SB Nation - Josh Adams

Maryland-Wake Forest Preview: This Game Actually Matters

Ben Broman — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:14:11 -0000

I'll be traveling tomorrow and Saturday, so the preview comes early this week. Sorry bout that. Hopefully I'll be back in time to make a game recap post, but no promises there. Heck, I'm just hoping to catch the game at all.

But enough about me: let's get to the game.

Wake Offense vs. Maryland Defense: Wake's offense revolves around Riley Skinner and a strong, consistent passing attack. Actually, they're one of the best in the country through the air. Skinner is usually mistake-free, and he has a strong, accurate arm. His main target is Marshall Williams, who has been stellar so far. He'll challenge Cameron Chism (at least, I hope it's Chism), and he's far better than any WR Maryland has seen so far (yes, even Jacoby Ford). So yeah, that doesn't look too good.

But there is hope: despite being experienced, Wake's line has been banged up and their weaknesses were evident against NCSt last week. It'll be up to the improving DL to get to Skinner and force mistakes, which Skinner does tend to make when pressured. Don Brown should be dialing up the blitz packages all day long.

Wake's rushing game has been below-average recently; if not for a 76 yard TD run, both their main backs - Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass - have had mediocre seasons statistically. Both are capable backs, Adams especially, so I'm not sure if they've been underachieving or if it's a result of the offensive line. Either way, though, this is a point of weakness in a pretty strong offense. Exploiting the offensive line and forcing the Deacs to run the ball is the way to win this one. Of course, that's easier said than done.

Maryland Offense vs. Wake Defense: So far, the Deacs have been less than impressive on defense. They aren't hemorraging yards, and they've played a lot of quality opponents, but they aren't as good on D as they are on the offensive side of the ball. They're especially vulnerable through the air, which is a good sign for a team that doesn't have their star running back.

Wake does have a young but solid corner in redshirt freshman Kenny Okoro, who has only made one start but is leading the team in interceptions. He, though, like Chism, is vulnerable to mistakes just like any other young corner, and there isn't a shutdown back in the secondary. Brandon Ghee, the other starting CB, is leading the team in tackles, but that's not a good thing; that means he gets picked on...a lot.

Also, their defensive line seems to be below average, at least against who they've played. There's not an impact player among the bunch (maybe Boo Robinson...maybe), and they're one of the worst teams in the country in both sacks and tackle for loss.

That, combined with the poor passing stats, leads one to believe that the problem on defense lies more on the line than in the secondary (though, as I'm still yet to see a game, I'm not sure how right that is). Because Maryland is without Bruce Campbell, this area won't be an advantage for Maryland, but it shouldn't be a big weakness.

Of course, Maryland is probably even more one-dimensional than the Demon Deacons, so selling out against the pass is a definite possibility and could really hamstring Maryland unless Davin Meggett or Gary Douglas step up.

Players to Watch:

Riley Skinner, WF, QB - Kind of obvious, but Skinner is a vet and a winner. Wake should have a shot in every single game as long as he's around.
Marshall Williams, WF, WR - Wake's top receiver, he's one of the more complete wideouts in the conference. He will be a big challenge for whomever Maryland throws up against him.
Kenny Okoro, WF, CB - He's a playmaker, but a young one. I expect Adrian Cannon to be matched up with him, so Maryland shoud push him and force him into a mistake.
Hunter Haynes, WF, LB - Wake's best linebacker, Haynes really needs to step up his game and be a solidifying presence in a weak Wake defense. Also, he's amazingly good in NCAA10.
Chris Turner, UMD, QB - Turner has to be mistake-free on Saturday. Maryland has absolutely no ground game to fall back on, so he's got to be great.
Gary Douglas, UMD, RB - Yeah, Davin Meggett is starting, but I'm very eager to see Douglas, who has looked good in limited time. He might be the key to replacing Da'Rel Scott.
Jamari McCollough, UMD, S - Wake will be testing Cameron Chism and Anthony Wiseman deep all game long. They will get beaten eventually, and McCollough will have to clean up the mess.
Demetrius Hartsfield, UMD, LB - If Brown unleashes the beast that is Hartsfield, he could have a very good day against a Wake offensive line that's been having injury trouble and position-switching the last couple games.

Prediction: Maryland is good enough to win, and you'd like to think they will. But you can feel it on this one: coming off an emotional win, going to an away game, conference implications...I hope I'm wrong, but I feel a big loss on the horizon. Wake 31, Maryland 14.

First Look at Maryland-Wake Forest

Ben Broman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:54 -0000

Who would've expected this Saturday's game between Maryland and Wake Forest to have any significance before last weekend? No one, that's who.

But, as it would only in the ACC Atlantic, it does have significance; Maryland sits at 1-0 in the conference and is currently leading the Atlantic division. Wake Forest isn't far behind, currently in third place at 1-1. So actually, believe it or not, this game has serious conference implications, as the winner is in a good place to, dare I say, make a run a conference title.

As such, it should probably be taken more serious than Jello Orange. If you actually want to know about Wake Forest, and not just humorously named players (they have a linebacker named Midget, too), here's a good primer: a fifth-year senior QB leads a mostly efficient, passing-based offense, and is backed up by a steady, unspectacular defense.

Riley Skinner seems like he's been around forever...because he has. This is the redshirt senior's fourth year starting, and he (usually) plays like it. That's not to say he isn't mistake-prone, because he's already thrown seven interceptions (even Maryland, the turnover king, has only had five passes intercepted). That said, there is a reason Wake is #22 in passing offense in the country and #21 in passing efficiency, and that's Skinner.

He's flanked by some very talented WRs, namely Marshall Williams, Devon Brown, and Chris Givens. Williams is the big hitter of the bunch, with 26 catches, 401 yards, and 4 TDs. Brown and Givens are more steady, but both are very involved in the Deac's offense, as there's a combined 41 catches between the two.

WF isn't quite as good on the ground, but they are competent (65th in the nation). Their top two backs are Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Adams, neither of whom are having a great year statistically. Without a 76 yard TD run, Pendergrass would barely be above 3 yards per carry, and Adams is hovering just below 4 ypc. That's okay - that's not their M.O. They don't excel at it, but they aren't so bad that you can fully sell out in favor of the pass.

Defensively, they run the standard 4-3 alignment, but they aren't exactly great. As I've already shown, stats don't always tell the whole story, but they're what I got here. The Deacs are 59th in rushing defense and 79th in passing defense, neither of which are impressive. Maryland's already been passing the ball a lot, so expect even more of it without Da'Rel Scott and against a team that seems to struggle against the pass.

Their leading tacklers? A cornerback and a safety. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of coverage prowess. For comparison's sake, Cameron Chism, far from a lockdown corner, is fourth on Maryland in tackles, with exactly half the number of Alex Wujciak (who already has a staggering 52 tackles).

Of course, that might not be the secondary's fault. The defensive line doesn't exactly seem like the best in the world in getting to the QB; they're 94th in sacks and 108th in tackles for loss. Even Champ Bailey can't cover forever. Most likely, the lack of pressure causes eventual coverage breakdowns. If Maryland had to play any team without Bruce Campbell (or with a less than 100% Bruce Campbell), this would probably be the team.

Still, look at their record: they're 3-2 with two quality losses (Baylor with Robert Griffin and BC) and two quality wins (Stanford and NCSt). Maryland's resume isn't nearly that impressive, nor their schedule, so stats can be easily skewed. This is a quality team that can give Maryland trouble.

We'll have more on the upcoming matchup throughout the week, but this should be sufficient for those looking for some preliminary info.

Deacon Dump: Here come the Eagles, welcome to Wake Carson

MRickman84 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:02:56 -0000

Nice set of links today, from some BC news and notes to a couple articles about Desrosiers. If you guys are in town, I'd definitely recommend trying to get involved with the CP3 thing that is going on. Other than that, keep an eye out for some content today--big day as we try to get ready for Saturday. Have a good Thursday.

ACC/SEC Rankings | GoGamecocks
18. Wake Forest, 43, 20 Anemic BC is perfect opponent for young defense's ACC opener.

WFU basketball lands big recruit
"It was a 50-50 toss up between ASU and Wake,'' Coach Rich Nault of Central Catholic said. "He called Marquette yesterday to let them know he wasn't going to take the visit, which was supposed to be scheduled for this weekend. "And then Coach Gaudio came in yesterday afternoon and really sealed the deal with the home visit.''

Central star picks Wake Forest - BostonHerald.com
"I’m very happy that it’s over with, it’s a relief," Desrosiers said. "Timing was one of the big factors for me. Wake Forest is a program on the rise and the job (coach) Dino Gaudio has done there speaks for itself. "I visited the school two weeks ago and liked everything about it. The school isn’t too big (4,000 students), the dorms were nice and the student/teacher ratio in the classroom was something I liked."

Duke freshman rusher to get his shot - CharlotteObserver.com
WAKE FOREST: Coach Jim Grobe isn't sure if tailback Kevin Harris will be ready to play at Boston College. Harris, a redshirt senior, started the first three games but injured his groin during last weekend's win against Elon. Harris has rushed for 85 yards on 17 carries while splitting time with Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass.

Scout.com: Commitment Tracker: A.J. Marshall
"The atmosphere was great. It’s always great. The students were hyped. The Demon Deacon came out on a motorcycle. All the guys were hyped after the Stanford game. Coach [Ray] McCartney brought me on the field before the game to interact before the game. They made me feel welcome."

McLaughlin hopes to wake Eagles up - Sports
Skinner isn't the only offensive threat posed against BC. Wake Forest's offense has put up at least 400 yards of total offense in each of the past two games, and while BC's defense played admirably on Saturday, it will be a challenge to contain Skinner. Head Coach Frank Spaziani identified this challenge as a focal point in the team's preparation, stating simply, "We need to try and stop him again." Additionally, the Demon Deacons are an experienced squad; 31 players are in their fourth or fifth year in the program. The 22 members of their senior class (17 of whom are redshirt seniors) make up the largest group in the ACC. "Everybody at Wake redshirts, so you know they all have experience," said quarterback Justin Tuggle. "They have a solid defense and everybody plays their assignments well."

Wake Forest suspends backup Petit-Jean for season - Breaking News - Sports - MiamiHerald.com
Wake Forest has suspended safety Junior Petit-Jean (PET'-it jeen) for the rest of the season. School officials said Wednesday they suspended the redshirt sophomore for violating undisclosed team rules.

Wake Forest (2-1) at Boston College (2-1) | The News Tribune - Colleges | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination
This is lining up to be one of those tough, grueling ACC defensive battles. However, the Eagles not only possess the better defense, but the team is also more consistent offensively in terms of producing points, and along with home field advantage, Boston College should be able to grab a win.

4th Annual "Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend" " Prolebrity
Chris Paul, his family and friends will again host the fourth annual "Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend" from September 24-27, 2009. The festivities will commence on the 24th with a taping of the new ESPN show "Homecoming," which is hosted by acclaimed ESPN personality Rick Reilly and will be filmed at Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University.

New option at QB: Shot for Shinskie? - The Boston Globe
Wake Forest’s Riley Skinner has developed a reputation as a "fourth-quarter quarterback.’’ When the Deacons beat Stanford, 24-17, Sept. 12, it was the seventh time Skinner had led them to a fourth-quarter comeback. However, he has not had a lot of success against BC. The Eagles have intercepted him seven times - most by any opponent. Skinner threw two picks as a freshman, three as a sophomore, and two last year in a 24-21 loss.

Count this as a comeback win - The Boston Globe
"He’s very accurate, if not the best quarterback in the ACC,’’ said McLaughlin, who knows that the Eagles have had more success against Skinner than almost any other team in the conference, limiting him to three touchdown passes in three games.

Desrosiers decision: Wake Forest coach: 'We need you' - EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
Top five reasons Carson Desrosiers chose Wake Forest 5. "From the very first contact, the coaching staff seemed like a great group of guys." 4. "I love their running style. I have an opportunity to play the four (power forward), playing both inside and out." 3. "I loved the location. I can't think of a prettier campus." 2. "I'm part of a recruiting class rated in the top 5 nationally (No. 7 by Rivals.com before Desrosiers signed)." 1. "First and most important, it's a top 25 academic school with opportunities I couldn't afford to pass up."

Elon vs. Wake Forest Preview: What To Watch For

MRickman84 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:00:22 -0000

Photo by Bob Hebert

The Demon Deacons' game against Elon on Saturday poses some very interesting storylines. In their final game before ACC play, it is obvious that the Deacs will want to work on and tune up their game before facing off against BC next week. The Phoenix should be a good FCS opponent to see what Wake Forest can do. Here's what to keep an eye on in the Sept. 19 game.

Replacing Kyle Wilber

This is likely the biggest storyline for the Deacs going into week three. The loss of Wilber for six to eight weeks is a tough one, especially considering that he was Wake's best past rusher by a good margin.

It will largely be up to redshirt sophomores Gelo Orange and Will Wright to get the job done. Orange was just moved to the defensive line this summer after playing linebacker during his first couple years on campus. He does not possess ideal size for the position at 6'1" 225, but hopes to use his speed and quickness to get around the much bigger and stronger offensive lineman that he will face.

Wright was impressive in the summer scrimmages and will use the unfortunate injury to Wilber to prove to the coaches that he can get the job done in actual games. His measureables are nearly identical to Wilber's and he hopes to make the same kind of impact that Kyle made during his initial reps last season.

If these guys cannot get the job done adequately, look out for the possibility of seeing a true freshman take the field. Coach Grobe feels that Zach Thompson is the most physical of the defensive ends on the roster and could see some playing time depending on the results of the coming weeks.

He's Just Being Riley

It sure feels good to have the old Riley Skinner back. Skinner, who has successfully led seven fourth quarter game-winning drives, really looked to be in his element again. This was due to a combination of factors.

First, the offensive line did a much better job of protecting Riley and giving him a pocket. This allowed Skinner to find open receivers and also take more shots downfield (including the long pass to Lovell Jackson in the last two minutes).

In addition to the OL protecting Riley, the Deacs did a much better job of running the football (discussed below), which kept the defense honest and made them respect the run, again giving Skinner more opportunities to make a play.

Skinner's comfort level made him look like a completely different quarterback (and earned him ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors) than he did in the first game against Baylor when he threw three interceptions and had a 52.0 quarterback rating.

Skinner made effective three and five step passes as well as scrambled well (4 rushes for 21 yards), and his 20 yard reception was just a bonus. As has been said time and again, if Wake Forest is going to get back to their fourth straight bowl game, Skinner and the offense will have to lead the way, and the win over Stanford, especially in the second half, makes it seem like that will be a good possibility.

Bringing Back The Rushing Attack

A week after a very disheartening performance by the Wake Forest running backs (including the fact that they were being underutilized), the three-headed monster of Josh Adams, Brandon Pendergrass and Kevin Harris exploded for 140 yards on 24 attempts, good for 5.2 yards per carry.

This was really a testament to just how well the offensive line played against the Cardinal. The line was able to open up big holes in the middle, including some nice pulling guard plays off-tackle, and the running backs hit the hole hard. With the middle opening up, Wake could also run to the outside.

But it is important to highlight the receivers' contributions to the rushing attack. Chris Givens and Devon Brown combined for 98 yards on 13 attempts (7.5 ypc). Grobe's offense seems to be coming together, and hopefully the Deacs can sustain drives as they did in the second half (19:44 time of possession vs. Stanford's 10:16) by committing to the run.

The Phoenix Through The Air

The Wake secondary has a tough test ahead of them when they face Elon on Saturday. The Phoenix, whom the Demon Deacons have not played since Sept. 16, 1939 (a 34-0 victory), are currently No. 11 in the FCS coaches poll and they've earned it.

In their two wins over Presbyterian and Davidson, the Phoenix have won by a combined score of 97-7. That's not a typo. In fact, Elon's statistics are really mind-blowing-they lead the nation with 594.5 yards per game, 367.5 yards passing per game, a 187.42 passing efficiency rating, 14.4 yards per catch and 9 passing touchdowns. I'm not listing these stats just to give a laundry list, it is to really hammer home how important it is for the Deacs to stay home and play mistake-free football.

Now, Davidson and Presbyterian are hardly Florida and USC, but stats are stats. The Deacs are not going to overlook Elon as they prepare for their game in Chestnut Hill, Mass. when they face BC. This will be a good opportunity though for Wake to get their secondary some really good work, as Elon will be passing a lot and the defensive backs will get a lot of looks.

Elon may be an FCS opponent, but this should be a competitive game-and fun to watch-as scoring won't exactly be at a premium on Saturday.

Slow Starts

If the Deacons get off to another dreadful start this Saturday, it could end up being a very stressful night for Wake fans. In the Baylor and Stanford games, Wake deferred the coin toss and allowed both offenses to easily drive down and score on their initial possessions. In the weekly press conference this week Coach Grobe addressed this issue and stated that he may break away from his normal habit and choose to receive the ball first due to Wake's slow defensive starts.

As we have seen in several games so far this year, the longer that the underdogs stay within striking range, the more confidence they gain. As a result, it will be important for the Deacons to pick up where they left off in the second half of the Stanford game by running the ball effectively and owning time of possession. If Wake can get out to a sizable early lead, it will likely break the spirits of their nearby opponents and eventually allow the coaching staff to go a little deeper into the depth chart.

The Kicking Game

As his quotes indicated at the press conference this Tuesday, Coach Grobe was none too pleased with the efforts from the kicking game last week. He stated that the competition was indeed an open one again after some shaky field goal attempts by Shane Popham early in the season.

While it will likely be unknown who will have the duties until gameday, do not be surprised if either Cline Beam or Jimmy Newman got their chance during the game Saturday. Beam, who already does kickoffs, has the strongest leg on the team, but has been somewhat inconsistent throughout the summer practices.

Newman, on the other hand, is likely the kicker of the future for the Deacs. While most expected to see him red-shirted this season, he may see the field earlier than expected if he can prove to the coaching staff that he can be consistent and that he is not significantly affected by his sore hip.

Watching The Secondary

Through two games, the Wake Forest defensive backs look to be coming into their own. During the Stanford game, Andrew Luck was throwing all over the Deacs in the first half, completing 15/22 passes for 183 yards and tossing two TDs to Ryan Whalen.

After a challenge from Jim Grobe to the entire team, the secondary answered the challenge. The defensive line put pressure on Luck, forcing him out of the pocket and making him uncomfortable. This allowed the DBs to play in one-on-one coverage and make plays, including Kenny Okoro's first career interception.

If the Deacs can continue to get after the opposing quarterbacks, this will get the backs in a rhythm. In addition, it appears that Brad Lambert is getting more confidence in the secondary as a whole and hopefully that will result in the corners playing closer to the receivers and taking away the cushion that has been giving teams short, easy passes in the flats and over the middle.

This may also result in more one-on-one coverage and Lambert calling more blitzes for the safeties, which should also give the Deacs more sack opportunities. The defensive backs are setting the tone for the Demon Deacons, as four of the six leading tacklers are in the secondary (Alex Frye, Brandon Ghee, Cyhl Quarles and Mike Williams).

It is obvious that Brandon Ghee is a true athlete and if he is able to refine his game even more, he has the potential to become a shutdown corner for the rest of the season.

Inside the Pac-10: And Troy Fights On, And On, And On...

Avinash — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:36:45 -0000

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

Stafon Johnson and the USC Trojans eeked out an enormous win over the Buckeyes. Is this their first step on the long, hrad road to Pasadena?

Browse more photos »

Don't forget to fill out the Eastern Washington report card, only thirteen grades in so far! They're due in Monday at noon PST!

USC 18, Ohio State 15

Golden Bear fans keep on getting more and more confident that this is their year, that the Bears are going to take over the Pac-10 and set their mark. You watch USC stumble around for fifty-five minutes at the Horseshoe, their quarterback not being able to thread a football through, and you start feeling the same things.

Then you see the Trojans rock on two quick two minute drives at the end of each half. You see Matt Barkley complete two huge passes, you see the offensive line take over when they're called to do so and help the Trojans convert every short yardage opportunity that comes theri way. You see Joe McKnight juke and jive his way on that las tcritical drive. You see USC take advantage of two Buckeye miscues (Terrell Pryor's interception, and the Buckeyes not running out the clock at the end of the half).

Vulnerable? Probably. Deadly? Always. Not in this lifetime can you count USC out. And they will always be the favorites until someone burns their walls for good.

What did USC-Ohio State tell you about the Trojans? Do you respect them more or do you fear them less? Discuss it in the comments!

Rest of the games and more discussion questions after the jump.

Paragon did have three additional observations on USC's performance, take note of the first two observations Cal fans!

First...Special Teams was absolutely atrocious. For all the pissing and moaning we have heard about not having a special teams coach having one didn't seem to help with the poor punting and missed field goal.

Second...It didn't matter how many running backs we had in The Stable never was able to get up a lather to really be effective because the Offensive line was getting pushed around by their D line. But Props to Joe McKnight for stepping it up at the right time!!

Third...The defense did a great good job against Pryor, he made some plays...a few nice throws and some key runs but lets not get crazy he was not Vince Young tonight...At least not yet.

via farm3.static.flickr.com (Image taken by Monica's Dad)

California 59, Eastern Washington 7

Okay, the Bears didn't bring their A-game for this one. Hell, you could say they didn't even bring their B-game. Given the result, that seems okay to me.

Cal played a lot of soft zone coverage (and by soft I mean "I WILL STAND RIGHT HERE AND DARE YOU TO NOT THROW HERE"), and Matt Nichols obliged by completing 70 percent of his passes. Yet the Eagles only gained 235 yards, and Taiwan Jones was completely shut down as the Bears enveloped the line of scrimmage. While Cal didn't have a flawless run blocking scheme or even very good pass protection (Riley was blitzed on several occasions and had to get rid of the ball a little bit more than he wanted to), the focus wasn't quite there for many players, excluding the runners.

Like I said on Thursday (because I'm a prophet!!!), Cal would run the ball a lot today, and it showed quickly. In fact the Bears really did nothing out of the ordinary with their run blocking. Lot of man blocking, lot of guard pulling, occasional zone runs, but otherwise a very standard performance in terms of form and style. Other than a clever little pitch involving Best lining up at the LoS, Cal did nothing out of the ordinary. Well, except rush for 300+ yards.

Ultimately this one was a game of talent, and Cal happens to have way more. Credit the Eagles for fighting, but even after playing as best as they could, they were down 31 after three.

via a.espncdn.com

Forest 24, Trees 17

Don't let the final score deceive you. Andrew Luck had a deceptively good game, 23 of 34, 272 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT is nothing to frown at, considering the Furd's recent inability to airmail anything.

On the bright sense, the Furd's defense still looks horrid. Blogger So Dear, Wake Forest's SBN blog, has the story.

For all of the ups and downs, Wake Forest is 1-1, and finally had solid play on both sides of the ball, with 459 yards of offense on the day and no scoring from Stanford in the second half. Josh Adams and Kevin Harris combined for over 100 yards and Chris Givens and Devon Brown also racked up 98 yards on their own. [Riley] Skinner was 18-26 for 187 yards, had a rushing touchdown of his own and a 20 yard reception.

More importantly, the Cardinal only ran 20 plays in the second half. You could say that the Furd offense didn't do enough to keep the offense off the field or the Furd defense couldn't do enough to put the offense on the field. Given that five Demon Deacons rushed for more than 5 yards per carry (including Skinner), I'll opt to the latter.

via farm3.static.flickr.com (Image from EDSBS)

UCLA 19, Tennessee 15

The result is irrelevant here, because like most games last Saturday, it came down to turnovers. Rocky Top Talk discusses how turnovers cost the Vols their chance at victory.

Turnovers were the definitive story on the day, as the one lost fumble by UCLA led to Tennessee's only touchdown on the day, while the three interceptions and one lost fumble by Tennessee allowed the Bruins to score 10 points that would prove crucial to their victory in Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers will now have to answer some questions about their performance, including whether the interceptions and errant passes thrown by Jonathan Crompton were flukes, or if Crompton is indeed back to his 2008 habits. His plight will not be helped much in the eyes of the Volunteer faithful as even the fumble recovered by UCLA was one that had last touched his hands (on a botched snap when Cody Sullins initiated the play too early).

Also:

This is how little faith Tennessee fans have in Jonathan Crompton:

On the Vols' final drive of the game, dozens of UT fans where I was sitting headed for the exits on third down. They didn't stop to watch 4th and 14. They didn't turn around when an offsides penalty created 4th and 9. They didn't listen when other UT fans chastised them for doing so.

And Crompton, true to the form that is without question a more accurate picture of his abilities than the one we saw last week, didn't give them a reason to be wrong.

So the short answer is that Jonathan Crompton was horrible. The better answer is that UCLA's defense was really good.

Hardesty (who you remember from 2007) and Brown, Tennessee's two primary backs, averaged a quiet 2.4 yards per carry, and Monterio was stopped on the biggest play of the game in the Volunteer red zone. Crompton telegraphed his passes pretty well, and UCLA's excellent secondary were quick to snuff out most of Tennessee's offensive drives. Bruins Nation was especially happy with the play of Rahim Moore.

We might as well just start the Rahim Moore for Heisman campaign, given all the hype we were barraged with on the greatness of Eric Berry. Berry is a great player but Moore is now on a journey (if he stays on course) to become one of the greatest Bruin defenders in the tradition of Easley and Turner. Moore once again put together a monster game with 2 picks and would had 3 if not for the homerrific SEC (how do you say that slowly again?) officials who seemed to be making terrible calls and giving Bruins bad spots all game long.

Pretty grimy, but the Bruins get the job done. That's exactly how you'd expect UCLA to upset Cal. A performance like this one shows you they're definitely capable of that sort of mayhem October 17th.

Did the Bruins convince you they're a good team this Saturday?

via a.espncdn.com

Oregon 38, Purdue 36

This was a totally ridiculous, highly entertaining game. This result could've gone a thousand ways. You could say Oregon got plenty of fortuitous bounces--five turnovers turned into 24 points, 17 of those going to Oregon. Purdue also missed an extra point, which was the difference. The Ducks were quite the opportunists.

It was the sign of two teams with two rookie head coaches. Execution was not there.

Big question: Can Oregon overcome the loss of their two incumbent running backs? From the results of yesterday, you'd have to say....uhh, maybe? The Ducks got 193 on the ground, but their leading rusher was Masoli, who ate up half of those yards. The running backs averaged around four and a half yards a carry--reasonable numbers, but they're going to need more than that to win their tougher games. For a pretty rookie offensive line, you can't ask for much more.

But they might need more, especially with Utah and Cal coming to town the next two weeks. Also worrisome: Nick Allotti's defense giving up 451 yards of offense and allowing 86 plays to Oregon's 62.

Has Oregon regained their groove, or are they still funking around?

via media3.washingtonpost.com (Image from Daniel Gluskoter)

Oregon State 23 UNLV 21

Saw the tail end, so all I have to say is that Canfield stepped up pretty well for the Beavers on the road, with big contributions from the Rodgers brothers too. Building the Dam concurs.

Senior quarterback Sean Canfield completed 25 of 31 passes for 198 yards. He threw two touchdown passes (Camp, James Rodgers), and was sacked on three occasions. Canfield was 10 of 11 passing in the first half.

In addition to the aforementioned players, Damola Adeniji, Jordan Bishop, and Casey Kjos also caught passes in the game for the Beavers. The most memorable was Bishop's 14-yard reception from Canfield in which he was upended by a UNLV defender, did a complete flip in mid-air, but retained possession of the ball. Jordan fishished with 5 grabs for 43 yards in the game.

...

For the second week in a row, the Beavers relied heavily on James and Jacquizz Rodgers. Jacquizz rushed for 166 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown, and James caught six passes for 48 yards and scored once as well.

"We're just going out there and playing for ourselves," James Rodgers told televison cameras after the game. "A lot of people doubt us. We didn't play to well today. And I thought the defense did great. Offense, we still have a lot of work to do."

Is Oregon State going to be a dangerous team down the road?

Quick looks

Minnesota 20, Air Force 13: Cal fans should watch out for throws to Decker next week, according to The Daily Gopher.

Adam Weber is going to get Eric Decker killed in the Big Ten season. HE HAS GOT TO STOP THROWING TO HIM ALL THE TIME. Worst indication of this: Hayo Carpenter came in in the second quarter and BLOCKED FOR DECKER ON A SCREEN PLAY. Anyone else see something wrong with this? There is no way teams with solid secondaries, such as NU, UW, OSU, PSU and Iowa are going to let Decker beat them, so it's imperative to develop Stoudermire, Green and Carpenter more than we are.

How do you think Cal should gameplan to beat Minnesota?

Maryland 38, James Madison 35 (OT)

I didn't include this in the primer last week. I should have. What on Earth happened Testudo Times?

I'll be frank: Maryland probably shouldn't have won this game. If JMU had a decent kicker, or if they didn't commit 105 yards of penalties, or if they didn't - for some reason I am still yet to grasp - share phenomenal QB Drew Dudzik's time on the field with Justin Thorpe, James Madison probably wins the game.

Both the offensive and defensive lines were manhandled by smaller, less athletic players. Sure, the OL was without Bruce Campbell, but they were facing a much smaller opponent, and one with less natural talent. There were several occasions when Chris Turner had to make a hurried throw and was under pressure, and there was a gaping lack of holes for Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett. That hurts Meggett especially - he's a downhill, run hard type of back, and needs holes to succeed.

Bottom line: You shouldn't read too much into Cal's opening season victory. The fact that an FCS team could gash the Terps for 268 rushing yards in College Park on 6.4 yards per carry...it just isn't good. Certainly makes our rout of Maryland way less impressive.

How do you feel about Cal's opening victory given Maryland having now seen their performance against JMU? Are we really as good as we looked?

Washington 42, Idaho 23

UW Dawg Pound is impressed with the way the coaches are pumping up the players.

The enthusiasm on the sidelines was fun to witness in person. This staff works harder than the players which is just fun to watch. These guys leqd by example and I really like it. From a scheme and play calling perspective they didn't impress me as much as they did last week. Once again with USC coming in next week I am sure that they are saving some stuff on both sides of the ball. They did make some gutzy calls along the way but I don't think they open up the complete bag until next week. I would give the offense an A but the defense is scaring me right now. Lets hope it was the vanilla schemes because if it isn't USC is going to have a field day.

Does UW have a chance to upset the Trojans?

Hawaii 38, Washington State 20

James Montgomery is one of the few positives in this depressing loss for Cougars fans.

Player of the Game: James Montgomery. 6.9 yards per carry! 117 yards! A thingy where you go in that one zone that scores points! What's that called? I forgot. Anyway, Monty is for real, and he keeps convincing me that we need to put the ball in his hands more often. A bright spot in a sea of gloominess.

Is Wazzu in danger of going winless?

Arizona 34 Northern Arizona 17: AZ Desert Swarm was quite happy with the performance.

Nic Grigsby ran for a career high 207 yards and had the 2nd longest run in school history with his 94 yard TD scamper in the 4th quarter. Matt Scott played with the first team for the majority and was 14-20 for 150 yards with a TD and an INT. Foles was 6-8 for 44 yards and had 1 TD. Scott actually returned to the game after Foles entered, confusing the hell out of me. We'll get to that later. The defense was not nearly as impressive as they were against CMU, who just beat Michigan State, but Trevin Wade did come up with a pair of interceptions.

Do you care at all at what Arizona does this September?

Poll

The most impressive team in the Pac-10 through two weeks is...

USC

149 votes

Cal

200 votes

Oregon State

3 votes

Arizona

1 votes

UCLA

36 votes

Someone else

5 votes

394 votes | Poll has closed

Wake Forest 24, Stanford 17 -- Skinner and Lovell save the day

MRickman84 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:55:39 -0000

After the loss to Baylor, the big question coming into Wake Forest's game against Stanford was whether the Deacs had enough heart and execution to match their talent level. For the first half of the game against the Cardinal this afternoon, that question went unanswered, but after halftime, the team seemed to find what had been eluding them for the first six quarters of the season...

Stanford got out to an early start, much like Baylor a week ago, scoring on their first drive behind the strong arm of Andrew Luck and the receiving skills of Ryan Whalen, who ended the game with nine catches for 123 yards and two TDs on the day.

The Deacs were able to move the ball up and down the field, but in the first half had a ton of trouble converting their opportunities, including a 12 play drive that ended in a disappointing field goal, and another drive down deep in Stanford's redzone that resulted in a missed 33 yard field goal.

Stanford jumped all over their chances, scoring again and tacking on a 54 yard field goal at the end of the half, using a quick drive to get into field goal territory and the Cardinal was up 17-3, seemingly burying the Demon Deacons.

Head Coach Jim Grobe said at halftime that he wasn't allowed to say what the team talked about at halftime, but that it must have gotten through to them. That just might be coach-speak for "I reamed the guys out and told them to prove to me that they were men."

Whatever it was he did say worked. The Deacs came out in the second half riled up and showed the kind of hair on fire mentality that has won them so many ballgames in the last four years. The defense which had struggled so mightily the first six quarters of the year showed swagger, making plays, getting after the ball and doing a better job of wrapping up the ball carrier. They also finally put some pressure on the quarterback, which got Luck out of his comfort zone and forced him to rush some throws.

That confidence carried over to the offense, as the running game finally came alive. By using a mixture of end arounds, plunges and off-tackle runs with pulling guards, the Deacs moved down the field with ease. This running attack opened up the field for fifth-year senior Riley Skinner, who looked like the ACC Championship winning quarterback of old.

The Deacs scored first off a Mike Rinfrette run up the middle and then on a strike from Skinner to Jordan Williams, tying the game at 17 all. The Deacs got the ball back late in the fourth but gave it right back on a punt in Stanford territory and the Cardinal started driving, but were crippled by a cut block penalty off of a long Gerhart run, leading to a long third down that Stanford was not able to convert.

The Deacs got the ball back and would not give it up, driving downfield, with Skinner looking extremely comfortable, flashing a deep ball to Lovell Jackson down to the three. It took two QB sneaks, but the Deacs put it in, going up 24-17 and sealing the win after a valiant "band is on the field" attempt by Stanford.

For all of the ups and downs, Wake Forest is 1-1, and finally had solid play on both sides of the ball, with 459 yards of offense on the day and no scoring from Stanford in the second half. Josh Adams and Kevin Harris combined for over 100 yards and Chris Givens and Devon Brown also racked up 98 yards on their own. Skinner was 18-26 for 187 yards, had a rushing touchdown of his own and a 20 yard reception.

The game has a lot of positives, but the Deacs did lose Kyle Wilber to a broken leg suffered in the second half. He will be out approximately six weeks.

Wake will take on Elon next week and hope to continue this momentum. For inexperienced teams, there is no replacement for just that...experience; and the Demon Deacons have garnered some very valuable time in the last two games that they should be able to use come ACC play.

Your Pac-10 Weekend Primer: All Eyes on the Horseshoe

Avinash — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:06:24 -0000

Much bigger week for the Pac-10, with some of the best teams in the Pac-10 facing high quality OOC competition. We start off with the headliner.

via latimesblogs.latimes.com (Image from Adam Rose)

#4 USC at #6 Ohio State, 8 PM EST, 5 PM PST, ESPN HD

This figures to be a much closer affair than the one last season, where one of the best college defenses ever suited up, took the Buckeyes behind the woodshed and drilled them to pieces. No, this figures to be a real test for a Trojan squad that has won their road OOC games by a combined score of 328-101 since 2004.

Trojan Football Analysis has a fantastic four part writeup (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) about the strategies he believes will be used by both sides. Here's the primary way he expects the Buckeyes to attack USC: "I suspect the staff will do a couple of things differently in the 2009 game versus USC. For starters the Trojans will face more two back power plays and I suspect that Ohio State will run some counter plays as they did versus Texas in the Fiesta Bowl with great success. Also I expect Ohio State simply to put the ball in Terrelle Pryor’s hands and have him run the Zone Option Read play more often. In 2008 this was arguably the most effective run play Ohio State ran at USC averaging 6.8 yards on five carries. Expect those rush attempt numbers to go up this Saturday…" I suggest reading all four parts, including a talk

Eleven Warriors has a similar Hydro-like breakdown of gamefilm: "The Buckeye secondary was torched in the Coliseum last season. Whether it be from a missed switch or assignment, a beautifully drawn-up h-back wheel route or a well-timed pick, it wasn’t pretty. The bad news is all three of the Trojans that caught Sanchez touchdowns are still on the team and while they’re extremely talented athletes, none of them pose a sever matchup problem on the face of it. The Trojan offensive line is probably the best unit on an obscenely talented squad and getting pressure won’t be easy, but if Barkley is given time to throw, we could very well be in for a similar result."

What it means for Cal: A Buckeye victory means the Trojans are likely vulnerable to the power run style that Cal is also fond of running (different schemes and styles, but the methodology is similar), and that the Bears might indeed try out Riley's ability as a mobile passer as well as runner. A Trojan victory most likely means the Bears could be facing as high as the #2 team in the country on October 3rd, and that Matt Barkley isn't intimidated by tough road crowds. Or it could mean Ohio State isn't very good.

Rest of the games to watch, starting with ours after the jump.

Our game

Eastern Washington at California 5:30 PM EST, 2:30 PM PST, CSN California

Hours and hours of scouring the Internet, and all I could find on the Eagles was a season preview from their website. Fantastic.

Eastern Washington is a very talented FCS team. They're returning 25 players with starting experience and only debuting seven new starters (albeit four on the offensive and defensive line, always critical losses). They lost to Colorado by 7 points. Starting quarterback Matt Nichols gave senior Graham Harrell and Texas Tech a decent passing battle for a half before finally getting routed last year. Because they're unlikely to be eligible for the FCS postseason, their matchup with Cal could be their biggest game of the season. This is a team that has shown it has the capability to play well against bowl-eligible FBS squads, so don't expect the Bears to just walk all over them.

Which is why it'll all come down to whether Cal doesn't turnover the ball, and whether they can run the ball with a ruthless efficiency. Both of these happening should result in a comfortable Golden Bear victory. Otherwise I'll be sick as hell pondering the upset potential for three hours.

What it means for Cal: If we lose this game, I'm covering the women's field hockey team the rest of the fall.

Games you should be able to watch

Stanford at Wake Forest, 12 PM EST, 9 AM PST, Raycom HD (should be available on ESPN360.com)

Jim Harbaugh could put the Cardinal in a very generous position with a win here. The Furd aren't world beaters by any means, but they do have a very favorable schedule, and considering the Demon Deacons are reeling from a shocking home loss to Baylor, it isn't out of the question that Gerhart and Luck can make some noise on the East Coast.

Ted Miller talks Furdball: "Harbaugh also was happy with redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Luck's debut. Luck completed 11 of 23 for 193 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. "Andrew played very well," Harbaugh said. "He did a great job running the offense. He did a great job with the audible package. Really good in the huddle, enunciating plays. He's got a megaphone at the line of scrimmage. Throwing the ball, the receivers didn't have to go searching for the ball. For the most part, he was very accurate."

If there is a concern for the Cardinal, the defense gave up 351 yards to the Cougars, who ran the ball well at times. Grobe's offense will be a significant step up in competition."

Blogger So Dear (Wake Forest's SBN blog) ponders what went wrong in last week's defeat, eventually pointing out a general inconsistency in style of play.

I know Wake has made its mark offensively off of trick plays and mixing up the looks, but who can get comfortable with a new formation every series and sometimes from play to play? In the first drive, the Deacs had a lot of success in a wishbone set, using Chris Givens and Y'lou, but they went away from that in favor of FB football later, then tradition I-formation, then shotgun.

Lobo tends to outthink himself--he comes up with good plays and schemes, but he has a real problem sticking with one formation or another and this has to hurt the flow of the offense. And to add insult to injury, Kevin Harris had just four carries on the day and Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Adams combined for 7 carries and 20 yards. This just is not going to get it done for a team that said they were going to smashmouth football this year.

If the Deacs go back to misdirection, pulling guards, opening holes in the middle and using end-arounds as well as getting Riley good looks in the flats, over the middle and down the sidelines, Wake will have more success. It will be interesting to see what Lobo goes with this week.

What it means for Cal: A win by the Furd puts them in great position (SJSU, UW, UCLA at home) to start the season 5-0. And one win away from bowl eligiblity. Blech.

UCLA at Tennessee, 4 PM EST, 1 PM PST, ESPN HD

Just like with the Furd, this is the first real look at what the Bruins will be capable of this season. A win here could vault them into the upper half of the conference.

Bruins Nation's BlueReign goes over the keys for UCLA's D stopping Tennesee's offense.

I expect Tenn to lean on the run game. As documented, Tenn is missing experience at the WR position due to injuries. The left side of their OL (LT - Scott & LG - Richard) consits of 2 seniors with Scott being an All-Sec type of performer. Their backs (Hardesty & Brown) are on the bigger side weighing around 215 lbs. I'm not going to state the obvious (Price having a big game) but Datone will be critical in this game. He'll be matched up against Scott and if he can hold the edge, our LB's should be able to flow to the ball to limit their run game. Dye needs to take proper angles and be a sure tackler in this game because he'll need to support the front 7.

Crompton suffered the same fate like Drew by having multiple coordinators during his career but the kid has talent. Crompton is not very mobile and if we can get pressure on him, he'll make bad decisions. Tenn is playing 2 FR (Teague is starting) in their WR rotation. Every opponent will be picking on whomever is the CB opposite ATV. Viney must be ready for the challenge.

Rocky Top Talk looks at how it pits two former Trojan OCs against each other.

Kiffin maintained balance despite two factors that we thought would suggest otherwise: Jonathan Crompton and a non-competitive game. We thought coming in that Crompton's past and WKU's present would lead to a ton of rushing plays. Instead, Kiffin dialed up 43 runs but 33 pass calls in his UT debut. Along with all the points and yards, the Vols racked up 34 first downs and went 7 of 9 on 3rd down.

This was a gameplan that kept its foot on the gas and kept the opposition off balance: the Vols ran some on second and long and passed some on third and short, and I don't know about you, but I had a terrible time trying to figure out what was coming next.

And that's a very good thing.

Chow, on the other hand, has a more particular style. Especially when not blessed with USC-level playmakers at the skill positions, as he was in Nashville and is now at UCLA, Chow loves employing the tight end in the passing game. With the Titans, receptions were spread around while backs saw their yards per carry increase significantly. And under Chow Vince Young was at his best while he was there, which comes as no surprise given his long pedigree of QB development, which UCLA fans hope will soon include Kevin Prince.

Against San Diego State, Chow and the Bruins were balanced as well: 38 rushes, 31 passes. Along the way, the Bruins won time of possession by almost 12 minutes and picked up 359 yards. Most of the pieces of UCLA's offense will be different than the ones the Vols saw last year in Los Angeles, with a new quarterback, new backfield and a mostly new offensive line, so it's hard to pull a lot of relevant information from last year's game on this side of the ball. But don't expect the quarterback to throw four interceptions in the first half.

What it means for Cal: I really have no idea whether this win will tell us anything about how Cal matches up with the Bruins, since it's too early in the season to figure out how good either Tennessee or UCLA really are. To be continued.

Purdue at Oregon, 10:15 PM EST, 7:15 PM PST, FSN HD

Well now. What happened to the Ducks last week?

Addicted to Quack notes the Ducks will be very thin at running back: "First off, the running back situation has become very tenuous with Blount and Alston out. And in response, the Ducks are going small, with all backs in the rotation under 6 feet. The only player who had any reps that wasn't was Darron Thomas. That's right, our QB of the future may end up playing running back a little. If he takes a carry in the game, I think most Duck fans will just end up closing their eyes so they don't watch when he gets snapped in half. However, what the new group lacks in size and depth, they make up for in speed. James and Barner are two of the quickest players on the team, which could prove to be a huge value to the running game."

Purdue's SBN blog, Hammer and Rails, notes the importance of their offense being able to mix it up: "It will be important for us to continue being unpredictable on the offensive side of the ball. Lost in Saturday's game was the way Gary Nord mixed things up. We ran more formations than I can ever remember us running, and we were very successful in each set. Obviously, our offensive line and fullbacks did a great job in clearing holes for Jaycen Taylor and Ralph Bolden. The return of Frank Halliburton will only help an already very good situation. If our offensive line can continue to muscle Oregon's front seven around we will have a very successful day."

What it means for Cal: No Oregon run game means a much easier time for the Bears in Autzen in two weeks. Presence of a run game will mean we'd better be prepared to play well, or get burned.

Not going to be easy to find

Air Force at Minnesota, 7 PM EST, 4 PM PST, BTN HD

The Daily Gopher tries to get oriented with the triple option. Perhaps they could use Hydro's Armed Forces Bowl post on the subject! Anyone want to email them or leave them a comment with a link to it?

What it means for Cal: If Minnesota is able to slow down the Air Force running game, they could have the potential to slow down Best. I emphasize potential.

Idaho at Washington, 3:30 PM EST, 12:30 PM PST, Fox Sports Northwest/Fox College Sports Pacific

EDSBS: "We had no idea Ty Willingham was a class 1 narcotic. This is the only explanation for the passionate, intelligent, and capable play of Washington against LSU Saturday night. Washington outgained LSU 478-321, had 25 first downs to LSU’s 17, and came within a pair of turnovers from beating your 2007 BCS champions in their first game under Steve Sarkisian. Jake Locker played well, but you knew he was top-shelf liquor being thrown into cut-rate cocktails by Willingham and company. The pleasantly shocking bit was the impassioned play of the defense, who looked like different people than the morose crew who finished 2008 prone and staring at the ceiling weeping after a loss to Washington State. The whole effect of revival was made better by watching it on tv, where the cameras were shaking thanks to Husky Stadium’s suddenly vibrating crowd rocking the upper deck. Lane Kiffin had a solid performance, sure, but Sarkisian gets the early blue ribbon in Pete Carroll’s class of Young Coaching Achievers From Camp Win Forever."

What it means for Cal: Monitor these Huskies closely. This is not a team you want to play to end your season.

Hawaii at Washington State, 7 PM EST, 4 PM PST

Coug Center did a podcast with a local Hawaii reporter about the upcoming matchup with the Rainbow Warriors. They also seem very happy with their linebacker play.

Andy Mattingly, Louis Bland and Jason Stripling showed that, without question, they are one of two units on this team that are legitimately Pac-10 caliber. (Running back being the other.) In the face of what figures to be one of the better rushing attacks the team will face all year, the trio combined for 18 of the Cougs' 59 tackles.

That's what linebackers are supposed to do, and it's something that was missing all too often last season.

We've mentioned in the past that their effectiveness this season would likely be predicated on improved play by the line in front of them. While the defensive line didn't rack up a lot of tackles against Stanford, they did do their job most of the time against the run, occupying gaps and allowing the linebackers to slice in and make the play after only a few yards or less gained.

What it means for Cal: I dunno.

Northern Arizona at Arizona, 10 PM EST, 7 PM PST

Here's something from ABC15. If you're interested, which I'm sure you're not.

What it means for Cal: No one cares about this game. Took me thirty minutes to even find a preview for this game.

Oregon State at UNLV, 11 PM EST, 8 PM PST, CBS College TV

Building the Dam notes the unusual start time, but no one else seems to be too worried about the situation. They also discuss the UNLV spread offense, which gave the same BYU team that knocked off Oklahoma quite a bit of trouble last season.

What it means for Cal: Considering Oregon State's slow starts to the season, this is no gimmee for the Beavers. Ragnarok has already marked this as an early upset possibility. Ultimately it means nothing to us, since Oregon State will play us tight in November anyway, but it could show how capable the Rodgers brothers are of lifting their team on tough road occasions.

Poll

USC or Ohio State?

USC

178 votes

Ohio State

34 votes

212 votes | Poll has closed

What Went Wrong: Wake Forest vs. Baylor

MRickman84 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:25 -0000

Picture courtesy of Bob Hebert

Where to start? The Baylor loss was eye-opening, but as Chip Vaughn said last year after the Maryland loss--sometimes losses like these are a "come to Jesus" moment. Did the Deacs have their come to Jesus moment early on? A young team falls into bad habits that take awhile to address at times, and if they win their first few games, those mistakes and problems get masked. At least the problems came to the forefront early. Now the question is, what went wrong vs. Baylor?

Invasion of the Riley Snatchers

I don't know if Riley Skinner had swine flu or not, but it sure looked like something was wrong. He just wasn't himself. The senior quarterback was skittish, slow in decision-making and just all around looked uncomfortable in the pocket.

If this team is going to succeed, it is absolutely imperative that Skinner lead this offense. He is one of the most accurate passers in the nation and he needs to trust his abilities. Far too often Riley had a guy open over the middle or in the flats and he either didn't see them in his progression, or he was trying to do too much by looking for the big play. He needs to go back to what has been successful for him in three years--look for the dumps and dinks for 5-15 yards and take shots downfield when they present themselves. Riley's play on Saturday is going to play a huge factor in whether or not the Deacs will beat the Cardinal.

A Bad Case of the Drops

Have you seen that commercial where Andre Johnson catches everything because of those gloves? Here's hoping Jim Grove has seen it too and went right out and bought a whole case of them after Saturday's loss. In critical times, the Williamses saw balls right on the money bounce right out of their hands. There is nothing worse for a drive than seeing a wide open route turn into a dropped pass. In one critical juncture, the ball popped right up in the air for a Baylor INT in the red zone. Even worse, in the last drive, there were two drops in a row on open looks, killing the drive and ending the Deacs' chances for a comeback. I already have one Braylon Edwards to follow, I don't need two more.

Mistakes Mistakes Mistakes

This sure looked like the Navy game didn't it? Bunches of turnovers, missed opportunities, blown coverages and head-scratching decisions crippled the Demon Deacons against Baylor. What's worse is that Wake still had a chance to win it in the final two minutes. If the Deacs had minimized the mistakes just a little bit, they probably would have won that game.

As discussed above, Riley played completely out of his head, there were fumbles and big plays for Baylor off of missed assignments or blown coverage--see first drive and double pass for a TD. To their credit, Baylor maximized those opportunities. This is not Jim Grobe football, and believe me, he will not let this happen again.

WHEEL OF...OFFENSIVE SCHEMES!

I know Wake has made its mark offensively off of trick plays and mixing up the looks, but who can get comfortable with a new formation every series and sometimes from play to play? In the first drive, the Deacs had a lot of success in a wishbone set, using Chris Givens and Y'lou, but they went away from that in favor of FB football later, then tradition I-formation, then shotgun.

Lobo tends to outthink himself--he comes up with good plays and schemes, but he has a real problem sticking with one formation or another and this has to hurt the flow of the offense. And to add insult to injury, Kevin Harris had just four carries on the day and Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Adams combined for 7 carries and 20 yards. This just is not going to get it done for a team that said they were going to smashmouth football this year.

If the Deacs go back to misdirection, pulling guards, opening holes in the middle and using end-arounds as well as getting Riley good looks in the flats, over the middle and down the sidelines, Wake will have more success. It will be interesting to see what Lobo goes with this week.

Who Will Step Up On Defense?

I'm going to leave the offensive line alone for today. They were pushed around here and there and allowed the pocket to collapse on Riley much of the day, but overall they showed a lot more than most of last year. I'm not particularly worried about the offensive line play. What I would like to focus on is the defensive side of the ball. We all knew coming in that the defense was a question mark--now how did they perform?

As expected, early on there were growing pains as evidenced by Baylor's opening drive. They also gave up far too many big plays overall. But, there were flashes including the last stand to give Wake the ball back with about a minute and a half to play in the game to give the Deacs a chance to win.

The Deacs lost more than just talent on defense last year, they lost leaders and playmakers. It was easy for the defense to know that if the team needed it, guys like AC, Phonz, Chip and KP would step up and come up huge. Players need to take on this role this year as well and not just look around for someone else to do that. Whether it is Boo, JR, Ghee, Wilber or someone else, the Deacs need leadership on the defensive side of the ball.

Deacon Dump 7/17: Woods, Aminu predicted to have stellar seasons, Chris Paul could be traded?

MRickman84 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:13:48 -0000

Great job of recapping the summer league yesterday by WakeJake. If you haven't read it, do so. The big news today is that Chris Paul said that he wouldn't be surprised if he was traded. You've got to believe every team in the league would give up the farm for him--he's just as valuable a chip as Lebron, Wade or Bosh and would come a year earlier than the 2010 sweepstakes, plus he's under contract. Onto the links...

Pre-Season All American Teams | Flagrant Fouls
SF- Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest: Here’s a kid coming off a sensational freshman campaign. He’s an athletic anomaly who plays with great length and a high motor. If he can polish up his jumper and learn to play without the ball, this kid could explode. He has every tangible asset needed to be great, now it’s just a matter of putting his nose to the ground and getting it done.

A sneak peak Hawks mini-camp roster | Hawks Blog
While most of the rookie/free agent attention is focused on the happenings in Las Vegas, the Hawks don’t have a summer league entry in Sin City. Therefore, the only chance we’ll get to see rookie point guard Jeff Teague in action this summer is during the Hawks’ mini-camp next week at Philips Arena (it’s not open to the public, sorry, and is barely open to the media - we get to see the last half hour of action everyday, which usually consists of cats shooting free throws and trying half court trick shots).

PBN | Reach for amnesty?
"In this league, anything can happen," said Paul, at the summer league to watch his Hornets. "I can be dealt." Paul then was asked that surely he can't be serious he could be traded. "It's possible," he said. "It's possible."

Scout.com: Breaking Down Florida: The S's
10. Desmond Cooper: The Wake Forest commit is the ballhawk for State Champion Bolles. He has great length coupled with solid speed. Smart player who understands how to bait QB's into mistakes. He will need to add some weight, but no one does it better right now than the Demon Deacons.

Murray Selected for Cape League All-Star Game
Wake Forest rising senior Mike Murray was selected to start at catcher for the Eastern Division in the 2009 Under Armour Cape League All-Star Game, as announced on Thursday afternoon.

Rivals.com College Basketball - Notebook: Big men to watch off the bench
Tony Woods, Soph., Wake Forest: Woods, a 6-11 center, was the No. 20 prospect in the 2008 recruiting class, but he didn't deliver the immediate impact that some people expected from him. Woods averaged 3.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 10.9 minutes as a freshman. The Demon Deacons are expecting much more production from Woods now that he has a better idea of what to expect. Woods could team with Chas McFarland and Al-Farouq Aminu to give Wake Forest an exceptional frontcourt.

Ranking the ACC units: Running backs - ACC - ESPN
4. Wake Forest -- Wake has three capable tailbacks in Josh Adams, Brandon Pendergrass and Kevin Harris, who each had a 100-yard game last year and started at least one game. They'll have an improved offensive line blocking for them this year.