 |
|
Wednesday, August 8
Wake Forest football preview
By Mel Kiper
ESPN.com
After turning around the program at Ohio University, Jim Grobe takes over as the head coach at Wake Forest. He used the option attack to full effect with the Bobcats and may do the same with the Demon Deacons, a team that is coming off a disappointing 2-9 season after winning the Aloha Bowl with an experienced group the year before.
OFFENSE
At quarterback, Grobe will have to decide whether he wants to use more of an option style with Anthony Young, an athletic 6-foot-3, 198-pound sophomore, or a dropback passing game with junior James MacPherson (6-2, 197). Although the two quarterbacks split time last season, Young so far has the edge as the starter. Either way Grobe has the versatility with Young and MacPherson to make it harder for the opposition to defend them.
|
Demon Deacons at a glance
|
|
2001 schedule
Sept. 1 at East Carolina
Sept. 8 vs Appalachian St.
Sept. 15 vs Northern Illinois
Sept. 22 vs Maryland
Sept. 29 at Florida State
Oct. 6 vs N.C. State
Oct. 13 at Duke
Oct. 27 vs Clemson
Nov. 3 at Virginia
Nov. 10 at North Carolina
Nov. 17 vs Georgia Tech
2000 results
(2-9, 1-8 ACC)
Appalachian St. L 20-16
North Carolina L 35-14
at Clemson L 55-7
Virginia L 27-10
Vanderbilt L 17-10
at Georgia Tech L 52-20
at Maryland L 37-7
Duke W 28-26
Florida State L 35-6
at Navy W 49-26
at N.C. State L 32-14
|
At tailback, Tarence Williams is a nice weapon out of the backfield. Williams, a quick 5-10, 178-pound junior, is one of the ACC's top returning backs. As a sophomore, he emerged as a threat, gaining 5.1 yards a carry and scoring seven touchdowns.
In the receiving corps, the Demon Deacons look for a big year from John Stone, a 5-11, 182-pound senior who doubles as a great kickoff return man. Although he didn't run track in the spring, concentrating instead on football, Stone was the ACC champion in the 100 and 200 meters in 1999. Besides Stone, Wake Forest has plenty of experience at wideout, with senior Ira Williams (6-2, 207), who led the team with 45 receptions a year ago, and junior Fabian Davis (5-11, 180), the team's leader in receiving yards and touchdown receptions.
Up front, the Demon Deacons have a solid offensive line, led by a pair of seniors -- guard Michael Collins (6-6, 292) and center Vince Azzolina (6-4, 275), a three-year starter and one of the top centers in the ACC.
DEFENSE
The Demon Deacons will use a 3-4 scheme. Along the defensive line, senior Nate Bolling (6-4, 275) shifts to left defensive end from defensive tackle. At the right defensive end spot is junior Calvin Pace, who led the team with nine sacks a year ago. The interior of the defense should be adequate.
They have also shifted some players around in the linebacking corps. The headliner is Marquis Hopkins (6-2, 239), who returns at inside linebacker and was the team's leading tackler last season. Tehran Carpenter (6-3, 213) moves to outside linebacker after playing free safety. At the other outside linebacker post is senior Ed Kargbo-Okorogle (6-3, 219), who started every game last season.
The secondary features the team's two primary defensive leaders -- senior free safety Michael Clinkscale, who started at strong safety last season, and senior Adrian Duncan, who moves from cornerback to take Clinkscale's old job at strong safety. The defensive backfield also welcomes back starter Quintin Williams, a sophomore, at cornerback.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking game should be a solid group with two veterans returning, senior Tyler Ashe as the placekicker and junior Matt Brennie as the punter. Stone is always a threat on kickoff returns; the last two seasons he has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.
OVERVIEW: The Demon Deacons have much more experience and star power on offense than they do defense, and they have a chance to have a fairly decent offensive attack. They have marquee players with Williams in the backfield, Stone at receiver and Collins and Azzolina on the offensive line -- all players who could play for just about any team in the ACC. The contrasting styles of quarterbacks Young and MacPherson give Grobe the choice of running the option attack, which was successful at Ohio, or throwing the ball. With leaders in the secondary in Clinkscale and Duncan, and Hopkins, Bolling and Pace in the front seven, the Demon Deacons have the components to field an adequate defensive unit.
Wake went to a bowl game two years ago, and then fell back to earth last season, going 1-8 in the ACC. Although the Demon Deacons going through a transition period with Grobe as the new head coach, they should be better than a year ago, but not as good as they were in 1999. Expect Wake Forest to finish with four or five wins and somewhere in the middle of the pack in the ACC.
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
|
|
