Wake Forest Demon Decons

Head Coach

Jim Grobe	8th year
07-08	9-4
ACC	5-3
FCR	29

Previous Season Wins

Head Coach - Jim Goebe enters his 8th season and with 20 wins in the last two years Wake Forest he has molded the Demon Deacons into a national power and a program that believes they can compete for the ACC title year in and year out. They return 14 starters, but they must replace six players on offense but in Riley Skimmer and Josh Adams they have the most potent backfield in the ACC.

Quarterback - Wake is set at quarterback with Riley Skinner, the junior just wins, he’s the field general who makes the right decisions and gets the most out of his player. Not as physically gifted as others he threw for 2,204 yards and 12 TD’s and led the nation with a 72.4 completion percentage. He’s mobile and knows when to take off but threw 13 interceptions last season and will need to cut down that number this year.

Running Backs - Returning at running back is sophomore Josh Adams who was the ACC Rookie of the Year, he rushed for 953 yards, had 34 receptions and had 12 TD’s. Adams runs well between the tackles and has the speed to get behind the defenders in a hurry. Brandon Pendergrass was outstanding this spring, the redshirt freshman showed that he’ll be a contributor; he has similar skills and the speed to get outside. Junior Mike Rinfrette will return to his fullback position, he blocks well and is a capable receiver out of the backfield.

Receivers - On the outside the Demon Deacons lose All-ACC wide receiver Kenneth Moore, and Goebe knows they don’t have a replacement but he feels coming out of spring they got some options. Look for seniors D.J. Boldin and Chip Brinkman to start, they combined for 38 receptions for 352 yards, Boldin has the speed and Brinkman will be more of the possession type receiver. Junior Ben Wooster claimed the tight end this spring and left no question who would start come the season opener.

Offensive Line - They lose Steve Justice to the NFL but they return some experience upfront, they have a pair of juniors on he outside who were part-time starters in Joe Birdsong on the left and on the right will be Jeff Griffin, another junior, Barrett McMillin returns at right guard. The newcomers will be sophomore Russell Nenon at left guard and replacing Justice at center, junior Trey Bailey. With Adams and Pendergrass running behind them they just need to create a crease and they’ll gain yards, the question is can they give Skinner time to find his receivers.

Defensive Line - The Demon Deacons return nine starters on defense, they ranked 27th in total defense a year ago and they force turnovers, that’s a winning combination. The front four is the biggest concern heading into the season, on the outside look for seniors Matt Robinson and Anthony Davis, Robinsons’ had an injury plagued career and Davis contributes against the run but fails to generate much pressure upfield. On the inside Wake is solid against the run with returning starter Boo Robinson at nose senior and at defensive tackle will be junior John Russell. Boo has All-ACC potential and Russell has been a solid contributor, he missed the spring with a shoulder injury and redshirt freshman Dennis Godfrey showed that he’ll be in the rotation this fall.

Linebackers - They return all three starters and they’re led by senior All-American candidate Aaron Curry on the strongside, he had 99 tackles, three sacks and for interceptions. Wake returns a pair of seniors to complement Curry in Stanley Arnoux in the middle and on the weakside will be Chantz McClinic, they combined for 111 tackles and 6 sacks last season.

Defensive Backs - Outstanding experienced unit, at cornerback will be senior Alphonso Smith and junior Brandon Gee, both All-ACC Smith led the nation with 8 interceptions and Gee has 4.3 speed and added 63 tackles. At free safety senior Kevin Patterson and at the strong safety spot is fellow senior Chip Vaughn who led the team in tackles with 105 and is a force against the run, Patterson added 45 tackles and is an exceptional cover man.

Special Teams - At placekicker senior Sam Swank, he’s 1st team All-ACC and has connected on over 79% of his attempts for his career and is 9 of 12 from beyond the 50, he’s also the punter 39.8 average from a year ago needs to improve. Senior Alphonso Smith will take over the primary return duties for the Demon Deacons this fall.

Schedule - Seven home games and the non-conference slate is very soft; Baylor, Ole Miss, Navy and Vanderbilt should guarantee four wins. They get Clemson at home and miss Va Tech, the road bocks will be at Florida St, Maryland and Miami but all things considered quite manageable. With Skinner and this defense the Demon Deacons expect to be playing for the ACC title this December, no reason to disagree as Wake plays for the title and wins 9-11 games in 08’.