Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons To Host Tar Heels Saturday Night
9/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 3, 2000
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest, looking for a fresh start after a 20-16 loss last Thursday to Appalachian State, hosts North Carolina Saturday in the ACC opener for both teams (6:38 p.m. kickoff/no TV).
The Deacons saw leads of 3-0 and 10-7 slip away in last week's loss to the Mountaineers. The Wake defense, which was on the field for nearly 38 minutes, forced four ASU turnovers, but the offense was limited to 181 yards of total offense.
North Carolina, 1-0, opened its season last Saturday with a 30-9 win over visiting Tulsa at Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels were led by quarterback Ronald Curry, who produced 261 yards of offense.
Wake Forest won last year's meeting, 19-3 on Nov. 6, 1999 in Chapel Hill. The win snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Tar Heels.
The Deacons look to avoid an 0-2 start for the first time since 1995 and hope to win their ACC opener for the second time in three years.
A Quick Look At The Deacons
Wake Forest has one of the nation's youngest rosters. Just five starters - including punter Matt Brennie - returned from a 7-5 team that won the Jeep Aloha Bowl last season. The Deacons started just three seniors in last Thursday's loss to Appalachian State.
The Deacon special teams got off to a good start last week. Junior John Stone, one of the nation's top kick returners, recorded an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Appalachian State. Placekicker Tyler Ashe booted a career-best 50-yard field goal.
On offense, sophomore quarterback C.J. Leak made his career starting debut. He completed 10-of-21 passes for 126 yards and two interceptions. Sophomore tailback Tarence Williams led the Deacs in rushing with 43 yards on 13 carries and another sophomore back, Jamie Scott, rushed for a five-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Wake defense, which features just one returning starter (DE Bryan Ray), forced four Mountaineer turnovers. Linebacker Ed Kargbookorogie and junior cornerback Chris Justice each recorded interceptions. Nathan Bolling and Masonori Toguchi each came up with fumble recoveries. Juniors Tehran Carpenter and Michael Clinkscale led Wake with eight tackles each.
A Quick Look At The Tar Heels
Ronald Curry, playing in his first game since rupturing an Achilles' tendon last season, completed 12-of-22 passes for 192 yards and rushed for 69 yards more to lead UNC to a 30-9 win over visiting Tulsa last Saturday in Chapel Hill.
Freshman Willie Parker ran for two touchdowns and Jamal Jones scored on a 55-yard reception against the Golden Hurricane. Jeff Reed added two field goals and Chris Bender kicked a third for the Tar Heels.
The UNC defense limited Tulsa to just 19 yards rushing.
Carolina returns a strong nucleus from last year's 3-8 team. Back this season are 47 letterwinners and 15 starters.
Wake-UNC One Of Nation's Oldest Rivalries
Wake Forest and North Carolina will meet for the 97th time Saturday.
Only one other ACC rivalry - North Carolina vs. Virginia (104 meetings) - has been played more often (Clemson has played former ACC member South Carolina 97 times).
Nationally, the WFU-UNC series is the 16th-most frequently played series in college football.
Head Coach Jim Caldwell
Wake Forest head coach Jim Caldwell (Iowa '77) enters his eighth season with the Demon Deacons.
Caldwell, who took over the head coaching position at Wake Forest in 1993, has compiled a career record of 24-54.
The former assistant coach under Joe Paterno at Penn State has compiled some notable achievements during his tenure:
- Last fall, Wake Forest recorded a winning season (7-5) and earned a postseason bowl bid for the first time since 1992.
- In 1999, the Deacons defeated two nationally-ranked teams for the first time since 1979, topping No. 25 NC State and No. 14 Georgia Tech.
- Wake Forest has won back-to-back nationally-televised games on ESPN's Thursday night telecasts, defeating NC State in 1997 and Navy in 1998.
- Caldwell teams have won twice in Clemson's famed "Death Valley." Prior to Caldwell's arrival, Wake had won just once in that stadium since 1950.
- In both 1996 and 1997, Wake Forest stepped out of the ACC and recorded wins over nationally-ranked Northwestern, including a win over the defending Big Ten champions in 1996.
- Wake Forest was ranked among the top 35 teams in the nation in every defensive category in 1999.
- In 1995, WFU quarterback Rusty LaRue established seven NCAA passing records.
- In 1998, senior Desmond Clark became the all-time leading pass receiver in ACC history.
WFU One Of Nation's Youngest Teams
Notes on Wake Forest's youthful 98-man roster:
- Including kicking specialists, Wake Forest returns just five starters off of last year's 7-5 team that won the Jeep Aloha Bowl. According to Sports Illustrated, that's the fewest returning starters in Division I-A. Air Force, with seven returnees, ranks second.
- Eleven Deacons made their first ever start last Thursday against Appalachian State, including six on offense. Ray Thomas (TE), Chris Blank (LT), Tim Bennett (RG), Ira Williams (WR), C.J. Leak (QB), Montique Sharpe (DT), Michael Clinkscale (SS), Chris Justice (CB), Nick Bender (LB) and Calvin Pace (DE) all made their first career start last week.
- Just three seniors were in the starting lineup in the season opener - Chris Blank (LT), Bryan Ray (DE) and Nick Bender (LB).
- There are just 11 seniors on the roster.
John Stone Leads Nation In Kickoff Returns After 88-Yarder Last Week
Junior wide receiver John Stone is not only one of the fastest players in college football - he is a former 100- and 200-meter ACC champion - but he's also one of the top kick returners.
Last season Stone ranked third nationally in kickoff returns (29.9 yards per return). And he has picked up right where he ended last season. He currently leads the nation in kickoff return yardage.
In last week's season opener against Appalachian State, Stone returned two kickoffs for 99 yards including an 88-yard TD return in the first quarter. Stone now has returned kickoffs for touchdowns twice in his career.
Ashe Begins Year With 50-Yard Field Goal
Junior placekicker Tyler Ashe, who has replaced Matthew Burdick this season with the kicking chores, began the 2000 season by scoring Wake Forest's first points on a 50-yard field goal.
Ashe, who entered this season with just three prior field goal attempts, put Wake Forest on the board early in the first quarter last week with a 50-yard field goal.
The 50-yarder was not only a career-best (his previous career long was 46 yards), it tied for the sixth-longest field goal in Wake Forest history.
Deacons Employ Tailback-By-Committee
Last season Morgan Kane was a workhorse for Wake Forest, carrying the ball 275 times for 1,161 yards.
With Kane out of the loop (recently cut by the Carolina Panthers), the Deacons are using two sophomores (Tarence Williams and Jamie Scott) and a true freshman (Fred Staton) in a rotation. Senior Chris McCoy will likely be added to the committee when he returns from a team suspension next week. Williams led the Deacs last week against Appalachian State with 43 yards on 13 carries. Scott had five carries for 10 yards and the first rushing TD by a WFU tailback other than Kane since 1998.
That's Karg-bo-ohkor-jee To You
Junior linebacker Ed Kargbookorogie may have a difficult name to pronounce, but if his 2000 debut is an indication, he has a name that people will remember. Playing the "demon" position (outside linebacker), "Kargbo" had two tackles for loss including a 5-yard sack, his first career interception (and 13-yard return) and another pass deflection.
Kargbo enjoyed a solid sophomore season in a reserve role, but was perhaps best known for shattering a backboard at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium in 1999 while playing for the WFU hoops team.
A Look Back At Last Year's 19-3 Wake Forest Win Over North Carolina
November 6, 1999 - Wake Forest's defense held North Carolina to just 131 yards of total offense, including 12 yards rushing, as the Deacons spoiled North Carolina's homecoming with a 19-3 victory in Chapel Hill.
The 131 yards of total offense was the fewest allowed by a WFU team since 1961. Placekicker Matthew Burdick accounted for 13 of Wake's 19 points, connecting on a career-best 4-of-4 field goal attempts and an extra point to earn ACC Specialist of the Week honors. Burdick got Wake on the board with a 47-yard field goal in the first quarter, but UNC countered with a 48-yard field goal of its own in the second period.
Wake took the lead for good with an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, keyed by several big plays by quarterback Ben Sankey.
The Deacs finished with 257 yards of total offense, including 181 from Sankey. Linebacker Kelvin Moses had 10 tackles and one sack. Wake dominated possession time (36:45) and did not allow Carolina in the red zone all day.
Wake Forest-North Carolina Connections
- UNC wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer is a 1987 Wake Forest graduate. He served on the Deacon coaching staff for two years following graduation.
- Two current Wake Forest assistant coaches - offensive coordinator Eddie Williamson and linebackers coach Mel Foels - previously worked as assistant coaches at North Carolina. Williamson was a Carolina assistant from 1993-97. Foels was with the Heels from 1980-83.
- Williamson was on the same Carolina staff with then-assistant coach Carl Torbush, who is now the Tar Heel head coach.
- Williamson was a graduate assistant coach at Furman in 1974 and 1975 when current UNC assistant Robbie Caldwell played for the Purple Paladins.
- Wake Forest football trainer Don Steelman is a UNC graduate and previously worked nine seasons with the Tar Heels.
- Coach Jim Caldwell's son, Jermaine, attends North Carolina.
WFU-UNC Player Ties
- Wake freshman tailback Fred Staton and UNC junior wide receiver Richard Bohart both played at West Charlotte High School.
- Deacon placekicker Kevin Church and Tar Heel defensive back David McIntosh are both from Brentwood (Tenn.).
- WFU running back Chris McCoy and UNC kicker Conrad Graham both played at Winston-Salem's R.J. Reynolds High School.
- Wake's Tarence Williams and R.D. Montgomery and Carolina's Kitwana Jones are all graduates of Wilmington's Laney High School.
September 9th In WFU Football History
Wake Forest is 2-2 all-time on the date of September 9th (Saturday's date).
The Deacons last played on this date in 1995 when they lost, 35-9 at Tulane. That game marked the last time WFU played a regular season game on artificial turf (the Deacons played on artificial turf last season in the Jeep Aloha Bowl).
Wake Forest also played on Sept. 9 in 1989 (a 10-15 loss to Appalachian State), 1978 (a 14-0 win over Virginia) and 1972 (a 26-20 victory over Davidson).
Miscellaneous Deacon Notes
- Wake Forest is now 47-49-3 in season openers following last week's loss to Appalachian State. The Deacs are 31-19-1 in season openers at home.
- Wake Forest was one of just 10 schools to participate in postseason play in football, baseball and men's basketball during the 1999-00 academic year. Wake was the only ACC school to achieve that feat.
- Wake Forest football will be represented at the Olympic Games. Former Deac receiver Steve Brown will run for Trinidad and Tobago in the high hurdles.
- Deacon true freshman quarterback Anthony Young (North Augusta, SC) has worked the last two springs during the Masters golf tournament in the Augusta National clubhouse. He has enjoyed the opportunity to meet several of the world's top golfers.
- Kevin Gamble, the biggest Deacon (6-7, 359), is a volunteer fireman.
C.J. Leak: Not Your Ordinary QB
Sophomore quarterback C.J. Leak has been known to watch so much practice and game film that the coaches order him to back off. Walking through campus, you rarely find him without a football in his hand. When asked who his dream date would be, he said, "I only think about football and academics."
That's Leak, who has received a great deal of media and fan attention even though he has started just one college game. But that's understandable considering that Leak turned down offers from Notre Dame and Penn State and was one of the highest-touted high school quarterbacks in the land.
Last year he played sparingly behind senior starter Ben Sankey. This year, he takes over the offense.
"By competitive nature, I wanted to play more last season," Leak said.
"But the coaches definitely made the right decision. Last year allowed me to come along slowly and learn many things."
At 6-4, 231 pounds, Leak is one of the nation's strongest quarterbacks as the list below shows:
Strongest Quarterbacks In Division I-A
Mike Bath (Miami-Ohio) - 425 lb. bench press
Brian Stallworth (La. Tech) - 400
C.J. LEAK (Wake Forest) - 390
Derek Dyer (UL-Lafayette) - 375
Brad Lewis (West Virginia) - 370
Wake Forest In The NCAA Statistics
As a team, Wake Forest ranks third nationally in kickoff return yardage (41.0 yards per return) behind only Syracuse and Mississippi State.
The Deacons are tied for 13th nationally in fumbles recovered (two).
Oklahoma leads the nation after recovering five UTEP fumbles Saturday night.
The Deacs are tied for 10th nationally in interceptions after picking off two Appalachian State passes last week. Kansas State has five interceptions (in two games) to lead the nation.
Individually, John Stone leads the nation in kickoff return yardage (see page two) with an average of 49.5 yards per return. Kicker Tyler Ashe is tied for 17th in the early-going for field goals made per game (1.0).
Also in the very early-going, Ed Kargbookorogie and Chris Justice are tied for third in interceptions (1.0). Junior Adrian Duncan ranks 48th nationally in punt returns (7.33 yards per return).
Two Deacon Opponents In Top 25, Two Other Foes Receiving Votes
Two Wake Forest opponents are ranked in the top 25 of both major polls. Florida State (Nov. 11) is ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. Clemson (Sept. 16) is ranked 17th in the AP poll and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Two other Deacon opponents - Georgia Tech (Oct. 14) and Maryland (Oct. 21) - received votes for the polls.
Wake Forest Injury Update
Sophomore tackle Blake Henry underwent knee surgery in late August and is not expected to return until early October.
Sophomore quarterback/punter James MacPherson, who injured a knee in spring drills, is expected to be back in action by early to mid-October. When MacPherson does return, he is expected to be the back-up to C.J. Leak at quarterback.
Sophomore fullback Ovie Mughelli missed most of the second half of the season opener with a knee injury. His status will be updated Tuesday. Junior safety Michael Clinkscale missed part of the second half last week with a sprained ankle. His status will be updated Tuesday.
A Few Changes On The Coaching Staff
New Deacon offensive coordinator Eddie Williamson is making his second stop at Wake Forest. Williamson, who served as offensive coordinator at Texas Southern last year, served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest in 1991 and 1992. The reigns to the Deacon offense are being turned over to Williamson from head coach Jim Caldwell, who directed the offense last season. Tony Pierce joins the staff as co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach. Pierce and Theo Lemon, the assistant head coach, will serve as co-defensive coordinators in 2000.
John Klacik, who will serve as quarterbacks coach, is the final new face on the staff.
Jamie Barresi switches to coaching wide receivers this season after coaching the quarterbacks in 1999.
Coaching Staff A Veteran Group
The Deacon staff includes six members who previously served as a head coach on the college level.
In addition to Deacon coach Jim Caldwell, co-defensive coordinator Theo Lemon (interim head coach at Kentucky State in 1984), offensive coordinator Eddie Williamson (VMI, 1985-88), co-defensive coordinator Tony Pierce (Oberlin College, 1992-93), Mel Foels (Iowa Wesleyan (1967-72) and assistant athletic director for football operations Bill Faircloth (Catawba, 1973-75) all served as head coaches.
The Caldwells Keep It All In The Family
Junior wide receiver Jimmy Caldwell is a big fan of the Wake Forest head football coach. After all, Jim Caldwell is Jimmy's father.
"Coaching Jimmy has been nothing but a positive experience for me," the eighth-year Deacon head coach said.
Christmas Day, 1999 was a special time for the Caldwell family. Jimmy caught a key touchdown pass that secured a win over Arizona State, helping his dad earn his first ever bowl victory as a head coach.
Jimmy is one of four Caldwell children. Jermaine enters his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina, Jared is a senior at Mount Tabor High School and Natalie begins her sophomore year at Mount Tabor this fall.
Deacons Name 2000 Captains
Senior defenders Nick Bender and Bryan Ray were selected co-captains and senior Mike Koch was named special teams captain earlier this season.
Bender, who is expected to start at one linebacker position, completed his undergraduate studies in the spring and is now attending graduate school. Ray is an emotional leader for the Deacs. One of the most prolific pass-rushers in school history, Ray is an All-American candidate. Koch (pronounced Cook) has been a valuable member of the special teams and a solid reserve for three years. He began his career as a quarterback before moving to linebacker and now works in the secondary.
Five True Freshmen Saw Action In Opener
Five Deacon true freshmen saw action last week against Appalachian State: Fred Staton (RB, Charlotte), Quintin Williams (CB, Goldsboro), Marcus Nesbitt (LB, Clinton, Md.), Kellen Brantley (LB, Miami, Fla.) and Mark Moroz (TE, Welland, Ontario). A sixth true freshman - Tyson Clabo (OT, Knoxville, Tenn.) - is expected to see action this season.
Deacons Enjoy Success In Multiple Sports
- Sophomore wide receiver Fabian Davis finished sixth in the triple jump and ninth in the long jump last spring at the ACC track and field championships.
- Junior wide receiver John Stone has flourished for the Wake Forest track and field team. In 1999 he was the ACC 100- and 200-meter champion, earning the tag of "fastest man in the ACC."
- Junior linebacker Ed Kargbookorogie played part of the 1998-99 basketball season for coach Dave Odom's team. "Kargbo" played sparingly but gained momentary fame when, during pre-game warm-ups, he shattered a backboard at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Wake Forest-NC State Game Will Be On ESPN
Wake Forest's regular season finale, Nov. 25 at NC State, will be televised nationally by ESPN. The game against the Wolfpack kicks off at noon in Carter-Finley Stadium.
All Grass, All The Time
All 11 Wake Forest regular season games this season will be played on grass. The Deacons played on artificial turf last Christmas when they beat Arizona State 23-3 in the Jeep Aloha Bowl in Honolulu. However, WFU hasn't played a regular season game on the artificial stuff since Sept. 9, 1995 at Tulane.
North Of The Border
It's not exactly the Gray Cup and 110-yard fields, but Canada has become a hot recruiting area for Wake Forest. Two Deacon players - sophomore tight end Ray Thomas (Hamilton, Ontario) and freshman tight end Mark Moroz (Welland, Ontario) - call Canada home. Jamie Barresi, WFU's receivers coach, is a Canada native and played at the University of Ottawa.
Nick Bender: The Graduate
Senior linebacker Nick Bender has already earned his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest and will play this season as a graduate student. The education major earned Dean's List honors as an undergraduate.
Video Board New To Groves Stadium
A new video board will be a part of the festivities at Groves Stadium this football season. The board will be used to show replays during the game, highlights, promotions and much more.
Win No. 350 On Horizon
Wake Forest is two wins shy of the 350th victory in the history of the program.
99 Seasons And Counting
Wake Forest is entering its 99th season of football.
