http://wakeforestsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/112506aaa.html
No. 20 Deacons Clinch Atlantic Division With 38-24 Win At Maryland
Nov. 25, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Wake Forest had just defeated Maryland to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, and it was time to celebrate with a couple of thousand of their most faithful followers.
Running to the far corner of the end zone, the players serenaded the black-and-gold clad fans with the school fight song - a fitting conclusion to yet another successful foray on the road for the surprising Demon Deacons.
Kenneth Moore ran for 165 yards and a touchdown, Kevin Harris scored twice, and freshman quarterback Riley Skinner went 10-for-13 for 125 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 20 Wake Forest to a 38-24 victory Saturday night.
Wake Forest (10-2, 6-2) will be seeking its first ACC title since 1970 next Saturday against Georgia Tech in Jacksonville. The teams did not face each other this season.
"It feels really good," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "These guys have even exceeded my expectations. They've done some cool stuff."
The final game of a crazy ACC regular season matched two of the league's biggest overachievers met for the Atlantic Division title. Wake Forest handed Maryland (8-4, 5-3) its first home loss behind an offense that was virtually unstoppable.
"They ran up and down the field on us. I'm really disappointed how we played defensively," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We couldn't stop them at all."
Wake Forest became the first team in ACC history to go 6-0 on the road.
"We had a lot of tough road trips, but I thought this would be the toughest of all," Grobe said. "Maryland had a lot to play for. To come in here and get the win, I couldn't be more proud of our players."
It was Wake Forest's first victory in eight tries against Maryland since 1998. The Demon Deacons were 13-40-1 against the Terrapins and had scored as many as 38 points against them only twice before.
"It doesn't get any bigger, going to the championship game," said Skinner, who happily skipped to the locker room after a post-game interview. "It's what our goal has been the whole entire year. Obviously, a lot of people didn't think we could do it."
Wake Forest went up 28-14 with an 80-yard touchdown drive to start the second half. Moore had runs of 15 and 23 yards and Skinner went 3-for-3 for 35 yards before Harris scored from the 3.
Maryland's Keon Lattimore then accounted for all the yardage in a 49-yard drive that produced a 26-yard field goal by Dan Ennis, but the Deacons answered with a field goal to restore the 14-point cushion.
Maryland closed to 31-24 when Sam Hollenbach threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams with 12:54 left. But Wake Forest responded with a 10-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Rich Belton on a gutsy fourth-down call by Grobe.
All that was left after that was the celebration.
"The support has been great, to see everybody with us, traveling and pulling through with us," safety Josh Gattis said.
Lattimore rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, only the third player to reach the 100-yard mark against the Demon Deacons this season. Hollenbach was 14-for-26 for 125 yards, but threw three interceptions.
"You can't turn the ball over three times and expect to win," Friedgen said.
The Terrapins will still be going to a bowl game, no small accomplishment for a team coming off two straight 5-6 seasons. But Maryland had its eye on the Orange Bowl, and that's not going to happen.
"It's disheartening," Friedgen said. "We had a chance to do something special tonight and didn't get it done."
Wake Forest yielded 215 yards in the first half, but benefited from Hollenbach's turnovers in taking a 21-14 lead.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives. Lattimore ran in from the 12 before Harris concluded a 13-play possession with a 2-yard run.
Next came an exchange of turnovers. After Riley Swanson took an interception 30 yards to the Maryland 16, an apparent touchdown run by Moore was erased by a holding call. On the next play, Skinner threw his first interception on the road.
Terps cornerback Isaiah Gardner unwisely chose to run it out of the end zone and was tackled at the 4. A short punt gave Wake Forest the ball at the Maryland 38, and a 19-yard touchdown run by Moore made it 14-7 early in the second quarter.
The Terrapins' next two drives ended in interceptions by Alphonso Smith. After the latter turnover, Skinner threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Willie Idlette for a 21-7 lead.
Maryland then got a 1-yard touchdown run by Lance Ball.from the Charlotte Observer:
No time for Deacons to savor division title
BY JOEDY MCCREARY
Associated Press
NEXT: ACC Championship
Wake Forest vs. Ga. Tech
1 p.m. Saturday, ABC
ALLTEL Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest kept winning and coming up with more reasons to celebrate: A school-record 10 wins, an improbable conference division title, Tobacco Road supremacy.
But the 16th-ranked Demon Deacons don't have time to party yet. With their first league championship since 1970 and a spot in the Orange Bowl on the line in Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference title game against No. 23 Georgia Tech, the stakes remain huge.
"It's something that probably will happen once in a lifetime, so you definitely have to live up the moment," running back Kenneth Moore said Tuesday. "But you definitely have to get ready for next week and not get on too high a pedestal."
Wake Forest (10-2, 6-2) allowed itself a few days to drink in the division championship it clinched with a 38-24 victory against Maryland. Some players whooped it up in the locker room, others watched a 3 a.m. replay of the game on television and still more spent Sunday reflecting on their surprising accomplishment.
"It really didn't soak in until like Sunday ...Man, we just won the division," Moore said. "One step away from doing what we said we were going to do in the beginning of the year."
Then, on Monday, it was back to work.
"You can't just sit on that and be satisfied because Georgia Tech is a really good team," offensive tackle Steve Vallos said. "And if we want to be where we were planning on being at the end of the season, you can't dwell on that win and (not) focus on our next opponent."
That Wake Forest has maintained focus throughout its run is remarkable. The Demon Deacons have performed at a consistently high level for most of the season, with their only blips coming in the fourth quarter of the Clemson loss and in their loss to Virginia Tech.
Of course, Wake Forest won't play a bigger game than this one -- unless the Demon Deacons win and advance to the Orange Bowl.
"You think one game is huge, and you want to sit down and soak it all in," quarterback Riley Skinner said. "But you realize you've got an even bigger one next week, so there's no time to sit around and let it sink in.
"You've got to keep going through every week, planning for the next game. After the season's over, it'll be time to let it all sink in."
One thing the Demon Deacons say isn't a concern is the just-happy-to-be-there mind-set. They insist they aren't content just to win the division.
"We're happy to be in the position that we're at, but I don't think we're satisfied," Vallos said.
from wakeforestsports.com:
Grobe Unanimously Selected ACC Coach Of The Year
Nov. 28, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Wake Forest's Jim Grobe was chosen unanimously as the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coach of the Year, the league announced on Tuesday. Grobe, who has led the Demon Deacons to the most successful season in program history, received 80 of a possible 80 votes from the league's media.
The Demon Deacons were picked to finish last in the ACC's Atlantic Division in the preseason and lost their starting quarterback, starting running back and starting defensive end early in the season. Wake Forest responded by winning a school-record 10 games, including a perfect 6-0 on the road, and representing the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship game this Saturday in Jacksonville.
"I'm humbled, to say the least, with all the things that are being said about me, because I'm really just a function of what the staff and the players have done," Grobe said. "I'm blessed with what I think and consider is the best coaching staff in America."
Judging by winning percentage, Wake Forest is the second-most improved team in America. The 2005 Deacons went 4-7 and the 2006 Deacons are currently 10-2. Wake Forest is ranked in the top 25 for the seventh straight week, the longest streak in program history. The Deacons finished with a winning record in the ACC for the first time 1988 and only the seventh time ever. Wake Forest swept its ACC Tobacco Road rivals for the first time since 1987.
"We've put together an absolutely great group of kids that don't have runaway egos and just like to win football games, like to play (and) don't care about stats," Grobe said. "From my standpoint, I feel a little guilty when people talk about any awards that I might get, because I'm totally dependent on my coaching staff and my players."
Grobe becomes the sixth Wake Forest coach to win the ACC's Coach of the Year award. He joins Paul Amen (1963, 1959), Bill Tate (1964), Cal Stoll (1970), John Mackovic (1979) and Bill Dooley (1988, 1992).
Later this season, Grobe will become the first coach to lead Wake Forest to two bowl games during the ACC era.
and:
Skinner Voted ACC Rookie of the Year
Nov. 28, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Wake Forest redshirt freshman quarterback Riley Skinner was voted the Atlantic Coast Conference's Rookie of the Year, the league announced on Tuesday. Skinner, who led the ACC in three passing categories, received 48 of a possible 80 votes from the league's media.
"I'm excited about it, but I can't really dwell on it too much right now," Skinner said. "Maybe after the season I can think about it, but we've got a pretty task ahead of us right now that I'm looking forward to.'`
Through the regular season, the native of Jacksonville, Fla., leads the ACC in passing efficiency (142.1), completion percentage (67.3) and interception rate (1 per 51 pass attempts). Skinner's completion percentage ranks ninth nationally and his interception rate ranks 15th nationally.
Skinner, 9-2 as as starter, is one of just two freshman quarterbacks to have won nine games as a starter this season, joining Colt McCoy of Texas, 9-3.
Clemson running back C.J. Spiller was the runner-up with 25 votes. Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland, North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks and Myron Rolle of Florida State each received two votes. Jeffrey Fitzgerald of Virginia received one.
"I don't see how I could win over C.J. Spiller. You put me next to C.J. Spiller, and I'd pick C.J. Spiller as well,'` Skinner said. "But it's a huge honor. It really is. I couldn't ask for anything more, and it really is humbling to know that I've received that award.'`
Six of Skinner's nine wins have come away from Groves Stadium. Against ACC opponents on the road, Skinner completed 72 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and one interception. Wake Forest won all four of those games.
Skinner has completed 136 of 202 attempts (67.3 percent) for 1,579 yards, eight touchdowns and only four interceptions.
Skinner becomes the third Wake Forest player to win the ACC's Rookie of the Year award. He joins James McDougald (1976) and Michael Ramseur (1982).
and:
Come Send Off the Demon Deacons
Nov. 30, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - In honor of the remarkable fall sports season, this Friday, Dec. 1st, will be declared a "Spirit Day" on the Wake Forest University campus. Fans are encouraged to wear black and show their school spirit throughout the entire day. There will be a pep rally at 10:10 a.m. to cheer on the football team as they depart from the Manchester Athletics Center. Come support the Demon Deacons as they travel to the ACC Football Championship in Jacksonville, Florida.
Wake Forest will take on Georgia Tech this Saturday's at 1:00 p.m. at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville. Fans not traveling to the ACC Championship, the game will be aired on the videoboard at the LJVM Coliseum, doors open at 12:15pm. Tickets are $10 and includes the football game viewing and the Men's and Women's Basketball games at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
and, finally, from espn.com:
Unlikeliest of foes meet in ACC championship
A conference championship game between Wake Forest and Georgia Tech probably was not what the ACC had in mind when it bulked up the league three years ago by adding Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech.
"They probably didn't factor in the Deacons, to be honest with you," said Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe.
Neither did anyone else.
In a preseason media poll, Wake Forest was picked to finish a distant last in the Atlantic Division.
The Yellow Jackets didn't fare much better. They were predicted to finish third behind Miami and Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division, although one visionary out of 65 voters -- did select Georgia Tech to win the ACC title.
"We had one vote to get in and they had none," said Jackets coach Chan Gailey. "It's obvious that we should be the big favorite."
The 23rd-ranked Yellow Jackets (9-3, 7-1 Coastal) are actually only a 2½-point favorite to end No. 16 Wake Forest's surprising title run in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday at Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium.
That's just fine with the Demon Deacons (10-2, 6-2 Atlantic), who are still trying to convince skeptics that they're for real.
"We've always been the little guy," said Jon Abbate, Wake's All-ACC linebacker. "We've always been counted out."
Prior to this season, there was seldom reason to take the Deacons seriously. From 1953 to 2005, Wake Forest won the ACC championship once. That title came in 1970. Since then, the Deacons have finished in last or next-to-last place in the ACC a total of 19 times.
Said All-ACC senior safety Josh Gattis: "When I committed to Wake, people questioned why."
Opposing fans derisively referred to the Deacons as Cake Forest and Grobe, hired in 2001 away from Ohio University, admits that "the thing we started battling from the day we got here was having a football program that was almost made fun of …"
Nobody is making fun of the Demon Deacons now. Wake set a school record with its 10 victories this season and also established a conference mark with six road wins. Despite losing starters at quarterback, running back and left offensive tackle, the Deacons opened the regular season with five victories. Then they closed by winning five of its last six games, including last Saturday's do-or-die showdown with Maryland in College Park.
"These guys have really exceeded my expectations," said Grobe, who was named the ACC's Coach of the Year on Tuesday and figures to get serious consideration for national coach of the year honors. "They've done some really cool stuff."
Among that cool stuff is placing five players -- Abbate, Gattis, kicker Sam Swank, center Steve Justice and offensive tackle Steve Vallos -- on the All-ACC first team.
But the most important player this season on Wake's roster might have been redshirt freshman Riley Skinner, who took over at quarterback after starter Ben Mauk sustained serious arm injuries in the season opener against Syracuse.
Skinner, who is returning to Jacksonville this weekend where he was a prep star at the Bolles School, kept the Deacons moving in the right direction even after star tailback Micah Andrews was lost for the season in the third game with a knee injury.
Among other accomplishments, Skinner led Wake to a victory over nationally-ranked Boston College and spearheaded a landmark 30-0 win against Florida State in Tallahassee. He led the ACC in passing efficiency (142.2 rating) and completion percentage (67.3 percent).
On Tuesday, Skinner was rewarded for his efforts when he was named the ACC's Rookie of the Year, beating out Clemson tailback C.J. Spiller, who was considered the favorite for the award.
"This definitely was not what we had planned and prepared for," said Skinner about being thrust into the starting lineup. "None of us wanted to see Ben get hurt. But having the opportunity, I just wanted to make the most of it and do everything I could to help us get wins on Saturdays."
Grobe credits Skinner's success to being "surrounded by a group of older, more mature guys that don't get a lot of credit but keep Riley Skinner comfortable."
No ACC team entered the season with more returning starters than Wake's 18.
If not for the Deacons, Georgia Tech would carry the title of the ACC's most surprising team.
The Yellow Jackets had plenty of returning talent with 15 starters, although they weren't seen as a threat to either Miami, which was picked to win the Coastal Division, or Virginia Tech.
But the Yellow Jackets throttled the Hokies in Blacksburg, Va. then beat Miami in Atlanta and have a chance to win their first ACC title since finishing as co-champions with Florida State in 1998.
While Wake is entering Saturday's game with the momentum of last week's clutch 38-24 victory against Maryland, Georgia Tech comes in still smarting from a bitter 15-12 loss to rival Georgia. The defeat was the sixth straight to the Bulldogs.
"I'd be lying if I said we weren't really down," said Tech defensive end Adamm Oliver. "It was a big ballgame for us. We really wanted to get those guys bad."
Whether the Jackets can turn things around in time to beat Wake Forest and earn a berth in the FedEx Orange Bowl could depend on the play of senior quarterback Reggie Ball, whose abysmal performance -- 6-of-22 passing with two interceptions and a fumble the Bulldogs returned for a touchdown -- in the regular-season finale had some wondering whether Gailey might choose to bench Ball in favor of sophomore backup Taylor Bennett.
"That won't happen," Gailey said this week. "[Ball] has taken us this far. He's the guy that's gotten us to nine wins this year, gotten us to the championship game. He's a senior. We're going to give him the opportunity to be successful."
With tailback Tashard Choice, the ACC's leading rusher, and standout receiver Calvin Johnson, the Jackets have plenty of options besides Ball, who led the ACC with 20 touchdown passes but was second with 12 interceptions and last with a 45.8 completion percentage.
"We lost that game [to Georgia] and it hurts, but we have to focus on our goals and win this Saturday," said Choice, who ran for more than 100 yards in each of his last five games and topped the ACC with an average of 100.3 yards per game. "It's right in front of us."
First, the Jackets will have to burst the bubble surrounding Wake Forest's season.
"We won some games that had people scratching their heads a little bit and wondering if it was kind of a fluke," said Grobe, alluding to a 14-13 victory over winless Duke on Sept. 9 that ended with the Blue Devils missing a short field goal on the game's final play. "But as we've gone through the season, we've had enough wins that our players certainly feel that it's a special year. I think our players are starting to realize that if we play good, we're not a bad football team."
And, maybe, the best in the ACC.
Damn, y'all. On to Jacksonville. Go Deacs.
