SB Nation - Riley Skinner

Deacon Dump 12/11: Finally back in action

MRickman84 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:39:12 -0000

It feels good to know that we'll have a game again. With college football on hiatus and this being exam week, it's a bit slow. But at least the Browns won! That's about as rare as an eclipse. So here's some links on your Friday while you try to sneak out for the weekend. The college cup starts tonight and the Deacs' matchup against UVA should be a great game.

True Blue: NBA Stock Up/Stock Down
AL-FAROUQ AMINU, Wake Forest: Aminu was already getting heavy consideration in the Top 5 before the season started and his play thus far has confirmed why. Aminu has had three straight 20-point games and is averaging a double-double this season (16.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg). The only thing that is going to hurt him is that he’s not that great of a shooter so he will have to put on a lot of muscle if he wants to play the 4 in the NBA. Either that or work on his outside shot so he can be converted into a 3 man. Conclusion: Stock Up

Atlanta Hawks 118, Chicago Bulls 83 or sometimes you just get to eat the whole pint of ice cream - Peachtree Hoops
Teague! Teague! Teague!

Akron Zips, North Carolina Tar Heels, Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Virginia Cavaliers face off in men's College Cup - ESPN
"We were a decimated team, very young and inexperienced," Vidovich said. But there's little athletes love more than adversity, and thanks to the senior leadership of Zack Schilawski (leads all ACC scorers with 11 goals, 27 points on season) and the net-stopping dives of Akira Fitzgerald, the Deacs are making their fourth straight College Cup appearance. And for those with some sort of memory loss, they also took home the title in 2007.

The Rapids Undercurrent: College Cup Preview #2
Coach Vidovich has done an outstanding job with this group considering the loss of some great talent plus the absence of Opara in the middle of the season. This team has it all. It is built with great athleticism, experience and is really electric going forward.

Top-seeded Akron plus 3 ACC teams make College Cup - USATODAY.com
"We appreciate the ACC inviting us to their conference tournament this weekend," joked Caleb Porter, the coach of top-seeded Akron, the only non-ACC team among the final four. "No, we're aware that even though we've been ranked No. 1 in the country all year long and we have the record that we have, people are probably putting us as an underdog."

Familiar faces in College Cup | Charlottesville Daily Progress
"Any time you play a team three times — getting a result three times against a good opponent is not the easiest thing in the world," said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch. "But I don’t think there’s anything I lose sleep about or dwell upon with them. Our focus is on us. Certainly, we have respect for Wake, but most of what we’ve been doing is getting ourselves ready."

Texans' Cushing, Seahawks LB Curry rock rookie wall | Houston Texans Football | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
He's an impressive kid," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said about Curry. "He's big, fast, smart and talented. "When he came to our room at the combine, he looked like a defensive end. When he walked out of the room, I looked at (general manager) Rick (Smith) and said something like, ‘Gosh, that kid's impressive.' And Rick said, ‘Don't worry about him. He'll be long gone before we draft.' "

More Postseason Honors for Wake Forest Football | digtriad.com
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.

College Sports | Zags Men's Hoops: Elias Harris, freshman from Germany, feels at home with Bulldogs | Seattle Times Newspaper
Right about then, that's what Harris did to Wake Forest's Chas McFarland. As a three-point shot went up, Harris pivoted and forearmed McFarland in the neck. McFarland tumbled backward, Harris was assessed a flagrant foul and ejected and Wake swung the momentum toward an eventual 77-75 victory. "I just think it's somewhat confusing to him," says Few, who took issue with the ejection. Meanwhile, Harris said afterward, "My feeling is, I did nothing wrong."

Soccer Notebook: Keeper Fitzgerald says Deacs play extremely well as a team
"Obviously last year's team was very special with the talent we had," Fitzgerald said. "But I think this team, everybody plays for each other, and that's big. Last year's team was the same way, but we have all made a difference in each practice this season." The Deacons finished 21-2-1 last season but lost eight starters. "I think obviously when you lose players like Sam Cronin, Marcus Tracy and Mike Lahoud, talent-wise last year's team might have been better. But we always talk about maybe not being the most talented team, but we talk about being the best team."

Suspense, but no Cinderellas, at Final Four - NCAA - ESPN Soccernet
The Demon Deacons boast the best of the best in the ACC, led by the conference's coach of the year (Jay Vidovich), offensive player of the year (Corben Bone), defensive player of the year (Ike Opara) and two more first-team all-conference players (Zack Schilawski and Austin de Luz). Wake Forest clearly has the experience a team needs to be successful in December, but while having been there before is definitely an asset, it's not enough to carry a team.

J.T. Terrell - ESPN Video - ESPN

The Coaching Carousel's Effect on BC 2010

Brian @ BCI — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:25:27 -0000

More photos » by Richard Shiro - AP

Virginia's Al Groh is one of three coaches who won't be roaming the sidelines against the Eagles next season. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

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Brian: We aren’t three full days past the end of the regular season in college football and the axe has already been dropped on three of Boston College’s 2010 opponents’ head coaches.

Meanwhile, down in College Park, Ralph Friedgen’s future remains uncertain. Looking at the 2010 schedule, here is the Eagles’ list of opponents, their head coaches, and their current tenure at their school:

Opponent	Head Coach	Years	W	L	T	Pct.
Notre Dame	TBD	0	0	0	0	.000
VIRGINIA	TBD	0	0	0	0	.000
@ FLORIDA STATE	Jimbo Fisher	0	0	0	0	.000
@ Syracuse	Doug Marrone	1	4	7	0	.364
CLEMSON	Dabo Swinney	2	12	7	0	.632
@ DUKE	David Cutcliffe	2	9	15	0	.375
@ NC STATE	Tom O'Brien	3	16	21	0	.432
Hofstra	Dave Cohen	4	18	27	0	.400
Kent State	Doug Martin	6	24	46	0	.343
MARYLAND	Ralph Friedgen	9	66	46	0	.589
@ WAKE FOREST	Jim Grobe	9	59	51	0	.536
VIRGINIA TECH	Frank Beamer	17	185	92	2	.663

With over half of BC’s opponents having coaching staffs with less than 3 years of experience at the program, this has to be a positive for the Eagles going into next season, no?

Jeff: I would have to agree with you that this is a positive for BC, at least as it pertains to our in conference games. Let's say Maryland decides to make a coaching change as well. Then the Eagles will play 3 conference games against new coaches plus Notre Dame. I will expect victories in all three of those games with the Virginia and Maryland home games certainly being the most winnable conference games of next season. The Notre Dame game I am a little less confident about though because won't their new coach come in and win 9 or 10 games and take them to a BCS game which will then get him a contract extension?

Brian: Perhaps. But Notre Dame likely will have to get to 9 or 10 wins without the services of Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, who both might jump to the NFL draft. In addition, the Notre Dame defense has been terrible this year. I'm not sure how they turn around their defensive unit. Finally, the schedule is much less forgiving next year than it was this year.

Regardless, looking at these programs and the tenure of the head coaches at those schools, you have to be pleased with how the schedule is shaping up. Consider that the coaches at Hofstra and Kent State will be two of the more tenured coaching staffs on the Eagles 2010 schedule.

Jeff: This is the first time we've really talked about next year's schedule and the ACC slate looks awesome. Since we learned this year the importance of BC's home field advantage, having Clemson and Virginia Tech come to the Heights next year looks to be a huge advantage. In addition, Florida State is the only road game we'll have against a team that is bowl eligible this season. Despite Duke improving this year, they are still Duke and Thaddeus Lewis played his last game Saturday. Without Riley Skinner, traveling to Wake Forest does not appear to be a very high hurdle either.

Brian: The trip to Winston-Salem always seems to give the Eagles fits. Tom O'Brien should also have the Wolfpack improved from this year. And sleeping on Duke is a dangerous proposition (just ask Virginia, Maryland and NC State). That being said, three trips to the Research Triangle, a road trip down I-90 to play Syracuse and a trip to Tallahassee to play first year coach Jimbo Fisher seems like a much more manageable away schedule than this year's gauntlet that included trips to Death Valley, Lane Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium.

Unlike this year where the Eagles played nine bowl teams, BC will only face four bowl teams in 2010. Two (possible three?) of those teams will have new head coaches. Not exactly a murderer's row for next season. The turnover in the coaching staffs at Notre Dame, Virginia, Florida State and potentially Maryland all help make the schedule that much more manageable in 2010.

Wake Forest downs Duke, 45-34

MRickman84 — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:14:39 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

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In a fitting end to his career, Riley Skinner threw for a career high 391 yards and 5 touchdowns in route to a 45-34 win over Duke.

Full recap after the jump...

Plain and simple, this was a better team than their 5-7 record. And today really proved that. Skinner showed why he was one of the best, if not the best player in Wake Forest history with his career day. Wake started out in a shootout, with Duke setting the tone and the Deacs matching punch for punch.

The Deacs had too much firepower in the end, as Marshall Williams had 8 catches for 120 yards and a TD, finishing a truly stellar season. Devon Brown had 10 catches for 97 yards and 2 TDs and Chris Givens had 79 yards and a TD on 5 catches. Wake Forest fans have a lot to be excited for, as all three of these receivers will be returning next year.

This team deserved to make a bowl. It hurts because there were so many close games that just got away from them. A big part of that had to do with missed opportunities, but as only real life can play out, Alex Frye intercepted Thaddeus Lewis for a TD near the end of the 4th quarter. Frye, who was in the doghouse most of the year, sealed the win with the TD and gave the defense the big play they had been missing most of the season.

It's easy to play the what if game, but in the end, this senior class, coupled with the senior class from last year, was the most successful in Wake Forest history, and there is so much to thank them for. It is great to go out on a win and there is a lot to look forward to in the future.

The Preview: Florida State @ Wake Forest

FSUncensored — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:17:30 -0000

via www.collegesportspro.com

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Ok, here we go. Wake Forest has lost 4 straight ballgames. FSU just got worked by Clemson. Wake Forest just had to play Georgia Tech, and teams often struggle on defense after playing Tech, probably because of the cut blocks. Florida State just lost Christian Ponder. In his place will be Red-shirt Freshman E.J. Manuel. Both teams must have this ballgame if they want to make a bowl. Wake is staging a blackout for this game. This game is at noon. Yes, a noon blackout. You can't really make this stuff up. It's also senior day for Wake. If FSU loses this game, they will not go to a bowl, unless they pull an Appalachian-State level miracle.

Time: Noon, Eastern
TV: ESPNU
Line: Wake Forest -6
Weather: 55 degrees, light rain

Florida State Offense @ Wake Forest Defense

This is a truly interesting matchup. FSU has a very good offensive line and similarly talented wideouts. They have a good runner in Jermaine Thomas. And they had the best QB in the country in Christian Ponder. But now that QB is done. Their prized left tackle is banged up but will play, and WR Richard Goodman is still somewhat of a question mark.

Before we discuss FSU's offense any more, let's learn a bit about Wake's defense:

They're currently rated #35 in the country. So we're looking at a unit that it is decidedly worse than Miami, UNC, Clemson, and BC (side note here, how amazing is it that FSU's offense did what they did against the # 1, 3, 5, and 16 rated defenses?) But Wake's defense is definitely better than GTech, NC State, and BYU. Oh and its better than USF, who now looks just to have had one of their best games ever against FSU.

Here's Wake's Roster:

DE 55 Tristan Dorty 6-2 250 R-So.
NG 96 Boo Robinson 6-2 295 R-Sr.
DT 51 John Russell 6-4 280 R-Sr.
99 Michael Lockett 6-0 285 R-Sr.
DE 97 Kyle Wilber 6-5 230 R-So.
57 Gelo Orange 6-1 225 R-So.
SLB 26 Jonathan Jones 6-3 240 R-Sr.
MLB 52 Dominique Midgett 6-2 245 R-Sr.
WLB 46 Matt Woodlief 5-11 255 R-Jr.
CB 17 Brandon Ghee 6-0 190 R-Sr.
FS 4 Josh Bush 5-11 195 R-So.
SS 5 Cyhl Quarles 6-3 205 R-So.
CB 6 Kenny Okoro 6-0 190 R-Fr.

You might notice that one of their defensive ends weighs only 230lbs. That's tiny, and as I watched Wake on the games I found, they play their weakside defensive end in a stand-up position. Wake is essentially running a 3-4 defense more often than ever before. It will be very important for FSU to accurately declare the Mike linebacker for protection purposes.

As for this defense, the two defensive tackles are very good. Corner Brandon Ghee is also pretty good. Martin Rickman of BloggerSoDear.com, pointed out that Okoro is also good at the other corner spot, even for a redshirt freshman. Orange is a very quick linebacker off the edge and sometimes puts his hand down as well.

As I said, they are running a multiple-front defense this year and have run a decent bit of zone. I expect them to run all zone against E.J. Manuel. Why?

First, Manuel has good wheels. By running a zone, it will allow Wake to keep 11 eyes on Manuel should he elect to run. Additionally, running a zone means Wake doesn't need to devote a spy to Manuel. Additionally, they probably cannot stick with FSU's wideouts in man coverage, and Manuel has a cannon and can beat them deep if they go solo. Finally, they are going to make Maneul read zone coverage and deliver the ball accurately into the holes of the zone. That's where Manuel could have trouble. FSU doesn't run anything resembling a quality zone and I guarantee you the scout team doesn't run one well either. Wake knows this, and they are betting (correctly) that E.J. doesn't have the rapport with his wideouts that Ponder had. That's expected, as Ponder worked with these guys all the time.

Running the ball here will be huge. I expect FSU to run the ball from the gun and have some success. Remember I said Wake's defensive tackles are excellent. So FSU must try to get a draw there and win on the edge. FSU should be able to consistently block Wake's defensive ends and outside linebackers. Now, with Datko being hurt, that could be easier said than done, but if he's ineffective, I'd expect coach Trickett to insert someone else. The other reason FSU needs to stick with the run, outside of protecting their young quarterback, is to protect their awful defense. We saw Fisher do this last year when the offense really couldn't throw very well and instead they ate clock like crazy (remember NC State last year?).

I expect the offense to have some success, but Wake does play good but not great defense. We'll use the typical 67 play pace (about the average of how many plays a team gets). I'll go with 37 running plays for 167 yards (4.5 per carry), and 30 passing plays (including sacks) for 218 yards. That's 385 yards on 67 plays, or 5.7 yards per play. You might think that isn't very good, but consider that it is actually better than what Miami, Navy, Maryland, NC State, or BC managed. I think that adds up to 28 points, but points are a lot harder to predict than offensive performance, which is measured by yards per play. Inside, we'll look at the other side of the ball and give a final prediction.

Florida State's Defense @ Wake Forest's Offense

How good is Wake's offense? Let's go to the chart:

Ok, so their offense is 26th in the country, and they have been improving. They aren't as good as GTech, Miami, NC State, or BYU, but they are definitely better than BC, UNC, or USF. And FSU is facing them on the road.

Here's a chart I put together, compare what Wake did against similar opponents of FSU's schedule:

You might need to click it to enlarge. For reference, Clemson went for 4.9 per play against Miami, and Wake put up 6.5 per play. That's a huge difference when you extrapolate it over a whole game.

And schematically, Wake matches up tremendously with FSU. Their offense is made to take advantage of over-aggressive undisciplined defenses. In fact, this year they seem to be running a lot of spread-option type stuff. That will frustrate FSU. Additionally, they throw a ton of underneath routes and pick routes and dump-offs to the backs. Their O-Line is average, and their running game isn't tremendous. But senior QB Riley Skinner is pretty good and he knows how to beat this FSU defense. This is just a really poor match-up for FSU's defense. So I expect Wake to get about 65 plays. Of those, they'll have about 30 runs for 190 yards (6.3 per run) and 35 passes for 315 yards (including sacks, that's 9 yards per pass play). That's 505 yards of offense for Wake Forest on only 65 plays, which is 7.8 yards per play. Always tough to tell, but that comes out to 42 points in my book.

Final Prediction: Wake Forest 42, FSU 28. Chance of winning: 30%

Deacon Dump 11/12: Signing day notes, FSU previews

MRickman84 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:38 -0000

I am very happy with the amount of links we've been able to collect the last few days. It always makes me a bit giddy to see Wake in the news this much. I'll be heading down to The Dash on Friday, but before then, keep an eye out for our Q&A with Tomahawk Nation, as well as a new feature we are hoping to try out this week. Enjoy!

Veterans Day: Grobe Recounts Trip to Middle East - WAKE FOREST OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
"The trip itself was pretty demanding, we did a lot of travel," said Grobe upon his return. "We flew military aircraft everywhere we went. It was good for us because we got to experience what our service men and women do in their traveling. We flew on KC-135s, we flew on C-17s, C-130s. We had an opportunity to have a lot of different experiences. We went to lots of bases, a lot of different hospitals where we visited wounded soldiers. It gave us the chance to feel really good about our men and women in service, the sacrifice that they're making.

Top 25 college basketball recruiting classes - MaxPreps News
9. Wake Forest Top 100: No. 41 J.T. Terrell (6-2, 175, G), No. 74 Carson Desrosiers (6-9, 210, F), No. 76 Tony Chennault (6-2, 175, G) Supporting Cast: Travis McKie (6-6, 180, W), Melvin Tabb (6-8, 210, F) Analysis: Dino Gaudio has a bit of everything with this group.

Hoopinion: David Thorpe on Jeff Teague
In a loaded point guard class, there might be not be a quicker and more dynamic driver than Teague. But, and this is a big but, he needs to learn how to read where the help action is coming from before he starts his drive. A recent game against the Nuggets taught him that lesson, as he finished 1-for-9 with most of his misses coming on shots in the paint after strong dribble-drives. A floater, teardrop or simple pull-up jumper would serve Teague well here, because he's next to impossible to stay in front of.

My Take on Wake - No Experiments in Mr. Grobe’s Class | JournalNow.com
"I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I was coaching high school football and I was making a little less than $9,000 a year as a head coach and an Earth Science teacher that had five Earth Science classes a day,‘’ Grobe said. "I thought I’d hit the lottery.‘’

Demon Deacons tire of same old results | tire, results, align - ACC Football - Burlington Times News
"Our guys are beyond pats on the back," coach Jim Grobe said. "Having people pat you on the back for playing good teams close doesn’t cut it much any more."

Bad luck binds both FSU and Wake Forest this season. -- OrlandoSentinel.com
"They're like us in a lot of ways," FSU Coach Bobby Bowden said on Wednesday. "Could have won every game they've played. They're the same way."

Resiliency Needed: Injuries have not been able to keep Griffin off the field
Griffin, a senior offensive lineman from Jacksonville, will play his 51st college game in Saturday's pivotal showdown with Florida State on Seniors' Day at BB&T Field. He'll share the distinction of veterans' veteran with defensive tackle Boo Robinson and linebacker Dominique Midgett, both of whom will also be playing in their 51st game. Nobody in the 107 seasons football has been played at Wake Forest has played in more. The record of 51 is currently held by four seniors from last season -- Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith, Stanley Arnoux and Chip Vaughn -- all of whom were drafted in the first four rounds of last June's NFL Draft.

Gainesville's Carnes signs with Wake | AccessNorthGa
Gainesville High girls basketball star Jaymee Carnes realized a lifelong dream on Wednesday when she signed a letter of intent to play for Wake Forest. The senior wing/post picked the Demon Deacons over Virginia Tech.

Will Clemson Have a Letdown? That and Other ACC Predictions for Nov. 14 | Bleacher Report
The numbers tell me FSU will make this game very close, but those stats are based off a Ponder led offense. I will take Wake to win and cover the five points.

Florida State (4-5) at Wake Forest (4-6) - FSU - MiamiHerald.com
Wake's losing skid will come to an end this weekend. Expect a big effort from Skinner, who will make the type of decisions expected from a senior quarterback. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Wake Forest 31, Florida State 23

Bracketology - ESPN
It is never too early for March Madness

John Marshall's Travis McKie is officially a Demon Deacon (Great video highlights)
"You're going to see a big change in me this year." What Wake Forest supporters want to know is what they will get in the 2010-11 season and beyond. "I'm going to try to come in and contribute in any way I can to help the team get better," McKie said. "Hopefully get to that Final Four, hopefully win a national championship."

Wake Forest basketball capsule : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis
Projection: The Demon Deacons lost their two leading scorers, underclassmen James Johnson and Jeff Teague, to the NBA draft. And yet, a lot of talent remains with a pretty darn good blend of experience and youth. If a 3-point shooter emerges to complement the big men, and Wake commits to playing hard on defense, the Deacs could win 20-plus regular-season games, contend for the ACC title and have a legitimate shot at a Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight run in March.

State still looking for its point guard
Georgia State, which finished 12-20 last season, has some faces that will be familiar to ACC fans. Senior guard Shamaine "Joe" Dukes is a Wake Forest transfer who led the Panthers in scoring at 12.8 points and 4.3 assists a game last season.

Resiliency Needed
"It tells you how tough the guy is," Grobe said. "He's tough as a pine knot. He's played through a lot of injuries. His knee has really been bothering him for a couple of years now. And he just plays through it. "When he was younger I think he used to worry about it. As he's gotten older he doesn't even think about it. He knows after every game he's going to be beat up pretty good and he just accepts it. He keeps coming back every Monday with his lunch pall ready to go to work. "He's been special. We're going to really miss that guy."

Deacons blank Tigers in ACC soccer tourney opener
Freshman Andy Lubahn scored two goals to help Wake Forest defeat Clemson 3-0 yesterday in a quarterfinal game of the ACC soccer tournament at Cary's WakeMed Soccer Park.

STRAINING: Deacs try to stay above water
"Our backs keep getting put closer and closer against the wall," Skinner said. "Now, our backs are literally touching the wall. Surprisingly enough, in the last couple of years we have lost some tough games, and I think our team's really had a hard time bouncing back sometimes. It sounds odd to say we've bounced back really well when we've lost the last four games, but we really have in terms of the way we've practiced, the way we've prepared and the way we've come out and played on Saturday."

Wake defense proves problematic for FSU QBs | Tallahassee Democrat
"They do a lot of lateral movement," he said. "Instead of stunting one gap, they might stunt two gaps. … They really play it as a team. Those linebackers know where to fill. They are hard to fool." That approach, Fisher said, puts a lot of pressure on opposing offenses to show patience and keep attacking the field. "They make you make plays," Fisher said. "And they don’t give up the big play. When you do pop one, they are usually in zone coverage and they converge and do a good job making the tackle. They make you execute. When you get a chance to hit one, you have to make it count."

Wake Forest has owned Seminoles as of late -- OrlandoSentinel.com
"Very seldom do I see a defense that plays like they do," head coach Bobby Bowden said of Wake's three-man front. "It's not a drastic thing, but you better know what you're doing against them."

Orlando Sentinel - A Q-and-A with EJ Manuel: Part II by Andrew Carter
A continuation of the Q-and-A between Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel and members of the media. You read the first part yesterday.Here’s the rest:

Hawks still seeking some consistency - Sports - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington
Rookie Aaron Curry has been impressive at times, making explosive plays, but he’s also shown some growing pains. He has 44 tackles, along with two sacks and two forced fumbles.

Top NFL Rookies From WhatIfSports.com
#7. Aaron Curry, LB, Seattle Seahawks Curry has been a monster and a huge weapon for a Seahawks defense that has been banged up all year. He already has two sacks and two forced fumbles. Playing along side Lofa Tatupa helped for a while, but now with Tatupa out and Seattle struggling, Curry will have even more pressure on him the second half of the year. Projected Final Stats: 86 total tackles, 4 sacks

Fox Sports > goodmanonfox > ACC HARD TO PREDICT; 10 THOUGHTS FROM WAKE

Sophomore Aminu to carry the load for Deacs : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis
"We didn't go that far in the tournament," Aminu said. "Growing up, you always have dreams of going to the Final Four and maybe winning a national championship. So it really left a sour taste in my mouth when we got knocked out in the first round. Plus, it's important to my mom and dad that I get a degree. If you only stay one year, that makes it tough to come back and get your degree. So the more schooling I get, the better off I am."

Blackout BB&T Field against the 'Noles (w/ press conference notes)

MRickman84 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:22:33 -0000

On senior night (although I guess it is senior day since the game is being played at noon), Wake Forest is going to black out BB&T Field as the Deacs take on Florida State. Show support for the guys if you're going to the game and throw on something black.

In addition, the athletic department will be auctioning off the Demon Deacon's motorcycle at halftime. I have no idea how much that is going to go for, but I can safely say that WakeJake would look pretty good driving that thing to class every day.

After the jump, you'll find some quotes from Coach Grobe's presser today.

"As an assistant and as a head coach I've been doing this about 35 years. I've had two or three games in a season where we played right to the wire and came up short, but not this many times."

-He's right. The last time I saw this many close games as a Demon Deacon fan was in the 05-06 basketball season. I know it's not something we all want to relive, but that season saw the Justin Gray-led team lose by six or less eight times. If that team had ANYONE to run the point or a few things had gone their way (paging Trent Strickland), it may have been a completely different season.

"We don't get to see a lot of tape. This is a really talented guy, we know that he's got great skills, the ability to run and throw. He was personally recruited by Jimbo Fisher. I'm sure all the things they're doing with Christian Ponder, they feel like they can do with Manuel."

-Wake has not exactly had a great track record against quarterbacks making their first career start (two losses this year--BC and Navy), so we'll see how Manuel will fare. He'll have a whole week of preparation and was a complete stud in high school. Hopefully the Demon Deacon defense will dial up the pressure and keep Manuel from getting comfortable.

"We're a better football team. I don't think there's any question. I would love to be able to rewind with the team that's playing right now and start the season over again. This would be a pretty special year for us. The way we played against Miami and Georgia Tech, there's no question we're a great football team. One of the keys is keeping our heads up. Our guys don't enjoy playing good teams just tough, we need to win, we need to keep our heads up and come back and play a great effort Saturday against the Noles."

-This is true. The team has definitely improved over the course of the year. Losses and the offensive line's stuggles aside, the defense has improved and it has been extremely fun to watch players like Kenny Okoro, Joey Ehrmann and Gelo Orange grow up. Plus, I am stoked about the chance to see this receiving core for the next couple years. These guys deserve to have a break go their way and you have to believe they will be playing their hearts out to get Riley Skinner to another bowl.

Beating Florida State for a fourth consecutive year would be absolutely amazing. Here's hoping the team can come through on senior day.

Deacon Dump 11/9: Ponder out for Saturday's game, big week for the soccer team

WakeJake — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:06:56 -0000

Not much to say today. Click through for some Monday reading...

Is Curry the one who got away? | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
"Aaron has had some really great flash plays, where he has just looked phenomenal, and then he has had some rookie errors that you would expect," coach Jim Mora said. "We're just looking for a week-to-week, down-to-down consistency out of him, and he's getting there."

ACC power rankings: Week 11 - College Football Nation - ESPN
8. Wake Forest (4-6, 2-4; LW: No. 9) -- If there’s one team in the conference that is better than its record indicates, this is it. The Deacs have the numbers they need everywhere but the scoreboard, and unfortunately for them, that’s where it counts. They get a break this week against an FSU team that will be missing starting quarterback Christian Ponder.

No. 4 Wake Forest Earns Top Seed at ACC Tournament - WAKE FOREST OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
No. 4 Wake Forest earned the top seed for the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Soccer Tournament and will face either Clemson or Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.

What we learned in the ACC: Week 10 - College Football Nation - ESPN
2. Even the best quarterbacks can’t do it alone. Riley Skinner. Thaddeus Lewis. Christian Ponder. Three of the ACC’s most productive, efficient passers and leaders all lost this past weekend. It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort. Skinner couldn’t shake Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan. Lewis got tied up with UNC defensive end Robert Quinn. And Ponder threw as many interceptions (four) as he had all season. All three of them are still searching for bowl eligibility, but for seniors Skinner and Lewis, it’s their last chance at the postseason.

Are UNC, Duke really that much better than everyone else in basketball? – ACC Insider - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC - Archive
"I think it’s really wide open," Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said. "I think anybody could win this league, and I don’t think that’s just coach-speak."

Wake Forest Deacons - CharlotteObserver.com
Best case scenario: With plenty of size, the Deacons will present problems for opponents, especially if they can find players to replace the scoring lost with the departure of guard Jeff Teague and forward James Johnson. Look for freshman Ari Stewart to make an early impact and for Aminu to emerge as one of the league's top players.

Yet another heartbreaker for Deacons : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis
"I think there was a time with our football program when there would be moral victories in losses," Grobe said. "There certainly aren't any moral victories right now."

Nick Friedell's Blog - Precious Time - ESPN Chicago
"I've been working for it," Johnson said. "But if they feel comfortable putting me in, then I'm going to have positive minutes and work my minutes as best I can. But if not, I'm going to cheer for my team and keep working hard."

Tyrus expecting a quick recovery | DailyHerald.com Blogs
With Thomas out, this appears to be a great chance to work rookie forward James Johnson into the rotation. Johnson has played in just one of five games so far, garbage time in the blowout loss at Boston. Before Saturday’s game, Johnson admitted it took him time to get comfortable with the plays and the defensive system, particularly at small forward. But now he feels he’s ready to play both forward spots. Coach Vinny Del Negro suggested Johnson will play the small forward when he does get in.

New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul's motto: 'I hate losing more than I like winning' | New Orleans Hornets Central - - NOLA.com
"You know, it's funny. Everybody is saying I'm playing with this look on my face. Well, they must have just started watching me play yesterday. Because I've been like that. That's my normal thing. A guy like K.G. (Celtics forward Kevin Garnett) who doesn't smile during the game, people love that about him. But me, they want me smiling. That (unsmiling visage), it's been me since Day One." Paul last week succinctly summed up his persona and his passion in one sentence: "I hate losing more than I like winning."

Wake Forest Post-Game Thoughts

Winfield Featherston — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:30:23 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

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To the kids' credit, they found a way to win it in the end and 30 is more that 27. I'm proud of them.

Georgia Tech defeated Wake Forest in an exciting (but in all the wrong ways!) game Saturday evening, proving that, even when their backs are against the wall on 4th Down and 1, the Yellow Jackets finish on top. The Deacons never said "die" and took us to the wire. Riley Skinner, Wake Forest's record breaking quarterback, had a solid performance against the Georgia Tech defense going 26-for-40 for 263 yards and 2 Touchdowns. However, when the going got tough and the Jackets had nothing but will to earn the victory, Derrick Morgan reached back and threw Skinner to the ground and then let Josh Nesbitt take over.

Three teams in the top 10 lost on Saturday, and we were pushed to the outer limit until we simply proved to be the better team. I was 15 feet away from Josh when he ran in for the game winning touchdown and it was truly a great moment to see our leader do what he does best and prove his worth and value to Georgia Tech as he saved the season.

Quick stats:

Josh Nesbitt's clutch touchdown was his 15th rushing touchdown of the season. Nobody on the team has that many.
8 players touched the ball for rushing yards. Three of them ran for touchdowns. Embry Peeples was the only player with negative yardage (-1).
Orwin Smith is quickly becoming a valuable asset to our special teams. Smith returned two kickoffs for an average of 26 yards each. His seasonal average is 22 yards per return.
Time of Possession: Georgia Tech: 30:58 Wake Forest: 29:02

It's interesting to note that the spread on our game was 15 points which tells me that Vegas doesn't know how to approach Wake Forest or what to do with our offense. Through Virginia Tech, all spreads for ACC games were no greater than 5 points. Then the Deacons come in as 15 point underdogs but have lost 5 games by a total of 13 points. Weirdness.

I heard someone on ESPN say a while back that to win the national championship, you need a little bit of random luck. Close games happen and teams don't always come out 100% but the better team finds a way to win no matter what it entails, just look at Florida or Alabama.

Josh Nesbitt is a warrior. (If you haven't read this article about why he should win the Heisman, STOP, read it now, and come back). His passing is still iffy although I can think of about 3 easily dropped passes by his receivers.

Let it be known...If we still have Chan the Man as our coach, we kick the field goal, play it safe, and somehow manage to lose the game. It's the Paul Johnson. He exudes confidence. (More on this later in the week). Our team showed grit and determination. We're 9-1 and I am satisfied with the season so far. Now it's time for Duke and time to claim a crown.

Wake a wreck in overtime as they fall to Georgia Tech

MRickman84 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:17:16 -0000

This picture makes sense. We are officially having the Chicago Cubs of football seasons. Although, it makes sense to just put the Charlie Brown picture up again.

Five losses by a total of 13 points.

That is the story of the season. So as I wrote last week "new story, same result." This week was a combination of what usually happens--the defense plays well most of the game, but eventually breaks and the Deacs are unable to capitalize on opportunities.

So instead of winning this thing in regulation, the Deacs needed a clutch TD drive by Riley Skinner to force it to OT. And in overtime, the play calling was about the worst I've seen in a long time. Wake had 28 rushing yards, but for some inexplicable reason ran the ball twice in a row, and then Skinner got sacked on third down.

Can you tell me what was going through Coach Lobo's head there? I know this team likes to be conservative, but you're on the road against the #10 team in the nation with a chance to get a win. They had nothing to lose. No one expected Wake to win this game, so take a risk. One time.

You can guess what happened next. GT drives and gets a quick first down. Then Paul Johnson shows his guts and goes for it on a 4th and 1, picking it up. On the next play, Josh Nesbitt scored and the game was over. 30-27 Georgia Tech.

I wish I could say "well at least they played hard." Or "this team showed a lot of heart." I refuse to say that. This team should have won the Baylor game. They should have won the BC game. They should have won the Navy game. They should have won the Miami game. And they should have won this game.

I know you can't luck out all the time like the 2006 season, but give me a break. Even if you split this. I'll give the Baylor game--we beat ourselves. But I can completely say with a straight face that the other three games should have been Ws.

So we're sitting at 4-6 and need to beat Florida State and Duke to become bowl eligible.

Riley Skinner deserves better than this. Oh, and Jonathan Dwyer is an absolute monster. I'll get more in-depth about this game later on.

Deacon Dump 11/7: Soccer clinches top seed in ACC Tournament, Stopping the option

MRickman84 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:27:39 -0000

It's game day. Congrats to the men's soccer team for clinching a share of the ACC regular season title last night with their win over Duke. In other news, Tyrus Thomas is out 4-6 weeks, so James Johnson might start to see some bench minutes now. Hopefully he can do something with them. Enjoy the game and if you have time, stop by and chat with us in the game thread.

Deacs win share of ACC soccer title
With a charged-up crowd of more than 3,000 at Spry Stadium the Wake Forest men's soccer team lit up Duke 3-0 last night. The victory gave the Deacons a share of the ACC regular-season title with North Carolina, but because the Deacons scored more goals in conference play the Deacons earned the top-seed for next week's ACC Tournament in Cary. The win also was a fitting salute to a class of six seniors who improved its four-year record to 74-10-9, the best winning percentage for a senior class in school history.

My Take on Wake - Grobe Knows the Option All Too Well | JournalNow.com
Jim Grobe sounded almost wistful the other day when he was discussing the triple option offense that Georgia Tech will run against his Deacons this Saturday in Atlanta. Grobe knows the offense well, from having been an assistant coach at Air Force before installing the option upon taking over as head coach at Ohio University. He remembers all the fun he had. "I’ve got to tell you, it drives me crazy because we used to do that to people and now they’re doing that to us,‘’ Grobe said.

Inside the ACC - CharlotteObserver.com
Wake Forest at No. 10 Georgia Tech 3:30 p.m., Ch. 9 Paul Johnson is following the Jim Grobe/Wake Forest ACC championship script from 2006 to near perfection at Georgia Tech. If the Yellow Jackets win today, resurgent Duke will be the only team that can keep them from reaching the ACC championship game. Riley Skinner's quick recovery from a concussion suffered last week (he was cleared Friday to play) gives the Deacons a lift.

Wake, Ga. Tech have lots at stake - CharlotteObserver.com
For 11th-ranked Georgia Tech, this football season is a story about what could be. For Wake Forest, it's a story of what could have been.

WFU will face tough test today at Georgia Tech
"One thing about Paul is he's stuck to his guns on that stuff," Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest said, referring to the Yellow Jackets' triple-option offense. "Most coaches get run out of it because the fans don't like seeing the fullback carry the ball as many times as he does. Most people get bored with winning. Paul has never gotten bored with winning. "I think there's just been probably a fear in a lot of coaches to feel like you wouldn't be accepted if you ran that type of offense, but obviously I think the Georgia Tech fans are enjoying it."

Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest | ajc.com
• For Wake Forest: Defensive tackle John Russell has 4.5 sacks and 30 tackles this season, a big number for an interior lineman. Virginia’s Nate Collins lined up a yard off the ball two weeks ago and made 16 tackles. Look for Russell to try to do the same thing.

Demon Deacons land another Blue Devil
Wake Forest now has received verbal commitments from three Pahokee players -- Ford, Zachary Allen and Merrill Noel. All three visited Wake Forest last weekend. Boca Raton quarterback Eddie Sullivan also has committed to the Demon Deacons.

Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Bobcats 7:00 PM, WGN - Chicago Bulls Confidential
Chicago will be without forward Tyrus Thomas. This time for 4-6 weeks, as Thomas suffered a fractured radius on his left forearm during a weight training session Friday morning at practice. Rookie forward Taj Gibson will start in the place of Thomas for the time being. This could eventually mean minutes for the Bulls' other rookie forward, James Johnson, selected 16th in the June draft.