SB Nation - Boo Robinson

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:59:19 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

• The Clemson/South Carolina game features two of the best 3-4 outside linebacker prospects in Ricky Sapp (Clemson) and Eric Norwood (South Carolina). Both are seniors and having good seasons. Norwood might be the most-ready college player for a 3-4 outside linebacker spot, but Sapp's physical tools give him more upside.

• The North Carolina/North Carolina State game also features top 3-4 linebacker prospects in junior Bruce Carter (North Carolina) and senior Willie Young (NC State). Quietly, Young is putting together a solid year with 12 tackles for a loss and eight sacks. Carter is much stronger and is good at handling the run and the pass.

As mentioned previously here at MTD, North Carolina has perhaps the best group of junior talent on defense in the nation. Tackle Marvin Austin is full of athleticism. His numbers may be down, but he consistently faces double teams. Middle linebacker Quan Sturdivant leads the team in tackles with 71 and an impressive 12 tackles for loss. Strong safety Deunta Williams is a big hitter with six interceptions. Cornerback Kendric Burney might be short, but he's a playmaker.

• The key players in the Wake Forest/Duke game are interior defensive linemen. Wake's Boo Robinson is an underrated pocket pusher and Duke's Vince Oghobaase is incredibly athletic.

• Syracuse running back Delone Carter has injury problems throughout his career, but he's been a solid player this season. He's only a junior, but someone to keep an eye on. In the last three weeks, he's rushed for 339 yards and two scores.

• While teammate Carlos Dunlap has had a very disappointing season, Jermaine Cunningham has shown to be a solid contributor. He might not be a starter at the next level, but he can be a solid contributing backup because he can get after the passer and is decent against the run.

• Ole Miss running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster has been one of the most buzzy-worthy player the last two weeks. Against Tennessee and LSU, he rushed for a combined 430 yards and four touchdowns. He's very undersized, but could be the next Darren Sproles.

• The LSU defense has plenty of NFL players, so it will be one of the biggest challenges Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett faces all season. Third nationally in pass efficiency, Mallett has 3,195 yards passing and 28 touchdowns this season. The redshirt sophomore seems ready for the NFL right now. A big game against the Tigers today, and maybe he should enter.

• Hey, remember Eric Berry? You know, the Tennessee safety. One of the best players in the nation? His pass defense numbers – two interceptions, six pass breakups – might be down this year, but he's played more against the run. This is just a friendly reminder that the junior is still one of the top five players in the nation.

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%

What to Watch For: Wake Forest vs. NC State

MRickman84 — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:01:28 -0000

I know every game is a big game in college football, but this one feels like it has a lot more importance than others. The Deacs are reeling and in comes an opponent with just as much riding on this game. State has to prove that the preseason predictions were not a letdown and Wake has to prove that they can in fact play to their potential. Here are a few of the story lines to keep an eye on during Saturday's game...

Leader of the Pack

If you have not heard it by now, N.C. State's defense is statistically the best in the nation going into week four. So far this season they have only given up 201.3 yards per game, but two games against the sisters of the poor obviously skew that stat to some degree. Pitt gained slightly over 300 yards and scored 31 points against the Pack last week, but their own defense happened to give up 38. In addition, Coach O'Brien noted that the Pack missed over 20 tackles against the Panthers, which also seemed to be a big problem in their opener against South Carolina.

State's strength definitely lies in their defensive line. All four starters are seniors and they are led by a great defensive end in Willie Young. As a result, it may be tough for the Deacon offensive line to create holes for the running game in addition to giving Skinner enough time to create. On the other hand, their situation in the secondary is a little more dicey. This week, the depth chart lists freshman Brandan Bishop and redshirt freshman Earl Wolff as the starters at both safety position. If Skinner can buy enough time, the potential is there for him to have a field day against the young Wolfpack secondary.

Make Russell Hustle?

A big weakness for the Wake Forest defense so far this season has been the lack of pressure applied to the opposing quarterback. The loss of their best pass rusher, Kyle Wilber, to a broken leg was obviously a huge loss for the Deacons. This week the depth chart reveals that Gelo Orange and Will Wright will get the start at defensive end, with former starter Tristian Dorty rotating in regularly. This will be Orange's first career start for Wake.

Since Russell Wilson is a dual threat quarterback it will be important for the linebackers and ends to make sure he does not run free. However, if the Deacs give him time to sit back and throw, it will be a likely be a long day for the secondary. Defensive leaders Boo Robinson and John Russell will be looking to force some pressure up the middle, in addition to the aforementioned ends working to get around the edge. Wake is hopeful that they can ramp up the pressure, but unless someone steps up significantly, this is an area that they are likely to struggle in for the remainder of the season .

New Faces in the Secondary

Due to the injury of starting corner Michael Williams and Coach Grobe's disapproval of Alex Frye, Deacon fans will likely get the rare opportunity to see multiple true freshmen on the field this weekend. The top candidates are cornerback Dominique Tate and safeties Daniel Mack and Duran Lowe. While this certainly makes Wake Forest fans nervous against a quarterback like Russell Wilson, the defense needs a spark after poor performances to open the game against each of their opponents other than Elon.

These guys have earned the opportunity in practice to be just that. The starters will be Ghee and Okoro at corner with Quarles and Bush at safety, but it will definitely be interesting to watch for personnel changes during the course of the game. I'm sure Coach Grobe and staff are hoping one of the freshman can become the playmaker that the defense seems to be missing
currently.

By The Yards

Jake already discussed State's defense, but the fact remains: Wake's offense has been able to move the football. The same story was told against BC (that BC's defense was the key to their game) and Wake piled on the yards. In fact, the Deacs lead the ACC in total offense at 412 yards per game. Astounding considering the fact that this team has held a lead in just two of its four games.

And that's the key, the Deacs need to find a way to improve their scoring percentage on drives. They can't just move down the field and let the drive fizzle out because of a missed FG, an interception or a fumble or an unsuccessful 4th and short situation.

Plain and simple, Wake Forest needs to execute. Especially against an NC State team that has had no trouble with execution this season. State sits at number two in total offense, but right atop scoring offense at 37.8 points per game.

Class of the ACC

Riley Skinner has had some good quarterback battles in his time at Wake Forest--Robert Griffin, Matt Ryan, Jevan Snead--and this week's could shape up to be another one. Last season, Russell Wilson emerged as a future star for NC State as he scrambled all over the field in a win over the Deacs in Raleigh while Skinner tried to engineer a game-saving drive in the final two minutes that just slipped away.

The rematch is even better on paper. Wilson has not thrown an interception in 364 pass attempts and has thrown for 12 TDs in his last three games. Skinner had over 350 yards passing against BC and absolutely torched Elon the week before. They always say defense wins championships, but quarterbacks make games exciting and this one will have two of the best in the ACC.

Where There's a Will There's a Way

Marshall Williams would like to forget that last year's NC State game ever happened. The redshirt junior, who had 26 catches last season, was a 27th catch away from being a hero. Late in the game against NC State, Williams dropped a pass in the end zone that would have won the game for the Demon Deacons.

An extremely gifted receiver, Williams has seemed to put that behind him and has quickly become Riley Skinner's favorite target this season as he has racked up 20 catches for 329 yards including a 12 catch, 180 yard game against BC.

Williams, 6'1" and 185 lbs, is extremely quick and athletic and seems to be improving every game. And if the Deacs are going to beat the Wolfpack, they're going to need Williams to have a big game.

Stanford vs. Wake Forest Preview: What to Watch For

WakeJake — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:00:32 -0000

After a disappointing 2009 debut against Baylor, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will look to get things back on track against an up-and-coming Stanford Cardinal squad Saturday at BB&T Field. Jim Harbaugh's squad got off to a strong start last weekend against Pac-10 foe Washington State and will be out to prove that they are capable of making it to a bowl game this winter. Click through for our top story lines to watch for as Wake and Stanford face off for the first time on the gridiron...

Quick facts:

Kickoff: Noon (EST); BB&T Field - Winston-Salem, NC

TV: Raycom & ESPN360

Weather forecast: 78°F, Sunny

Gerhart's Ground Game

If you do not know the name Toby Gerhart now, you will by 3:00 on Saturday. Gerhart is Stanford's excellent running back who racked up 121 yards and 2 touchdowns on 23 carries last week in the Cardinal's blowout of Washington State. While Baylor beat Wake with trickery and the playmaking ability of Robert Griffin, Stanford will use more of a smashmouth approach against the inexperienced Deacon defense. Gerhart stands at 6'1" and weighs 235 lbs, so he certainly will not be avoiding contact with the guys in black. Last season he ran for 1,276 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 5.7 yards per carry.

It will be up to defensive leaders Boo Robinson and John Russell to slow the ground game and make Stanford rely more on their freshman quarterback instead of the veteran in the backfield. If Stanford gets anywhere near the 288 yard rushing total that they put up last weekend, it may be another long day for the Deacs. One other important fact to note is that Stanford starting right tackle Matt Kopa suffered a broken foot in the first game, so replacing his production will be important for Harbaugh's ground attack.

Linebacker Improvement

Those who follow Wake Forest football likely knew that the drop-off from Arnoux and Curry to this year's linebacking crops would likely be quite large. However, it did not quite hit me until the Baylor ball carriers kept breaking tackles and piling up yards after contact. Obviously, the fact that Toby Gerhart is a far better running back than anyone on the Bear roster is likely very concerning for Coach Jim Grobe and staff. For the Deacons to be successful, they are going to need to eliminate the amount of long, tiring drives that keep the Wake offense off the field.

The main guys for Wake who need to step up are Matt Woodlief, Hunter Haynes, Jonathon Jones and Dominique Midgett. Last week, two of the top three tacklers were defensive backs, which is obviously never a good sign for your defense. While this LB corps does not have a lot of game experience, they have been in the program for a while and should be ready to step into the spotlight. Wrapping up Gerhart and company on first contact will be a key factor for the linebackers in this game and is certainly something that they were not able to do effectively last weekend.

Good Morning, Cardinal

As Coach Harbaugh explained to the media this week, West Coast teams are often "screwed" when they come to the East Coast by early kickoffs. Saturday's game is no different, as Raycom picked up the matchup for their noon television slot. Essentially, this is like a 9 a.m. kickoff for the Cardinal. If you do not believe this can be a big factor, all you have to do is look to last year's matchup between Maryland and California, in which the Terps jumped out to a huge early lead and were able to withstand a late comeback to grab the important victory. Stanford will need to come out fighting from the beginning or they may find themselves fighting back in a similar fashion. While we're sure Harbaugh has stressed this aspect to his team, it will definitely be something to keep an eye on.

Wake's Running Game

The Deacon's top two rushers last weekend were wide receivers. In fact, no Wake running back carried the ball more than 5 times. Obviously, this is an area of huge concern for the guys in gold and black. The most puzzling fact behind all this is that starting running back Kevin Harris averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his four attempts and still was not able to secure more chances to earn yardage. While the fact that Wake was down from almost the opening kickoff had an effect on the running game, it was still odd that the three running backs had such limited opportunities to get in the flow of the game. Against Stanford, it would be nice for the Deacons to establish the run and give one of the backs a chance to earn a majority of the carries, while the other two could come in at times in the second half to give the first a breather.

While it is a good idea to give wide receivers Y'Lou Brown and Chris Givens a chance to display their playmaking abilities in different ways, itshould not be at the cost of the ground game from the actual running backs.

Luck of the Cardinal

Andrew Luck will face his first big test as a collegiate quarterback against Wake Forest. In his first game as the leader of the Stanford offense Luck was not terribly efficient (11 of 23), but he avoided turnovers and threw for 193 yards and a touchdown. Luck has the build of an NFL quarterback at 6'4" 235 pounds, which likely results from the fact that he is the son of former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck. Luck also showed his versatility last weekend, as he escaped the pocket and ran for 53 yards on 6 attempts, including a 31 yard scamper.

Fortunately for Luck, he has a great running game behind him and should not have to force things in the passing game. However, if the Deacons can slow Stanford's running game and force Luck into passing situations, the young corners and safeties may have their chance at living up to the standards of the extremely opportunistic Wake defensesof the past few years. As is the case in most games, whichever team can avoid costly mistakes will likely go home with the victory.

The Real Riley

After seeing three years of Riley Skinner behind center, Wake Forest fans know that last week's performance was out of character for the senior quarterback. If the Deacons want to get back on track early in the season, he will need to return to his old habits of efficiency and ball control.

In addition to his three interceptions (two of which were his fault), Skinner looked downright uncomfortable in the pocket and exhibited a common case of the happy feet last Saturday against Baylor. While all this is certainly not his fault (I'm talking to you, offensive line), Coach Grobe and company have high expectations of Skinner and expect him to make the right decisions to lead his team to victory. The Deacs are certainly hopeful that their quarterback regains his excellent pocket presence, which has become a staple in Winston-Salem over the past few years.

Other things that we hope to see more of Saturday

- Corners and safeties, find the ball in the air.

- Wide receivers with the last name Williams: Either catch the ball and hold on to it or just let it go. No more tips and fumbles.

- Former walk-on Lee Malchow, who has finally earned his way onto the field.

- TEs involved in the passing game

- Ramon Booi and Gelo Orange

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Deacon Dump 9/9: Deacs look to recover and look forward to Stanford

MRickman84 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:12:09 -0000

Middle of the week always means forgetting about the week before. We've had a few days to soak up the loss and move past it. Now it is time to look towards Stanford. Look for a game preview similar to the one we had last week unless anyone had complaints. The Deacs have a lot of questions to answer, and hopefully they are addressing them during practice this week. Onto the links...

Stanford football: Grading the week | College Sports Hotline
I expect the Deacons, who have a first-rate coach in Jim Grobe, to play much better this week. And the early kickoff and (presumed) humidity make it a difficult assignment for Stanford. But you have to like the Cardinal’s chances for a 2-0 start.

Wake's Russell reflects on disappointing loss to Baylor (video)

Wake Forest receiver takes part in rushing attack, too | Burlington Times News
"I played running back all my life until I got here," Brown said. "But I’m a receiver." Wake Forest put its receivers to use as ball carriers, installing a part of the offense that has worked well in the past. "We want to incorporate some of our running game with our wide receivers," coach Jim Grobe said Tuesday as the team looked ahead toward Saturday afternoon’s game against visiting Stanford.

Grobe plans no changes in Deacons' lineup
Three players he mentioned as needing to play more were defensive tackle Ramon Booi and linebackers Joey Ehrmann and Scott Betros. All are redshirt freshmen. Booi is listed as second team behind senior Boo Robinson, Ehrmann is listed as second team behind junior Hunter Haynes, and Betros has not cracked the two-deep depth chart.

Stanford football's Matt Kopa out 6-8 weeks
All things were not good coming out of Stanford’s 39-13 win over Washington State this past weekend. Starting right tackle Matt Kopa broke a metatarsal bone in his left foot and will require surgery. The senior is expected to miss 6-8 weeks recovering.

My Take on Wake - Accounting for Saturday’s Head Count | JournalNow.com
Steve Shutt, Wake Forest’s director of media relations, said that the attendance Saturday was actually 30,958. The number given Saturday was a mistake stemming from a scanner problem at BB&T Field. In recent years, Wake has scanned all the tickets for the permanent seats and guesstimated Deacon Hill at 3,500 to come up with the total. This year the plan was to scan the tickets for Deacon Hill as well to come up with a more precise count. Tickets for the hill were scanned, and those charged with determining the final attendance thought those tickets had been accounted for. As it turned out, there was a malfunction in the scanner and the Deacon Hill tickets were not included. Hence the incorrect original annoucement.

ACC Power Rankings: Week 1 - ACC - ESPN
8. Wake Forest (0-1) -- The Deacs hurt themselves with four turnovers in their loss to Baylor, but it’s important to realize that Baylor is a much improved team from a year ago. Still, more was expected from quarterback Riley Skinner, who threw three interceptions, and the defense still has some questions to answer.

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

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

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

Breaking Down The Bears

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

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

Stopping RG3

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

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

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

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

Ghee Leads Young Corners

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

Weapons At Wideout

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

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

Double-duty For Popham?

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

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

The Battle In The Trenches

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

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

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

Not Just A Kid From Jacksonville

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

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

A Return To Smashmouth

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

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

Deacon Dump 9/2: Bevy of football links

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aaron Curry's First Big Play - Field Gulls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 ACC Players I'm Looking Forward to Watching in 2009

furrer4heisman — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:00:11 -0000

I gave you the 10 ACC games I was looking forward to this season earlier this week. Here's the 10 players I want to watch in 2009. I limited it to one player per team with two teams (BC and Maryland) getting snubbed.

10. Boo Robinson, Sr. DT - Wake Forest
Along with Vince Oghobaase of Duke, Robinson is one of the top two defensive tackles in the ACC. If the Wake defense wants to be nearly as good as it was last year, Robinson has to be amazing jaming up the middle.

9. Kendric Burney, Jr. CB - North Carolina
Burney had three interceptions last year and could develop into a true shut-down corner this season. He will also be in the mix to return punts for the Tar Heels.

8. Thaddeus Lewis, Sr. QB - Duke
It's Lewis' last chance to get Duke to a bowl. Just about everyone in the ACC knows how good Lewis is. But in order for the Blue Devils to make a bowl, he's going to have to become known nationally.

7. Aldarius Johnson, So. WR - Miami
Johnson is the first of three sophomores on this list. He's tall, athletic and next to impossible to cover. But can he avoid the cliche sophomore jinx in 2009?

6. Morgan Burnett, Jr. FS - Georgia Tech
Burnett reminds me of Kam Chancellor his sophomore year when he was a one-man wrecking crew crushing opponents and creating turnovers. Hopefully both Kam and Burnett can have years like that again in 2009.

5. Russell Wilson, So. QB - NC State
Last year he was the first-team All-ACC QB as a freshman. He also had an insane touchdown-to-turnover ratio. If he can keep from fumbling (which he was prone to do without them being recovered by opponents) his sophomore year could be even better.

4. Vic Hall, Sr. CB/QB - Virginia
The Hokie players and staff were apparently the only people in the Commonwealth who didn't know the Hoos were going to run the Wildcat formation with Hall in last year's game. He might get the chance to do it full time this year, which would be scary.

3. Jermaine Thomas, So. RB - Florida State
Thomas averaged a shade under 7.0 ypc last season. He'll probably be the 'Noles primary back in 2009 and could be a very special player.

2. C.J. Spiller, Sr. RB - Clemson
He'll get the bulk of the carries. He'll probably also return kicks this year. Spiller has been very average since his freshman season in 2006. It's time for him to return to being Lightning now that Thunder is gone.

1. Ryan Williams, Fr. RB - Virginia Tech
Yup, it's a homer pick. Hokie fans have seen what Williams can do in practice and in the spring game. His debut is the most anticipated of any Hokie since Kevin Jones. And fans are hoping he can put up Jones-like numbers with Darren Evans playing the part of Lee Suggs.

Wake Forest Football Offseason Questions: Defense

WakeJake — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:58:28 -0000

As the disappointment of basketball season continues to wear off, it is time to get into full football mode. Jim Grobe's Demon Deacons have been conducting spring practice for the past couple weeks and the Spring Game is just under two weeks from today. Going into the 2009 season, there are several spots to be filled and issues to be resolved. Click through for a few of the developments that we will certainly be tracking over the next several months.

Obviously, the biggest issue facing the Deacs is the mass exodus from the star-studded, senior-laden defense of last year. Not only did the Deacons lose first-rounders Alphonso Smith and Aaron Curry, but they also face significant defections from other solid players whose value was often under-appreciated.

These include LBs Stanley Arnoux and Chantz McClinc, safeties Kevin Patterson and Chip Vaughn and defensive linemen Matt Robinson and Anthony Davis. While the defense may not be as strong next year, it certainly will be interesting to see which young players can step up and take over now that they have the chance. The following players should be among those that are ready to make the jump:

Linebackers - Hunter Haynes and Matt Woodlief. Both saw plenty of snaps last season, but now will be the main men at the linebacker spots. What Woodlief lacks in size, he makes up for in desire and he has a motor that never stops. Other guys that have a chance to make a name for themselves are rising seniors Jonathon Jones and Dominque Midgett, sophomore Gelo Orange and RS freshmen Riley Haynes and Joey Ehrman.

Defensive backs - One CB spot is definitely solid with Brandon Ghee, who is arguably Wake Forest's top returning defensive player. The other starting position is up for grabs, but Josh Bush has shown that he can be an impact player early in his career. Kenny Okoro, who received plenty of praise during his redshirt year, should push for plenty of snaps during the season as well.

At the safety position, it is likely that Alex Frye will be the featured player. He possesses great speed and has the potential to have a breakout season if he can stay on Grobe's good side. The other spot will likely be held by Chyl Quarles, but Junior Petit-Jean and John Stamper will have the opportunity to earn some playing time as well.

Defensive line - Unlike the other two areas, the defensive line returns multiple guys who have already seen significant playing time in their careers. The line will be anchored by defensive tackles Boo Robinson and the ever-intense John Russell. Boo had several outstanding games last year and will be one of the leaders of the defense this year. DE Kyle Wilbur showed flashes of greatness last year as a freshmen and, with continued work in the weight room, should have a fantastic career.

The other end is a concern for the Deacs. The consensus is that Tristan Dorty is ready to turn it up a notch, which would be a great sign going into next fall. The backup tackles will include huge freshman Ramon Booi and junior Michael Carter, while the ends are likely Tripp Russell and Michael Lockett.

Please comment below on any errors or omissions that I made as well as your own views about the 2009 Deacon defense!

Note: If the weather holds up we will be reporting on the second spring scrimmage, which takes place Thursday night at BB&T Field. Stay tuned for our look ahead at the other side of the ball soon!