7, 2009 The Deacs played with GT for four quarters. It was awesome, but it all came down to Tech’s overtime drive when they were 4th and 1 and went for it. That put them at first ang doal and Nesbitt rushed for a touchdown. This would make the third game this season where the Deacs fell apart at the end. First BC in overtime, then Miami last week, and now GT. We’ve proved that we can play with the top teams in the country. But, as of yet we’ve been unable to finish ahead of them. Check back tomorrow for a full game report.

Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech: Postgame November 8, 2009 People- Deacon fans and opponents alike- continually emphasize that Wake Forest’s losing record does not adequately reflect the team’s talent. I couldn’t agree more, but the fact still remains that our record is 4-6. School records are broken and individual career-highs are achieved on a weekly basis, but our accomplishments are not procuring the wins. In 2006, WF stood for “We Finish” because, as a team predicted to end the season dead last in the Atlantic, we capitalized on our opponents’ misperception of our abilities to stage miraculous shut-outs and come-from-behind victories. It seems painfully obvious that the Deacs enter each game this season with that same drive to beat the ACC powerhouses. Our defense who, just to refresh everyone’s memories, returned a mere four starters this year, is thwarting some of the best offenses in the country and our offense is putting the points on the board. So, then, where is the disconnect between the talent and the W? I don’t know if there is a decisive answer to that question. One thing that I do know, however, is that Wake Forest is a school steeped in tradition and that tradition now includes beating FSU. Shake it off, Deacs.

For those of you who missed yesterday’s game, here we go….

Result: After playing four strong quarters against then #11 GT, Wake Forest falls to the Ramblin’ Wreck in a 30-27 overtime defeat.

To re-emphasize what I stated before, despite the loss this was yet another good game for the Deacs. Riley Skinner continues to move up the ACC record charts. He is now sixth on the ACC career passing yards list with 9,163 and ninth on the ACC’s career total offense list with 9,293.

Wide receiver Devon Brown had two touchdown receptions- the first multiple-touchdown game of his career. His last catch was game-tieing to culminate a 74 yard Deacon drive in the fourth quarter.

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On yet another high note, the penalties that plagued the Deacs in the past no longer seem to be an issue. We committed four penalties for a loss of 35 yards. We were even able to capitalize on the Jackets’ mistakes as they committed seven penalties for a loss of 78 yards. The most productive of those came in the second quarter when a GT penalty against kicker Jimmy Newman set us up for first and 10 at the one. Though our drive should have culminated in a field goal, the Deacs scored a touchdown to bring us within three points of the Jackets’ lead.

From there, the Deacons found their rhythm and the fourth quarter ended with both teams tied at 24.

Unlike the BC game, however, this game truly was lost in overtime. There really weren’t any decisive regular-game errors that cost the Deacs the game. That, at least, is a sign of the maturity of our team. We’re staying focused, our offense is driving, and our defense is halting our opponents’ advances. Let’s hope that we can keep it up against FSU next weekend. With only the Tribe and the Dookies left to play in our regular season schedule, the Deacs at least have the opportunity to finish the season strong.

Wake Forest vs. Florida State: Pregame November 13, 2009 The most anticipated match-up of the season is finally here! I don’t care that both teams are stumbling into Saturday’s game, weathered and unranked. (Wake is, at the very least, also unappreciated.) I’ve loved watching the Deacs dominate FSU for the past three years and it’s fitting that this is the last game that the seniors will play at home (Note that if we win, the class of 2010 will be the winningest class in Wake Forest history with 33.) It’s the last time BB&T field will see action in 2009, and the last time I will attend a regular season game during my college career. Let’s also hope the Deacs reference the ‘last time’ Wake Forest met the Tribe. Or the time before that. Or, better yet, the time before that. Doesn’t matter — we creamed them in all three games. The class of 2010 watched Wake’s 30-0 thrashing of FSU in 2006 and our college career would come full circle if we could finish out the season with the fourth straight Deacon win. Is that possible? Most definitely.

Both the Deacs and the Seminoles are coming off of tough road losses (and rough seasons in general). The ‘Noles have is especially bad, though, as starting quarterback Christian Ponder suffered a separated shoulder at the hands of the Tigers and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Deacs will be coming at the Seminoles with a vengeance in attempt to end their current four-game losing streak and to extend their three-game winning steak against FSU. However, in the past, Jim Grobe acknowledges that “It’s been a game of turnovers in the past.

We’re not forcing so many turnovers on defense and they are taking better care of the football.

It’s going to be a tough football game for us.” Coach couldn’t be more right, be we are doing some things right this season. Riley Skinner is currently in the running to surpass the ACC record for career completion percentage. He stands at .6687 and the record is .6697. Depending upon how Saturday goes, wide receivers Marshall Williams, Devon Brown, and Chris Givens are on track to become just the second trio in school history to reach 500 yards of receiving.

FSU’s starting quarterback on Saturday is likely to be redshirt freshman EJ Manuel. Don’t discount Manuel just because he hasn’t seen much collegiate playing time. A five-star recruit from Virginia, Manuel was expected to be a top contender for the starting position last year before Christian Ponder stepped up. But, just like Ponder, Manuel has been studying under Jimbo Fisher, arguably one of the best offensive coordinators in football. While Manuel’s lack

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of playing time equals little video for the Deacs, in high school Manuel was hailed for his ability to throw, run, and, yes, throw on the run. The Deacon defense certainly has their work cut out for them, especially since running back Jermaine Thomas has rushed for over 100 yards the past two weeks. While the Deacs have had trouble stopping the running game, let’s hope that they can capitalize on Manuel’s inexperience. Yet despite Ponder’s absence, Riley Skinner says that “We gameplan like we do every year for Florida State. We look at the film and see where we can exploit them and where we can go with the ball. We’ll prepare the same way we do every week.

I don’t think the gameplan is going to change.” Well, that gameplan has worked in the past. hopefully Saturday will yield similar results!

Saturday: Wake has a lot on the line this Saturday as they play for pride, legacy, and a chance to go bowling. The Deacs need to win their final two games in order to finish with a 6-6 record and to be eligible for a bowl game for the fourth straight season. Given our record over the past three seasons, we’re not having the fall that many Deacon faithful thought we’d have. Even with a 4-6 record, I’d like to note that 5 of those losses were by a combined margin of 13 points. We’re playing well and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t continue to do so on Saturday. I’m just hoping that our talent will finally translate into a win.

Kickoff is set for 12 noon and we’re trying to blackout BB&T Field so wear your darkest colors!

The game will be broadcasted on ESPNU and is also available on the Wake Forest ISP Sports radio Network. Go Deacs!

Let the Games Begin November 14, 2009 Wake Forest vs. FSU. It’s a beautiful day and the Deacs are hungry for a win. Because we’re playing FSU. Because it’s the last home game of 2009. Because BB&T field is packed with the Deacon faithful. Because we need to halt our 4 game losing streak. And because I want to go bowling. So…let’s go Deacs. Keep up with the game through my twitter accountWakeCampusBlog and Go Deacs!

First Quarter November 14, 2009 Our offense looks good. Skinner’s passes are, for the most part, complete and he’s doing a great job of evading the Seminole defense himself. The Tribe, however, is doing a good job of thwarting our defense. They haven’t had and standout plays, but they’re consistently moving down the field and are scoring on well-executed, first-down drives. We’re going to have to figure out how to stop their running game, especially. The game is far from over, though, so Go Deacs!!

Wake Forest vs. FSU: Postgame November 18, 2009 There’s no way around it….Saturday was a sad day for the Deacon Nation. For a senior class that accomplished so much, especially during its redshirt freshman season, the last home game at

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BB&T Field did not do their talents justice. It’s a disappointing end to a four-year career marked with so many high points and exciting moments, but here’s to finishing the season with a road win against long-time rival Duke.

Result: Wake Forest falls 41-28 to Florida State in the last home game of the 2009 season.

As has come to be a trend this season, Wake racked up some excellent stats but made some crucial errors that cost us the game. Offensively, we weren’t able to capitilize on key drives and defensively, well, we just couldn’t stop them. (For the record, both defenses were lacking.) As predicted, EJ Manuel ran the ball a ton. While our defensive running game has always left much to be desired, FSU was able to score a whopping 41 points. However, despite the score Wake Forest out-gained FSU 454 yards to 437 yards. We rushed for 277 yards, the most since our win against Stanford (who, I might add, just beat USC). Riley Skinner’s touchdown pass to Chris Givens in the fourth quarter allowed him to tie the school record for most touchdown passes in a single season with 21. On another note, Wake only had three penalties for a loss of 30 yards this game. This really shows how far the team has come since the beginning of the season. We’ve become more disciplined and are no longer being set back almost a full field length by mental errors (as was the case during BC and NC State).

Despite Saturday’s many losses- the game, the ability to go bowling, the bragging rights of beating FSU four years straight- it’s important to remember what our saniors have accomplished during their tenure at Wake. For starters, for a video recap of the 2006 season set to the musical stylings of The Boss himself, click here. But, to give a brief summary: an ACC Championship, an Orange Bowl appearance, the first shutout of Bobby Bowden at home, an overtime come from behind victory vs. Maryland in 2007, the chance to become the winningest class in Wake Forest’s history, three straight seasons of eight or more wins, three successive bowl appearances, two bowl victories, I could go on forever. I know that Wake Forest is not having the season that we anticipated, but I think that we can all console ourselves with trips down memory lane. We’ve had a great four years and we shouldn’t let Saturday’s loss, or this season in general, taint our experience with Wake football and its growing program. I’ve loved my four years here, am so happy that I was witness to 2006’s Cinderella season and will never forget my 2007 birthday win over Maryland. As a pathological fan of teams that disappoint (the New York Mets), the highlights of football seasons past are more than enough for me to keep my faith in the Wake Forest football program. I’ll be back for homecoming. Go Deacs!

Wake Forest vs. Duke: Preview November 27, 2009 Happy Thanksgiving from Virginia! I’m visiting my brother at UVA and, yes, I will be attending infamous UVA/Va Tech Thanksgiving weekend game. Obviously, I’ll be more concerned about constantly checking my phone for Wake/Duke updates, but it’s not just because I go to school in Winston- it’s honestly just going to be a better game. Sorry UVA, but Saturday’s going to be a blowout. Not so much in Durham. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Wake and Duke are pretty evenly matched. Those outside of the football field probably assume that a team with a reputation like Wake Forest will walk all over a team with a reputation like Duke. While I certainly hope that that’s the case, Duke has progressively become a better team each season. And, sadly, they have a 3-4 ACC record to Wake Forest’s 2-5. Trust me, though, Wake certainly plans on evening the score come Saturday.

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It’s the last regular season game of the 2009 season and a lot is at stake for the Demon Deacons.

Die-hard Wake fans are always eager for a chance to dominate a Tobacco Road rival and Saturday’s match-up won’t disappoint. For one, Riley Skinner started his first collegiate game in 2006 against Duke’s Thaddeus Lewis so it’s fitting that he finishes his career against him as well.

Secondly, Wake Forest needs only one more win for the senior class to be named the winningest class in school history with 33. Sadly, I’ve been posting this stat for the past five games, but Duke gives us one more chance. And, even back when Duke deserved its terrible football reputation, the Deacon/Devil game has always been close. Fortunately, Wake has come out on the winning side of an overtime field goal (2008) and a late blocked kick (2006), but luck has not been on our side recently as Wake Forest has set a record for the most losses by three points or fewer in a season with five. This includes two close losses to ranked opponents, proving that we know how to play with the best, but just can’t quite seem to finish with them.

Saturday’s game will be a tough battle for Skinner and Lewis as it is the first ACC game ever that pits two career 9,000-plus yard passers against each other. Note, however, that Skinner had some positive comments about the quarterback rivalry at Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s pretty neat that Thaddeus’ and I’s first starts came against each other. Now we’re ending our career going against each other. He’s a class act guy. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him with the way he plays, the way handles himself and the way he leads his team. It’s going to be fun going against a quarterback like that for my last game.” However, Duke ran the ball well against Miami last week and our defense has struggled in stopping the running game this season. Luckily, we’re coming off of a bye week which was a chance to, in the words of Coach Grobe “rest and refocus.” Let’s hope that the whole team was re-energized and is more than ready to take on the Devils.

Given Skinner’s career-passing yards, it should also come as no surprise that three Deacon receivers- Marshall Williams, Devon Brown, and Chris Givens have all accumulated 500 or more yards of receiving, further proving that the team is full of raw talent. I think that our abundance of close games against top teams clearly proves that we’re able to make big plays but, and forgive me for using this cliché, ‘it’s the little things that count.’ We’re losing because we make a few clutch errors and we can’t seem finish games. Note that the Deacs have fallen into the negative column for their turnover margin, even though they practically led the nation for the past two seasons. We need to fix mental mistakes and capitalize on all opportunities.

The game will begin at 12 noon at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. It will be televised on Raycom Sports and the Wake Forest ISP Radio Network. Check out the Deacs as they look to win ten-straight against the Devils.

As every good Deac fan knows, the Wake/Duke rivalry doesn’t ever end. Check out the men’s soccer team as they take on the Blue Devils in the third round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. Go Deacs!

Skinner Named ACC Offensive Back of the Week November 30, 2009 From Wake Forest University Athletic Media Relations: Wake Forest senior quarterback Riley Skinner today was named the ACC Offensive Back of the Week for his performance against Duke on Saturday.

Skinner, a 6-1, 210-pound redshirt senior from Jacksonville, Fla. (The Bolles School) completed

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28 of 38 passes for a career-high 372 yards and a school record five touchdowns in a 45-34 win at Duke on Nov. 28. Skinner threw scoring passes of 28 and 8 yards to Devon Brown, 54 yards to Chris Givens, 13 yards to Kevin Harris and 49 yards to Marshall Williams.

His first two touchdown passes tied the game at 7-7 and 14-14, respectively, while his third gave the Demon Deacons the lead for good.

Skinner became the first Wake Forest quarterback to ever throw for 3,000 yards in a season, finishing with 3,160 passing yards. He also tied the school season record with 264 pass attempts.

Skinner finished his career in fourth place in ACC history with 9,762 passing yards and 9,923 yards of total offense. He also finished seventh with 60 touchdown passes.

Six Deacons Earn All-ACC Honors November 30, 2009 From the Wake Forest University Athletic Media Relations: Wake Forest senior defensive tackle John Russell was named second team All-ACC on Monday.

Russell was the only Demon Deacon to make the first or second team.

Five players received honorable mention honors including quarterback Riley Skinner, wide receiver Marshall Williams, offensive tackle Chris DeGeare, offensive guard Jeff Griffin and cornerback Kenny Okoro.

Russell is fifth on the Wake Forest team with 46 tackles. He led the team and ranks eighth in the ACC in sacks with 4.0. Russell had a season-high nine tackles at Georgia Tech on Nov. 7.

Skinner, a senior, received honorable mention for the second consecutive year after being named second team quarterback as a freshman in 2006. This fall, Skinner set school records with 3,160 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. He became Wake Forest’s all-time passing leader with 9,762 yards in his career. Skinner finished his season ranked third in the ACC in passing yards per game (296.0), total offense yards per game (297.1) and passing efficiency (149.2 rating).

Williams, a redshirt junior, is the ACC’s leading receiver with 50 receptions. He ranks third in receiving yards per game with 86.1. If Williams winds up leading the ACC in receptions following the ACC Championship game and the bowl games, it would mark the third straight year that a Deacon has led the conference in receiving. Kenny Moore was the ACC’s leading receiver in 2007 and D.J. Boldin earned that acclaim in 2008.

DeGeare started all 12 games at left tackle as a senior. He led the offensive line in knockdown blocks three times and graded out at better than 90 percent in games against Miami and Florida State. DeGeare was a Freshman All-America during his rookie season in 2005 and was also a member of the ACC All-Freshman team by the Sporting News.

Griffin also started all 12 games as a senior, split between right tackle and right guard. His top games included grading out at 98 percent against Miami and Boston College and at 90 percent against Maryland and Clemson. Griffin had a season-high nine knockdown blocks against Navy on Oct. 24.

Okoro was not only an honorable mention selection at corner but also received votes for Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year. Okoro recorded 38 tackles on the season and led Wake Forest with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. His three interceptions are the

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second-most ever by a Deacon redshirt freshman.

Skinner receives ACC Jim Tatum Award December 1, 2009 Congratulations to Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner as he is the 2009 recipient of the ACC Jim Tatum Award!

As announced at the ACC Luncheon….

Wake Forest senior quarterback Riley Skinner, who posted a 3.08 career GPA with a major in the Wake Forest business school, is the 2009 ACC Jim Tatum Award-winner. The Tatum Award is presented annually to the ACC’s top football senior student-athlete. Named to the Dean’s List four times at Wake, Skinner enjoyed his best season athletically in 2009, completing 66 percent of his passes for 3,160 yards and 26 touchdowns. He completed his four-year Deacon career as one of the most accurate passers in ACC history, missing by just a few hundredths of a point in setting a career completion percentage record. He completed almost 67 percent of his career passes and finished ranked 2nd on the ACC career list in pass completions, fourth in passing yardage with 9,762 yards and seventh in touchdown passes with 60. One of only three quarterbacks in ACC history who have thrown for over 2,000 yards in four consecutive seasons, he led Wake to a 31-18 overall record, an ACC Championship and three bowl game appearances. Skinner is the second Wake Forest player to be honored with the Tatum Award, but the first since 1992.

And…the release from the Wake Forest Athletic Media Department: Wake Forest senior quarterback Riley Skinner has been named the recipient of the 2009 James Tatum Award, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced today.

The Tatum Award is given annually in memory of the late Jim Tatum to the top senior studentathlete (in athletic eligibility) among the league’s football players. Tatum, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year, coached in the fifties at both Maryland and North Carolina and believed strongly in the concept of the student-athlete.

Skinner, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., has started 49 games at quarterback for the Demon Deacons and has compiled a 3.08 career GPA with a major in the Wake Forest business school.

A member of the 2007 ACC All-Academic Football Team, he has been named to the Dean’s List four times at Wake Forest and twice has earned selection to the ACC Honor Roll.

In addition to his academic achievements, Skinner has participated in mentoring children in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. and has visited children at the Brenner Children’s Hospital.

In the midst of his best season athletically, Skinner has completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,160 yards and 26 touchdowns—both career highs. He is one of the most accurate passers in ACC history, having completed almost 67 percent of his passes and he completed his career ranked 2nd on the ACC career list with 903 pass completions, 4th in passing yardage with 9,762 yards and 7th in touchdown passes with 60.

In his four seasons as a starter he has posted a 31-18 record, led Wake Forest to one ACC Championship and three bowl games. Last year, he set an NCAA bowl game record for passing percentage, completing all 11 of his passes against Navy and was named MVP of the inaugural EagleBank bowl.

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“I think it’s so unusual to find somebody who’s played at the level Riley has for four years and won as many games as he has, to still find time to excel in our Business School,” said Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe. “Most people who know the rigors of a business school education at Wake Forest would tell you that they marvel that anybody could play at a level like Riley does and still do well in the classroom. He’s just a remarkable young man and not only does he have great character and great football ability but we are obviously very proud of his accomplishments in the classroom. Riley is very deserving of the Tatum Award.”

Skinner becomes the second player from Wake Forest to be honored with the Tatum Award, joining former standout student-athlete Steve Ainsworth who won the award in 1992.

More Awards for Wake Football Players!

December 10, 2009 A number of Wake Forest football players have received additional postseason honors this week.

Phil Steele, the publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview magazine, named his All-ACC team and Freshman All-America teams.

Steele’s publication selected defensive tackle John Russell to its All-ACC second team along with wide receiver Marshall Williams. Quarterback Riley Skinner was named to the All-ACC third team along with freshman cornerback Kenny Okoro.

Okoro was also named to Steele’s Freshman All-America second team.

The College Football News also named its Freshman All-America team. Wide receiver Chris Givens was named to the second team while Okoro was also a second team pick.

Russell was Wake Forest’s fifth-leading tackler in 2009 and tops among defensive linemen with 46 stops. He led the Deacons with eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Russell was previously named a second team All-ACC pick by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.

Williams was second on the team with 60 receptions for first on the club with 867 receiving yards. He had six touchdown catches on the year including two against NC State on Oct. 3.

Skinner set season records for passing yards and total offense yards in 2009 while also becoming Wake Forest’s all-time leader in nearly every career passing category.

Okoro led Wake Forest with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He finished his freshman season with 38 total tackles.

Givens is the national leader in touchdown catches by a freshman with eight. He had 45 catches for 629 yards during the season.

Wake Forest vs. Duke: Postgame December 15, 2009 I apologize for my late post. Finals week came any everything outside of academia ceased to exist…

But, there really is nothing better than beating Duke and November 28’s game didn’t disappoint.

In the gridiron battle of arguably the ACC’s best quarterbacks, Riley Skinner and the Deacs continued to re-write school record books with a season-closer win in Durham.

Result: Senior Deacs ended their Wake Forest tenure the way it began: victorious. The Demon

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Deacs once again dominated Tobacco Road as they closed the season with a 45-34 victory at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham.

Wake led for most of the game. The game started off at a rapid scoring pace with the Blue Devils and Deacs tied at 14-14 going into the second quarter. We were able to pull ahead and stay there for the rest of the game. The scoring didn’t stop on either end however, proving the capabilities of each quarterback. While it seemed like each team’s drives were answered by the opposing offense, Duke was only able to rack up 20 points to Wake’s 31 and they were severely hampered by a Deacon endzone interception.

This season, Wake Forest has had this funny little tendency to set school records and move up ACC ranking charts, yet lose the actual game. We seemed to be winners at everything except, well, winning. Luckily, that was not the case on Saturday and overall, Wake Forest led for the majority of the game. And while the rest of the nation is scoffing at our “disappointing” performance this fall, true Deacon fans are still rejoicing over the accomplishments that the team has had.

Let’s start with Riley Skinner’s Saturday performance. He ended the season with 9,762 passing yards and 9,923 total offensive yards. He will go down as fourth in ACC history for both respective accomplishments. And, he was one pass completion away from tying Matt Shaub’s all-ACC record for completion percentage at 67%.

Jimmy Newman also had a great day, kicking a career high 44-yard field goal. Josh Adams led the Deacon rushers with 43 yards on seven carries and Alex Frye returned an interception for a touchdown. It was the first non-offensive touchdown of Wake’s season.

I mean, on the bright side, 2009’s record has left us with some significant room for improvement.

Our stats show that, as individuals, we have talent. What we were lacking this year was an ability to play as one cohesive unit. And while I can’t pinpoint the source of the problem we need to be able to finish games next year. We can’t be a great team for three quarters.

Overall, though, it’s been a great four years. And for now, I’ll say congrats to the seniors and best of luck nest year. To the underclassmen, I’m coming back for homecoming next year. And I’m expecting a win!

‘Tis the Season! Well, almost….

December 16, 2009 Wake football finished the season with a 5-7 record, the first losing season in three years. It was a disappointing season for many, especially considering that this year’s seniors began their Wake Forest tenure with an ACC Championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Yet the record is not indicative of the Deac’s caliber of play. Senior Deacs leave the school as the winningest class in Wake’s history. Five of the seven losses were by a combined total of 13 points (and two of those close ones were to ranked teams), proof that we’re a high caliber team with an uncanny ability to let the game slip away after a few botched plays. But, let’s not focus on the negative right now. To further sum up my past few posts, the Deacs have multiple reasons to celebrate the 2009 season. Quarterback Riley Skinner leaves Wake Forest one completion shy of Matt Shaub’s all-ACC record for completion percentage, fourth in the ACC for both passing yards and total offense, the recipient of the ACC Jim Tatum Award, and a third-team all-ACC selection.

Wide receiver Marshall Williams, offensive tackle Chris DeGeare, offensive guard Jeff Griffin and cornerback Kenny Okoro were also recipients of all-ACC honorable mentions. Defensive tackle

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John Russell was named to the second all-ACC team.

Sadly, I’m not saying that Wake Forest didn’t deserve their losses, because the fact of the matter is that no matter how ‘well’ the Deacs played, they had a knack for inconsistency and they didn’t win. We were clearly able to play with the best (at least for part of the game), but were often set-back by a handful of plays that ultimately cost us the game. To give some examples: Versus Boston College, the Deacs were rocked by penalties and mental errors. Versus the then #18 Miami, the ‘Canes raved-about, potent offense, (whom the Deacs were able to successfully thwart for much of the game,) was able to sneak by our defense to score two touchdowns at the bitter-end of the fourth. We had so much potential, but throughout the season we failed to pullthrough and play the entire game. In 2006, Wake Forest nation raved that WF stood for ‘We Finish‘ and this was sadly not the case in 2009. Too many games relied on late offensive drives or overtime plays that were ultimately unsuccessful. For one, those games really should not have come down to last-second offensive attempts as there had been plenty of opportunities to win throughout the game. I know that no team’s perfect and no team can capitalize on all of their gametime opportunities- but why couldn’t we pull it together for the final few plays when the outcome of the game was clearly was at stake? That’s a question that Coach Grobe and co. will have to grapple with in the offseason.

Game of the Season I can think of one game where our inconsistency throughout all four-quarters actually led to a win. Stanford, September on September 12. Wake Forest entered halftime down 17-3 as they racked up a mere 147 offensive yards to Stanford’s 275. The Deacs then opened up the second half with a 72-yard touchdown drive that began with Riley Skinner’s 16-yard pass completion to Ben Wooster. Wake sealed the victory with Skinner’s one yard touchdown run with 2 seconds remaining to play. Yes, Stanford was the rare close game that ended in our favor!

Coach Grobe on the game: “I think Stanford is a really good football team. But the first half I didn’t think we played very well. As far as halves go, it may have been one of our worst halves.

But that second half might be one of the best we’ve played. We’re capable of doing it we just have to play a little better. I was really proud of those players, I think our coaches did a good job, but the second half it was all the players wanting to find a way to win.” The Deacs were sadly not able to harness that same ‘want’ for the rest of the season, but this game proves that we have the will.

But, Stanford beat USC so…..by default….

Players to Watch in 2010 If anything, Wake’s close games really did prove that we’re an up-and-coming football team who can play with the best (even if we can’t finish with the best…) The key to a winning season is going to be developing the team’s talent. Fortunately, Wake is not lacking in that category.

Here are my ‘players to watch’ for next year, the guys who are going to lead Wake back into a winning season: Kenny Okoro: Corner Kenny Okoro had a stellar freshman year and improvements to his game will greatly affect the Deacs 2010 season. He was given an all-ACC honorable mention and garnered votes for Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year. Okoro also led the team with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He ended the season with 38 total tackles.

Jimmy Newman: Newman had some big shoes to fill with the departure of all-star Sam Swank and he seems to have finally found his rhythm. It seemed like Newman bested his career-high

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field goals at every game, finishing the season with an impressive 44-yarder at Duke. I certainly think that it’s feasible for Newman to become a consistent 40+ plus kicker and I fully anticipate seeing him make 50-yard goal next year. With the scoring difference in so many games being a mere three points (or less!), a more confident and experienced Newman will be invaluable to the team.

Chris Givens: The redshirt freshman wide receiver was a key asset for Wake’s offense this season. He led the nation in touchdown receptions by a freshman with eight (45 catches for 629 overall yards).

What Now? Personally, I think that we need to focus on our running game. Study Navy’s tapes. We’ve run similar plays in the past, but I really think that their offensive style can benefit us. And, fortunately, as our defense has matured it no longer seems to be the team liability that many preseason forecasts pitted it as. Now we need to have all of our players working together as one cohesive unit.

Anyways, overall what we really should be doing is focusing on that ‘WF/we finish’ mantra.

Because the season may be over, but Wake Football surely isn’t. I fully expect to come back in 2010 to find a more focused, more consistent team. The offseason should serve us well.

As always, Go Deacs!

Kenny Okoro named to ACC All-Freshman Team December 21, 2009 From the Wake Forest University Athletic Media Relations: Wake Forest cornerback Kenny Okoro has been named to the ACC All-Freshman team by The Sporting News.

Okoro, who played at Greensboro, NC Dudley High School, was a redshirt freshman for the Deacons this fall.

Okoro led Wake Forest with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He finished his freshman season with 38 total tackles.

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