It's an early one tomorrow, with the Deacs taking on the Maryland Terrapins in a noon matchup on Raycom sports (find out what network it will be on in your area). If we're going to play a noon game, though, I'd rather it be on the road.

It's incredibly difficult to figure out this Maryland team. They beat Clemson and then get crushed by Virginia. They're 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. They start out with a bad win over Delaware and a loss to Middle Tennessee State before bouncing back for a win over Cal. Who is this team?

Clearly they're capable of big wins, which means Wake cannot be taking them lightly. At the same time, I feel pretty confident Wake is the better team in this game. Certainly Maryland has caused problems for the Deacs over the years, and playing in College Park isn't always easy, but I definitely feel like Wake has the upper hand.

Burning questions about this week's game:

1. Will the defense keep up the near-perfect performances?
For three straight games the defense has been the only thing keeping Wake afloat. I know we all want to see the offense improve, and hopefully they will, but th defense has to keep up the intensity.

2. Will the red zone play calling improve?
The offense showed some pretty significant improvement last week against Clemson, but still only managed 12 points. The other offensive statistics would indicate a better performance, so what was wrong? The Deacs couldn't make anything happen once they got in the red zone. Running the "Wild Deac" from the 1 yard line? Bad idea. Fix it.

3. Is Saw Swank going to play? Will the rest of the team stay healthy?
Swank is still questionable for this week's game, and I know we all want to see him kicking. I'm okay with having Popham handle the punting duties, and even the kickoffs if necessary. As long as Swank can kick the field goals I'll be happy. It isn't being talked about all that much, but this two game road swing is really one of the more important stretches of the season. The Deacs aren't playing the biggest names, but these are two good ACC teams on the road, and coming out with two wins is huge. A key to that is keeping everyone else healthy for both games. Hopefully that happens tomorrow.

Predictions: I think Wake will score more points this week, but it may be with a bunch of field goals (Heather Dinich predicted 21-20 Wake, but I have no idea how she expects Wake to score 3 TDs and no field goals. In the last two seasons Wake has scored only touchdowns one time - against Army early in the 2007 season). Wake could score three touchdowns, but there will be a couple of field goals too. I'm predicting a Wake win, 20-13.

Let me know what you think. Have your own prediction? Share with the class.

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It's family weekend here on campus, and the weather probably couldn't be any worse. The temperature is hovering around 60 degrees, and I don't believe it has stopped raining all day. Nonetheless, the Demon Deacons will be playing football tomorrow afternoon, and even though there may not be sun, forecasts are predicting the rain will be gone by game time.

The Facts:
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2008
Time: 3:45 p.m. EDT
Location: BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC
Broadcast: ESPNU, ISP Radio Network

A win tomorrow means seven in a row for the Deacs, tying a school record. It'd be great to have that win in hand and be looking to set a new record against Clemson. A win would also be Jim Grobe's 50th at Wake.

I hope to never feel like the game is in question, and I'd really like to see the run game have a big day. I'm not totally confident we're going to see it, but we'll see. A well-run option offense is never easy to deal with, so I don't expect a flawless game from the defense, but ultimately I think Wake's talent level will make the difference.

Things to watch for:

1. If Wake has a run game, can it please show up?
I'm done saying "I think the run game will finally show up this week." Now I just going to hope they do. I'll keep hoping until it happens, but I won't get mad about it until it starts costing the team wins.

2. How well will Wake contain the option?
It's never an easy task, and for the first quarter of last year's matchup Navy was having a fair amount of success. It wasn't until an Aaron Curry hit knocked quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada out of the game that things started falling apart for the midshipmen. He's back this year and I think Navy could easily score a lot of points if the Deacs aren't prepared. I hope now that Paul Johnson is gone the option isn't quite as potent, but I'm not counting on that.

3. Injury avoidance is key - can the Deacs stay healthy?
There's so much potential for this season that it would be really terrible to see anyone go down this week. DT John Russell is listed as probable on the injury report with a shoulder injury. There's a bye week next week so hopefully things will be okay even if there's a minor injury of some kind, but it'd be great to emerge both healthy and victorious.

4. Will the parents pack the stands?
As I menitoned eariler, it's parents weekend and there will be lots of families in the stands. With questionable weather and one of the less exciting opponents of the season, It'll be interesting to see just how full BB&T field is.

5. Will the Wake fans honor this Navy team like they did Army last year?
I sincerely hope this is a rhetorical question. These guys are much more than football players and deserve respect from all Wake fans for the contributions they're making to our country. I loved the way the fan base, students included, cheered for Army last year, and I hope to see the same thing tomorrow. I also look forward to seeing the Wake players honor the Navy alma mater after the game. Always a classy touch by Jim Grobe teams.

Predictions: I come to this segment of the previous cautiously, as I looked pretty foolish with last week's 41-36 prediction. I expect a significant margin of victory this week, and I think the Deacs will put points on the board, so I'm going to go with 31-17. Navy is going to beat themselves, so Wake needs to get the job done.

One last thing - someone in last week's live blog (maybe Scott?) said they'd be willing to help out with a live blog tomorrow. If you or anyone else is interested, shoot me an email and let me know so we can try to get it set up.

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Two years ago a Demon Deacon team on the way to winning an ACC championship went down to Tallahassee and defeated Florida State 30-0. A year later, on a Thursday night in Winston-Salem, the Deacs proved it wasn't a joke, this time winning 27-24. Can the Demon Deacons make it three in a row?

The Facts:
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Broadcast: ESPN2, ESPN360, ISP Radio Network

Florida State obviously has the advantage of playing this game at home, but other factors may help nullify some of that advantage. Although Preston Parker is back this week, several significant suspensions still remain on the defensive side of the ball for Florida State. Furthermore, Wake is coming of a bye week which provided plenty of time to get healthy and prepare for this game.

Florida State basically started the season with two exhibition games, playing Western Carolina and Tennessee-Chattanooga, meaning they're still fresh and healthy at this point, but they also haven't really been tested. The Ole Miss game was a challenging, physical outing for the Demon Deacons, and I think that experience will serve them well down in Tallahassee.

When I first looked at this game back in July I wasn't so convinced that the bye week would be a good thing, but I'm definitely singing a different tune now. Considering the magnitude of this game, as well as the opportunity it provided to get healthy, I think the bye week worked out very well.

Here are this week's pressing questions:

1. Will Florida State be prepared to play a game of this magnitude
I really think the fact that Wake has played two games againts FBS opponenents while FSU has played none is a big deal. The begining of the season is always a difficult time for teams because of the lack of real game experience. I realize the Noles have played a couple of games, but neither will rival the level of competition they'll face against Wake. I think we'll see FSU come out a little bit slowly, maybe make a few dumb mistakes and allow Wake to grab an early advantage. If this happens I feel very good about Wake's chances.

2. Will Wake get to Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson?
Much like the Demon Deacons, Florida State has a young and inexperienced offensive line. Even against the two FCS foes they allowed a few sacks. If Wake's defensive line can exploit that weakness and get consistent pressure on the quarterback it could reduce some of the load on the secondary. Since the secondary has given me some cause for concern so far this year I wouldn't mind that at all. Of course, FSU's quarterbacks also have the ability to run the ball themselves, and Wake will have to watch out for that as well if they want to be successful.

3. Can the offensive line and running backs build on their second half success in the Ole Miss game?
The third quarter drive against Ole Miss that saw Brandon Pendergrass break of back-to-back big runs was a huge step for the running game. The question is, was it a fluke or can the performance be repeated? I'm hopeful, but not confident, that it can be done. Florida State has a very talented defensive front that can definitely make things difficult, so the running game will really have to be on top of things to be successful.

Predictions:
I think I may be in the minority here, but I see this game as a high scoring affair. Both offenses are potent, and with what we've seen from the defenses so far, they could easily give up a bunch of points. I think there will be several lead changes, but ultimately Wake will come out on top, 41-37. With this prediciton I expect the same number of scoring drives from each team, but I trust that Riley Skinner will lead the Deacs to one more touchdown than FSU comes up with. It may end up being one of the most exciting ACC games of the season.

I'll be running a live blog here during the game, and trial runs have indicated that it should be a whole lot of fun. If you've got internet access while watching the game (or can't see the game for whatever reason) then plan on hanging out here to talk about it with other Wake fans. I'm looking forward to it!

Any other questions you're looking to see answered? Have a different prediction for the game? Leave a comment!

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After an impressive victory at Baylor last week it’s impossible not to be excited about tomorrow’s home opener against the Ole Miss Rebels. Not even a hurricane (okay, maybe tropical storm) can temper the excitement Wake fans are feeling about this one. Come 3:30 Saturday afternoon BB&T Field will be full of fans and another new era of the Wake Forest football program will be ready to begin.

The Details:
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Stadium: BB&T Field
Broadcast: ABC/ESPN2, ISP Radio Network (TV coverage maps)

Deacon Tower hopes to be christened with a victory Saturday, and I think the Demon Deacons are ready to do just that. The game marks only the second time in history that Wake has faced Ole Miss on the football field, having defeated the Rebels 27-3 in Oxford during the 2006 ACC championship run.

Jim Grobe will be looking for his sixth victory in a home opener, having won five of his previous seven. Furthermore, a Wake Forest victory will be number 400 in the history of Demon Deacon football.

The Rebels, led by new head coach Houston Nutt and sophomore quarterback Jevan Snead, looked good in their opener last week, defeating Memphis 41-24. It was the most points the Rebels had scored in a game since 2003. I don’t think they’re going to get close to that record again this week.

Ole Miss’s defensive line has been decimated by injuries, and will be without three fourths of the projected starting line – tackles Peria Jerry and Ted Laurent and end Greg Hardy are all out. Facing a weaker defensive line than originally expected should be a big advantage for the Deacs, whose offensive line is still developing. Perhaps this will allow the running game to get going a bit more this week.

Wake has no injuries to starters currently, and sophomore receiver Jordan Williams is not listed in this week’s injury report. He wasn’t listed last week and still sat out, so it remains to be seen if he will play, but he will be available.

Wake’s defense proved what everyone thought they already knew last week – that they’re very very good. I expect them to rattle young quarterback Jevan Snead and keep the running game from ever getting much momentum

I feel very confident about this game, and since it seemed to work pretty well last week, I’m going to ask some questions that we can hopefully answer after the game.

1. What effect will Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hanna have on this game?
Projections continue to show the storm hitting farther east and being farther north by the time we kick off, but it still seems very possible that we’ll see some wetness and maybe some gusty winds as well. If the rain is gone by game time it should be a great environment for fans since it will be cool, but for the players wind could definitely be an issue. The field turf is designed to hold up pretty well in wet weather, so unless it’s actually raining during the game I don’t think we’ll see too much of an issue there.

2. Will the offensive line’s pass protection hold up? Will the run blocking improve?
Last week the pass protection was pretty stellar. Skinner was only sacked once and almost always had plenty of time. Hopefully the line will continue that this week. I would love to see some improvement in the running game. I place most of the blame for last week’s running woes on the line, so hopefully they have a better performance this week. Given the state of Ole Miss’s defensive line I feel pretty good about that happening.

3. Can the receivers avoid dropping passes?
D.J. Boldin had a couple of pretty bad drops last week, and there were a couple of others who dropped passes as well. It will be more difficult to get away with mistakes like that this week.

4. Will Ole Miss avoid turnovers? Will Wake be okay if they do?
Last week Wake benefited from several Baylor turnovers. Granted, the Deacs turned it over a couple of times too, but I think the Rebels may be a bit better at holding on to the ball. I don’t want to see Wake relying on gifts like that this week.

5. How beautiful will Deacon Tower be?
The answer to this question seems pretty obvious already, but I have a feeling we’ll be even more amazed by it in person.

As for my predictions, I said earlier this week that I thought Wake would win by 14-17 points. I’ve seen plenty of projections that have Ole Miss scoring 27+ points and I just don’t understand how anyone thinks they can do that against Wake’s defense. Wake’s running game has more success this week (one back will go over 100 yards) on the way to a 31-17 victory over the Rebels.

Should I be asking different questions? Are my predictions absurd? Let me know in the comments.

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The time has finally come for Wake Forest to kick off its 107th season of football, and it’s a good thing because I don’t think I can wait much longer.

The Details:
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2008
Time: 8:00 p.m. EDT, 7:00 p.m. CDT
Location: Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco, Texas
TV/Radio: FSN, ISP Radio Network. More details here

The Demon Deacons are 0-4 all time against Baylor, having lost 31-0 in their last meeting – a 1961 matchup in Waco. Another historical record that doesn’t bode well for the Deacs is their 0-11 record all time in games played in the state of Texas. I don’t put a lot of stock in things like that, particularly when much of the data is over 50 years old, but it’s always interesting to see.

As most everyone probably knows by now, Baylor enters the 2008 season with a new coach, Art Briles. Briles is apparently some sort of offensive guru, and based on what he did at Houston, the Wake defense is about to see a pretty interesting and somewhat unique offensive scheme. As far as I can tell, Briles doesn’t really call a single play, rather he gives the offense options, and they have to all read the defense to determine which option is the best (If I got that all wrong you can let me know, Baylor fans).

Though that may sound daunting for some visiting defenses, it sounds like the type of scheme that takes a considerable amount of time to implement effectively. I think it will be at least three weeks before the Baylor offense really has the chance to start clicking. Given the experience and talent Wake will have on the defensive side of the ball, I wouldn’t want to be a young Baylor quarterback trying to figure out which play is most likely to work – the results could be disastrous.

Add to all of this the fact that no one outside of the team knows who the starting quarterback is going to be (heck, I’m not even sure the team knows who its quarterback is), and you’ve got the recipe for a shaky offensive night for the Bears.

Wake’s offense isn’t without its fair share of question marks. Is the offensive line ready to step up in a real game situation? Will the receivers continue to impress like they have for the last month of practices? I don’t expect to see the Deacon offense put a huge number on the scoreboard this week, but it should be enough to get the job done.

I’ve got some other questions going into this matchup as well:

Will we see a noticeably different defensive scheme this year?
The last two seasons under Dean Hood Wake has played conservatively on defense, utilizing a “bend but don’t break” attitude that puts an emphasis on avoiding big plays. That doesn’t mean they didn’t try to make plays on the ball (obviously they did), but it wasn’t a very aggressive scheme. Under Brad Lambert I think we may see a slightly more aggressive defense; one that brings more pressure and allows the guys to react instinctively as the play develops.

How will Steed Lobotzke balance the pass and run?
I don’t know the actual statistics, but for the last couple of years Lobo has run a fairly conservative package that focuses on possessing the ball and maximizing field possession by using lots of rushes and short, accurate passes. With the questions at offensive line, the preseason success of the wide receivers, and the continued improvement of quarterback Riley Skinner, I think we may see a heavier emphasis on the pass game. Particularly if the Deacs struggle to move the ball on the ground early, Lobo might try letting Skinner air it out a little bit.

How many true freshmen will actually play?
The season’s first depth chart, which includes four true freshmen, reveals some interesting things. For one (and Grobe made this clear yesterday), OG Joe Looney and TE Andrew Parker will not be redshirting. Furthermore, center Chance Raines and CB Kenny Okoro will be traveling with the team, but Grobe may try to keep them off the field and redshirt them if possible. Redshirt freshman Dennis Godfry, who moved to the offensive line less than a week ago, is already number two on the depth chart at right guard – not a good indication for the line’s depth.

Is it safe to let Alphonso Smith return kicks?
The depth chart lists Phonz as the starter for both kick return and punt return. While he’s definitely a playmaker and I understand the desire to give him touches, the increased potential for injury worries me. I think this is one of those decisions that will turn out to be incredibly smart or will be looked back on as the downfall of the 2008 campaign. Either Phonz will dazzle in the return game, or he’ll go down with an injury – a major blow to the team. I don’t think there’s an in-between; if he stays healthy I can’t imagine him not doing some pretty special things. I guess that kind of upside is worth risking the potential injury, so I guess I’m going to have to trust the coaches on this one.

Do you have different answers to one or more of these questions? Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Final Prediction: Wake’s offense struggles early and only manages a couple of field goals in the first half, but a touchdown on defense or special teams sends Wake to the locker room with a 13-3 lead. The offense gets its act together in the second half and the Demon Deacons leave Waco with a 30-10 victory and a respectable start to the 2008 campaign.

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I've realized something in beginning this blog: I've never really thought about sports from a mostly analytical point of view. I watch the games as a fan, root for my teams, get excited about the really good plays and players, and get very upset about bad plays and players. However I don't pay close enough attention when it comes to analyzing what actually went right or wrong down to the very last details.

Now I do want this to be a blog written primarily by a fan, so I will be biased towards Wake, I will talk about things from a fan's point, and I probably won't apologize for it. But, as readers I expect you to be interested in reading from someone who is a fan but is also knowledgeable and able to write analytically about what's going on on the court/field etc.

So, now that I expect to be writing about many major Wake sporting events, I'm sure my viewpoint will become one that pays more attention to these details and is more analytical. But at this point, I just haven't watched the games in such a way that allows me to have formed many of my own detailed analysis or opinions. Nonetheless, with help from some various statistics and just my own general thoughts, I hope to start things off along those lines right now.

So with that out of the way, let's take a look at this weekend contest at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium. My first instinct is that we should kill them, but I know that is the emotional fan in me. Now that doesn't mean we don't have the ability to crush them, but I don't think we should assume it will happen. Before getting to the final score, I'll take a look at how our opposing units match up.

Wake Defense vs. Duke Run Game
Wake has been holding opponents to 115 ypg and 2.9 ypc, which is about middle of the pack in the ACC, and Duke is only rushing for 60 a game, so I would expect Wake to have little difficulty shutting down the run game. Duke knows the run game is not their strong suit, so I expect to see a mostly aerial attack on Saturday.

Wake Defense vs. Duke Passing Game
Thaddeus Lewis may be the real deal, and regardless of his long term prospects, Wake must focus on the fact that he has played outstanding football this season. He will attack us early and often, and we had better be ready. Our defense has been surrendering 237 ypg through the air, a number that may not improve this week. Although Alphonso Smith and Chip Vaughn are proven solid players in the secondary, the overall play of our secondary is still very inconsistent, which should be our biggest worry against Duke. On the bright side, Duke's pass block is less than solid, so if we can get into the backfield with guys like Jeremy Thompson, we may be able to help the secondary out. If Wake plays solid secondary defense and gets some pressure in the backfield, they should have no problem coming away with a victory.

Wake Run vs Duke Defense
The running game has been one of the most frustrating aspects of our attack this season. Micah Andrews has been less than impressive, and even this week Coach Grobe won't say that Josh Adams is the starter. Although I expect Adams to get the bulk of the carries on Saturday, the fact of the matter is our run game is still too inconsistent to rely on. That being said, Duke is giving up 190 ypg on the ground, so if we can get either Andrews, Adams, or both going, it could be a good day on the ground.

Wake Pass vs. Duke Defense
The Deac's passing game has also been frustrating this year, do in large part to the injury to Riley Skinner and the inability of any receiver other than Kenny Moore to catch a pass (Kevin Marion I'm talking about you!). However, I don't believe Duke's passing defense is particularly scary and I expect Riley to be at nearly 100%, meaning we should be able to have a pretty good day through the air.

Special Teams
I doubt there will be much argument with me saying Wake's special teams are significantly better than Duke's. Sam Swank may not look quite as dominant as last year, but he is still one of the best kickers in the ACC and the rest of our special teams have looked pretty good as well. Duke has blocked three kicks this year, the most in the ACC, which is something to look out for, but I think we'll be able to handle them.

So...
As you have probably gathered, I'm cautiously hopeful about this game. As much as I would love to see us come out and play up to our abilities with our best performance of the season, I'm not really sure we're there yet. If we take care of Duke's passing game (easier said than done) then we shouldn't have too many problems, but if Thad Lewis gets going it could be a closer game than Wake fans are hoping for. As David Dohrmann pointed out yesterday, Duke has a tendency to make stupid mistakes that come back to bite them, which I expect to see this weekend.

I am confidently expecting a win this weekend, but not by as comfortable a margin as I would like. Final score: Wake 31, Duke 21.

Finally, if you disagree with something I've said I'd love to hear about it. I don't claim to know everything and I'd love for others to participate here through the comments below. Also, I'll be playing baseball this Saturday afternoon and probably won't get to see the game until I watch it on ACC Select Saturday night. Hopefully I'll be able to post my thoughts on Sunday.

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