Presbyterian
N/A0-0
Wake Forest
10th ACC3-9
Presbyterian @ Wake Forest preview
Truist Field
Wake Forest’s tune-up game is exactly what the Demon Deacons need to kick off the post-Riley Skinner era. The program’s all-time leading passer will be replaced by a quarterback who has never thrown a pass in a college game.
Junior Skylar Jones is the likely starter following a preseason battle with sophomore Ted Stachitas, redshirt freshman Brendan Cross and at least two other candidates. This game should give him a stress-free debut, though it might not yield much of a measuring stick as to how well the new guy will stand up to an ACC schedule.
Wake is going against an opponent that was 0-11 last year as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision‘s Big South Conference. The Blue Hose of Clinton, S.C., begin the year with two much-needed paydays, including a trip to Clemson the following week. Whether the players survive to see the money spent is the only question.
Things could get extremely ugly if coach Jim Grobe’s team takes out last year’s frustrations on these innocent visitors. Wake Forest is coming off a disappointing 5-7 season that ended in a 1-5 nose dive.
The Demon Deacons’ offense has speed, talent and experience at the skill positions. The trick will be getting them the ball with space to operate, with an inexperienced quarterback and only two starters back from the line. Wide receivers Marshall Williams, Devon Brown and Chris Givens combined for 20 touchdowns in 2009, and Williams had 867 receiving yards in 2009. The two top ball carriers are also back, but Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass need to be more productive than they were last year, when they had fewer than 1,000 yards between them.
Wake Forest’s defense has some experience but those who are returning need to get better after yielding 26.3 points a game last year. Cornerback Kenny Okoro has all-ACC potential after an encouraging freshman year, and returning strong safety Cyhl Quarles was the team’s leading tackler.
Presbyterian, coached for the second season by 1990 alum Harold Nichols, is in the process of transitioning to Division I football. It lost only seven players to graduation, but gave up 40 points a game last year and still has a ways to go before becoming competitive even at its own level (FCS).
These teams last met in 1945, when Wake Forest won 53-9. Whether it’s any worse than that this time around is pretty much up to the mercy of the home team.
Junior Skylar Jones is the likely starter following a preseason battle with sophomore Ted Stachitas, redshirt freshman Brendan Cross and at least two other candidates. This game should give him a stress-free debut, though it might not yield much of a measuring stick as to how well the new guy will stand up to an ACC schedule.
Wake is going against an opponent that was 0-11 last year as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision‘s Big South Conference. The Blue Hose of Clinton, S.C., begin the year with two much-needed paydays, including a trip to Clemson the following week. Whether the players survive to see the money spent is the only question.
Things could get extremely ugly if coach Jim Grobe’s team takes out last year’s frustrations on these innocent visitors. Wake Forest is coming off a disappointing 5-7 season that ended in a 1-5 nose dive.
The Demon Deacons’ offense has speed, talent and experience at the skill positions. The trick will be getting them the ball with space to operate, with an inexperienced quarterback and only two starters back from the line. Wide receivers Marshall Williams, Devon Brown and Chris Givens combined for 20 touchdowns in 2009, and Williams had 867 receiving yards in 2009. The two top ball carriers are also back, but Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass need to be more productive than they were last year, when they had fewer than 1,000 yards between them.
Wake Forest’s defense has some experience but those who are returning need to get better after yielding 26.3 points a game last year. Cornerback Kenny Okoro has all-ACC potential after an encouraging freshman year, and returning strong safety Cyhl Quarles was the team’s leading tackler.
Presbyterian, coached for the second season by 1990 alum Harold Nichols, is in the process of transitioning to Division I football. It lost only seven players to graduation, but gave up 40 points a game last year and still has a ways to go before becoming competitive even at its own level (FCS).
These teams last met in 1945, when Wake Forest won 53-9. Whether it’s any worse than that this time around is pretty much up to the mercy of the home team.