Everyone knows the offensive performance against Florida State wasn't exactly the best we've seen from this offense, and in some ways it may have been one of the worst, so let's take an in-depth look and see what we've really got here.

If you missed the "Replay Booth" post from the Ole Miss game, or forgot some of the metrics used, refer to that post for an explanation of what everything means. Feel free to leave questions as well.

If you're reading this from the homepage, you'll find the rest of the post below the jump. It's really long and would make the front page huge, so click below to see the play-by-play and analysis. If you came straight to this post, ignore what I just said and keep reading.

Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W19	1	10	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	Slant	Brinkman	0
Incomplete pass thrown into traffic. Skinner probably shouldn't have tried to make that throw, although there may have been uncalled interference (BR, 1).
W19	2	10	I Form	4-3	Run	Blast	Adams	-2
Defensive tackle comes untouched into the backfield. Ben Wooster got schooled (-1).
W17	3	12	Shotgun 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Rollout	Brinkman	0
Really good protection, particularly good block by Birdsong (+1). Great coverage by FSU makes Riley throw it away (TA, 0)
Drive Notes: Punt. 0-0, 14:00 1Q. Clearly never good to start with a 3 and out.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
F45	1	10	Shotgun 5-wide	Dime	Pass	Shallow cross	M. Williams	1
Quick timing route and a good pass by Skinner (CA, 3). Williams had an easy 3 yard gain but tried to make more of it and lost a couple, which wasn't very smart.
F44	2	9	?	?	Run	Blast	Adams	5
Wake ran this play quick trying to get an advantage on FSU, and caught ESPN off guard in the process. We miss the beginning of the play so I don't know exactly what happens, but it looked like a good push from the whole line and a nice run by Adams straight up the middle.
F39	3	4	Shotgun 3-wide	4-3	Run	Option	Boldin	5
Skinner and Boldin, who came in motion to the backfield, run the option to the right to pick up the first down. I like this play a lot and wish we would see it more often. Well done by all.
F34	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Rollout	M. Williams	0
FSU brought a couple blitzers here and the line picked it up fairly well as Skinner rolled left and made a tough throw on the run. It would have taken a pretty incredible catch by Y'lou, but I don't think Skinner had any other options (IN, 3).
F34	2	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Off-tackle	Adams	0
The center Bailey is pulling on this run to the right but there wasn't any push and nowhere for Adams to go. (-1 for Bailey and Griffin)
F34	3	10	Shotgun 5-wide	3-3	Pass	Slant	M. Williams	3
Skinner gets rid of this ball over the middle to Williams in a hurry, catchable but not perfect (CA, 2). A blitz was coming and Nenon picked it up nicely, but Birdsong didn't do so well on the end (+1, -1)
Drive Notes: Field Goal, 3-0, 11:30 1Q. The first three plays were nice, but things stalled again. Skinner looks a little ""off"" already.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
F27	1	10	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	WR screen	Brinkman	8
Easy screen to Brinkman on the right (CA, 3). Birdsong misses his block badly again (-1) but Bailey has a nice block out in front of the play (+1).
F19	2	2	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Counter	Adams	6
Good looking counter to the right. Rinfrette makes an excellent cut block to lead the way (+1).
F13	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Dive	Adams	1
Dive straight up the middle - looked like Wooster tried to block the wrong guy and the one he missed made the tackle (-1).
F12	2	9	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Draw	Adams	-3
A draw play where everyone picked up their block except for fullback Belton (-1).
F15	3	12	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Penalty	Holding	Griffin	-10
This would have been the only touchdown of the game with a nice connection from Skinner to M. Williams, but for a holding penalty in the backfield by Griffin (-1). Wasn't a really bad hold, but they'll still catch you sometimes.
F25	3	22	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Off-tackle	Adams	16
Good run play to the right picking up a chunk of yards. Nice blocks by both Bailey (who was pulling) and Belton (+1 each).
Drive Notes: Missed field goal, 3-0, 8:00. Swank doesn't miss many 27 yard field goals, and it was a bad sign of things to come. It's definitely frustrating to start a drive on your opponents 27 and come up with nothing. Two turnovers, two drives starting on the opponents half of the field, and only 3 points to show for it.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W27	1	10	Shotgun 3-wide	4-3	Penalty	Holding	Nenon	-10
I believe this penalty was called on Nenon (hard to hear - they were talking about Brett Farve over the top of the referee. -1). Was an option draw up the middle by Skinner.
W17	1	20	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Post	Wooster	0
Trying to hit Wooster across the middle but he was well covered. Pretty good protection, but not a great pass (IN, 1)
W17	2	20	Ace tight	4-3	Run	End around	Boldin	6
Boldin gets the ball on an end around to the left, but 6 yards on 2 and 20 isn't going to cut it. I'd like the play in other situations, though.
W23	3	14	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Fly	M. Williams	52
This was probably the best deep ball Skinner's thrown all season, and Williams almost dropped it but managed to hang on (DO, 3). Protection was good as well. Great 3rd down conversion
F25	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	?	Pendergrass	-9
FSU D-end jumps the snap count perfectly and Nenon never even had a chance to make the block. Just a great defensive play, although some snap cout variation would probably help.
F34	2	19	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Off-tackle	Pendergrass	1
The backside lineback comes all the way across to make this play off tackle to the right. Bailey was pulling and probably should have blocked that linebacker instead of the corner he ended up blocking (-1).
F33	3	18	Shotgun 2RB	Nickel	Pass	Sack	Skinner	-10
Another missed block by Birdsong leads to this sack (-1, PR). Not a good start to the night for him, and it knocks Wake out of field goal range.
Drive Notes: Punt, 3-0, 3:00 1Q. A very promising drive goes downhill in a hurry towards the end with some great defensive play by FSU
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W45	1	10	Shotgun tight	4-3	Pass	Shallow cross	Brown	20
Beautiful play here as Skinner dumps the ball of to Y'lou coming shallow across the middle (CA, 3). Wake's WRs had run of the man coverage and there was plenty of open space for Y'lou to run.
F35	1	10	Shotgun 3-wide	4-3	Penalty	False Start	Griffin	-5
Flinches a bit early (-1).
F40	1	15	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Draw	Pendergrass	-2
This play was a perfect example of a running back taking too long in the backfield. The blocks were all there but Pendergrass doesn't hit the hole and gets tackled in the backfield by a saftey. That shouldn't happen.
F41	2	17	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	Fumble	Skinner	-7
FSU brought 6 and Wake only had 5 to block with, so there wasn't much they could do. Skinner just needed to get rid of the ball faster (PR).
Drive Notes: Fumble, 3-0, 13:00 2Q. In 5 drives Wake has been on FSU's side of the field 4 times, and only come up with 3 points. Ugh.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W34	1	10	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Curl	Wooster	11
Great catch by Wooster in traffic on a ball that was a bit high (CA, 2). The line held their blocks very well, particularly Birdsong (+1). Nice first down.
W45	1	10	?	?	Pass	Flare	Harris	11
Nice catch by Harris on a low throw moving to the right (CA, 2). Bob Davie and Mark Jones were telling some stupid food story in the booth and we missed the beginning of the play so I have no idea what formations were run, sorry.
F44	1	10	Unbalanced right	4-3	Pass	Flare	Adams	15
Really weird formation here, with an extra guy to the right - only time I've seen this formation all season. Well designed dump off to Adams (CA, 3) for a big gain to the left.
F29	1	10	I Form	4-3	Run	Blast	Adams	5
This probably seems funny, but this may have been one of the most technically sound running plays the Deacs have run all year. A simple blast play to the right with Nenon pulling from LG. Nenon pancakes his guy (+1), Rinfrette pancakes another with a lead block as the fullback (+1) and everyone else picks up there blocks, too. Perfect.
F24	2	5	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Off-tackle	Adams	5
Another nice running play, Adams makes a nice cut up field off of good kick out blocks by Bailey and Griffin (+1 each)
F19	1	10	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	Screen	Boldin	2
Screen play to the left may have worked had Adams not missed his first block (CA, 3). I don't keep blocking stats for him, or else he'd get a -1. Interesting to note that this is Boldin's first catch of the game. He'd had two running plays, but no catches, and we only have 5 minutes left in the half.
F17	2	8	?	?	Run	?	Adams	0
ESPN was busy showing us the replay of the previous down and didn't bother to show anything but the tackle on this play. Who knows what happened.
F17	3	8	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	Slant	Wooster	6
Every time Wake goes to 5 wide FSU brings 2 blitzers to outnumber the offensive linemen and get automatic pressure. This means that anything other than a quick pass won't work (as indicated by the fumble on the previous drive). Skinner gets of a pass a little behind Wooster over the middle (IN, 2) but it isn't enough to get the first down.
F11	4	2	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	Quick out	Wooster	0
FSU brings the pressure on 5 wide again and gets their hands up to bat down the pass (PR, 0). Even before the play I said I would have rather put the 3 on the board than go for that one. Oh well.
Drive Notes: Turnover on downs, 3-0, 4:00 2Q. The frustration mounts…it's pretty inexcusible for Wake to only have 3 points on the board this late in the half. I still don't agree with going for it on 4th
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
F17	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Off-tackle	Adams	4
Good little run by Adams here to the left. Good blocks by several guys, including McMillin, Bailey, and Looney (+1s)
F13	2	6	Shotgun 5-wide	Nickel	Pass	Scramble	Skinner	11
Skinner makes an excellent choice to scramble here (and gets a nice block from Birdsong +1) but makes a terrible decision not to switch the ball to his outside arm. It was a great effort and I don't fault him for trying to get to the endzone, but you’ve got to have the ball properly protected.
Drive Notes: Fumble, 3-0, 0:30 2Q. Missed opportunity after missed opportunity. Pretty abysmal.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W24	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Flare	Rinfrette	12
Rinfrette motions into the backfield and then flares out to the right for a big gain (CA, 3). Ball gets out quick so no blocking worries, and this play worked well all night.
W36	1	10	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Run	Draw	Adams	14
Line opens up a great hole on this draw play up the middle. Particularly good blocks by McMillin, Bailey, and a pulling Nenon (+1). That's what a running play is supposed to look like.
W50	1	10	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Out	Brinkman	8
A timing route here and Skinner makes a really nice throw to Brinkman along the right sideline (DO, 3).
F42	2	2	Ace tight	4-3	Penalty	12 men	FSU	5
Wake rushed to the line after the previous play and FSU wasn't ready for it. Couldn't get the 12th man off the field and Wake gets a free five yards. I like the heads up nature of this.
F37	1	10	I tight	4-3	Run	Fumble	Skinner	0
Hard to tell whether it was Bailey's fault or Riley's here, although it seems Bailey may have been trying to get out of his stance too quickly, either way I'm pretty sure Wake has now fumbled a snap in each game, which is a very easy way to waste opportunities.
F37	2	10	I tight	4-3	Pass	Play action	Parker	11
This may have been the play that was meant to be run on first down, and off the play action Adams made a very nice cut block. Skinner's pass was great and Parker ran a good route over the middle (CA, 3).
F15	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Counter	Adams	3
This play was slow developing around the right side, and would have been a loss were it not for a good block from Rinfrette who had come in motion (+1).
F12	2	7	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Flag	Wooster	0
Almost a touchdown here, but Skinner's pass had just a little bit too much on it. Would have taken a miraculous diving catch from Wooster (IN, 1).
F12	3	7	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Drag	Boldin	0
This was not a smart pass by Skinner, who was facing a bit of pressure but shouldn't have made the throw he did - easily could have been intercepted (BR, 0). Protection wasn't great either, although the pressure came because Adams was left to block 2 defenders and that just wasn't going to happen. He did a fairly good job slowing both of them down, actually.
Drive Notes: Field Goal, 6-0, 10:00 3Q. All things considered a pretty good drive, but it once again would have been nice to capitalize with a touchdown. Still, the best drive of the night so far.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W16	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Counter	Adams	3
Not a bad run play, but I feel like Adams should have hit the hole quicker instead of trying to break it outside a little bit more. Birdsong probably should have made another block on a linebacker, but it wasn't too egregious.
W19	2	7	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Drag	Parker	31+15
Skinner did a great job stepping up in a somewhat collapsing pocket and dumping the ball off to Parker for another big gain (CA, 3).
F33	1	10	Shotgun 4-wide	4-3	Pass	Flare	Adams	0
There appeared to be some miscommunication between Adams and Skinner here, because Adams definitely wasn't expecting a pass. I don't think Skinner should have made the pass, he had plenty of time and Adams wasn't open (BR, 1).
F33	2	10	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Cross	Boldin	2
FSU brought both linebackers on a blitz, and Skinner realized it and dumped it off to Boldin for a few yards. About all he could have done with it (CA, 3).
F31	3	8	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Rollout	M. Williams	0
A designed rollout to the right gives Skinner plenty of time, but his throw wasn't accurate (IN, 1). I think Williams was open, so a better throw could have been a big gain.
Drive Notes: Field Goal, 9-3, 4:30 3Q. Good to answer FSU's field goal, and not a terrible drive.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W35	1	10	Shotgun tight	4-3	Pass	Reverse Pass	Boldin/Brinkman	0
Lobo reaches into his bag of tricks for this WR pass. It set up fairly well but Boldin's throw wasn't on target. I suppose that's forgiveable (IN, 0).
W35	2	10	Shotgun tight	4-3	Run	Option	Skinner	0
Back to the WR motion option, which is usually a play I like. FSU stayed home and had an extra defender in the area, which basically meant there was no read that would have been successful. Good defense.
W35	3	10	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Penalty	Facemask	FSU	+15
Pocket protection broke down on this play thanks to McMilling and Griffin (-1). Got lucky with a facemask call which probably should have been a no-call. We'll take it.
W50	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Penalty	Offsides	FSU	+5
FSU finally got caught trying to jump the snap for a 5 yard penalty
F45	1	5	Ace tight	4-3	Pass	Play Action	Wooster	0
Really bad pass by Skinner here - I think Wooster was open but the pass was about 5 yards behind him (IN, 0). Nice blitz pickup by Pendergrass.
F45	2	5	I Form	4-3	Penalty	PI	FSU	+15
Another play action play here - FSU called for grabbing the jersey of Boldin - no stats.
F30	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	Dive	Pendergrass	-4
Run up the middle gets broken up by a well timed FSU blitz. Bailey wasn't able to pick it up fast enough and the play broke down (-1)
F34	2	14	I 3-wide	4-3	Run	End around	Boldin	0
FSU stayed home and Boldin had no where to go as he got the handoff around to the left. Pretty terrible effort on a cut block by Harris from FB (-1).
F34	3	14	Shotgun tight	4-3	Pass	Scramble	Skinner	3
Birdsong got absolutely schooled outside on the left and Skinner should have been sacked (-1). Skinner did well to escape and get a few yards.
Drive Notes: Missed Field goal, 9-3, 15:00 4Q. Missed field goal number two, and at this point in the game it was a scary thing to be missing these field goals. Not good.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W38	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Penalty	Holding	Bailey	-10
Replay makes it look like this holding call on Bailey was a pretty terrible call. By the time he did anything that looked remotely illegal Pendergrass was already 15 yards up field. Would have been a 30 yard gain and a great draw play up the middle.
W28	1	20	Shotgun 4-wide	Nickel	Pass	Flare	Pendergrass	2
Eh. Nothing to say about this one.
W30	2	18	Ace tight	4-3	Pass	Play action	Brinkman	"0, -5"
Double play action, first to Adams up the middle then to Boldin on the end around. It was effective and Brinkman was wide open down field, but Skinner once again failed to make an accurate throw (IN, 0). Brinkman gets the bonehead award to subsequently kicking the ball through the endzone, costing Wake 15 yards.
W25	3	33	I Form	4-3	Run	Dive	Adams	9
It wasn't likely Wake would pick up a first down, so I like the idea of picking up a chunk on the ground and getting field position. Nice run.
Drive Notes: Punt, 9-3, 10:00 4Q
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
W37	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Run	?	Adams	0
Can I give the whole o line a minus on this one? I don't think anyone made a good block - there were 5 FSU guys in the backfield around the ball. I'm not even sure how Adams got back to the line of scrimmage. I'm doing it. Minus 1 for all.
W37	2	10	I Form	4-3	Pass	Play action	Harris	6
Nice play action play to Harris flaring out of the backfield (CA, 3).
W43	3	4	Ace 3-wide	Nickel	Run	Dive	Adams	1
Tough play call here - I'm surprised it was a running play. There wasn't really any penetration, but there was no push and no hole. Tough.
Drive Notes: Punt, 9-3, 4:30 4Q
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
F22	1	10	I Form	4-4	Run	Dive	Adams	2
Hard to get any yards no matter what you do when the opponent has nine guys in the box. Seriously. 9 defenders between the tackles and within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. I guess that's what happens when you have the lead late and will obviously run, but dang.
F21	2	9	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Scramble	Skinner	5
Skinner did well not to try and force a pass here. Slid to stay safe and stay in bounds. Good.
F15	3	3	Ace 3-wide	4-3	Pass	Out	Boldin	0
Skinner's pass once again pretty much uncatchable (IN, 1). Good protection.
Drive Notes: Missed field goal, 9-3, 2:45 4Q. Pretty low point in the game right here. Chance to seal it dissapears wide left.
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
F11	1	10	Ace 3-wide	4-4	Run	Counter	Pendergrass	-3
Again FSU brought nine guys. Can't block 'em all, although a better block from Belton might have gotten them back to the line of scrimmage (-1). After this play FSU calls a timeout and as ESPN sends it back to the studio for an update, Bob Davie calls it ""an incredulous night."" I'm not an English major, so correct me if I'm wrong, however I'm pretty sure a night can't be incredulous. You can be incredulous about the night, but I don't think the night itself can be ""incredulous."" Apologies for the digression, I just couldn't help it.
F14	2	13	I Form	4-3	Run	Counter	Pendergrass	-1
Counter play gets blown up when Belton doesn't hold his block (-1).
F15	3	14	I Form	4-4	Run	Dive	Pendergrass	0
Rinfrette misses the block from FB this time (-1). Bring on Swank.
Drive Notes: Field Goal, 12-3, 2:00 4Q. I was very confident Swank wouldn't missa nother one, and I'm glad I was. Good kick, way to seal the game. It was interesting!
Ln	Dn	Ds	O Form	DForm	Type	Play	Player	Yards
F22	1	10	Victory	-	Kneel	Kneel	Kneel	-2
-
F24	2	12	Victory	-	Kneel	Kneel	Kneel	-1
-
F25	3	13	Victory	-	Kneel	Kneel	Kneel	-1
-
Drive Notes: End of game, 12-3 Final.

So first of all, it was enough for the win. Considering the magnitude of the game, I don't think any of us are going to complain about the play in a game against FSU as long as we win. Nonetheless, it's worth noting just how much the team struggled.

Take a look at Wake's starting drive positions and the results of those drives:

Drive Start	Drive Result
Wake 19	Punt
FSU 45	Field Goal
FSU 27	Missed FG
Wake 27	Punt
Wake 45	Fumble
Wake 34	Turnover on Downs
FSU 17	Fumble
Wake 24	Field Goal
Wake 16	Field Goal
Wake 35	Missed FG
Wake 38	Punt
Wake 37	Punt
FSU 22	Missed FG
FSU 11	Field Goal
FSU 22	Final
Avg. Start	Avg. Points
Wake 49	0.8

Wake basically started on the 50 all night long, and yet they didn't even score 1 point per drive. Five times the Deacs were inside FSU's 30 to start a drive. They started in field goal position!!! And what came of those five drives? One field goal. That's it. One field goal. As an offense, I really don't believe it can get much worse than that.

How about Skinner? Not his best outing either:

QB	DO	CA	IN	BR	TA	BA	PR
Skinner	2	12	7	3	1	1	2
2 game total	4	41	14	4	4	1	4

I'll update this with Baylor stats eventually, too, but compared to last game Skinner didn't have nearly as good a game. He threw as many poor passes in this game as he did against Ole Miss, while throwing a lot less passes. He was relatively close to really only throwing about 50% good throws. Rough.

The receivers didn't have as much to work with, so I can't really complain about their numbers, but here they are (0's are uncatchable, 3's are easy catches, things in between, are, well, in between):

Player	0	1	2	3
Adams	-	0/1	-	1/1
Boldin	1	0/1	-	2/2
Brinkman	3	0/1	-	2/2
Brown	-	-	-	1/1
Harris	-		1/1	1/1
Parker	-	-	-	1/1
Rinfrette	-	-	-	1/1
M. Williams	-	0/1	1/1	2/2
Wooster	2	0/2	2/2	-

Not a lot to say about that.

Offensive line? Actually made some decent plays tonight, albeit not too many good opportunities. When FSU started stacking the box like crazy in the fourth quarter there wasn't much they could do. A couple of penalties really hurt the running game as well. It's hard to say definitively that they're making progress, but my subjective opinion is that they are. I think they'll have a productive week against Navy.

Player	+	-	T
Birdsong	2	3	-1
Nenon	3	2	1
Bailey	2	4	-2
McMillin	2	2	0
Griffin	1	4	-3
Wooster	-	2	-2
Rinfrette	3	1	2
Belton	1	3	-2
Looney	1	-	1
Harris	-	1	-1

And that's that for the offense. Clearly, a sub par performance, and I think the most siginficant thing to take away is the team's complete inability to put points on the board, particularly considering the field position they were given. I grant that FSU played a good defensive game, and I'm not saying Wake should have hung 40 on them, but nonetheless I think more could have easily been accomplished. Fewer penalties, better passes, and turnover avoidance all would have made a huge difference.

Oh, and making fied goals. That helps too.

Still, Swank did well enough to get the job done, so I won't give him too hard a time.

You know the saying "doing more with less?" I've said to several people this week that I don't think Wake could have done less with more. I think the analysis bears that out. Hopefully we're in for a better week this time around.

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Obviously the polls came out on Sunday (Wake at #16 in the AP, #15 in the Coaches) but Raleigh's J.P. Giglio, an AP voter, posted yesterday about Wake's big jump in his ballot. He was pretty bearish on the Deacs early on, so it's nice to see him give respect where it's due.

ESPNU's video review of Wake/FSU

Heather Dinich kept Wake at #1 in her power rankings this week, but she considered dropping them to #2.

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Small Forward Ari Stewart commits to play basketball for the Demon Deacons. A great pickup - I'll have more on this later.

Dan Collins with more post game coverage, today on the defense.

Great article about how complimentary Bobby Bowden is of Jim Grobe, and rightfully so.

Preliminary blogpoll ballot will be up later this morning, and I'm already through the first half of the "Replay Booth" for the offense against FSU. That'll be done either this evening or Tuesday at the latest.

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Last night the Wake Forest defense put on the best performance I've seen in the last three years, while the offense and Sam Swank did just enough to ensure the 12-3 victory.

Although we'll spend plenty of time analyzing everyone's play and why things ended up the way they did, those things are not all that important right now. We could even make a big deal about how some blogger predicted Wake would win in a shootout 41-37, but that doesn't seem very important right now either. . .

What does matter is that the Demon Deacons are 3-0 overall, 1-0 in the ACC, and just defeated one of the stronger opponents in the division. FSU's offense was terrible last night, but their defense kept them in the game and put them in position to possibly escape with a win. There is plenty of tallent on that team and they will definitely be competitive in the conference. This is a really good early season conference win for the Deacs.

The win further establishes Wake in the driver's seat of the division. The Clemson game still looms large in the future, but one of the three biggest hurdles has been passed (I consider Clemson and at Miami to be the other two big hurdles). There was plenty of excitement leading up to this game, and I think it caused all Wake fans to become a bit anxious. Now we can all exhale.

After the Ole Miss game I was not very complimentary of the Demon Deacon defense. I was crititcal of the secondary for some missed assignments, soft coverage, and just about anything else I could give them a hard time for. Before this game I said several times that I was worried about Wake's defense, particularly the secondary. It was those concerns that led me to predict such a high scoring game.

They definitely shut me up last night. They put on one of the most stifiling defensive performances I've seen. They caused turnovers on two of FSU's first three offensive plays - not possessions, but plays. That's unheard of! When all the dust settled Wake had caused seven turnovers, including two forced fumbles (Ghee and Patterson) and five interceptions (two from Patterson, one from Curry, Smith, and Vaughn). Kevin Patterson was responsible for three turnovers all on his own. Incredible!

The turnovers are the statistic that jumps out at everyone, but even when they weren't forcing turnovers the defense were making big plays. In total they held FSU to 220 yards of offense, came up with two sacks (but were in the backfield causing problems on nearly every play), and swarmed the ball very well. The only thing I noticed during the game that could have been better was open field tackling, but at this point I couldn't really care less.

Things weren't quite as perfect on the offensive side of the ball, but the performance was good enough to get the job done. The endzone was elusive, but scoring position was not. The most glaring mistake was Riley Skinner's fumble at the two yard line, which could have been prevented pretty easily if Skinner carries the ball in his outside hand. It wasn't his best passing night ever, but 17-30 for 217 yards isn't anywhere close to being bad. The deep ball to Marshall Williams in the first half was one of the most perfect throws he's made all season.

The running game continued it's struggles, although I think film review may indicate that things are starting to improve. FSU's defense played a good game themselves and deserve a lot of credit for keeping the Seminoles in the game. The offense's sloppiness manifested itself in the form of penalties; there were many more last night than there have been in the prior two games. Wake was just lucky that FSU was even sloppier in that department.

Sam Swank definitely didn't have the best night of his career, but he still hit four field goals - and only would have needed two to win the game. When he came out to kick the final field goal to seal the victory I said that there was no way he would miss that one and that I had complete confidence in him. That's the incredible thing about Swank - even when he's not at his best, he seems to be able to completely block out whatever has happened before and focus solely on the kick he's about to make. It would have been nice to get 21 points out of him last night, but 12 were more than enough.

Finally, let's take a look at the three questions I asked in Friday's preview:

1. Will Florida State be prepared to play a game of this magnitude?
It doesn't seem that they were. Their domination of FCS schools didn't translate to last night's game, and their offense didn't seem the least bit prepared for the speed and pursuit of the Deacs. Their defense did a fine job, but the whole package wasn't there. Having their kicker, Gano, back from injury for his first game probably wasn't the best situation for them either. If he had made that first field goal we may have been looking at a very different game.

2. Will Wake get to Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson?
The defense did an excelent job putting pressure on the FSU's quarterbacks. They never had very much time to make throws and were forced to scramble on many occasions. FSU's offensive line was overmatched and didn't help out their quarterbacks at all. I was actually very impressed by Ponder's speed, but ultimately it wans't enough to avoid the Demon Deacon pursuit. The defensive line did an excellent job and deserves a lot of credit in this defensive performance.

3. Can the offensive line and running backs build on their second half success in the Ole Miss game?
Eh. . . not really I guess. This performance wasn't any worse than any other, and on review I think it may actually prove to have been a little bit better. Nonetheless, it wasn't "good" and still has a long way to go. Maybe I need to quit asking this question every week and then things will get better. Who knows at this point.

Predictions:
Umm. . . yea. . . 41-37. . . high scoring shootout. . .I don't think Vegas will be hiring me any time soon.

So that's that. A big win for the Deacs and an excellent defensive performance. I'll hole up in the "Replay Booth" over the next copule days so we can get a full breakdown of things. 3-0 for the second time in three years looks pretty good to me. Let's keep things rolling!

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A huge win for the Deacs last night, even if it wasn't pretty. I'll have my full analysis up in a few hours, but for now let's take a look at what the papers are saying:

Dan Collins for the W-SJ, Edward Robinson in Raleigh, Corey Clark from the Tallahassee Democrat, Matt Zemek at Scout.com, and others which I will add as a find them.

Ish Smith broke his foot and needs surgery. He'll be out six weeks.

My game recap is coming late this morning.

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Tonight's live blog will start about 6:45. Come join us for some good conversation during the game. Remember, this isn't exactly the same as a chat room. If there are some of you who are clearly going to be around for the game and be a regular participant I'll put you on the list of approved commenters who do not need approval, but I can only have 10 of those. Other than that, I'm going to have to approve all comments, and if several people say the same thing at once I'll probably pick the one who says it best. I want participation from everyone, but I also don't want things getting out of control. Now let's get a win!

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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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For this week's installment I had the pleasure of exchanging questions with Jerry Scott from Nole Spear It (clever, eh?). His answers to my questions appear below, and my answers to his questions are here on Nole Spear It.

1. Florida State has put up some big numbers the last two weeks and looked good all around, but both games came against opponents who didn't have much chance to put up a fight. What can you take away from the first two games that will apply to this Saturday's game against Wake Forest?

Jerry Scott: The biggest thing Florida State can take away from those two tune-ups and apply toward the Wake Forest match-up is confidence. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the team has their ‘swagger’ back, but the offense is obviously gelling and the defense has let up 7 points in two games, I think that works wonders for a team that has lacked confidence and a true belief that they can get it done. FSU has played an enormous amount of freshman (as many as 30) the first two weeks and I think the lesser talented competition allowed FSU to really get those players acclimated and in sync with what the coaches want/expect from them out on the football field.

Of course the downside to playing lesser talents in Western Carolina and Tennessee-Chattanooga is that you truly don’t know how those performances will translate against serious competition, like your Demon Deacons.

2. Do you like the two quarterback system? What are its benefits? Are there any significant downsides?

JS: I’m really not a proponent of a two-quarterback system and I don’t know that Jimbo Fisher truly wants to go that route. When I think of great Quarterback play, it’s an individual that pops into my mind, never a QB tandem and I think there’s a reason for that. Generally if you’re using a two-quarterback system you’re admitting you don’t have one capable QB, thus you rely on two to get the job done, I don’t think history is on your side in that situation.

The benefit to having a two-quarterback situation is being able to bring in somewhat of a curveball to the game to give the opposing defense something else to prepare for. Also you’re keeping two Quarterbacks relatively focused on the task at hand, what’s that saying ‘Two heads are better than one’; I think that applies when using a two-quarterback system. One may see something the other didn’t and collectively they can exploit those weaknesses. I think the downside occurs while one of the QB’s is on the field. Is he second guessing his decisions for fear that he will be pulled for the other guy? While on the field you’ve got to trust yourself, have fun, and just play. Thinking too much puts the QB and his team in jeopardy.

3. What effect, if any, do you think the remaining suspensions will have on this weekend's game?

JS: We’re definitely going to miss several of our starters on defense; LB Dekoda Watson, DT Paul Griffin, and CB Patrick Robinson. Watson really came on last season and proved to be disruptive on defense. Derek Nicholson, Kendall Smith, and Toddrick Verdell have been fantastic early on and Freshman LB Nigel Bradham (from Wakulla County) has also impressed in the limited action he’s seen. I think we can carry the void Griffin leaves, as his fill in, DT Kendrick Stewart has been an absolute masher on the line. I never thought he would become the hard hitter that he is. The hardest hit from a suspension stand point will probably be felt in the secondary. Tony Carter and Patrick Robinson were as close to lockdown corners as you can come and with Robinson suspended, the Noles will inevitably miss his ability to shadow receivers and disrupt passes. Michael Ray Garvin, Patrick’s back-up, is a senior and he’s seen plenty of playing time in Mickey Andrews’s extensive substitution packages, so I’m confident he can stop the potential bleeding.

With that said, we are returning two ‘key’ suspended players for this weekend’s showdown; WR Preston Parker and DT Budd Thacker. WR Preston Parker has been the bread and butter of our offense. He single handedly restored the excitement into Florida State Football last year and he single handedly crushed those hopes by getting arrested for gun charges over the summer. Having talked to the players and coaches they are extremely excited to get Preston back as he provides excitement and a much needed/welcomed comic relief for his teammates on the field. Budd Thacker is one of the vocal leaders on defense and it will good to have his run stopping abilities back on the field.

4. Where do you think Florida State matches up favorably against Wake? What areas concern you?

JS: I would like to think we match-up favorably in the skill player department: WR/PR Preston Parker, WR Corey Surrency, WR Greg Carr, WR/PR Bert Reed . Our receiving unit is so deep this year. I mentioned four players and we still have others that will contribute on Saturday (WR Taiwan Easterling, WR Rod Owens) that have looked outstanding thus far in the season. Again the downside to playing Div-IAA (FCS) schools early on is; are these guys really that good or were they able to exploit the weaker competition? We will certainly find out Saturday when we play one of our toughest opponents of the season at Doak Campbell Stadium.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our Quarterback play. Drew Weatherford was a heck of a competitor and brought FSU its first outright ACC Championship in Jacksonville when they upset the Hokies, but the new guys on campus; Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson are completely different breeds. Using NFL analogies: Weatherford was like a Trent Dilfer, he could hang in the pocket and make the short throws, but if you asked him to move out of the pocket or throw the ball down field, you would receive a mixed bag. Ponder and Richardson can handle the short, intermediate, and deep throws. They can also leave the pocket at will. They don’t have 33 starts under their belts so the decision making isn’t necessarily where you want it, but it’s coming and you can see it which makes it exciting as a fan.

As far as our weaknesses go, I’m a bit concerned about our Pass Defense. The Div-IAA schools didn’t light us up, but they had marginal success, whether that’s due to a lack of focus while looking ahead to your Demon Deacons, I’m not sure, but I hope so. It’s something to definitely keep an eye on. On the flip side, our pass protection concerns me as well. It really has nothing to do with the results thus far as Ponder didn’t get sacked in Week 1 and may have once or twice in Week 2, but the line is so young that it’s hard to know whether they will hold their own against tough competition like Wake Forest.

5. It never hurts to ask....What will the final score be on Saturday? How many games will Florida State win this season?

JS: Saturday will be a true test for this football team and the fan base can’t wait for it. It may not get the National Media’s attention, but this fan base, along with its coaches/players, is dialed in. As far as a score prediction, it’s hard to discount the defenses in this match-up, but I’m going 28-24 Florida State. There’s no way Wake Forest comes to Tallahassee and takes care of business three years in a row. The madness has to stop and I think it will Saturday night.

I think the Noles can go 8-4, maybe 9-3. It’s really tough to project the season without them having played a formidable opponent. After Saturday I would have a more definitive answer for you, but at this stage in the game, this is about as deep I can get into it, as there’s still too many unknowns.

Good work as always from Jerry. Many thanks, and make sure to visit Nole Spear It.

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Although I've been pretty swamped with other work for the last week - meaning I've been somewhat lazy here on the blog, the Florida State bloggers have been working at full force.

Considering the size of the school, it's not surprising that they've got quite a few people writing about them, but the number is still impressive. For your enlightenment, I'll point you in their direction so you can see what they've been working on this week.

I answered some questions about the Demon Deacons for Chant Rant today. They also run a site about FSU athletic history - Garnet and Great.

Tomahawk Nation is the SBNation Florida State offering, now run by the guys who used to write FSU Uncensored.

One of Tomahawk Nation's previous publishers now calls Nole Spear It home, and I'll be answering questions there tomorrow.

Last, but certainly not least, we have ScalpEm.com, a consistently solid source of Seminole news and a fellow BlogPoll pollster.

Did I miss anyone else FSU fans? Leave a note in the comments.

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Here's the latest on the upcoming matchup with Florida State:

Dan Collins talks about FSU's new ranking in the polls.

Wake/FSU roll reversal?

Maybe, but Wake is still struggling for respect; they are the underdogs, after all.

I know things have been a bit light around here lately, for which I apologize. More is on the way, including "5 good questions" tomorrow and other buildup to Saturday's game. Thanks for you patience!

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It's becoming more and more clear that we've got a big matchup on our hands this week. Here are some of the headlines:

People in Florida are having trouble with the realization that a game against Wake Forest is a big game. Glad they're finally waking up, but apparently their players are pretty confident, Christian Ponder in particular. Bulletin Board Material!

Dan Collins previews FSU, and the game time for Navy has been set - 3:45 on ESPNU.

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Today ESPN.com's Heather Dinnich ranked the 12 ACC football schedules for 2008, and had this to say about Wake Forest:

10. Wake Forest -- If these guys can get through the first half of their schedule, look out. Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Georgia Tech are off the schedule. A road trip to Baylor, followed by a home game against Ole Miss and a trip to FSU make for a tough start to the season.

At first glance I thought this was way too low, but the more I think about it I realize it's probably only a little bit too low.

I've put a fair amount of stock into the fact that Wake is the only ACC team without any FCS schools on the schedule, which led me to believe Wake has one of the tougher scheuldes in the ACC. Further analysis proves that's not quite the case.

Georgia Tech has Georgia on the schedule, as well as trips to Clemson and Virginia Tech. Virginia has Southern Cal and UConn. Miami has Florida and Texas A&M. I don't envy any of those schedules.

Still, the fact remains that Wake doesn't have a single FCS opponent. Sure, Clemson has to come to Winston-Salem on a Thursday night, but Florida State on the road is no picnic, and neither are back-to-back road games with Maryland and Miami.

Based on HD's rundown, I'd say Wake definitely has a more difficult scheudule than Clemson and Duke (the two schools immedietly above Wake in the list). But, when compared to the rest of the ACC I realize Wake is probably in better shape schedule-wise than I first thought. Now it's up to the Deacs to take advantage.

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