Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Opens 1999 Season At Army
9/5/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 5, 1999
The Game: Wake Forest (0-0) and Army (0-0) meet in the season opener for both squads Sept. 11 at noon at Michie Stadium (39,929) in West Point, NY. Both teams are coming off 3-8 seasons in 1998. The game is a matchup of two of the smallest Division I schools among the NCAA ranks. Wake Forest has a current undergraduate enrollment of 3,836 while the United States Military Academy has an enrollment of 4,000.
The Exposure: Saturday?s Wake Forest at Army game will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net. Barry Tompkins (play-by-play) and former UCLA quarterback David Norrie (color) will call all of the action. The game will be carried in the southern United States by Fox Sports Net South, Home Team Sports and The Sunshine Network.
The Angle: Since switching to a wishbone offense in 1984, Army has never been ranked lower than seventh nationally in rushing over the last 15 seasons. Last year?s Cadet offense led the nation in rushing with an average of 293.8 yards per game. Last season Wake Forest finished last in the Atlantic Coast Conference by allowing 187.2 rushing yards per game.
Lid Lifters: Wake Forest owns an all-time record of 46-48-3 in season openers. The Deacons have won two of their last three season openers and are 2-4 under seventh-year coach Jim Caldwell in season debuts. This year?s opener is the latest by a Wake Forest squad since the 1991 season when Wake Forest started its campaign on Sept. 14. Last season Air Force defeated Wake Forest 42-0 in the Deacons? season opener. The 1999 season is the 98th in Wake Forest history. The Demon Deacons began playing football in 1888 but did not field a team in 1890, 1894 and 1896-1907.
Against Army: Saturday?s game is the 10th in the series between Wake Forest and Army. The Demon Deacons lead the all-time series 5-4, including victories in the last three meetings and five of the last six encounters. The two teams last met on Oct. 1, 1994 when Wake Forest defeated the Cadets 33-27. Jim Caldwell owns a 1-0 record against Army while the Cadets? Bob Sutton is 0-2 versus Wake Forest.
Against the Academies: The service academies have frequently been featured on Wake Forest?s schedule the past few years. This year?s contest with Army marks the ninth time in the last 11 years the Demon Deacons have faced either Army, Navy or Air Force. Wake Forest owns an 8-7 combined record against the three service academies (Air Force 0-1, Army 5-4, Navy 3-2).
Last Time vs. Army: Trailing 27-23 after three quarters, Wake Forest rallied to score 10 fourth-quarter points to guide the Demon Deacons to a 33-27 victory against Army on Oct. 1, 1994. The game was an explosive offensive affair as the two teams combined for 915 yards. Wake Forest took advantage of a pair of Army fumbles in the final period to set up a 14-yard TD run by QB Rusty LaRue and a 33-yard field goal by Bill Hollows. LaRue keyed the Deacon victory by passing for 262 yards and a pair of scores, completing 23 of 32 pass attempts. LaRue also rushed for 56 yards. Sherron Gudger carried 26 times for 100 yards and one score as the Deacons mustered 234 rushing yards. Army?s wishbone attack accounted for 374 rushing yards on 59 carries. Donald Ross was responsible for 121 of Army?s rushing yards, including one score.
Next Week: Wake Forest stays on the road next week for its ACC opener at Virginia. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST at Scott Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN2. Virginia currently owns a 15-game winning streak against Wake Forest, dating back to the 1984 season.
Injury Report: Wake Forest will be without several players for the season opener vs. Army. Senior linebacker Dustin Lyman is out after suffering a knee injury (MCL) during fall camp. Senior inside linebacker Kelvin Moses is doubtful. He is still not at full speed while recovering from knee surgery from last September. Moses was granted a sixth year of eligibility to play this year. Senior linebacker Abdul Guice is out after suffering a strained knee Sept. 1. He will miss three to six weeks due to the injury. Senior running back Kito Gary is doubtful due to a strained hamstring suffered during fall camp.
Head Coach Jim Caldwell: Jim Caldwell is in his seventh season as the head coach at Wake Forest. His career record stands at 17-49. A native of Beloit, Wisc., Caldwell graduated from Iowa in 1977 with a degree in English literature. He played four seasons for the Hawkeyes as a defensive back. Caldwell?s coaching career includes assistant coaching stints at Iowa (1977), Southern Illinois (1978-80), Northwestern (1981), Colorado (1982-84), Louisville (1985) and Penn State (1986-92). He presently is chairman of the American Football Coaches Association Ethics Committee and is a member of that organization?s Board of Trustees.
Caldwell Makes the Call: Seventh-year Wake Forest head coach Jim Caldwell takes on a unique role this fall on the coaching staff. In addition to his duties as head coach, he has also taken on the added responsibilities of being the team?s offensive coordinator. Caldwell will call the plays from the sidelines and script the play chart for each game. Caldwell?s explanation: ?I?m doing it primarily because I want to have more influence on how we go about trying to win.? Quarterbacks coach Jamie Barresi and offensive line coach George Belu assist Caldwell with the day-to-day duties usually assigned to the offensive coordinator.
Family Affair: Wake Forest football is a family affair for head coach Jim Caldwell. His oldest son, Jimmy, is a sophomore wide receiver for the Demon Deacons. Last season Jimmy lettered as a redshirt freshman, catching three passes for 48 yards. His most important assignment on the team is serving as the holder on special teams for kicker Matthew Burdick, a role he also held with Burdick at Mount Tabor High School, where the two were teammates.
New on the Staff: Two new names appear on the Wake Forest coaching directory this season. Gerald Carr is in his first season coaching the Deacons? wide receivers, while Diron Reynolds joined the staff on a full-time basis this past February as the outside linebackers coach. Carr, a native of Davidson, NC, played quarterback at Southern Illinois when Jim Caldwell was as assistant coach. Carr is no stranger to the ACC. He was an assistant coach at North Carolina from 1992-1994. Reynolds worked as a graduate assistant the past two years at Wake Forest. He was a four-time letterman at WFU from 1990-94.
Homecomings: The Wake Forest roster includes a number of players from either New York or New Jersey. Here?s the breakdown: Tehran Carpenter (Amityville, NY), Elliot Ivey (Cazenovia, NY), Matt Brennie (Highlands, NY), James Lik (New Hyde Park, NY), Dan Bradley (Silver Creek, NY), Sam Settar (Marlton, NJ), Mike Koch (Medford, NJ), Ira Williams (Montclair, NJ), Jax Landfried (Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ), Chris Blank (Sewell, NJ) and John Stone (Somers Point, NJ).
Depth Finder: Wake Forest enters the 1999 season boasting a 100-man roster that includes 29 seniors. It should come as no surprise then that the Demon Deacons? depth chart is also loaded with seniors. Here is a breakdown by class: Seniors (20), Juniors (6), Sophomores (16), Redshirt Freshmen (7), Freshmen (3).
More on the Numbers: Wake Forest returns 50 lettermen from last year?s team. That total includes six returning starters on offense and eight returning starters on defense. Place kicker Matthew Burdick also returns. The Deacon roster includes 24 fifth-year seniors.
Who?s Gone: Wake Forest has several large roles to replace in 1999, including the school?s all-time passer and receiver. Among the biggest losses are quarterback Brian Kuklick and wide receiver Desmond Clark. Kuklick leaves after passing for 8,017 yards (fourth all-time in ACC history) and 44 touchdowns (both school records) during his career. Clark caught a school-record 216 passes during his four-year stint as a Deacon. That total ranks as the ACC?s all-time receptions record. Safety Jeffrey Muyres also graduated after finishing second last year with 71 tackles. Punter Tripp Moore, second in the ACC at 42.9 ypp. in ?98, is also gone. Last season?s senior class included 13 members (10 on scholarship) who combined for 301 starts during their careers. Here?s a look at the returning starters and their cumulative career starts: LB Kelvin Moses (33), DT Fred Robbins (32), OG Brian Wolverton (28), FS DaLawn Parrish (25), WR Jammie Deese (22), OG Sam Settar (22), LB Dustin Lyman (21), RB Morgan Kane (19), CB Reggie Austin (15), DE Kelvin Jones (15, LB Abdul Guide (11), DE Mat Petz * (10), DT Kelvin Shackleford (10), DE Bryan Ray (9), DT Clint Wilburn (9), OT Marlon Curtis (7), OT Michael Collins (6), RB Kito Gary (5), OT Willie Lam (5), C Vince Azzolina (4), SS David Moore (4), DT Nathan Bolling (3), WR Marvin Chalmers (3), QB Ben Sankey (2), TE James Lik (1), DT Rufus Taylor (1). * Ineligible in 1999.
Petz Out: Wake Forest will be without junior defensive end Mat Petz for the 1999 season after he was declared academically ineligible. Last season Petz accounted for 61 tackles and had 15 tackles for loss and six sacks. His tackles for loss total was the third best in the ACC in 1998. Petz will continue to practice with the team this year and can regain his eligibility for the 2000 season.
Deacons with Diplomas: The Wake Forest roster includes eight players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees and are enrolled in graduate programs. Six current fifth-year seniors graduated this past May and two others completed their undergraduate degrees during the summer. The list of grads includes QB Dan Bradley (Communications), PK Matthew Burdick (Education), LB Abdul Guice (Sociology), LB Kelvin Moses (Communications), DB DaLawn Parrish (History), QB Ben Sankey (History), TE Ben Stafford (Sociology) and OL Brian Wolverton (Communications). Burdick was able to complete his undergraduate degree this summer, less than three full years after he enrolled at the University.
Academic Excellence: Part of the Wake Forest Football tradition is excellence in the classroom. Last year, the University was again recognized by the American Football Coaches Association for having one of the top graduation rates in the nation. Wake Forest was one of 25 schools to receive ?Honorable Mention? status for having graduated 70% or more of the freshman class that entered school in 1993. The honor marks the eighth time in the last nine years that WFU has been among the top institutions nationally in this survey, including 1995 when the Demon Deacons tied for the best graduation rate in the country. This summer the NCAA released its annual graduation rates reports and Wake Forest sported a 67 percent grad rate for its class that entered in 1992. That was 17 percent higher than the national average of 50 percent for football players entering in the fall of 1992. The University?s overall graduation rate for all of its student-athletes was 69 percent, well above the national average of 58 percent.
Bachelor Degree: Senior linebacker Abdul Guice picked up an impressive preseason honor this summer, but it did not come in the annual rankings by the likes of The Sporting News, Street & Smith, Athlon's, Lindy?s or any of the other annual football yearbook publications. Guice was named the most eligible bachelor in North Carolina by Cosmopolitan Magazine in its July ?All About Men? issue. Guice?s neighbor, Ryan Smith, saw an advertisement in the magazine and submitted his nomination. She wrote a paragraph about him and included a photo from Guice?s modeling portfolio. Guice, a Taurus, enjoys cooking and writes poetry (Maya Angelou is his favorite poet). As part of his listing, Guice?s mailing address was included in the magazine and he has several dozen letters inquiring about his bachelor status. The attention has earned him a new nickname among his teammates, "Cosmo." Guice is currently sidelined for 3-6 weeks with a strained knee he suffered during preseason drills.
Sankey?s Turn: Senior Ben Sankey takes over the starting quarterback duties for the Demon Deacons in 1999. Sankey has two career starts to his credit (at Rutgers, at Florida State), both coming in the final two games of the 1997 season. Here?s the line on Sankey:
Year G-S Comp Att Pct Yds TD Int Lg 1996 5-0 13 30 43.3 180 1 0 29 1997 6-2 54 93 58.1 606 1 5 43 1998 5-0 38 58 65.5 468 4 2 61 Totals 16-2 105 181 58.0 1254 6 7 61
Parrish the Thought: Senior DaLawn Parrish returns this year after finishing the 1998 season as the top tackler for the Demon Deacons. The Columbia, MD, product made 75 stops on the year as a starter in all 11 contests. He played most of the season at safety, but when injuries decimated the team?s linebacking corps, he moved to outside linebacker for the final four games. Parrish?s 59 unassisted tackles were also a team-high. He ranked third on the squad in tackles-for-loss with 10 (for a negative 33 yards). Parrish was named ?ACC Defensive Back of the Week? following Wake Forest?s win at Maryland, in which his interception clinched that 20-10 victory. This year Parrish has a chance to earn All-ACC Academic honors for a fourth consecutive year. If he is so recognized, he will become just the fourth student-athlete in ACC to earn that distinction.
Deese Takes Aim: Despite the fact the top receiver in ACC history has graduated, Wake Forest could once again have one of the top receiving tandems in the ACC in 1999. Gone from last year?s squad is Desmond Clark, who set WFU and ACC career records with 216 receptions. But last season, Clark was not even the Deacons? top pass catcher. That distinction went to junior wide receiver Jammie Deese, who finished second in the ACC with 68 receptions. That total equaled the second-best receiving year ever by a Wake Forest player. Only Clark?s 72 receptions in 1997 was better. Deese is joined in the receiving corps by senior Marvin Chalmers, who totaled 31 catches for 438 yards last year. Deese enters his senior campaign with 152 career receptions and 1,904 career receiving yards and a chance to eclipse several school receiving marks. Here?s where Deese stands on WFU?s passing lists:
WFU Career Receiving Leaders
Player Receptions 1. Desmond Clark (1995-98) 216 2. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 188 3. Thabiti Davis (1994-97) 161 4. James Brim (1983-86) 153 5. Jammie Deese (1996-99) 152
WFU Career Reception Yardage Leaders
Player Yards 1. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 2,949 2. Desmond Clark (1995-98) 2,834 3. Todd Dixon (1990-93) 2,466 4. Wayne Baumgardner (1979-81) 2,432 5. James Brim (1983-86) 2,040 6. Red O?Quinn (1946-49) 1,990 7. Jammie Deese (1996-98) 1,904
Deese on Biletnikoff List: Senior wide receiver Jammie Deese has been named to the ?Watch List? for the 1999 Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation?s top collegiate receiver. During the season, updates on the players considered for the award can be found on the internet at www.biletnikoffaward.com. Here?s a look at the players on this year?s ?Watch List?: Plaxico Burress (Michigan State), Kwame Cavil (Texas), Chris Coleman (NC State), JaJuan Dawson (Tulane), Jammie Deese (Wake Forest), Ron Dugans (Florida State), Danny Farmer (UCLA), Matt Farmer (Air Force), Chafie Fields (Penn State), Larry Foster (LSU), Sherrod Gideon (Southern Mississippi), Damien Grace (Iowa State), Ibn Green (Louisville), Latef Grim (Pittsburgh), Tony Hartley (Oregon), Trevor Insley (Nevada), Arnold Jackson (Louisville), Jerrian James (Houston), Luke Leverson (Minnesota), Aaron Lockett (Kansas State), Anthony Lucas (Arkansas), Wendell Montgomery (Wyoming), Santana Moss (Miami), Dennis Northcutt (Arizona), Damon Savage (Tulsa), Gari Scott (Michigan State), R. Jay Soward (USC), Quinton Spotwood (Syracuse), Nian Taylor (Washington State), Travis Taylor (Florida), Troy Walters (Stanford), Peter Warrick (Florida State), Dez White (Georgia Tech).
Speed Demons: Four members of the Wake Forest football program made a tremendous impact during the 1999 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, winning league three league titles last spring. Wide receiver John Stone was involved in all three championships, capturing the 100- and 200-meter sprints and then combining with Reggie Austin (who was second in the 100), Jammie Deese and Chris Justice to win the conference crown in the 4x100 meter relay. Deese, who was looking for a full day of activity last April 17th, drove from Clemson (site of the ACC Championships) back to Winston-Salem that afternoon and arrived in time to catch a touchdown pass in the Deacons? Spring Game in Groves Stadium.
Burdick Gets His Kicks: Wake Forest senior Matthew Burdick has established himself as one of the nation?s top kickers. Last season he was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, presented to the nation?s top kicker. If Burdick is as consistent has he has been the past two years, he?ll be a contender for the award again this year. Burdick has converted 30 of 44 field goal attempts during his career, including 21 of 23 (.913) from inside the 40-yard line. Burdick has made 52 of 55 PATs during his career and was 24 of 25 last year in that statistic. In 1997, Burdick booted 15 field goals, just one shy of the Wake Forest single-season record of 16 set by Wilson Hoyle in 1987. Last season Burdick booted a 53-yard field goal against Appalachian State to tie the school record for longest kick. Burdick?s career point total (142) finds him ninth on the WFU career list heading into his senior season. His 30 career field goals is seven shy of Hoyle?s career mark of 37. Here?s a look at Burdick on some Deacon career lists:
WFU Career Scoring Leaders
Player Points 1. Wilson Hoyle (1986-89) 230 2. Michael Ramseur (1982-85) 194 3. James McDougald (1976-79) 192 4. Larry Russell (1969-71) 180 5. Ricky Proehl (1986-89) 174 6. Mike Green (1990-93) 160 7. Todd Dixon (1990-93) 158 8. Phil Denfeld (1979-82) 154 9. Matthew Burdick (1996-99) 142
WFU Career Field Goals Leaders
Player FGs 1. Wilson Hoyle (1986-89) 37 2. Mike Green (1990-93) 34 3. Matthew Burdick (1996-99) 30 4. Phil Denfeld (1979-82) 23 4. Bill Hollows (1994-96) 23
In Remembrance: Wake Forest senior kicker Matthew Burdick plans on sporting a black armband this season in memory of his older brother, Bryon, who died of leukemia in 1989.
First-Timers: Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell has indicated that three true freshman could see action early in the season. Highly-touted quarterback C.J. Leak is competing with redshirt freshman James MacPherson for the backup quarterback position. Injuries in the backfield and at linebacker have Tarence Williams as the backup at running back and Jamaal Argrow is a backup at inside linebackers. Last season Wake Forest redshirted all 14 members of its freshman class and only four players on the current roster have not redshirted during their careers.
The Versatile Mr. Kane: Senior running back Morgan Kane fully expected to play fullback for Wake Forest during his senior year. He was switched to the position this season after leading the Deacons with 454 yards from the tailback spot last year. Instead, Kane goes into the season opener back at his old position due to a series of nagging injuries at the tailback spot. Kane currently ranks 18th on Wake Forest?s all-time rushing list with 1,389 career yards.
Already an ACC Champion: Wake Forest redshirt punter Matt Brennie can already lay claim to being a member of an ACC championship team. Last season Brennie was on the roster of Wake Forest?s baseball squad that won its second consecutive league crown. A knee injury forced Brennie to redshirt the season. He is expected back on the Diamond Deacons? squad this spring as an outfielder.
The Settar Streak: Wake Forest senior strong guard Sam Settar is one of college football?s ironmen. Settar enters Saturday?s Army game having played every offensive down for the Deacons over the past two seasons. Since joining the starting lineup in 1997 as a sophomore, Settar has participated in 1,590 consecutive offensive plays, a streak covering 22 games. In 1997 he participated in 786 offensive plays and upped that total to 804 last fall. Settar?s Ripken-like streak almost came to an end last season in the season finale at Georgia Tech. During halftime, a cut on his knee required him to receive stitches from the Deacon training staff. As soon as the last stitch was in place, Settar bolted from the lockerroom and went straight onto the field for Wake Forest?s first offensive play. The Demon Deacons? other guard, senior Brian Wolverton, also never took a break during the 1998 campaign. He now has a string of consecutive plays that dates back to the fourth period of the East Carolina game in 1997 (20 straight contests).
The Redbird Factor: What does Illinois State have to do with Saturday?s game between Wake Forest and Army? The athletic directors from both schools headed up the athletic program at Illinois State before accepting their current positions. Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman worked as the AD at Illinois State from 1987 to 1992. Wellman was succeeded by Rick Greenspan, who worked as the Redbirds' AD until joining Army this year.
A Cameron Legend: Sophomore linebacker Ed Kargbookorogie hopes to make as big of a bang of the field for the Deacons this season as he did last year on the basketball court. Kargbookorogie has already gained legendary status at Duke?s Cameron Indoor Stadium among the Cameron Crazies. Last year, as a walkon member of the Demon Deacons' basketball team, Kargbookorogie was taunted by the Duke fans during pregame warmups that he could not dunk. He responded by bouncing the ball off of the backboard and dunking it so hard that he shattered the backboard and delayed the start of the nationally-televised game by 23 minutes.
Consecutive Starts: Several Deacon players have long consecutive starting streaks heading into the Army contest. Here?s a look at the list: DT Fred Robbins (28), OG Brian Wolverton (28), WR Jammie Deese (22), FS DaLawn Parrish (22), OG Sam Settar (22), CB Reggie Austin (12).
Wake Forest/ISP Radio Network: Wake Forest football games are broadcast on WXII NewsRadio 830-AM and WBRF 98.1-FM. Calling the action for the Deacons is Stan Cotten while Mike Pratapas and Ed Bradley serve as co-analysts. Games are also included on the ISP?s lineup of Radio Network Affiliates that includes WBHN AM-1590 (Bryson City), WCSL AM-1590 (Cherryville), WEGO AM-1410 (Concord/Charlotte), WGNC AM-1450 (Gastonia), WKTE AM-1090 (King), WLNC AM-1300 (Laurinburg), WLXN AM-1440 (Lexington), WLON AM-1050 (Lincolnton), WRMT AM-1490 (Rocky Mount), WSAT 1280-AM (Salisbury), WOHS AM-730 (Shelby), WSVM AM-1490 (Valdese) and WLAQ AM-1420 (Wilson).
Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive: The annual ?Run with the Deacs? fun run and race to raise money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive will be held Friday, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m. at Wake Forest. Entry fee is $10.00. This year?s event marks the 12th year of the student-initiated Piccolo Drive with over $435,000 previously raised. For information call the WFU Student Development Office at (336) 758-5921. The Wake Forest men?s basketball team, including head coach Dave Odom, will participate in this year?s run.
1999 Deacon Schedule
September 11 at Army Noon * 18 at Virginia 7 p.m. # 25 NC STATE Noon & October 2 RUTGERS 9 MARYLAND 16 at Florida State 23 UAB 30 CLEMSON November 6 at North Carolina 13 at Duke 20 GEORGIA TECH * Fox Sports Net # ESPN 2 & JP Sports
1999 ACC Standings
ACC Overall
W L W L
Virginia 1 0 1 0
North Carolina 0 1 0 1
NC State 0 0 2 0
Florida State 0 0 1 0
Maryland 0 0 1 0
Georgia Tech 0 0 1 0
Duke 0 0 0 0
Wake Forest 0 0 0 0
Clemson 0 0 0 1
The ACC This Week
September 11
Wake Forest at Army
William & Mary at NC State
Western Carolina at Maryland
Georgia Tech at Florida State
Virginia at Clemson
North Carolina at Indiana
Duke at East Carolina
Next Week in the ACC
September 18
Wake Forest at Virginia
William & Mary at NC State
Western Carolina at Maryland
Georgia Tech at Florida State
Virginia at Clemson
