Wednesday October 14, 2009

Wake Forest Preview

Wake Forest Preview
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons enter Saturday’s game at Clemson leading the Atlantic Division with a 2-1 record. Some feel if Wake wins at Death Valley the Deacs will be well on their way to their second division title under Jim Grobe.

Wake Forest has perhaps the best offense in the league. Wake is second in the league in total offense with 426 yards per game which is only .7 yards per game behind Georgia Tech.

Part of the success on offense can be attributed to the depth on the offensive line. Wake Forest returned all five starters on the offensive line including tackle Chris DeGeare, an All-ACC candidate.

Another major reason for the offensive productivity is four-year starter at quarterback Riley Skinner. The Jacksonville, FL native is coming off of his hottest stretch with three straight passing games of over 350 yards. Skinner threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns against Boston College, 361 yards and three touchdowns against NC State and 360 yards and four touchdowns last week in the win over Maryland. Over the last three games, Skinner has passed for 1075 yards and nine touchdowns. He has started 30 consecutive games for the Demon Deacons in his career. Skinner’s next touchdown pass will be the 50th of his career.

Wake Forest is third in the ACC in rushing with 139.5 yards per contest. The Deacs will feature a pair of running backs Saturday. Josh Adams is a 185 pound junior that leads the team in rushing this season with 265 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He was the ACC rookie of the year as a freshman but battled injuries last season. Brandon Pendergrass led the team in rushing last year with 528 yards and is second this season with 206 yards.

The Deacs have the third best passing team in the ACC by averaging 286.5 yards per game through the air. They spread the ball around with three receivers. Marshall Williams caught 26 balls last year but already has eclipsed that mark with 32 catches as a junior. He has 472 receiving yards and five touchdowns in six games.

Chris Givens also has five receptions for touchdowns among his 26 catches this season. Devon Brown is the third receiver with 22 catches for 334 yards and a score.

The Deacs are seventh in the ACC in scoring offense averaging 29.3 points per game but they have scored 72 points the last two weeks against NC State and Maryland.

A key statistic for this offense is their third down conversion rate. Clemson has converted only 32.6% of its first downs while Wake Forest converts on 50.5% of their third down attempts this season.

The major issue for Wake Forest in the first half of the season is defense. Wake is sixth in the league in scoring defense giving up 21.8 points per contest. They have allowed at least 24 points in four of their six games so far this season.

Wake returned only four starters from a year ago and misses NFL talent like Aaron Curry and Alphonso Smith. The Deacs are ninth in the league in total defense giving up 361 yards per game.

The strength of the defense is the front four including the two returning defensive tackles, Boo Robinson and John Russell. Wake Forest is third in the league against the run giving up just 119.3 yards a game.

The secondary is lead by cornerback Brandon Ghee but they are inexperienced at the other four spots and are 10th in the ACC against the pass allowing 241.7 yards per game.

Wake’s special teams have been solid so far this season. They are sixth in the ACC in kickoff returns and 11th in the league in punt returns. The Deacs are fourth in the league in net punting averaging 37.0 net yards per punt. Wake is fifth in the league in kickoff coverage.

The Deacs changed placekickers after a couple of games and have turned to freshman Jimmy Newman who is 17-17 on his extra points and 4-5 on his field goals inside of 50 yards.

When Clemson fans think of Wake Forest they think of Riley Skinner but to most the face of the program has been head coach Jim Grobe. The head Deacon is in his ninth year in Winston-Salem and has turned down some good jobs to stay at Wake Forest. His teams play hard and have overachieved in most of his seasons there. Grobe has a very good staff to work with including his offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke.

Wake Forest would like to be able to run the ball a little against Clemson Saturday. Skinner is dangerous as a passer but Wake’s staff and players have talked this week about more balance and finding that running game. Skinner has had big numbers the last three weeks but they also credit the running game for their recent success.

On defense Wake wants to limit Clemson’s big play capability. This is not a surprise because most teams fear Spiller and Jacoby Ford’s speed but do not respect the Tigers’ ability to drive the ball the length of the field.

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Those who need our prayers include:
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