2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview: Grobe Counting on the Defense

Under the guidance of head coach Jim Grobe, Wake Forest has gone from ACC bottom-feeders to ACC contenders over the last few years. After a surprising run to the ACC title in 2006, the Demon Deacons overcame an 0-2 start to finish 9-4 with a win in the Meineke Car Care Bowl over Connecticut.

This season, Wake Forest has some retooling to do on offense, but the Demon Deacons have the talent to be a contender in the ACC yet again.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Coach: Jim Grobe (8th year at Wake Forest, 46-39)

2007 Record: 9-4, 5-3 ACC

Starters Returning: 14 (5 offense, 9 defense)

Top Returnees: QB Riley Skinner, RB Josh Adams, NT Boo Robinson, DT John Russell, MLB Stanley Arnoux, LB Aaron Curry, SS Chip Vaughn, CB Brandon Ghee, CB Alphonso Smith, FS Kevin Patterson, K/P Sam Swank

Key Losses: WR Kenny Moore, RB Micah Andrews, C Steve Justice, LG, Matt Brim, LT Louis Frazier, DT Zac Stukes, DE Jeremy Thompson, TE John Tereshinski, TE Zac Selmon

2008 Schedule

Aug. 30 @ Baylor

Sept. 6 Mississippi

Sept. 20 @ Florida State

Sept. 27 Navy

Oct. 9 Clemson

Oct. 18 @ Maryland

Oct. 25 @ Miami, FL

Nov. 1 Duke

Nov. 8 Virginia

Nov. 15 @ NC State

Nov. 22 Boston College

Nov. 29 Vanderbilt

Key Game: Oct. 9 vs. Clemson. The Demon Deacons will have their hands full in early October against the ACC’s most talented team, Clemson. They were hammered by the Tigers 44-10 in last season’s match-up and are only 3-10 against them since 1978. Wake Forest will have to win this game if they have any chance at playing for the ACC title.

2008 Outlook

Wake Forest has shown over the last two seasons that they are a legitimate football program that can contend year in and year out for a conference title. A far cry from the many years of dwindling at the bottom of the ACC. The Demon Deacons fell short in their quest to repeat as champions last year, but they’re hungry and ready to challenge for an ACC title again this season.

On defense, 17 of Wake Forest’s top 20 tacklers back. The defensive line will have six of their top eight return and their experience should offset the losses of DE Jeremy Thompson and DT Zac Stukes. NT Boo Robinson (26 tackles, 3 sacks) will be a rock in the middle, and DE Matt Robinson is fully recovered and a full year removed from his season long injury in 2006. Robinson will hopefully return to the level of play he showed in 2005 (36 tackles, 4.5 sacks).

The back seven will be the strength of the defense as all will be returning starters. Starting at linebacker will be MLB Stanley Arnoux (66 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions), Chantz McClinic (45 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Aaron Curry, who finished second on the team in tackles the last two seasons and had fantastic season in ’07 with 99 tackles, 3 sacks and 4 interceptions. Scott Betros is the team’s top recruit and should contribute early on at linebacker.

The secondary will see explosive Second-Team All-American CB Alphonso Smith return for his senior year after a stellar 2007 in which he posted 44 tackles, 3 sacks and 8 interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns. SS Chip Vaughn led the team with 105 tackles, and CB Brandon Ghee added 63 tackles of his own. FS Kevin Patterson should have another solid season with what could be one of the top defensive backfield units in the country.

On offense, Grobe will look to QB Riley Skinner to continue his improvement and become a true leader this season. Skinner had decent numbers in’07 throwing for 2,204 yards with 12 touchdowns, and he led the country in completion % at 72.4. However, he will need to show more consistency as he did throw 13 interceptions in 2007.

The offense loses its top weapon in WR Kenny Moore (98 receptions, 1,011 receiving yards, 316 rushing yards, and 8 total touchdowns), who did everything for the Demon Deacons and was drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions. They also lose Tereshinski, their third-leading receiver in 2007, Selmon, and Andrews, their backup running back.

Wake Forest will have to rely on starting RB Josh Adams, who rushed for 953 yards and 11 touchdowns as a freshman last year and was an All-ACC second teamer. Skinner’s primary targets look to be WR Chip Brinkman, WR D.J. Boldin and TE Ben Wooster, who combined for 352 yards and zero touchdowns in 2007. WR Jordan Williams will come off of the bench, but he is the only member of the unit that had a touchdown in 2007.

The offensive line boasts good size, but will need to be rebuilt as they lose First-Team All-American C Steve Justice, LG Matt Brim, LT Louis Frazier and OL Chris DeGeare, who is ineligible this season.

The 2008 version of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons could be Grobe’s best team yet, but for it to show in the win column, the defense has to continue to be excellent, while a somewhat new-look offensive unit must gel, produce, and keep mistakes at a minimum. The schedule presents some tough games both in and out of conference, but Wake Forest should be a lock for a third straight postseason appearance, and they could give Clemson a serious push for the Atlantic Division crown.