SB Nation - Alphonso Smith

Deacon Dump 10/21: Grobe ready to make some changes

MRickman84 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:48:14 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

First off, I'd like to apologize for the lack of content lately. Last week I was traveling most of the week and Jake had to play student (not to discount that in any way, I doubt I'd pass any of the classes he is in, but that's the tale of an English degree). This week I've been, to steal a line from Weezy, sicker than the third floor in hospitals. But, I'm coming out of it a bit, so here are the links for today...

Grobe says Deacons need to look over their shoulders
"If you're a starter who didn't play well this last Saturday, you need to keep your head on a swivel because the guy behind you may be getting more snaps. It may not be a deal where we demote a starter, but it may be a situation where a guy behind a starter gets more playing time."

Wake's Riley Skinner Proves Jim Grobe Made The Right Choice | digtriad.com | Triad, NC | Sports News Article
A little video for your Wednesday...

FayObserver.com - Wake looks to rebound after lopsided loss at Clemson
"We're not hellbent on firing people or making wholesale changes, but we just want our players to realize that if they didn't play well, they need to be really careful because we've always been a staff that we're looking for the next guy all the time," Grobe said Tuesday. "If you're a starter who didn't play well on Saturday, you need to keep your head on a swivel because the guy behind you may get more snaps."

College Football Week 8 Rankings - ACC Power Poll — BetUS Locker Room
After seven weeks of the football betting season, it’s starting to become clear who the haves and the have-nots are in the ACC. Check out how BetUS stacks up the teams for football handicappers

Column: A melodic take on ACC football - Sports - TheSunNews.com
Deacon Blues, Wake Forest | After three consecutive outstanding seasons, it looks as if Wake Forest has returned to being the Wake Forest of old. Fans are singing the Deacon blues around Winston-Salem, despite a 4-3 record.

Dobbs' status undecided | Washington Examiner
What would happen to the Navy offense without quarterback Ricky Dobbs? The answer could come Saturday against visiting Wake Forest.

Schilawski Scores Twice in Wake's 3-0 Win at South Carolina
Senior forward Zack Schilawski scored a pair of goals to lead No. 3 Wake Forest to a 3-0 victory against South Carolina on Tuesday night at Stone Stadium. With the win, the Deacs improve to 10-2-2 on the season, while South Carolina drops to 7-5-2. Wake also runs its road record to a perfect 7-0 on the year.

CBNB: ACC Power Rankings
While it appeared as though Wake had overcome some of the problems that had plagued them at the start of the season, it is clear that there are still some issues in Winston-Salem.

Midseason report: Wake Forest - ACC - ESPN
Considering the Demon Deacons entered this season with eight new starters on defense and had to replace the best defenders to come through the program in Alphonso Smith and Aaron Curry, it’s impressive Wake Forest even had itself in a position to challenge for the Atlantic Division title.

Demon Deacons don't want to look back at ugly defeat | ugly, deacons, want - ACC Football - Burlington Times News
"I don’t necessarily think the questions are back," Grobe said Tuesday. "I don’t know if we have questions as much as the feeling that we’d better play better."

Skeen to make debut vs. Tulane
"Jamie's someone who definitely has the ability to help us win games. He's played at a very high level. He's had some success at that level. I'm really excited about him joining our team, and I'm excited about him pushing some of the other guys in practice the first semester."

Mids Play Host to Wake Forest on Homecoming Weekend

Previewing Kentucky at South Carolina: Q & A with A Sea of Blue's Truzenzuzek

Gamecock Man — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:29:29 -0000

More photos » by James Crisp - AP

2 months ago: Kentucky coach Rich Brooks looks on during the second half of their NCAA college football game against Florida in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Browse more photos »

My answers to Tru's questions are forthcoming at A Sea of Blue.

1. Let's the get elephant-in-the-room questions out of the way. UK is currently mired in a long losing streak to USC. Does this surprise you? Why do you think that USC had enjoyed so much success against the 'Cats? What would a win in this game mean to UK fans?

The losing streak does surprise me. It isn't that South Carolina is not a good football team program, or that UK is better, it is more that the Gamecocks have not separated themselves from the middle of the SEC like Georgia, or Alabama, or LSU. In fact it is amazing that we have beaten every team in the SEC with the exception of Florida, Alabama and Tennessee since we last beat the Gamecocks in 1999. So unlike the Florida losing streak, which has lately been rooted in a far superior team, the losing streaks to Tennessee and South Carolina are a little harder to explain.

I really don't know why USC has been so successful against the 'Cats. Obviously, South Carolina always fields a solid team, so it isn't like UK should be favored over the Gamecocks very often. But you would almost expect that UK would have gotten lucky by now, or the Gamecocks would have thrown in a clunker. But for some reason that hasn't happened, and the streak continues.

As far as UK fans are concerned, I think the USC streak is less annoying than those by Florida and Tennessee, but it definitely is something that we would like to see end. The Florida and Tennessee streaks are downright embarrassing, and the USC streak is something I think most fans expect to end almost anytime. That may be false hope, but I think that's how most fans see it.

2. Derrick Locke, Alphonso Smith, and Randall Cobb were able to run the ball with relative success against 'Bama's stout front line. Do you expect UK to do the same against USC? What kinds of looks should USC expect from the Kentucky offense?

I do expect UK to run the ball well against USC. Kentucky has a veteran offensive line that has proven they can run block very well, and I think South Carolina knows it can't really afford to stack the box with Cobb and Matthews on the outside, so I think the 'Cats will have success. UK ran it well against the Gators and against the Tide, and Carolina is behind both of them in league defense against the run. That isn't to say that UK will have their way with the Gamecocks, but we should be able to move the ball in spite of how tough the USC defense is.

I think South Carolina can expect a lot of the power running game early to help open up the play action pass. It depends largely on what the Gamecocks do defensively, though. If USC plays soft on the underneath routes like Alabama did, I fully expect Hartline to start looking for Locke and Connor on the short routes rather than trying to force it downfield like he did against the Tide. I think UK will try to manage the game better against the Gamecocks than they did against the Tide. UK is a possesion team that succeeds best when they have the ball a long time.

I would not be surprised to see Phillips use the Wildcat package more often in this game if the Gamecocks are successful in slowing down Locke through the line.

3. Mike Hartline is struggling. How much confidence do you have in his ability to perform well in this game?

Well, Hartline has not convinced me he is an SEC quarterback. Still, he is capable of making good decisions and throwing the ball well when given time. The problem is, he locks on receivers too much, and looks too long for his primaries. He is also not a particularly good downfield passer. But Hartline at his best is a capable game-management quarterback, and if UK's running game is going along well, it will make the passing game much easier for him.

I have more confidence in Hartline than the other quarterbacks that UK has. That isn't saying a lot, though -- Fidler is a 3-year backup and the other QB's are true freshmen. I would have more confidence in Cobb, but Cobb has physical limitations at QB that hurt him. Not only that, he is our best wide receiver, and he can't pass it to himself.

4. UK projects to be without both starting corners, including All-American candidate Trevard Lindley. Will the backups prove adequate replacements, or does USC stand to gash Kentucky through the air?

Randall Burden is a totally adequate fill-in, but Martavious Neloms is a true freshman and was burned on an out route last week vs. 'Bama. Brooks has a lot of confidence in Neloms, but I really don't at this point -- he looks green, and he will get picked on. I don't know if USC's passing game is strong enough to gash UK's secondary a lot -- Lindley and Warford are two big pieces, but the safeties are really good. My concern is how well we can handle the USC backs and tight end if we go to zone, which seems pretty likely. 'Bama killed us by running Peek in between the zones.

5. Prediction. Who wins and how does it go down?

I'll make the partisan pick and say UK finally gets the gamecocks, 24-21. Neither team is particularly strong offensively, and even though Kentucky shows up poorly defensively right now, those stats were damaged by taking on the two best offensive teams in the SEC (and maybe in America) back-to-back. USC is strong, but they are not Alabama or Florida strong, so I expect a competitive, toughly contested game by both teams and a close final score.

My thanks to Tru for taking part in this interview swap.

Deacon Dump 9/16: Preparing for Elon's offensive attack

MRickman84 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:17:18 -0000

A bunch of links on Wake's opponent for Saturday, Elon. Elon is a good offensive team and this should be a nice test for the Demon Deacon defense to make adjustments and get ready for ACC play. I don't see the Deacs having any problems handing Elon, but there is a lot that Wake needs to work on. Onto the links...

Rookie helps Seahawks forget stench of '08
Since he brought it up, also surreal was linebacker Aaron Curry. For a rookie linebacker, he stirred it up like, well . . . Brian Bosworth. By the end of the game, the Rams wanted Curry chopped into bait and offered to the aquarium's shark tank. "He had everybody on their offense mad at him," said defensive teammate Patrick Kerney, smiling. "We had his back." Curry, the Seahawks' highest draft pick in a dozen years, didn't appear to need the help. He eschewed the usual rookie profile of seen-and-not-heard and came out woofing. "I was going to talk their heads off," he said. "I wasn't calling anybody dirty, or doing anything crazy. But I can talk all day."

ACC Power Rankings, week 2 | North Carolina
7) Wake Forest (1-1, 0-0 ACC, defeated Stanford 24-17): Another week, another close game vs. a perennial bottom-feeder from a BCS conference. This week, the Deacs took care of business on the strength of 251 rushing yards against Stanford. Among the mediocre teams I mentioned in the opening paragraph, look for the Deacons to remain between 6 and 9 all year long.

ACC mailblog - ACC - ESPN
Shawn in Elon, N.C., writes: Could Elon be a trap game for Wake, am I just stupid, or a little of column A and a lot more of column B? I want pain in WS this year after my beloved Noles lost to Wake 3 years in a row. FSU plays there later, but Elon plays there Saturday. And Elon is Nole backwards--an omen?, yes, I think so :) Heather Dinich: Clever, I like it. And, yes, absolutely this could be a trap game. I know the staff is taking it seriously enough that it thinks it could be, too. Elon enters the game 2-0 and quarterback Scott Riddle is coming off a record-setting performance in which the Phoenix racked up 614 total yards. That being said, there's no excuse for Wake to lose that game.

ACC INSIDER: ACC must face its inconvenient truth – ACC Insider - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC - Archive
But let’s face it, folks. No matter how you spin it, the cruel, harsh fact of the matter is that the Mountain West Conference has significantly more national relevance than the ACC. And it’s been that way for several years now.

Demon Deacons know Elon wants to invade secondary | salem, deacons, secondary - Sports - Gaston Gazette
"So far, we’ve had a little bit of trouble (with that)," Haynes said. "We haven’t done a great job. … When it comes down to it, (Elon has) great players and they know how to use them."

Charlotte News, Weather, Sports | WCNC.com | North Carolina News
"It's given us a little bit of a different dimension," coach Jim Grobe said Tuesday. "We're not always having to hand the ball to the tailback or always having to throw to the split end."

[knocking sound] Who is it?….Landshark | Tech
Defying Gravity: Wake Forest and coach Jim Grobe. He’s turned one of the worst programs in the country into a respectable team (FSU can vouch for that). How long will he stay there? How long can he keep winning?

Stanford vs Wake Forest report card
Let’s face it, Stanford had the better game plan in the first half, but Wake Forest was the team that made the halftime adjustments. The Cardinal could not seem to recover.

With roles reversed and WRs taking handoffs, Wake Forest offense finds its rhythm - WGHP
Givens said Tuesday "the more dimensions of our offense we have, the better."

Slow starts concern Grobe: Coach says Deacons might start taking the ball first after coin flip
"Probably we need to receive," Grobe said yesterday. "We haven't been too stout on defense deferring the first two times. "That might be the easiest solution, just receive and then you can't give up the opening drive."

Injury on Deacs' D forces adjustment : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis
"Kyle gave people problems," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said Tuesday. "Just his mere lining up across from the (offensive) tackle was enough to make that tackle nervous because (Wilber) could run right past you. It's a big loss for us."

Harbaugh not happy with officiating at Wake Forest - Pac-10 - ESPN
"It was, in our opinion, a ridiculous call -- one of the worst I've ever seen," he said. "But we have moved on. We're not blaming the game on that. We've got some problems to fix."

Wake Forest not taking Elon lightly - ACC - ESPN
"It's been awhile since I've seen him like that," Griffin said. "He wasn't as mad as he was when we played Vanderbilt back in 2005 and Jay Cutler beat us up a little bit. But he was pretty upset. I think it was good, it got us fired up. We came back and beat Stanford so I'm sure he was excited about that."

Role reversal helps Wake offense shine | NewsChief.com
"The fun thing for us is, we've got some speed guys again in the slot position that we used so well those first few years we were here," Grobe said. "We kind of lost that a little bit after Kenny left, and now we're back to having a couple of guys that can go a little bit. And with Lovell Jackson, if we can get Lovell coached up, that gives us three of those guys that have pretty good foot speed. So that gives us some new things to do, not only throwing the football, but running it."

BT Game Balls: Broncos 12 – Bengals 7 - BroncoTalk
Alphonso Smith – Looked good in coverage for a rookie and came up with some nice tackles. Expect this trend to continue as he grows over his NFL Career. This kid will be a star. - Christopher D. Hart I really like the rookie. Wonder why no one gave up a first round next season to jump forward to get this guy. - Ian Henson

September 5, 2009: Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Baylor Bears Football Preview

MRickman84 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:00:39 -0000

The time has finally come. Jake and I finished up our first preview of the year, and it couldn't come at a better time. Finally, all of the preseason articles and predictions do not mean squat anymore--now the play on the field will dictate what means what. We're trying a format different from our basketball previews, so let us know if you like the layout. We are always looking for ways to evolve and change. So, without further ado, here is the preview for the Wake Forest-Baylor game this Saturday.

Breaking Down The Bears

Baylor is a funny team to analyze. They won just four games last year and had defensive troubles in the always dangerous Big 12. However, underneath the record are a number of extremely dangerous weapons. LB Joe Pawelek is a stud. FS Jordan Lake is extremely consistent. Robert Griffin has all of the tools to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and can only build off of his freshman campaign. Plus, he has a running back who had 865 yards and 5.8 YPC in Jay Finley and a star receiver in sophomore Kendall Wright (50 rec, 649 yards; 168 yards rushing).

This Baylor team has a lot of pieces in place but the question remains whether or not Art Briles can put together the puzzle and bring the Bears to a bowl game. Standing in their way will be the Demon Deacons, who won 41-13 last year and are playing this game in front of an extremely football-hungry home crowd. Will Baylor be able to start their season off right and use a win for momentum? Will a loss hurt the team’s morale and push them into a funk? Or, will that loss provide motivation to come back the next week and move forward? A lot of questions might be answered for both teams on Saturday.

Stopping RG3

That’s right. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin has come so far since the last time we saw the Bears that he went from backup QB to starter to earning himself a nickname. And as well he deserved it. All the praise for a freshman phenom quarterback went to Terrelle Pryor last year, but Griffin had an eye-popping season too. Just for comparison:

Pryor: 1311 yards, 60.6 completion percentage, 12 TDs, 4 INTs, 631 yds rushing, 4.5 yds per carry.

Griffin: 2091 yards, 59.9 completion percentage, 15 TDs, 3 INTs, 846 yds rushing, 4.9 yds per carry.

It’s close, but the edge goes to Griffin in my opinion. What does that mean for the Deacs? Simple, the young defense will be tested early. The linebacker corps, without stars Stanley Arnoux and a guy by the name of Aaron Curry, will be asked to step up and fly to Griffin when he gets past the defensive line. The DEs will need to contain and stay disciplined. And the offense needs to sustain long drives to keep RG3 off the field. If those things happen, Wake Forest will be able to hold Griffin in check.

Ghee Leads Young Corners

Replacing a player like Alphonso Smith is never easy, but having an All-ACC caliber player such as senior Brandon Ghee certainly softens the blow. While most Wake fans are confident in his abilities, the other cornerbacks are unproven. Sophomore Michael Williams had a great spring and summer and was promoted to the other starting cornerback spot. At 6’1", he certainly has great size for the position as well as good hands, which he exhibited at the spring game by making a spectacular one-handed interception. Josh Bush, the only other returning defensive back with significant game experience, will likely see time at both safety and cornerback. Finally, make sure to look out for redshirt freshman Kenny Okoro on Saturday. Coach Grobe had great things to say about him during his redshirt season, so it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he makes in his debut. While it would likely be beneficial to give the corners a game or two to become comfortable on the field, this inexperienced unit will be tested instantly by the playmaking ability of Robert Griffin.

Weapons At Wideout

Before each Demon Deacon season it is tough to tell who will be the go-to guy at wide receiver. Last season Demir Boldin stepped up tremendously from his previous years and led the ACC in total receptions. This season is no different, as four guys look to step up and fill the void. The most experienced is Marshall Williams, who had a couple memorable touchdown receptions last season against Ole Miss and N.C. State.

Jordan Williams struggled to get playing time last season after earning snaps as a true freshman, but has improved his work ethic in an effort to make a big impact this season. Devon (Y’lou) Brown and freshman Chris Givens are both small, speedy receivers that will likely get some looks in the orbit as well. It will be intriguing to see if one guy stands out and becomes the primary receiver or if Wake has more of a receiver by committee approach.

Double-duty For Popham?

After being thrown into the fire last season after Sam Swank’s lingering injury, Shane Popham will look to prove that he belongs. After winning a tough battle against ex-soccer player Cline Beam and freshman Jimmy Newman, he should receive ample opportunity to demonstrate that he is a capable ACC-level kicker. The depth chart also reveals that he won the punting job over freshman Alex Wulfeck. It is also important to note that Popham will likely get a break from doing kickoffs, as Beam will likely serve this role after showing off his strong leg in practice thus far.

On the other side, Baylor does not appear to be any better off in this area. Bears sophomore kicker Ben Parks missed five extra point attempts last season and was only six of nine on field goals, with a long of 42.

The Battle In The Trenches

When Wake Forest is on the defensive side of the ball, one battle they must win is the one upfront. On paper, this is likely the Deacs’ biggest advantage in the game as emotional team leaders Boo Robinson and John Russell command attention against a Baylor offensive line with big holes to fill.

The Bears lost second overall NFL draft pick Jason Smith at left tackle as well as three year starter Dan Gay at right tackle. Looking to replace these losses are JuCo transfer Danny Watkins, who did not start playing football until junior college, and freshman Cameron Kaufhold. Baylor does, however, have experience at the interior positions, with three year starter James Barnard and talented center J.D. Walton leading the way, Mohawks and all.

For Wake, it will be important for the guys upfront to get pressure and try to minimize big play opportunities for Robert Griffin, especially young defensive ends Kyle Wilber and Tristan Dorty. As is the case in most games, the battle in the trenches will ultimately determine the outcome of Saturday’s showdown.

Not Just A Kid From Jacksonville

Riley Skinner has a mission this season: to bring another ACC Championship to Winston-Salem. That claim might seem outlandish, but not for a quarterback who in his freshman season took home the title and has led the team to two straight bowl wins since. Last season, despite the offensive line hiccups, Skinner still threw for 2,347 yards with a 65.8 completion percentage. His leadership will be the key to this season’s success.

With the team going back to the I-Formation this year, it is critical for Skinner to manage games the same way he has in the past by limiting mistakes and taking shots when he has the opportunity. As a quarterback goes, a team goes, and with Riley at the helm, the Demon Deacons should feel pretty good about getting to a fourth straight bowl game. All that stands in the way to a good start is the Baylor Bears, and don’t think for a second that Skinner isn’t ready for the challenge.

A Return To Smashmouth

The offensive line’s troubles last season have been well-documented. I’m not going to go into it. If you want proof, just look into the endless number of articles that have been written this summer about how the offensive line needs to step up after last season. That’s true. It is absolutely imperative that the Deacs go back to their strong point from seasons prior. With three completely capable running backs—Brandon Pendergrass, Josh Adams and White Lightning Kevin Harris—as well as two stud FBs in Rinfrette and freshman Tommy Bohanon, this team seems poised to break out in the running game in a big way.

They go up against a Baylor team that was 91st in the nation on the defensive line and lost three starters. But they do gain Phil Taylor, a player who has been maligned with all kinds of trouble, including being kicked off the Penn State team. Regardless, the kid is enormous at 6’4", 355 lbs. And that’s not a typo. Fortunately, the Deacs return their entire offensive line and all of the injuries and guys playing out of position last season should definitely help the depth and confidence of the unit. Having potential pro Chris DeGeare back from suspension certainly will not hurt either. I fully expect the Deacs to have a lot of success running the football this season.

Deacon Dump 9/3: "Countdown unless you're juvenile, let's go!"

MRickman84 — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:18:48 -0000

First day of the season unofficially (the real start is Saturday), but at least we have it again. I've been working in the Browns gameday staff, and I can't even begin to explain how giddy I was just watching the first play at Browns Stadium of the preseason--and I can only imagine what it's going to feel like at BB&T Field on Saturday. Hopefully some more links and lead up articles will tie us all over until Saturday, so here are the links for today.

Full Speed: High-octane Russell is now bigger, set for big season
In the first practice of the season, Russell put on a show. Then the curtain fell, and Russell fell with it. "So we get out to our first morning practice, and we're going through our warm-ups," Skinner recalled. "And I'd never seen somebody do more intense warm-ups than John Russell -- in terms of high knees, shuffling, back-pedaling. It was the most intense thing I've ever seen. It caught everybody's eye. (We said), ‘This kid's going to be a force.'

Heather Dinich's ACC Predictions - ESPN
Wake Forest 24, Baylor 21: Yes, the Bears will be a better team than they were a year ago now that versatile quarterback Robert Griffin is more seasoned and in the second year under coach Art Briles. But Jim Grobe and his staff will have his players prepared. Wake’s offense could be one of the best in the ACC, and if the defensive players stick to their roles, a group effort will get the job done.

Big 12 predictions for this week - College Football Nation - ESPN
Baylor 31, Wake Forest 28: The Bears learned their lesson last season in Waco, falling into an early 17-0 deficit before losing a 41-13 blowout. Art Briles decided not to start Robert Griffin in that game, but he’s been in the Bears’ starting lineup ever since. The key will be the performance of new Baylor tackles Danny Watkins and Phillip Blake, who will protect Griffin from Wake Forest’s pass rush. Wake Forest starting defensive ends Tristan Dorty and Kyle Wilber have accounted for only seven career starts and will be outweighed by more than 50 pounds per man by the Baylor tackles. The Bears rushed for at least 200 yards in four of the last five games last season. If they can maintain that balance with Griffin’s passing on Saturday, they can steal an upset victory.

BulldogBlitz.com - Eulls saves 22 lives from armed student
Not Wake related, but a must-read story about a heroic 4-star Miss. St. recruit.

My Take on Wake - Bracing for the Storm | JournalNow.com
I know, I know. I’m inviting all kinds of grief down on my head with the prediction. The easy move would be to go ahead and pick the Deacons. And I do think the Deacons will be better this season than Duke. Wake, by my crystal ball, will go 8-4 and make a bowl for the fourth straight year. I really thought Duke will be bowl eligible until I was reminded the Blue Devils play two games this season against Bowl Championship Series teams (Richmond and N.C. Central) and can only count one toward bowl eligibility. So they’ll have to really hustle to get to six wins, especially now that Kansas—whom the Devils play in Lawrence on Se[t. 19—is no longer a Big 12 stepchild.

Demon Deacons sort out running backs | Burlington Times News
“I’m fully motivated,” Harris said when preseason practice began. “We have so much competition in that room. There’s deep competition in that room. It’s healthy competition. I’m ready to compete for a job.”

Golden Years: Deacons who know what it takes to win charged with leading younger teammates
"You've got a guy in Riley Skinner who can get the job done, and we need 10 other guys," Grobe said. "I thought last year the only guy that we had that really supported Riley the way he needed to be supported was D.J. Boldin. "So it's important to us to make sure we've not only got the old guy, Riley, playing good but have 10 other guys supporting him. "I feel as good about this offensive line as I've felt in a long time. I think this is a good group. I don't know how well we're going to play. I just like the attitude. The attitude of these guys is that ‘We're going to be better and we're going to play better and do our part' -- which I don't think we did last year."

College fantasy football week 1 tight end rankings
Ben Wooster Wake Forest vs. Baylor - Could have a good game against Baylor but the offense will rely on the run even with Skinner returning

ACC announces 2009 Football Championship Game Legends Class
the 1956 ACC Player of the Year from Wake Forest, Jim Bakhtiar (Charlestown, W. Va.) of Virginia, who earned first-team All-America honors in 1957

Wake Forest vs. Baylor: Preview | Wake Forest
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.

Up Again: Dukes vs. Demon Deacons : The Breeze
Wake Forest is a three-time NCAA champion with all three titles coming earlier this decade. The Demon Deacons, led by six-time Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year Jennifer Averill, come to Harrisonburg ranked second in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll. With two returning All-Americans in Raisa Schiller and Aileen Davis Wake Forest was picked fourth by ACC coaches in the competitive league. The Deacons will also return seniors Melissa Martin and Hilary Moore who scored the tying and game-winning goal, last year against JMU.

Work Hangover: College Football Preview
The Wake Forest pick is a bit of a flyer since I really just don't want to pick FSU. Wake Forest consistenly gets overlooked because they don't have high profile players or coaches, but yet Jim Grobe is arguably the best actual coach in the ACC. Maybe not the best recruiter, but to get Wake Forest to the point that they compete for the ACC title every year is pretty remarkable.

ACC Notebook: First Coast QBs in spotlight | Jacksonville.com
"The goal for us would be for the offense to spend more time on the field than the defense," Wake coach Jim Grobe said. "We have a young defense, and while we have kids who will fly around and chase the ball, they will make mistakes. The number of mistakes will be limited if they don't have to spend too much time on the field. I hate to put too much on Riley, because we did that last year. He has enough ability and experience to move the ball. The other guys need to do their part."

ACC INSIDER: Football preview, Wake Forest - ACC Insider - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC - Archive
While you probably haven’t heard of the likes of Jonathan Jones, Matt Woodleif, Hunter Haynes, Cyhl Quarles and Josh Bush, just wait a few weeks. You will. They won’t make Wake fans forget about Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith or any of the other graduated stars, but they will form a unit that – combined with a veteran offense – should put together yet another eight-win season … if not better.

ACC Preview: Top players, games to watch - Sports - The News Herald
Riley Skinner, Wake Forest quarterback The ACC returns a bevy of starting quarterbacks this season and none may be better than Skinner. The 6-1, 210-pound senior is the school’s career leader in completion percentage (.673), passing efficiency (132.33) and wins (26). He also is the ACC career leader in completion percentage and should collect loads more school records this season.

Softies? Wake offensive line plans reversal : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis
"The perception most people got of us last year was of being soft," junior center Russell Nenon said. "I kind of took it personally, hearing the (media) and the coaches saying we had such a great defense last year and our offense kind of sputtered. It's very frustrating to know you're the reason some of the games went the wrong way. So we made it our mission to turn it around and become the strength of our team."

Deacon Dump 9/2: Bevy of football links

MRickman84 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:07:38 -0000

Today is another big day for links, so if you're stuck at the office on a slow Wednesday or just have a lot of time, put on your reading glasses and get to work. Keep an eye on McKenzie's decision --he'll announce at 2 p.m. today whether he'll be a Demon Deacon or not. That said, I'll keep the 'graph short today so you can get on your way...linktime!

BC Interruption: Food Chain: Ranking The 2009 Schedule
September 26: Boston College vs. Wake Forest Brian: The Deacons have to take a step back this season, right? I know that Wake Forest will be sound offensively led by senior "it feels like he’s been there for 8 years" quarterback Riley Skinner. But the Deacons seem to have lost just too much talent on the defensive side of the ball to rank this game too high up in pecking order. It is true that you should never count out a Jim Grobe-led team, and Wake Forest has given the Eagles fits at Alumni Stadium over the years, but this game seems to be one of the more winnable ACC games this season. I guess that is saying something.

The Zook Awards: Best and Worst Coaches 2009
5. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest - No coach does more with less than Jim Grobe. Did you ever think you'd see Wake Forest in a BCS Bowl? In 3 straight bowl games, winning 2 of them? Well neither did anyone else until Jim Grobe showed up. Wake Forest hasn't had a coach since 1950 win even 30 games in his career (Grobe's predecessor was 26-63). Grobe is 54-44.

Wake Forest scouting report : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

How do the Deacons replace seven defensive starters? Wake Forest lost some serious star power, with LB Aaron Curry, CB Alphonso Smith, S Chip Vaughn and LB Stanley Arnoux all taken in the NFL draft. This year's defense is short on experience but long on talent, and it's built around a front four anchored by returnees John Russell and Boo Robinson. "Even when we've had great players in the past, I've always felt that it all starts up front with the D-line," Russell said. This year, they'll have to prove it.

Tribe Men's Soccer Falls in Season Opener at #3 Wake Forest, 1-0
The William and Mary men's soccer team once again played the #3 Wake Forest Demon Deacons to the wire on Tuesday night. But for the second straight match, the Deacs were able to edge the Tribe, 1-0. Last season, Wake defeated the Tribe, 1-0, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. With the loss, the College falls to 0-1,while WF moves to 1-0.

SoccerAmerica.com: Articles - 2009 Men's College Soccer Preview - 09/01/2009
The 10 starters from Wake Forest's 2007 championship team who are no longer with the team are all playing pro ball in MLS, the USL or Europe. That includes rising senior Cody Arnoux, who signed with English club Everton a month before the start of the 2009 season. Despite Arnoux's departure, the Demon Deacons should also be in the running for the national title. About the time Everton inked Arnoux, Wake announced the signing of midfielder Andy Lubahn, who had spent time at Belgian club Cercle Brugge.

Baylor QB to challenge all facets of Wake's D - ACC - ESPN
"This is definitely, definitely an early test," said [Jonathan] Jones. "In one sense it’s a blessing we get to play them in the first game so we’ve had a little longer to prepare for them. They do a lot of things, throw a lot of things at you, and with Robert Griffin being the dual threat that he is, you have to have everybody have all eyes on him. Everybody has to be focused and in tune. This is not a game that’s going to be won by the front, or won by the defensive backs. We need a collective team effort on defense to try to contain this offense."

The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX - Wake Forest’s Skinner wants to go out a winner
"I’ve still got so much to learn, and I still want to learn something new every day," Skinner said. "And I think that’s one thing that can only make you better as a quarterback — knowing that you don’t have all the answers. They’re coaches for a reason."

Freshman to play for Deacs
"We'll kind of see how that plays out," Grobe said. "I think with Souza, it could be good either way. If he redshirts, it will certainly be good for him. But he's a pretty good player and he's real competitive to play right now. "I think we'll probably see how those first four guys (John Russell, Robinson, Lockett and Booi) do. I think Tripp Russell's gotten better. Certainly we've already redshirted Tripp, and we would like for him to take snaps if we need it. "It's really going to be up to (assistant coach) Ray McCartney. I think we've told Frank there's a good chance he'll play this year. But we'll start out at 3:30 Saturday with those top four guys and see how it goes from there."

WFU wins soccer opener over William & Mary
"I'm impressed that we put a lot of pressure on a team like William & Mary, and we did control the game," Vidovich said. "At this time of the year, that's good. And for the freshmen like Andy Lubahn and Anthony Arena to come in and do so well is nice to see." Courtney said it was frustrating that the Deacons had so many chances to score but managed just one goal. But he also knows that staying patient while continuing to attack is a critical. "There's some pressure," Courtney said of the season, "but it's a new year, and we know we are going to be good."

College football: Knights share vision of upcoming season | Varsity845U.com
Army senior cornerback Mario Hill on Wake Forest linebacker Dominique Midgett: "He's my brother's cousin. We played at the same high school our first year and he transferred to a rival high school. He is a redshirt senior. He's a real big fella, very athletic. I remember growing up he was pretty good at basketball so he had the footwork for football. He has the will. He's a hard-working dude."

Aaron Curry's First Big Play - Field Gulls

Griffin ready to open season as Baylor’s starting QB | College Sports | Star-Telegram
"That’s the thing that really makes us have a chance to be as comfortable as you can be at this time of the year, because we’ve got nine (defensive starters) back over there," Briles said. "We’ve got some guys back there that played a bunch against a lot of good offenses. "So that type of ball they’re not going to be shocked or surprised by anything that’s thrown at them, because there’s some good offenses in this league. So that’s a confident factor for us."

My Take on Wake - On Second Thought: Grobe Not Infallible | JournalNow.com
"That was another thing of me not being the smartest guy in the world,‘’ Grobe said. "Last year we tried to be too much spread, and too much dinking and dunking. And we had a couple of pretty good fullbacks that we probably didn’t take advantage of doing that.‘’

Cincinnati.Com | Cincinnati Enquirer | High School Sports Blog " McKenzie to decide Wednesday afternoon
Moeller senior forward Griffin McKenzie is scheduled to announce his college choice at a news conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the school. McKenzie, one of the state’s top basketball players in the 2010 class, has narrowed his choices to Northwestern, Xavier, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.

Deacon Dump 8/27: Curry returns to practice, you can call him Y'lou

MRickman84 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:37:39 -0000

More football clippings today, and the news that AC has returned to practice for the Seahawks. I'm eating up every Wake football feature I can get my hands on lately, and I'm hoping you guys are enjoying them too. Onto the links...

Glen Coffee, Percy Harvin among NFL rookies who've impressed - Peter King - SI.com
5. Alphonso Smith, CB, Denver (37th pick). Faces tremendous pressure if Broncos have a bad year because Denver gave up next year's first-rounder to get him.

Seahawks | Seahawks Camp | Day 20 highlights | Seattle Times Newspaper
Linebacker Aaron Curry returned to practice Tuesday after suffering a slight groin strain one week ago. Fullback Dan Curran welcomed him back with a wallop of a hit during a full-team portion of practice.

High Hopes: Deacons eager to see if Brown is ready to fulfill his promise
There's a receiver on the Wake Forest football team intent on fulfilling a prophecy. His name is Devon Brown, but you can call him Y'lou. Everyone else does.

Wake Forest's Bennett learned plenty in Berlin
Annie Bennett called it an experience she won't soon forget. Bennett, the track & field and cross-country coach at Wake Forest, was an assistant on Team USA's coaching staff for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, which ended Sunday.

My Take on Wake - Ehrmann Mans Haynes’ Position | JournalNow.com
With junior Hunter Haynes sidelined by a pulled hamstring, I was curious who would take his spot at weakside linebacker in today’s scrimmage at BB&T Field. The answer came right away when Joey Ehrmann, a redshirt freshman from Baltimore, ran onto the field with a first-team defense also consisting of Kyle Wilber and Tristan Dorty at ends, Boo Robinson and John Russell at tackles, Matt Woodlief and Jonathan Jones at linebacker, Brandon Ghee and Michael Williams at cornerback and Cyhl Quarles and Alex Frye at safeties.

WFU blanks UNCW 5-0
Senior forward Kaley Fountain had two goals and an assist, and Jill Hutchinson added two goals to lead Wake Forest (3-0-0) to a 5-0 win over UNC Wilmington (0-1-0) last night at Spry Stadium.

Wake Forest Notebook: Soccer team will be without Opara for a while
Defender Ike Opara, one of the three returning starters on the Wake Forest men's soccer team, will miss about a month of the season while playing for the U.S. Under-20 team at FIFA's U-20 World Cup in Egypt. Coach Jay Vidovich said it's likely that Opara, a candidate for the Hermann Trophy Award, could miss four or five games, starting with a home game against Virginia on Sept. 18.

FayObserver.com
Damontre Harris, Cumberland County's top 2010 recruit, has also mapped out his official visit list for the fall. Harris, rated 65th among high school seniors by Scout.com, will make his first stop at Wake Forest for a visit with the Demon Deacons on Sept. 4-6.

Arnoux’s life in English professional soccer starts off strong | StarNewsOnline.com | Star News | Wilmington, NC
The guys at Wake were very supportive as was Coach Jay. It was difficult leaving something that my teammates and I had built at Wake. Not many college teams in history had the success that our squad had. As for the positives and negatives, you could go over them a hundred times but at the end of the day getting an opportunity to start your football career at a tremendous club like Everton is something that you just can’t pass up.

Scout.com: Travis McKie Journal -- 8/27/09
Ok, as far as recruiting goes, I think we are looking for a center in the 2010 class. My guess is that it will be either be Damontre Harris or Carson Desrosiers be wrong but that is just my guess. In the 2011 class, I think that we have got things under control. I am almost sure that C.J. Barksdale is coming to Wake. There is no doubt in my mind that there's no place he would rather go. For the point guard position, Marquis Rankin is a leading candidate. I was talking to him at CP3 and you know what I was talking to him about - Wake Forest

YouTube - Kendall Marshall and JT Terrell interview at Nike Global Games

Oregon Institute of Technology | Men's Basketball News 8-26-09

Deacon Dump 8/24: Swank signed to Bengals, Riley getting some love

MRickman84 — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:16:27 -0000

It's a little sad seeing Wake players in injury news, but hopefully 'Zo and AC get back in it soon. Their injuries sound minor. Great news about Swank and all he needs is an opportunity--the guy can kick. I was at the Browns-Lions preseason game on Saturday and ran into DJ Boldin in the tunnel. Exchanged quick words with him and it is good to see him grinding out there. He caught two passes for about 25 yards in the game and hopefully he'll stick. Link time...

QB comes close to even better stats - The Denver Post
Rookie cornerback and returner Alphonso Smith had a big ice pack wrapped around his right knee. Defensive tackle Marcus Thomas went down with a right shoulder injury.

Seahawks Insider - " Curry sits out The News Tribune Blogs, Tacoma, WA
Curry suffered a strained groin at the team’s Tuesday night practice at the University of Washington and did not practice the rest of the week. Head coach Jim Mora had been concerned about Curry’s legs with him only practicing a little over a week and the possibility of Curry injuring the leg further, so it appears the team is taking a cautious approach to the injury. With Curry not starting D.D. Lewis likely will get the start in his place.

N.C. stocked with experienced, talented quarterbacks - CharlotteObserver.com
N.C. State's Russell Wilson, North Carolina's T.J. Yates, Duke's Thad Lewis, Wake Forest's Riley Skinner, East Carolina's Patrick Pinkney and Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards might not light up the draft boards of NFL scouts, or Heisman Trophy ballots, but they're good college players and as a group, they might be the best this state has ever seen.

Deacons ride Skinner's aim - CharlotteObserver.com
"His accuracy is one of the main things that gets this offense going," Wake Forest junior Devon Brown said. "I know if I run the route, if I get where I need to be, I know Riley is going to get me the ball."

Wake Forest Rallies for 2-1 Victory at UNCG | digtriad.com | Triad, NC | Sports News Article
Wake Forest rallied from an early one-goal deficit to defeat UNC Greensboro 2-1 on Sunday night at UNCG Soccer Stadium. With the win, the Demon Deacons improved to 2-0 on the season, while UNC Greensboro fell to 0-1 on the year.

Wake Forest's Friday Football Practice Report | ACC Football News
"We're kind of in that mode where we're getting tired of going against each other right now," said Grobe. "But I told the guys we still have two weeks left to go. It's not like we play tomorrow. We have to keep working and getting better. Mentally, we're getting a lot better, there's no question. But I think we've just got to keep pushing through being a little bit tired. We've been banging heads for a while so we've got to be tough and work our way through it."

Cincinnati.Com | Cincinnati Enquirer | Bengals Blog " 8/23: Carson, tickets and kickers
With Shayne Graham still hampered by a groin injury, rookie Sam Swank was signed. Swank, who played at Wake Forest the last four years, holds the school records as leading scorer (337 points) and in field goals (71). He was signed by Philadelphia after the draft but was released on May 27.

The High Point Enterprise
Haas, 27, continues to plug along on the PGA Tour in his fourth full season. He has a couple of third-place finishes, including in May at the Valero Texas Open. He also has missed the cut 11 times this season and stands No. 92 on the FedExCup standings. He has won $4.1 million on the PGA Tour. He surpassed $1 million in earnings in 2008 for the first time. Haas is a good PGA Tour player. He's still hoping to be great.

Campbell aids Spartans in exhibition soccer win : News-Record.com
WAKE FOREST 2, LIBERTY 0: Freshman forward Andy Lubahn scored a goal and assist in his first collegiate game as Wake Forest downed Liberty in an exhibition match on Saturday night in front of 2,341 fans at Spry Stadium. Wake Forest closes out its exhibition schedule on Thursday at 8 p.m. against Furman.

PARTY LINE: Deacons need linemen to play big
"I just like the attitude of this group. This is a better attitude this year than we had last year," Grobe said. "Last year I thought our guys were too cool for school. This year we've got a good work ethic and we've got a group of guys that know there's a lot of responsibility on them for us to be better on offense. "Anytime you've got your offensive linemen wearing wrist bands and being cute and thinking they're wide receivers, you've got problems."

Better Ride, Devin Hester or Josh Howard? | The Big Lead

Deacon Dump: Slam interview with Marquis Teague, Alphonso ballhawking it in Denver

MRickman84 — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:08:30 -0000

How's everyone's Wednesday going? Football season continues to sneak up on us. The injury to Terrence Davis hurts, but hopefully the other WRs are able to step up to fill his spot. Preseason always brings injuries like this and here's crossing my fingers that no one else will be lost for the season. Onto the links...

Records to be broken in the ACC - ACC - ESPN
WAKE FOREST Skinner will need to complete 27 passes, attempt 282, throw for 1,416 yards and throw 11 touchdown passes in order to set school records. Through his first three years, Skinner has averaged 213 completions, 316 attempts, 2,200 yards and 10.3 touchdowns per season.

Nine ACC players named to Bronko Nagurski watch list - ACC - ESPN
The ACC was well-represented with nine players and more than half its schools on the list of 62 candidates for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given to the nation's best defensive player...good to see Boo make this list.

Looking ahead to the 2010 NBA draft - Sean Deveney - College Basketball - Sporting News
6. SF Al-Farouq Aminu, Soph., Wake Forest. He is very athletic and has a 7-foot wingspan. Because of Aminu's athleticism and his ability to rebound, he draws comparisons to Shawn Marion.

Alphonso Smith bringing ballhawk style - The Denver Post
So, here's the question: Why would quarterbacks continue to throw the ball in Smith's direction? "I guess they couldn't run it and they had to throw it somewhere," Smith said. "I guess I was fortunate."

ACC Football Commitment Lists: Atlantic Division, August 18 Articles
Wake Forest continued to load up on defensive backs, as it landed Kevin Johnson, out Clarksville (Md.) River Hill High. The Deacons had to survive a strong push from Wisconsin before landing their man.

NCAA Football Preview - Wake Forest Demon Deacons | College Football | Idaho Statesman
With five of the first six games of the season all coming at home, Wake Forest has the opportunity to build up a head of steam heading into the second half of the campaign. While reaching eight wins again may be a stretch, this team has enough talent to earn a fourth straight bowl bid.

Ranking This Season's Games, in Order of Difficulty - Terrapins Insider - The Washington Post
6) at Wake Forest, Oct. 10 Unlike Clemson, Coach Jim Grobe’s team overachieves more times than not, and it will have to do as much this season. The defense lost a ton of talent. I still have questions about the wide receivers. Quarterback Riley Skinner should be improved. More than a tough game, this is a critical contest because both Wake Forest and Maryland could have similar seasons. A virtual toss-up game.

CBSSports.com ACC All-Decade Team - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com
Plack, AC, Phonz, Barclay and Justice make the cut. Not bad for LOWF.

Why it's critical for Baylor to start the season fast - Big 12 - ESPN

ACC Roundtable: Pre-Season Edition - Tomahawk Nation
Great football preview from our friends over at Tomahawk Nation

NCAA Football Preview - Wake Forest Demon Deacons
It is coach Grobe's contention that if the offense can produce collectively, then the sky is the limit for his veteran signal-caller.

SLAM ONLINE | » Q&A with Marquis Teague
SLAM: You said Wake. A lot of cats wouldn’t want to follow a sibling’s huge footsteps. That doesn’t bother you? MT: It don’t bother me. When I look at Wake, their coach lets them play. They let’em run and do all of that, and that’s how I play.

Pahokee Strikes Again, Merrill Noel makes #6

SWFLNole. — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:12:15 -0000

Many people say that good things come in threes. That is certainly true today for the FSU family, as the Seminoles received their third commitment of the day from Merrill Noel. Merrill is a cornerback from Pahokee, a teammate of De’Joshua Johnson, and a great athlete. It seems that the floodgates have opened for FSU at this point, and the weeks leading up to Seminole Showtime could be very exciting.