Jim Grobe did it again. You never really expect much out of Wake Forest, but there they were, wedged right in between Clemson and Florida State in the ACC Atlantic. Sure, the Deacs were 6-7, but the 5-3 conference record was tied for second place in the Atlantic. They were actually about 5:30 away from going to the ACC Championship game had they not blown a lead against Clemson. This is how they roll. And this is why they are one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the ACC on a yearly basis.
Offense
Only four starters return on offense, led by quarterback Tanner Price. He's quickly become a top notch ACC quarterback after just two seasons. Last season, Price completed 60% of his passes for 3017 yards, with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He currently has a streak of 173 passes without an interception, which is seventh in ACC history. He doesn't get a lot of publicity because of the school he plays for, but he is among the best the conference has to offer.
There wasn't a lot of stability at the running back position last year, but I think Josh Harris will provide stability to that position this year. He started five games, and was second on the team in rushing last year with 432 yards and three touchdowns. You could say he had a sophomore slump, because he was much better as a freshman. Behind him, Orville Reynolds didn't play until the final five games of the season. He rushed for 109 yards in those five games. Senior Tommy Bohanon will clear the way at fullback.
While Price will have Michael Campanaro back to throw to, he will no doubt miss Chris Givens. Those two had a very nice connection. But Campanaro was no slouch last year. He finished the season with 73 receptions for 833 yards and two touchdowns. In the 12 games he played, he caught at least four passes in each of them, including a 10 catch game in their bowl against Mississippi State. On the other side, Sherman Ragland, a redshirt freshman, will get the opportunity to shine. When the Deacs go to three receivers, look for senior Terrence Davis to get on the field. He caught 20 passes last year, and five of them were for touchdowns. There will be a new starter at tight end in junior Spencer Bishop. He has played in his career, but has yet to catch a pass.
The biggest concern for the Deacs is the offensive line. It was not that great of a blocking team. The running backs only averaged 3.2 yards per carry behind this line, and it allowed the quarterbacks to be sacked 35 times. And only one starter is back on this line, and that is center Garrick Williams, and his 15 starts are pretty much all the starting experience this line has. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of depth on the line. It got to the point where Grobe brought Frank Souza over from the defense this season, and he will start at guard. Antonio Ford will be the other guard. He did play in three games last year. The tackles will be Colin Summers, a sophomore who played in nine games as a freshman, and Devin Bolling, a redshirt junior.
Defense
This was a pretty solid unit last year. It improved in certain aspects. The points allowed per game went down eight points per game last year, and the total yards per game went down by over 30 yards per game. But the defense only sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times last year. The leader was Nikita Whitlock, who is a bit of an unorthodox type of defensive lineman at 5-11 and 260 pounds. But he did have 64 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss last season. Whitlock is second among active ACC players in that category. Surrounding him are two juniors in Kris Redding, who played sparingly as a backup, and Zach Thompson, who finished with 40 tackles and one interception. It should be noted that Godspower Offor is a backup on the defensive line.
Depth should not be much of an issue at linebacker this year. There are some new starters, but there is a lot of experience here. On the outside, Zach Allen will get his first chance to start. He did play some his freshman year, finishing with 24 tackles. On the other side, Justin Jackson started in three games, but played in 12, finishing fifth on the team in tackles with 59, and registering 6.5 tackles for loss. In the middle. Riley Haynes is a senior who had 52 tackles and six tackles for loss. Mike Olson will join him in the middle. Olson started three games, finishing with 57 tackles and six tackles for loss.
The Deacs secondary did improve slightly last year from 2010. And the emergence of Merrill Noel was a big factor. He had a breakout season as a freshman. He was third on the team in tackles with 66, and his 19 pass break ups and two interceptions. His 21 passes defended were actually tied for most in the country, and most by a freshman since the stat was first tracked in 2000. On the other side, Kevin Johnson started five games as a freshman, and redshirted last year. Look for senior Kenny Okoro, who has started 29 games in his career, to see a bunch of playing time as well. Daniel Mack and Duran Lowe are the starting safeties. Mack was a backup last year, finishing with 13 tackles, and Lowe started three games last year, finishing with 33 tackles and one interception.
Special Teams
The kicking game has been pretty solid as long as Jimmy Newman has been on campus. He's hit on 77% of his field goals in his career, and was 17-22 last year. Punting duties are going to be handled by freshman Alex Kinal, an Australian who is just learning American football. Obviously, the coaching staff must really like him if he is going to be thrust in to this spot. Both returners will return this year. Lovell Jackson will return kicks again. he averaged over 21 yards per return. Michael Campanaro will handle punts. He only returned nine, but did take one for a touchdown.
Fun Fact
We all know that Wake Forest is not exactly a football factory. The Deacs have only been to a bowl game 10 times. The first five happened between 1946 and 1999, and the other five have happened since 2002, Grobe's second season. He also won one of Wake's two ACC titles.
Will's Prediction
Jim Grobe has had a knack for exceeding expectations. After winning only three games in 2010, there was a thought he could be on the hot seat heading in to 2011. But he extinguished that by doubling the Deacs win total last season. The success of the offense this season will hinge on the offensive line's ability to mesh with so little experience. Tanner Price has the weapons, but if he can't get protection, he's not going to be that successful. Defensively, this team should continue to be better. It won't be as good as the 2008 defense that allowed 18 points per game, but it should be somewhere around 24 points per game this year. They do have a bit of a tough schedule, especially towards the end. I think Wake will win around five games this year, but I won't be surprised if they do get to a bowl.
