2004 Statistics

Quarterback
Just like last year, Cory Randolph and Ben Mauk are fighting for the starting job, and just like last year, that fight could last into/throughout the fall. Randolph is a solid option quarterback with good speed, but an average arm. His strength and consistency get him the nod, with the forth-best all-time completion percentage (57.1) in school history. He had started 20 straight games when Mauk unseated him with three games to play. Mauk has done little on the field to show what made him a national record-setter in prep (also Mr. Football for Ohio and Gatorade Player of the Year - both 2002), but he's done enough to push Randolph. QB coach Jeff Mullen calls Mauk "a clone of Cory Randolph", so you can see how our differentiating them is pretty moot. Both players are good at protecting the ball, and are good on the run, but neither does anything spectacular, yet. This is a budding unit, with Mauk the born leader they are just waiting for. He gets even more reps as he is the future leader, so pains may occur here for that reason. Randolph will produce and lead well, but once the clutch comes out and Mauk is in gear, look out ACC.

Running Back
The running game all starts with Chris Barclay, the ACC's leading rusher the past two years. The shifty runner (third place in 100 & 200 meter, KY state championships) is one of the nation's best, and a big reason the Demon Deacons are so successful on the ground (17th in '04) - they run it 68%, and this back got close to half of those carries. Wake Forest had a nice 1-2 punch with Micah Andrews. He's more of a power runner and made a huge impact when he touched the ball (6.1 yards per carry). Quickster Alonzo Chisolm should be a role-player, somehow, on a team that runs this much. Two juniors, ex-DE Damon McWhite (rushing) and converted-TE Dan Callahan, (receiving) both have their strong points, so utilizing their "third back" abilities would expand these behemoths repertoire and the offense impact. Newbie Kevin Harris comes in a FB but is a hybrid with speed who will also merit reps, regardless of how. We feel this unit can improve on its output and efficiency with the line being stronger and the QBs being more comfortable. Watch Andrews get a balance of the carries, so that Barclay and he form a true tandem sure to be infiltrated by the capable youth.

Receiver
The quarterbacks had trouble finding the open receivers in '04, but when they do, there is good talent catching the ball. Tall, speedy Nate Morton developed into a solid go-to player in '04 and leads the receiving corps. Neither Chris Davis nor Kevin Marion (4.32 speed) have the size of the 6-4 Morton, but both are great athletes able to stretch a defense. Fast Willie Idlette and Delon Lowe's size provide solid depth and will make a bigger impact that they did in '04. This was a good unit a year ago, and there is more experience so they will get better as the quarterback situation is straightened out. The overall talent here is well-cast, with big guys for downfield blocking who cannot be ignored for their snarling potential, so their multitude of abilities (often to distract) will help the entire offensive flow.

Tight End
John Tereshinski and Zac Selmon return as the top two, and both will play a ton as the Demon Deacons use many double tight end sets. Tereshinski is undersized compared to most Division tight ends, but he makes up for it with above-average speed, which allows him to stretch the field (11+ per his eight catches). Slightly bigger than Tereshinski, Selmon is the better blocker, but, too, has good hands. Neither one will see the ball much, but they both play their roles well. Tight ends don't make huge contributions statistically at Wake, but this is a very good pair that's only going to make this side of the ball even better.

Offensive Line
Obviously, they've done something right here with such a strong ground game. Four of the starters are back, led by Steve Vallos, but there is some musical chairs going on with positions. Vallos was one of the best linemen in the ACC as a guard in '04. Slated for tackle, he's played at guard and tackle, making him Wake's most versatile linemen. Greg Adkins was a solid performer at guard, but he will move into the vacant spot at center and development will be crucial. Matt Brim will move in from right tackle to right guard, and Arby Jones returns to his left guard spot. At left tackle is either Wesley Bryant or Louis Frazier, who both have made spot starts. Wake definitely has one of the smallest lines in the ACC, but in their option offense, these big Demons' agility is more important than bulk, as is their experience. This will be a cohesive group that once again anchors the run game, but will have to do more to secure their hurler - about one out of every ten times the QB dropped back, he was sacked.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
The run game makes this offense go, period. While the production (206.1 yards per game, 17th) looks good, it's a little low for an option team. The most successful run-first teams also know how to pass with efficiency, and Wake's air attack was poor in its ability to achieve when called upon to do so. When an option team averages a nearly two-minute time-of-possession differential all season - and it's in favor of the opponents - you know where to lay the (team) blame. The key, especially in the option, is the QB's decision making...it hasn't been strong with these two candidates, yet. To this ends, we note that in prep, Mauk ran a no-huddle, no-back spread attack where he made all play calls. Obviously that's a different style than Wake's, though this gives Mauk (Wake's future) a huge upside for mental intangibles, one well-worth the pain it may take so he can reach his potential. But Randolph himself is not worth tossing aside, as his game management skills guarantee stability throughout the season's early stages, to say the least of what he brings in sheer athletic talent. With nine starters back, including four on the line (seven returning linemen started at least once), and with the quarterbacks more experienced, the Deacons will hit their stride here and finally click more like we all expect (with this much talent). There's no excuse for the offense not scoring more than it did a year ago.

Defensive Line
The front-four features six players who started at least one game in '04, including three full-time starters. For a group that allowed foes to earn 4.1per carry and themselves earned only 21 sacks and seven QB-hurries, their work is cut out here to get more push. The strength is at end, where Matt Robinson, although small, has already proven to be one of the main play-makers with 11 TFLs. Jyles Tucker was also a full-time starter at end, but has been pushed out of his top spot by Jeremy Thompson, who has the size and speed to make a major impact. Tucker himself is fast for his modest frame, and he will be in there much of the time so this smallish line can keep foes' passing games controlled. Goryal Scales is the anchor in the interior line. He makes up for his lack of height with strength, which makes him an asset against the run, or in a pass rush. The rest of the rotation is filled with good, young players who will be better with a year under their belts. This is not a great defensive line, but with so much experience back, it'll be marginally better (finished 68th vs. the run) as the new wrinkle of consistency will be seen.

Linebacker
Jonathan Abbate has quickly become one of the country's best linebackers. A year ago, this weight room junkie (with a 34" vertical leap and 4.5-sec 40 speed) had never played a single down of college football. Abbate then led the Deacons in tackling as a true freshman and was among the leaders in the ACC. With his great size and speed, he's a prototypical linebacker who has barely tapped his potential. Beyond Abbate, the Deacons are shaky. Pierre Easley started most of '04, but his production will again wane compared to what production from a MLB should be. Jason Pratt, too, has so far missed reaching his potential. Solid against the run, he needs to use that natural speed to his advantage for production in the coverage areas. The Deacons are high on a pair of redshirt freshmen - Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux - who both have the speed to make foes' underneath routes suffer. If all three starters were like Abbate, this would be one of the nation's best crews. Unfortunately, they're not. Abbate is a stud, but as a group, the linebackers are average (at best), until proven otherwise.

Defensive Back
Safeties Patrick Ghee and Josh Gattis started every game in '04, and they're a solid pair. Gattis' speedy durability (300 meter hurdle state champ; ranked seventh nationally in 60-meters indoors) makes him a tough defender to beat, and his appearance in opponent's backfields is regularly seen (two forced fumbles). Ghee, a converted-LB/WR/RB, is a smart player who uses his girth and speed optimally and rarely over-pursues. 6'-CB Riley Swanson has seen action mostly as a reserve and in nickel/dime packages, but still turns in a solid effort, showing that he'll be a tough make to beat, especially one-on-one. The rest of the corners are extremely inexperienced. Johnny Edwards is slated to start opposite Swanson, and he brings his intelligence (Honor Roll) to the mix. Redshirt freshmen Kevin Patterson will see time at corner, as will Kerry Major (4.37 speed), a converted safety who can hold his own against the run, too. As a whole, the secondary is an average unit, but moreover, they will benefit once they learn to combine the base levels of intelligence each has for the game - then they can play smart, and not hard. 11 INTs won't cut it, but the ability for the secondary to keep the play in front of them as needed is the wiser approach for this crew.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
The key to the whole defense is getting better play from the line and LBs. With so much experience back in the trenches, they will get better, and just how much better will go a long way toward defining the play on this side of the world/ball. The Deacons have one of the best young players in the country in Abbate, and they also have good experience in the secondary, but the other LBs will not be as supportive in all phases as is Abbate - his engine never runs out off gas. Without being particularly strong against either the run or the pass in '04, Wake signaled how the go-betweens (LBs as a whole) weren't up to snuff. After showing this soft underneath, they now focus here to turn up the intensity. Depth is a problem across the board, so we ask the obvious question: will the Deacons be better at stopping foes? With the same coordinator (Dean Hood) in his fifth year, getting much better than 2004's 71st ranking for total D isn't likely, since Hood's best showing so far was finishing 69th in 2001. Therefore, it will be leadership on the field that gets them to any "next level", and that leadership does exist.