Q & A: Guest Columnist

Chris from Chris's Sports Blog covers Wake Forest and was kind enough to answer some questions regarding Wake Forest.Thanks to Chris for taking the time to answer my questions.

Q: Who are the marquee players for Wake Forest?

A: The closest thing Wake Forest has as a star is offensive lineman Steve Vallos, the only Demon Deacon elected to the preseason All-ACC team (and he was a second-teamer, at that). The two presumptive stars on offense went down early in the season (QB Ben Mauk and RB Micah Andrews), but their replacements have filled in quite admirably.

Defensively, safety Josh Gattis and linebacked Jon Abbate star, but both are battling ankle sprains headed into Saturday night’s matchup.

Q:Wake Forest had a number of significant injuries on offense. How were they able to recover from them and have only one loss in the season?

A: Jim Grobe is a poor man’s Bill Belichick. A really poor man. Like MC Hammer. I can’t emphasize how poor. But I say this because injury never really seems to affect the team. Granted, in year’s past an injury might mean the difference between four and five wins so it was always difficult to tell just how meaningful they were, but Grobe’s system tends to be interchangable.

To wit, last year’s ACC Offensive Player of the Year was Chris Barclay. I’m serious. You can look it up. Pro scouts thought so much of Barclay that he went undrafted. Barclay was a great college player, but it says a good amount about Wake’s offensvie line and Grobe’s run-first mentality that many thought the Deacs rushing attack wouldn’t miss a step with Micah Andrews. And it says even more that the offense hasn’t missed a step with Andrews out for the season.

To answer the second part of your question, Wake has managed to start the year 8-1 because they have played very good football and they’ve been on the receiving end of almost every break that’s come their way. (The only “unlucky” thing that’s happened to the Deacs all season, outside the injuries, was a blocked FG that Clemson returned for a TD. The FG would have put Wake up 20.) In nearly every other game (with the exception of Connecticut and Mississippi), the Deacs have made a huge play that has changed the tide of the game. Last week, it was an interception in the endzone with under a minute to play and Boston College driving for the tying score. My football ethos is that every team’s season hinges on a few plays. Great teams can finish with mediocre records because of this and mediocre teams can finish with great records also. Wake isn’t mediocre, but they’re closer to that than great.

Q:Can the Wake Forest secondary cover receivers like Greg Carr and Chris Davis?

A: All season long people have been doubting Wake’s season and, all season, they’ve defied expectations. Still, the Deacs are last in pass defense and ninth in total defense. The ‘86 Bears, they ain’t.

The Deacs haven’t seen speed like Carr and Davis have all season. It’s easy to say they won’t be able to cover them, but nobody thought the Deacs would beat BC either. (If Josh Gattis’ ankle hinders him, it could get ugly though. He’s been fantastic at safety.)

Q: What are the strengths of the team?

A: The strength of Wake Forest is their rushing attack and QB Riley Skinner’s tendency to keep the ball out of defender’s hands. Skinner, a redshirt freshman, would rather have a three-and-out than throw a pick. He doesn’t force the ball, something Wake QBs have done in the past. But, mainly, the strength of Wake is their ability to win football games. Winning is a mentality and, for some reason, this team has it.

Q:What is your prediction for the game?

A: Put this same Florida State team in NC State uniforms, and I might pick the Deacs. But, no matter what Florida State’s record is, they still have that Seminole stigma. No Wake Forest team as defeated FSU since they entered the ACC and anybody who says that won’t be on the minds of the Wake players is crazy. When the game starts, it won’t matter. But the prospect of going to Tallahassee and playing Bobby Bowden in a primetime game on network television is something even the most optimistic player couldn’t have dreamed of just two months ago.

Last week I made the prediction that if Boston College got out to an early lead against Wake, freshman QB Riley Skinner could fall apart because he has yet to play from behind all season. Wake took an early lead and Skinner never had to make a comeback. My prediction still stands. If Wake can establish themselves early, they could fly home with a win and the ACC Championship Game in their sites. If FSU scores early, it could be a long night.

I’ve been predicting against Wake since they were 5-1 and I’m not going to stop now. FSU wins.