Football to Open Season vs. Air Force
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
August 28, 1998
DEACS OPEN MUCH-ANTICIPATED '98 AT AIR FORCE
A Wake Forest football season that opens with as much fanfare and attention as any in recent memory begins for the Demon Deacons on September 5th when they travel to Colorado Springs to meet Air Force. Kickoff time in Falcon Stadium is 1 p.m. (EDT). The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
An ACC-high 18 starters (eight each on offense & defense; two kicking specialists) return from a Wake Forest squad that finished 5-6 in 1997, losing three games by a total of 11 points.
Team Data
WAKE FOREST (5-6 / 3-5 in ACC in 1997) AIR FORCE (10-3 / 6-2 in WAC)
Offense: Multiple Offense: Multiple Option
Lettermen/Starters Back: 16/8 Lettermen/Starters Back: 31/6
Defense: Multiple Defense: 5-2
Lettermen/Starters Back: 20/8 Lettermen/Starters Back: 20/4
Total Lettermen Back: 38 Total Lettermen Back: 51
Head Coach: Jim Caldwell (6th year) Head Coach: Fisher DeBerry (15th year)
W-14, L-41 W-108, L-63, T-1
same record overall same record overall
first meeting with Air Force first meeting with Wake Forest
1998 Schedule 1998 Schedule
9/5 at Air Force (1:00) 9/5 Wake Forest
9/10 Navy (8:00/ESPN) 9/12 at UNLV
9/26 at Clemson (12:00/ABC) 9/17 Colorado State
10/3 Appalachian State (6:30) 9/26 at TCU
10/10 Duke tba 10/3 New Mexico
10/17 at Maryland tba 10/10 Navy
10/24 North Carolina tba 10/24 at Tulsa
10/31 Virginia tba 10/31 SMU
11/7 at NC State tba 11/7 at Army
11/14 Florida State tba 11/14 at Wyoming
11/21 at Georgia Tech tba 11/21 Rice
A FIRST WITH THE FALCONS - The football teams from Wake Forest and the Air Force Academy have never met previously. It's only been two games ago though since the Demon Deacons faced another opponent for the first time -- that was Rutgers last November 8th, and they came away with a 28-14 victory over the Scarlet Knights that day.
FIRST OF THREE STRAIGHT ON THE TUBE - Wake Forest's first three games in 1998 are slated for national network television coverage. The first two will be aired to nationwide audiences on ESPN2 (Air Force) and ESPN (Navy). The Deacs' game at Clemson on September 26th will be televised regionally on ABC.
FOLLOW THE DEACS ON NEW RADIO FLAGSHIP STATION
All Wake Forest games during the 1998 season will be broadcast locally by the Triad's newest and most powerful radio station, WXII News Radio (830 AM). This new outlet offers the Deacs a 50,000 watt clear channel signal that when combined with co-flagship station WBRF-FM (98.1), a 100,000 watt FM station headquartered in Galax, VA, provides the most expansive coverage of Wake Forest Football ever.
Stan Cotten returns for his third season as the play-by-play voice of the Demon Deacons. Former Deacon linebacker Ed Bradley and Mike Pratapas, a four-year letterman for WFU from 1981-1984, join Cotten on the broad-cast team.
AIR FORCE SCOUTING REPORT - The Falcons under veteran coach Fisher DeBerry are coming off an excellent 10-3 season in which they reached their fifth bowl game during the 1990s. Air Force lost that postseason matchup with Oregon, 41-13, in the Las Vegas Bowl. The program also claims three Liberty Bowl appearances earlier this decade (1990, 1991 & 1992) and a 1995 Copper Bowl bid.
This year's Falcon squad is led by quarterback Blane Morgan, whose brother Beau directed the AFA option offense for two-and-a-half years prior to Blane's taking over. The younger Morgan rushed for 565 yards and six touchdowns in 1997 while passing for 975 yards (63-of-123) in 12 contests. The team's top rusher from '97 is also back in Spanky Gilliam, who netted 741 yards and scored six times as well. The Falcons' two leading receivers from a year ago, Matt Farmer (23 receptions for 380 yds) and Dylan Newman (22 for 331) also return. Frank Mindrup, a 6'5, 290-pound guard, is an All-America candidate.
Defensively, Air Force was 3rd nationally in scoring defensive in 1997, allowing just 12.4 points per game. Tackles Bryce Fisher (6'2, 251) and Shawn Thomas (6'2, 276) anchor the inside, while cornerback Tim Curry and safety Jason Sanderson are considered strong all-WAC candidates in the secondary. Curry broke up 12 passes and picked off five interceptions last season, while Sanderson is the squad's top returning tackler (90 tackles in '97).
COMMENTS from COACH JIM CALDWELL
"The excitement and anticipation surrounding the start of our 1998 season has been noticeable from the outset of our preseason practice. It is gratifying to see that our program is being mentioned more favorably at this time of year, but none of that means anything if we don't demonstrate our improvement on the playing field. In Air Force, we are facing an opponent that will test us in many ways. They are a veteran, mature and experienced team that plays with great pride and discipline. Our challenge is to match them in both of those areas. We will be on the road playing in a stadium that few visiting teams come away from with a victory, but we feel that if we play with emotion and execute on both sides of the football without too many mistakes, that we can be successful."
WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL / MEDIA SERVICES
WEEKLY MEDIA CONFERENCE - Weekly sessions with head coach JIM CALDWELL and selected Demon Deacon players are on Tuesday afternoon. Newspaper and radio media can meet with players from 2:30 to 3:00 in the Rovere Room in the football office complex. Coach Caldwell will be available from 3:00 to 3:30. Television interviews with the coach and players will take place on the practice field beginning at 3:45.
ACC FAXBACK - Wake Forest news releases and statistics are available at any time via the ACC Faxback system. Dial the Faxback number from the handset of your fax machine and select the document(s) you wish to receive. They will then be faxed to you instantly. To access the ACC Faxback, call 336-854-5859 and follow the voice instructions. Wake Forest Football documents are available under the following codes:
RELEASE (notes, stats & depth chart) 91050 STATISTICS ONLY 91052
NOTES ONLY 91051 MOST RECENT GAME STATS 91053
ACC TELECONFERENCE - Coach Jim Caldwell takes part in the ACC Teleconference each Wednesday from 11:00 to 11:20 a.m. (Eastern time). For the number needed to access the teleconference, contact the Wake Forest Sports Information Office or the ACC Office (336-851-6062). A replay of the teleconference will be available for 24 hours each Wednesday afternoon. The replay phone number is 402-220-4214.
ACC HIGHLIGHTS - ACC video highlights are available via satellite on Wednesday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on C-band satellite Galaxy 9 / Transponder 2. The downlink frequency is 3740 Mhz and the Bandwidth is 36 Mhz. Call the ACC Office for more information.
NOTING THE DEMON DEACONS
PRESEASON PROJECTIONS - After compiling a 5-6 record in 1997, and leading at halftime of four games that ended up on the loss side of the ledger, Wake Forest enters the 1998 campaign with as much optimism as the program has enjoyed in Coach Jim Caldwell's six years at the school. With 18 starters returning from last year's club, that optimism would appear to be well-founded.
The Demon Deacons were still only picked 6th in the preseason poll conducted by ACC media at the confe-rence's annual "ACC Kickoff" session in late-July.
One national publication, however, has given Wake Forest some unaccustomed notice since that time. Sports Illustrated magazine recently tabbed the Deacs as the #22 team in the country in its preseason issue. Neither of the major national rankings (Associated Press or USA Today), though, included the Deacons.
Deacon Records since 1988
(overall / in ACC)
1989 2-8-1 / 1-6 1992 8-4 / 4-4 1995 1-10 / 0-8
1990 3-8 / 0-7 1993 2-9 / 1-7 1996 3-8 / 1-7
1991 3-8 / 1-6 1994 3-8 / 1-7 1997 5-6 / 3-5
GO WEST, YOUNG DEACS - When Wake Forest travels to Colorado Springs to meet Air Force, the trip will mark the farthest journey ever undertaken by a Demon Deacon team, covering 1,570 miles.
Wake Forest's farthest previous ventures include numerous visits to the state of Texas, as well as travels to Nebraska, Minnesota and Oklahoma. Wake's most western sojourn prior to this week was to Lubbock, TX, where the Deacons faced Texas Tech in 1940.
WAKE VERSUS THE MILITARY - Although Wake Forest is meeting Air Force for the first time ever, the Demon Deacons have been somewhat frequent opponents of the nation's other two well-known service academies in recent seasons.
From 1986 through 1994, Wake met Army six times and compiled a 5-1 record. The Deacons are 2-1 against Navy since 1991 and will host the Midshipmen in their home opener on September 10th on ESPN.
97TH OPENER FOR WAKE FOREST - Wake Forest has been playing football since 1888 when it defeated the University of North Carolina, 6-4, in the first collegiate game played in the state of North Carolina. The 1998 season, though, will be "only" the 97th at the school since no team was fielded in 1890, 1894 and 1896-1907.
The Demon Deacons are 44-49-3 in season openers.
6TH OPENER FOR COACH CALDWELL - The 1998 season is head coach JIM CALDWELL's sixth as leader of the Wake Forest program. After losing three straight opening games with the Demon Deacons, Caldwell now has a modest two-game winning streak in openers. His 1996 squad downed Appalachian State, 19-13, and last year's team upended 21st-ranked Northwestern, 27-20.
OPENING ON THE ROAD - The game at Air Force represents the first opening contest away from home for Wake Forest since the 1994 Deacs lost at Vanderbilt, 35-14. in their debut appearance.
REDSHIRTING PLAN - Wake Forest head coach JIM CALDWELL has implemented a program that has emphasized the redshirting of young players the past three years. Of 1995's 23 freshman, 22 have been redshirted (all but star wide receiver DESMOND CLARK). Twelve of 16 first-year players two years ago were held out as rookies. No true freshman (of a class of 17) saw action last fall for the Deacons.
Deacon Redshirting Progress
1998 Class Total Members* Not Been Redshirted Have Redshirted
Seniors 11 1 10
Juniors 28 4 24
Sophomores 10 0 10
Redshirt Freshmen 17 0 17
*scholarship players only
Entering the 1998 season, Wake Forest has 61 "redshirts" among its 66 active scholarship players.
STARTING EXPERIENCE - Seventeen of the 22 players listed as starters on the most recent Wake Forest depth chart have starting experience as Demon Deacons. That does not even include linebacker KELVIN MOSES, who because of a knee injury will not add to his team-high total of 33 career starts. Safety JEFFREY MUYRES has 25 previous starting assignments, most on the team now that Moses is sidelined.
Eight current Deacons have started 20-or-more games during their careers. Sixteen have 10-or-more starts.
Demon Deacon Career Starts (1997 starts)
33 Kelvin Moses (11) 20 Joe Zelenka (11) 10 Dameon Daniel (10)
25 Jeffrey Muyres (8) 17 Brian Wolverton (11) Kelvin Jones (10)
24 Jeff Flowe (11) 16 Dustin Lyman (11) 7 Jon Mannon
Wande Shaw (5) 14 DaLawn Parrish (11) Kelvin Shackleford (6)
22 Desmond Clark (11) 13 Morgan Kane (6) Clinton Wilburn
Brian Kuklick (9) 11 Jammie Deese (11) 4 Reggie Austin (1)
21 Fred Robbins (11) Sam Settar (11) 2 Mark Makovec
Ben Sankey (2)
Consecutive Starts: Clark, Flowe, Moses - 22; Robbins, Wolverton 17; Lyman 14
SENIORS HOPE TREND CONTINUES - The current Wake Forest senior class is small in numbers (14 total, 11 on scholarship), but large in improvement the past three years. As freshmen (redshirt freshmen except for DESMOND CLARK), this class won only one game. In 1996 as sophomores, they helped the Deacons improve to 3-8. Then came last year and a 5-6 record.
That same progress has come in Atlantic Coast Conference play. In 1995, Wake Forest was winless in eight league outings. In '96, the Deacs defeated one conference opponent. And last year they were 3-5, tied for 6th in the final ACC standings.
KUKLICK AT QUARTERBACK - One of the most prominent Wake Forest seniors is veteran quarterback BRIAN KUKLICK, an All-America candidate who could re-write the school recordbook for passing this season. He enters the year among the top four all-time at the school in all three major passing categories.
Wake Forest Career Passing Leaders
Passing Yardage Pass Completions Touchdown Passes
(1) Mike Elkins 7,304 Gary Schofield 640 Gary Schofield 44
(2) Gary Schofield 7,205 Mike Elkins 609 Mike Elkins 43
(3) BRIAN KUKLICK 5,334 Rusty LaRue 472 Jay Venuto 38
(4) BRIAN KUKLICK 449 BRIAN KUKLICK 30
A senior from Hatboro, PA, Kuklick is 17th on the ACC career passing list. Just a repeat of his 1997 numbers, which included 2,180 yards through the air in only nine games, would advance him to the top of the all-time Wake Forest chart and 5th-place overall in ACC history.
CLARK READY TO CHALLENGE ALL-TIME ACC MARK - Senior wide receiver DESMOND CLARK could finish even higher than his quarterback teammate on the all-time ACC list. The powerful wideout from Lakeland, FL, needs only 38 receptions to become the career leader in that department. He begins the '98 campaign 12th in the ACC career ranking with 157 catches.
ACC Top Twelve Receivers -- All Time
(1) Jermaine Lewis, Md 193 (7) E.G. Green, FSU 166
(2) Clarkston Hines, Duke 189 (8) Harvey Middleton, GaT 165
(3) RICKY PROEHL 188 Corey Thomas, Duke 165
(4) Geroy Simon, Md 185 (10) Wes Chesson, Duke 164
(5) Roger Boone, Duke 168 (11) Thabiti Davis 161
(6) Kez McCorvey, FSU 167 (12) DESMOND CLARK 157
DESMOND ON THE WAKE FOREST LISTS - Obviously, DESMOND CLARK is also expected to steadily ascend the Wake Forest all-time receiving lists as the 1998 season unfolds. Here's how he stands entering the season opener at Air Force:
Wake Forest Career Receiving Leaders
Receptions Receiving Yardage Touchdown Receptions
(1) Ricky Proehl 188 Ricky Proehl 2,949 Ricky Proehl 25
(2) Thabiti Davis 156 Todd Dixon 2,466 Todd Dixon 24
(3) James Brim 153 Wayne Baumgardner 2,431 Red O'Quinn 22
(4) DESMOND CLARK 151 James Brim 2,040 Kenny Duckett 19
(5) John Henry Mills146 Red O'Quinn 1,990 Wayne Baumgardner 13
(6) Wayne Baumgardner141 DESMOND CLARK 1,897 Greg Scales
(7) Thabiti Davis 12
James Brim
(9) DESMOND CLARK 11
ANOTHER THREAT THROUGH THE AIR - Of course, Desmond Clark is not the only weapon available in the Wake Forest receiving corps. Junior JAMMIE DEESE enters 1998 looking to build on a sophomore season in which he ranked 6th in the ACC with 54 catches. He also was 10th in the league in receiving yardage (697 yds).
Did you know that Deese begins his junior season with only one pass reception less than Desmond Clark began his junior campaign a year ago? Deese presently has 84 career catches. Clark opened 1997 with 85 before his record-setting performance (72, a new Wake Forest single season mark) last fall.
BIGGER THAN EVER - When Coach Jim Caldwell took over the Wake Forest football program in 1993, there was not a single player on the roster listed at 300 pounds. As the Demon Deacons prepare for the 1998 season, they have 11 individuals who tip the scales at that weight or higher.
That group includes the entire projected starting offensive line, which averages a svelte 311 pounds per man with center MARLON CURTIS (301 lbs), guards BRIAN WOLVERTON (310) and SAM SETTAR (328), and tackles JEFF FLOWE (310) and WILLIE LAM (305). The second-unit offensive interior could be even bulkier with TODD HOLLOWELL (341) and MICHAEL COLLINS (333) available there.
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD - One of the leading performers on the Wake Forest defensive unit this fall is one of the few Demon Deacons with Colorado connections. He is starting linebacker DUSTIN LYMAN, who led the '97 Deacs in tackles (91), sacks (7) and pass breakups (8). Lyman attended Fairview High School in Boulder.
Backup punter ZAC ZIEGLER, a non-scholarship student-athlete, is the only other Deacon player from Colorado, but he'll be even closer to home when Wake visits Air Force since he attended Libery High School in Colorado Springs.
The Demon Deacon coaching staff also has some Colorado ties with assistant coach BOBBY KENNEDY, who was born and raised in Boulder where he began his coaching career at Boulder High after graduating from Northern Colorado.
TURNOVER TRAVAILS - If the Demon Deacons are indeed to improve on last year's 5-6 record, they will likely have to do a much better job in the area of turnovers (both forced and committed). Last season the Demon Deacons committed 31 turnovers (15 lost fumbles, 16 interceptions) while forcing only 16 (7 fumbles, 9 interceptions) by the opposition. That's a not-so-good negative 15 result in that important category, a figure that ranked 104th out of 112 teams in 1997.
PHYSICAL UPDATE - Standout linebacker KELVIN MOSES will miss the Air Force game after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to relieve irritation in his left knee on August 21st. He is expected to be out of action for three to six weeks. Quarterback BRIAN KUKLICK also was slowed by a sprained knee during preseason, sustaining that injury on August 20th, and was out one full week before returning.
As of this writing (August 28), the only other Deacon who is questionable for the Air Force game is reserve safety DAVID MOORE, who is suffering from a bruised shoulder. Moore is one of the Deacs' top special teams players, leading the squad with 18 tackles in that department last season.