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LB
Jon Abbate |
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2005
Statistics |
Coach:
Jim Grobe
26-32,
5 years |
2005
Record: 4-7 |
|
VANDERBILT |
LOST
20-24 |
at
Nebraska |
LOST
3-31 |
EAST
CAROLINA |
WON
44-34 |
MARYLAND |
LOST
12-22 |
CLEMSON |
WON
31-27 |
at
Florida State |
LOST
24-41 |
at
Boston College |
LOST
30-35 |
NC
STATE |
WON
27-19 |
at
Duke |
WON
44-6 |
at
Georgia Tech |
LOST
17-30 |
MIAMI
FL |
LOST
17-47 |
|
2005 Final Rankings
AP-UR, Coaches-UR, BCS-UR
|
2006
Outlook |
If
you ask Jim Grobe what he really thinks,
he is as optimistic about this campaign
as any. With 19 starters back, most
would tend to agree. After three consecutive
losing seasons, this could be the
year the Deacs get back on the bowl
scene. On paper, this team looks good
enough to actually push some of the
ACC Coastal Division big boys, even
though most preseason prognostications
still have this team finishing at
the bottom of the pack. This says
much about the parity and balance
of the ACC as a whole since the recent
expansion. All the parts are not in
place just yet to put Wake Forest
on the Top 25 map, but this is their
best team since 2002. If QB Benjamin
Mauk gets significantly better while
displaying the talents that made him
the best passer in Ohio high school
history, and he can force opponents
to respect the pass, their (misdirection)
running game is sure to continue to
be one of the league's best (tops
for the ACC in 2005) and the offense
will churn out yards galore. But if
the receivers continue to struggle
in coming to his aid, a one-dimensional
running approach isn't good enough
to put the Deacs into post-season
play - opposing defenses will just
stack the box once again. No big-threat
RB capable of breaking one to the
house exists this time around. More
importantly, it's hard to play catch
up football when opponents are airing
it out and piling up points over a
secondary that represents one of the
nation's worst. Still, this team could
easily beat somebody no one expects
it to…the talent and system
are good enough.
Projected
2006 record: 6-6
|
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WAKE
FOREST
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 3 |
DL
- 3 |
RB
- 3.5 |
LB
- 4 |
WR
- 2.5 |
DB
- 2.5 |
OL
- 4 |
.. |
|
RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Benjamin Mauk, 158-85-6, 845 yds.,
1 TD
Rushing: Micah Andrews, 110
att., 621 yds., 1 TD
Receiving: Nate Morton, 39
rec., 482 yds., 2 TD
Scoring: Sam Swank, 19-24 FG,
29-29 PAT, 86 pts.
Punting: Sam Swank, 1 punt,
30.0 avg.
Kicking: Sam Swank, 19-24 FG,
29-29 PAT, 86 pts.
Tackles: Jon Abbate, 77 tot.,
41 solo
Sacks: Matt Robinson, 4.5 sacks
Interceptions: Josh Gattis,
5 for 126 yds., 2 TD
Kickoff Returns: Kevin Marion,
18 ret., 18.6 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: Willie Idlette,
24 ret., 4.0 avg., 0 TD
|
|
|
RB
Micah Andrews |
|
|
|
OFFENSE
- 9 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 10 |
|
KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
Cory Randolph-QB, Chris Barclay-TB,
Chris Davis-WR, Greg Adkins-OT, Wesley
Bryant-OT |
DEFENSE:
Goryal
Scales-DT, Jason Pratt-LB, Ryan Plackemeier-P |
|
|
2006
OFFENSE |
At QB, coaches
have no qualms about naming Benjamin Mauk
the starter and offensive leader, despite
issues in previous starts. After setting
national passing records at Kenton High
School (Ohio) and becoming the state's Mr.
Football, recruiting gurus wondered just
how well the young man would fare in Wake’s
running-based offensive system. Mauk started
the first four games of ‘05 but then
lost the job to now-departed Cory Randolph.
Look for the Deacons to possibly utilize
more shotgun formations with the passing
dimension now in (their) favor.
This offense under head
coach Jim Grobe is a unique zone blocking/misdirecting
ground-oriented approach. As an example,
the departed (four-year starter) Chris Barclay
became only the third RB in ACC history
to rush for more than 4,000 career yards.
The job is now Micah Andrews’, who
actually averaged more yards-per-carry (5.6
yards) than did Barclay last fall (a feat
that ranked him second in the conference).
His issue is holding onto the ball, a bad
formula for anyone considered a dependable
back. Andrews is not as quick and shifty
as was Barclay, but possesses more power
for pounding the middle, though he isn't
a threat to go the distance for a long TD.
The receivers have underachieved,
to put it mildly. Spring raised even more
concerns as projected starters Nate Morton
(broken hand) and Willie Idlette (track)
did not participate. Kenny Moore had the
best spring of any WR but has not proven
durable in his previous stints. This unit
raises the most questions for fall. Both
TEs are still available from a year ago
in Selmon and Tereshinski. Neither caught
at TD pass and don't offer much in attempts
to find a pass catcher.
The
front wall is a huge positive full of experienced
veterans. The backups are thin, however,
so healthy bodies here have to be a concern.
Coaches had just six players to regularly
rely on last year. Steve Vallos is the anchor
entering his fourth season as a starter
(34 consecutive games).
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OT
Steve Vallos
|
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WAKE
FOREST 2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Benjamin
Mauk-Jr (6-1, 200) |
Brett
Hodges-Fr (6-1, 180)
Riley Skinner-Fr (6-1, 195) |
FB |
Damon
McWhite-Jr (6-1, 255) |
Richard
Belton-So (6-1, 250) |
TB |
Micah
Andrews-Jr (5-10, 215) |
De'Angelo
Bryant-Jr (6-0, 245) |
WR |
Willie
Idlette-Sr (5-10, 175) |
Demir
Boldin-So (5-11, 220) |
WR |
Nate
Morton-Sr (6-3, 215) |
Kenneth
Moore-Jr (6-0, 195)
Kevin Marion-Jr (5-10, 160) |
TE |
Zac
Selmon-Jr (6-5, 250) |
John
Tereshinski-Jr (6-3, 240) |
OT |
Arby
Jones-Sr (6-2, 285) |
Joe
Birdsong-Fr (6-4, 290) |
OG |
Matthew
Brim-Jr (6-4, 295) |
Gage
Crews-Fr (6-4, 310) |
C |
Steve
Justice-Jr (6-4, 280) |
Trey
Bailey-Fr (6-2, 290) |
OG |
Chris
DeGeare-So (6-4, 360) |
Barrett
McMillan-Fr (6-3, 305) |
OT |
Steve
Vallos-Sr (6-3, 290) |
Jeff
Griffin-Fr (6-3, 295) |
K |
Sam
Swank-So (6-2, 206) |
Jon
Temple-Jr (5-10, 176) |
|
|
2006
DEFENSE |
For the
first time in Jim Grobe's five years, depth
abounds at every spot up front, an area
in which Wake Forest was extremely short
the past couple of seasons. This may be
the best bunch at his disposal since arriving
in Winston-Salem in terms of the aforementioned
depth.
With two veterans at LB
(Abbate and Easley), the defense looks to
be much improved. Jon Abbate is the defense’s
top gun and is poised to make a claim as
one of the best LBs in the conference after
leading the team in tackles the last two
years. This group may be the strongest unit
on either side of the ball.
The
Deacons are as experienced at safety as
they are inexperienced at cornerback. The
outside situation has to improve drastically
for the defense to gain any respect after
finishing with the worst pass defense in
the ACC (giving up 252.7 yards per game
and 22 TDs). The two seniors at safety,
Patrick Ghee and Josh Gattis, are experienced
enough to help stop the bleeding. Young
CB Alphonso Smith (Freshman All-American
by The Sporting News) will need to continue
to make his presence felt as coaches attempt
to locate someone else capable of starting
on the other side. One of the young guys
will have to step up in a big way.
|
|
DB
Josh Gattis
|
|
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WAKE
FOREST 2006 DEPTH CHART
Returning Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Matt
Robinson-Jr (6-2, 240) |
Anthony
Davis-So (6-5, 240) |
NG |
Jamil
Smith-Sr (6-2, 294) |
Boo
Robinson-Fr (6-2, 325) |
DT |
Jyles
Tucker-Sr (6-3, 268) |
Zach
Stukes-Sr (6-2, 260) |
DE |
Bryan
Andrews-Sr (6-5, 263) |
Jeremy
Thompson-Jr (6-5, 250) |
SLB |
Aaron
Curry-So (6-3, 240) |
Michael
Simmons-Jr (6-1, 220) |
MLB |
Jon
Abbate-Jr (5-11, 245) |
Eric
Berry-So (6-1, 260) |
WLB |
Pierre
Easley-Sr (6-0, 250) |
Stanley
Arnoux-So (6-0, 245) |
CB |
Riley
Swanson-Sr (5-11, 188) |
Kerry
Major-So (5-11, 175) |
CB |
Alphonso
Smith-So (5-9, 188) |
Kevin
Patterson-So (5-10, 182) |
SS |
Patrick
Ghee-Sr (6-1, 211) |
Aaron
Mason-Jr (5-9, 200) |
FS |
Josh
Gattis-Sr (6-1, 212) |
Chip
Vaughn-So (6-2, 215) |
P |
Sam
Swank-So (6-2, 206) |
Kevin
Harris-Fr (6-1, 230) |
|
|
|
2006
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Sam
Swank emerged as one the ACC's most consistent
kickers in just his redshirt freshman year. Going
19-of-24 was third best in the ACC in terms of
percentage (74) and made him a semifinalist for
the Lou Groza Award (best kicker). He was the
only freshman on the list. Since NCAA record-holder
and four year starting punter Ryan Plackemeier
is now in the NFL, these duties may also fall
on Swank. Coaches would like to see incoming freshman
Daniel Caldwell, who was considered one of the
top 10 punting prospects in the nation as a high
school senior, assume to role, but don't count
on such a feat. Swank is likely to see double
duty.
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