Wake Forest Demon Deacons 2009 Football Betting Preview

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Wake Forest 2008 Record: (8-5, 4-4)
Wake Forest 2008 Bowl: EagleBank Bowl vs. Navy (W 29-19)
Wake Forest Coach: Jim Grobe (54-44 at Wake Forest, 87-77-1 overall)
Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator: Steed Lobotzke
Wake Forest Defensive Coordinator: Brad Lambert
Wake Forest Returning Stats Leaders:

• Rushing: Brandon Pendergrass, RB, 528 yards
• Passing: Riley Skinner, QB, 2,347 yards
• Receiving: Marshall Williams, WR, 390 yards
• Tackles: Boo Robinson, DT, 47
• Sacks: Boo Robinson, DT, 5.0
• Interceptions: Alex Frye, S, 1; Brandon Ghee, CB, 1; Boo Robinson, DT, 1

Notable Wake Forest Returning Players: RB Josh Adams, OT Joe Birdsong, OT Jeff Griffin, G Barrett McMillin, DT John Russell, DE Kyle Wilber, TE Ben Wooster

Wake Forest Key Losses: LB Stanley Arnoux, WR D.J. Boldin, WR Chip Brinkman, LB Aaron Curry, LB Chantz McClinic, S Kevin Patterson, DE Matt Robinson, CB Alphonso Smith, K Sam Swank, S Chip Vaughn

Wake Forest continued their recent run of success under head coach Jim Grobe as they finished with an 8-5 record last fall. In fact, their 28 wins in the past three seasons is 3rd among ACC teams! Last season’s success can be credited in large part to a solid defense but Grobe’s ability to rebuild will be tested this year after a lot of graduation losses. However, Wake Forest still brings back 13 starters and could once more be a player in the conference chase.

The offense will be led by four year starting quarterback Riley Skinner, who threw for 2,347 yards and 13 touchdowns last season against only 7 picks. While the offense’s production dropped by nearly a touchdown per game last fall, Skinner’s care with the football allowed the Demon Deacons to finish with a conference-best plus 17 turnover margin! Skinner is one of nine returning starters and I expect a much improved offensive attack in his final go-round. The line returns four starters and gets back senior tackle Chris DeGeare, who missed last season due to academics after starting in 2006 and 2007. That means that Wake probably has the conference’s most experienced offensive line! The top two rushers are back from last year as well and junior Josh Adams, who was banged up last year, could be in line for a big season. The only question mark is at wide receiver, as departed DJ Boldin had 55 catches MORE than the team’s second leading receiver last season! Junior Marshall Williams had 26 catches for 390 yards and he will be counted on to step up this season. Overall, the Deacs look like they should have a much more balanced offense with a healthy Adams and that should only mean more scoring.

The defense is a big concern as last season’s top five tacklers are gone and only four starters are back. The good news is that three starters are back on the line and all three were very productive last fall, combining for over a hundred tackles and 12 sacks! Expect this strong unit to only get better this year. The bad news is that the rest of the defense is beginning from scratch. Their linebackers lost two NFL draft picks, including Aaron Curry who was drafted in the top 10. Junior Hunter Haynes has the most experience but he only made 24 tackles last year as all three departed starters played every game. With a dearth of experience, the linebackers are a very big concern. Their secondary also experienced a similar talent drain as two more of last year’s starters were selected in the NFL draft, including the ACC’s all time leader in interceptions! Senior cornerback Brandon Ghee is the only returning starter and he is highly athletic. However, there is very little experience elsewhere and there will undoubtedly be a step back after losing so much talent. Wake Forest lost four high NFL draft picks from last year’s unit and while I really like their front four, I can’t see this year’s unit being nearly as productive.

The schedule is an interesting mix. The non-conference slate features visits from Baylor and Stanford and a trip to the Naval Academy, giving Wake three competitive but very winnable games. In conference, a three week stretch where visits from FSU and Miami bookend a trip to Georgia Tech will be the toughest of the year. The Deacons have seven home games this season after boasting a 14-5 record the past four years and should take advantage. Overall, I think that the Demon Deacons will be better on offense and weaker on defense. However, that doesn’t mean that I expect them to play in a lot of shootouts! Wake Forest will try to control the ball with the running game and should have plenty of success. While I will be surprised if the Demon Deacons make a legitimate run at the conference title game thanks to that brutal three game stretch late in the year, Grobe’s team will probably make their 4th consecutive bowl appearance.

Wake Forest Big Games: Sept. 26th @ BC, Oct. 3rd vs. NC State, Oct. 17th @ Clemson, Oct. 31st vs. Miami, Nov. 7th @ Georgia Tech, Nov. 14th vs. FSU, Nov. 28th @ Duke

Wake Forest ‘s Strength:

While the defense retools, it will be up to the offense to win games. Quarterback Riley Skinner is back, yet again, and has proven to be one of the most accurate passers in college football. Last year he completed nearly 64 percent of his passes for 2,347 yards and 13 touchdowns. With Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Adams joining him in the backfield, the Demon Deacons have a slew of offensive weapons. Adams should regain his starting role after spending much of the 2008 season on the sidelines dealing with injuries. In 2007, Adams had a superb freshman campaign and Wake Forest hopes he can build off of that and get past the injuries. Pendergrass filled in nicely while Adams was out and ended up leading the team with 528 rushing yards. On paper the absence of wide receivers D.J. Boldin and Chip Brinkman is a concern, but Marshall Williams is an experienced receiver and redshirt freshmen Terence Davis and Chris Givens could give the team a much needed deep threat.

Wake Forest ‘s Weakness:

Some of the losses on the defensive side of the ball are some of the best players to ever suit up for the Deacons. Linebacker Aaron Curry was the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft and cornerback Alphonso Smith was a second round selection after tallying seven interceptions during his senior season. Stanley Arnoux and Chip Vaughn were also drafted in the first four rounds. Curry is the biggest loss, but the secondary is where the biggest questions remain. Corner Brandon Ghee will be the new Smith, but after that there is very little experience and a lot of question marks. Coach Grobe will figure out which combination of players works best for his team, but there is little chance that the pass defense will be anywhere near as good as they were last year.

Our Prediction for the 2009 Demon Deacons:

Since Coach Grobe is bringing in more talent than Wake Forest is used to, the defense will be alright. The big question is how much better can the offense be this year? The answer to that question will depend on the play of the offensive line. Everybody is back and that experience has to count for something. The fact that they cannot be much worse than last year is a positive as well. If the group can grow up quickly and come together, it will be the offense, not the defense, that propels Wake Forest into another bowl game.

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