Football Looks For Third Straight Road Victory
11/6/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 6, 2001
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
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WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL NEWS & NOTES
Game #9 * November 10, 2001
Wake Forest (4-4, 2-4 ACC) vs. North Carolina (5-4, 4-2 ACC)
Kenan Stadium (60,000) * Chapel Hill, NC
Kickoff: 12:10 pm
Television: Raycom/Jefferson Pilot (locally on WFMY-TV). Steve Martin and "Doc" Walker call the action, with Mike Hogewood reporting from the sidelines.
Radio: The Wake Forest ISP Sports Network, heard on 19 stations in North Carolina and Virginia. Full station listing is on page five of this package. Voice of the Deacons Stan Cotten calls the play-by-play. Former Deacs Ed Bradley and Mike Pratapas serve as color analysts.
On the Web: The radio broadcast can be heard live over the internet via WFU's homepage: www.wakeforestsports.com
The Series: UNC is Wake Forest's oldest rival, as Saturday's game marks the 98th meeting between the Deacons and the Tar Heels. UNC leads the series 65-30-2 and has won 10 of the last 11 meetings.
The Rankings: UNC dropped out of the rankings after falling to Georgia Tech last Thursday, but is still receiving votes in both polls.
The Coaches: Wake Forest's Jim Grobe is 4-4 in his first season with the Deacs. His career record now stands at 37-37-1 in his seventh season as a head coach. North Carolina head coach John Bunting is 5-4 with the Tar Heels in his first season as a head coach.
Tickets: Contact the UNC ticket office at 919-922-2296.
Officials: Announced on game day.
WAKE FOREST looks for third straight ACC road win in Chapel Hill
Fresh off a 34-30 victory over Virginia, Wake Forest (4-4, 2-4 ACC) plays a second straight ACC road game as it travels down the road to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on North Carolina (5-4, 4-2 ACC) in a 12 noon kickoff at Kenan Stadium.
For the third straight week, Wake Forest football will be shown on TV as JP Sports will broadcast the game to a regional audience (locally on WFMY-TV).
The Demon Deacons have done well as the visiting team lately as they have won their last two road games - both against ACC opponents - with wins over Duke and Virginia. In fact, three of Wake's four wins this year, including the season-opening victory at East Carolina, have been on the road.
A victory over the Tar Heels would give Wake three straight road wins, the most since posting four road victories (at Vanderbilt, Maryland, Duke and Georgia Tech) in the 1992 season.
The Tar Heels return to Chapel Hill after seeing their five-game winning streak halted at Georgia Tech, 28-21, last Thursday. UNC celebrates Homecoming this weekend, as the Wake Forest game marks the first of a three-game homestand that closes out the Tar Heels' regular season.
INJURY update
* Quarterback Anthony Young, who aggravated a partial stress fracture in his right foot at the Duke game on Oct. 13, is being evaluated on a daily basis. His status for this weekend has not been determined.
* Running back Tarence Williams is expected to be back in action this week after spraining his right ankle against Clemson on Oct. 27. Williams traveled and dressed against Virginia, but did not see action.
* Running back Fred Staton suffered a right quad contusion at Virginia and is questionable for action Saturday.
* Defensive back/special teams contributor Daryl Shaw had a left quad contusion against the Cavaliers and his return is also questionable.
* Linebacker Marquis Hopkins suffered a mild concussion at Virginia and will not practice Monday or Tuesday. His status for the UNC game is questionable.
LAST time out
For the fourth week in a row, Wake Forest went down to the wire with its opponent. But this time the Deacs emerged with the victory, defeating Virginia 34-30 in Charlottesville.
The win halted a 17-game winning streak for the Cavaliers against WFU, as the Deacons had not defeated Virginia since 1983 - the year that most of this season's freshman class was born. Ironically, Wake's head coach that year was Al Groh, now head coach of the Cavaliers.
Wake Forest got out to an early 7-0 lead, as Fred Staton, earning his first career start in place of the injured Tarence Williams, scampered in on a four-yard run - his sixth touchdown in five games.
After Cavalier Shernard Newby intercepted a Deacon pass, the ACC's leading receiver, Billy McMullen, caught a 21-yarder from QB Matt Schaub to even the score. Virginia then added a field goal to go up 10-7 after one quarter.
That kick was the first of five field goals that would be all of the game scoring through the first three quarters. WFU's Tyler Ashe added two field goals, including a season-long 38 yarder, while UVa also added two more to own a 16-13 lead heading into the final stanza.
Virginia took a 10-point lead early in the fourth, as quarterback Bryson Spinner found Michael McGrew for a seven-yard strike in the endzone.
Wake Forest used a little trickery on its next drive, as receiver Fabian Davis threw a 45-yard pass to Jason Anderson on an end-around play. The play moved the Deacons to the Virginia 25, setting up a 19 yard touchdown run by third-team running back Nick Burney two plays later.
After the Deacon defense held the Cavaliers on downs on its next drive, Wake Forest took the lead as Davis returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown.
The Deacs appeared to be headed toward a victory as linebacker Ed Kargbo-Okorogie intercepted a Spinner pass on the very next drive, but the Wake offense stalled, giving the Cavaliers the ball back with less than six minutes remaining.
Spinner put the Cavaliers up 30-27 when he found Alvin Pearman with an eight-yard pass for the touchdown.
With less than two minutes remaining, the Deacs were facing a third-and-7 from their own 36. Quarterback James MacPherson found Anderson on a mid-range pass, who turned it into a 64-yard touchdown reception to give the Deacs a 34-30 lead. Virginia could not complete a pass on its final drive, and the Deacs ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
MacPherson completed 11-of-18 passes for 188 yards, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Anderson had five catches for 150 yards, the best performance by a Deacon receiver this season. Staton recorded his first 100-yard rushing game with 151 yards on the ground as Wake Forest had a season-best 481 yards of total offense.
CLOSE calls
Fans have certainly gotten their money's worth at Wake Forest football games this season. Six of Wake's eight games this season have been decided by seven points or less, including five of six ACC games.
After winning by two points (21-19) at East Carolina in the season opener, Wake Forest defeated Appalachian State by 10 points (20-10) in its home opener. The Deacs opened ACC play with a seven-point loss to Maryland (27-20) before suffering its largest margin of defeat of the season at Florida State (48-24). The last four games - all ACC contests - have been decided by a touchdown or less, including a 17-14 loss to NC State, a 42-35 win at Duke, a 21-14 loss to Clemson and a 34-30 win over Virginia.
In the three close losses - Maryland, NC State and Clemson - Wake Forest had the ball with good field position and with a chance to go ahead or even the score late in the game. Two of those situations resulted in interceptions in the endzone.
While the Deacons would obviously like to see better results in the win column, the close games are a sign of improvement over the scores against these same teams last season. Against the six ACC opponents Wake Forest has faced so far this year, it has improved its scoring margin from its 2000 meeting with all six opponents.
MARKED improvement
Wake Forest continues to put up remarkably better numbers than it did through this point last season. The most noticeable difference is in the win-loss column (4-4 this season, compared to 1-7 in 2000). Another improvement is the fact that three of Wake's four losses have been by a touchdown or less, while the Deacs lost games by an average of nearly 23 points last season.
Statistically, the biggest difference has been in rushing offense, where this year the Deacons are averaging over 100 yards more than their output from this point last season (231.8 compared to 127.6). Other key indicators are on defense, as the Deacons are well ahead of last year's pace in tackles-for-loss and interceptions.
GROUND GAME ranks high in ACC, offense puts up big numbers
Although the Deacons boosted their season rushing average with a 248-yard performance at Virginia, the Maryland Terrapins racked up 277 yards against Troy State to bump Wake Forest into second in the ACC rushing statistics. After leading the league for most of the season in that category, the Deacons are now averaging 231. 8 yards per game, just 2.3 yards shy of the Terps (234.1).
The blossoming ground game is a new dimension for the WFU offense, as the Deacons have averaged over 200 yards rushing for the season only three other times since 1951. This season's average is the highest since Wake Forest set a school record for season rushing average in 1971 with 304. 0 yards per game.
Last season, Wake Forest ranked fifth in the ACC in rushing yardage with 150.2 yards per game. This season's average is an improvement from last season of over 81 yards a game.
Wake Forest is also averaging 399.9 yards in total offense, a figure which ranks fifth in the conference and 44th nationally. It is the highest average since the Deacons set a school record with 401.6 yards per game in 1986. Wake Forest has already tallied four 400-yard games in eight outings this season. Compare that to the 2000 season, when it had three 400-yard games the entire year.
DEACON O-LINE stops the sacks
Wake's offensive line is one of the deepest, most talented and experienced position groups in the Deacon lineup. Two senior All-ACC candidates - left guard Michael Collins and center Vince Azzolina - both own 35 career starts, while Azzolina is riding a streak of 34 consecutive starts, dating back to his freshman season. Senior Michael Moosbrugger and junior Blake Henry have split starting nods at right guard. At the tackle spot, sophomore Tyson Clabo has started every game this season at left tackle, while underclassmen David Walters, Tim Bennett and Mark Moroz have split starting duties on the right side. Another senior, Seth Houk, provides depth at guard after starting seven games last season.
The offensive line has obviously been instrumental in Wake's rushing success this season, but the "Hogs" can also take credit for another impressive statistic. Wake Forest leads the ACC in fewest sacks allowed, giving up just 10 sacks (-88 yards) through eight games, a mark that also unofficially ranked 21st nationally.
The effectiveness of the line this season can be attributed to the philosophy of head coach Jim Grobe and offensive coordinator Troy Calhoun. Their gameplan has been to play a number of linemen, keeping legs fresh while providing valuable experience at the same time. The Deacons have played up to 10 different offensive linemen in five games this season (not including three tight ends employed by the Deacs).
HEAD COACH Jim Grobe
The 2001 season marks the debut of new head coach Jim Grobe on the Wake Forest sideline. After opening the 2001 campaign with wins over East Carolina and Appalachian State, Grobe joined an elite group of first-year Deacon coaches. Only six coaches in school history have opened their WFU careers with two straight wins.
Grobe is no stranger to the Atlantic Coast Conference. After beginning his collegiate career at Ferrum Junior College, Grobe went on to the University of Virginia, starting two seasons for the Cavaliers and and earning Academic All-ACC honors. He earned both a bachelor's and master's degree from Virginia.
Grobe came to Winston-Salem from Ohio University, where in six years he resurrected a program that had previously been considered one of the worst in Division I football. Inheriting a team that was winless the previous season, Grobe turned the Bobcats into perennial conference contenders in the MAC and posted a 33-33-1 record during his tenure. Prior to Ohio, Grobe served as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy for 11 years under legendary coach Fisher DeBerry. The Falcons produced a record of 84-50 and went to seven bowl games during Grobe's tenure. He also served as an assistant coach at Marshall (1979-83) after beginning his college coaching career at Emory & Henry.
With a 4-4 mark through his first eight games at Wake Forest, Grobe's career record as a head coach now stands at 37-37-1.
MORE NOTES from the Virginia game
* Wake Forest's early 7-0 lead on the Cavaliers was the first time Wake has led Virginia since a 7-0 lead in the first quarter of the 1997 meeting. Virginia went on to win that game 21-13.
* By halftime, sophomore running back Fred Staton had already reached the 100-yard rushing mark (109). He finished with 151 yards, the second-best performance by a Deacon running back this season. (Tarence Williams had 158 at ECU.) Starting in place of the injured Williams, Staton reached the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career. He tallied 99 yards against Duke three weeks ago.
* Senior kick returner John Stone recorded his longest return of the season - 48 yards - in the second quarter. His previous long of the season was 42 yards.
* Several streaks were kept alive in this game: redshirt freshman Jason Anderson extended his career reception streak to eight games, sophomore running back Fred Staton has scored at least one touchdown in five consecutive games, and senior center Vince Azzolina recorded his 34th consecutive start.
* For the second week in a row, walk-on punter Chris Rolle booted a career-long punt. After punting for 47 yards last week versus Clemson, he recorded a 48-yarder against the Cavaliers in the second quarter of the game.
* Kicker Tyler Ashe attempted his first field goal in five games when he connected on a 20-yarder in the second quarter. He then added a season-long 38 yarder. They were his first attempts since the Maryland game on Sept. 22, and were his fifth and sixth consecutive made field goals. Ashe is now 8-of-10 on the season.
* Fabian Davis' 45-yard pass to Jason Anderson that set up a Wake touchdown in the fourth quarter was the longest completion of the season for the Deacons. The mark didn't last long, however, as Anderson later converted a 64-yard reception from James MacPherson into a touchdown on a third-down play in the fourth-quarter. That completion is the 19th longest completion - as well as the 16th longest TD reception - in school history.
* Fabian Davis' 62-yard punt return for a touchdown was the first Wake Forest punt return for a TD since Todd Dixon had a 74-yarder against Duke in 1993.
* Linebacker Ed Kargbo-Okorogie recorded his third career interception (second of the 2001 season) when he picked off a Bryson Spinner pass in the fourth quarter.
* Jason Anderson's 150 receiving yards were the most by a Deacon receiver this season, surpassing Jax Landfried's previous team high of 90 yards at ECU.
* Wake's 21 fourth-quarter points were the most scored by the Deacons in the final stanza since scoring 21 against Georgia Tech in the final game of the 1998 campaign. Tech won that game, 63-35.
* Wake Forest's 248 rushing yards were the most against Virginia since tallying 254 in 1986.
ON THIS DATE in WFU history
The most common November 10th opponent for WFU football is Duke ... the Deacons and Devils have met seven times on this date, beginning with a 1923 meeting when Duke was called Trinity College ... Wake is 4-3-2 all-time in games played on this date, including a 4-2-1 mark against the Blue Devils ... the only other Nov. 10 opponent has been Virginia Tech ... Wake owns a 0-1-1 mark against the Hokies on this date ... the Deacs have won two straight on Nov. 10, and are playing on this date for the first time since 1984.
TAR HEEL tidbits
* North Carolina has produced one of the biggest in-season turnarounds in 2001. After losing their first three games (to Oklahoma, Texas and Maryland), the Tar Heels rattled off five straight victories, including upsets over Florida State and Clemson in addition to wins over NC State, East Carolina and Virginia. Georgia Tech halted the streak last Thursday, handing UNC a 28-21 loss in Atlanta.
* North Carolina's loss to Georgia Tech means that Wake Forest will be facing an opponent coming off a loss for the sixth straight game. That streak actually began with Florida State coming off its 41-9 loss to the Tar Heels. Wake has posted a 2-3 record against those five opponents.
* North Carolina's defense will be a test for the Demon Deacons. After averaging 399.9 yards per game so far in 2001, Wake will face a Tar Heel unit that ranks second in the league (20th nationally) in total defense, allowing 309.0 yards per game.
* Although the Tar Heels rank last in the ACC in total offense (337.6 ypg), they lead the league in red zone offense, scoring on 22 of 26 trips inside the 20-yard line (84.6 percent). Sixteen of those scores have been touchdowns, equally distributed with eight running and eight passing TDs. UNC has also converted on 6-of-7 field goal attempts inside the red zone. Meanwhile, the Deacons rank sixth in the league in red zone defense, allowing its opponents to score on 26-of-32 trips inside the 20.
* Julius Peppers is the leader of the Carolina defense, as the Lombardi Award semifinalist owns team highs in tackles-for-loss (17), sacks (8.5) and interceptions (3) while totaling 45 tackles on the season.
* Like Wake Forest, North Carolina had been using two quarterbacks until recently. Senior Ronald Curry had been splitting time with redshirt freshman Darian Durant until he injured his hamstring against Clemson two weeks ago. Durant got his first career start against Georgia Tech, and currently leads the team in passing yardage (1,235) and touchdown passes (12).
THE SERIES with North Carolina
The Deacons and Tar Heels will meet for the 98th time on Saturday... North Carolina leads the all-time series, 65-30-2... the Tar Heels have won 10 out of the last 11 meetings, although the teams have split the last two meetings... Wake Forest has played North Carolina more often than any other opponent... in fact, the WFU-UNC series is the second-longest in the ACC (behind North Carolina-Virginia) and 17th-longest nationally ... North Carolina won last year's meeting, 35-14 in Winston-Salem... Wake Forest won the last meeting in Chapel Hill - 19-3 in 1999... the last time a Wake-UNC game was decided by less than seven points came in 1989... the two teams first met in 1888 - the first football game in Wake history - a 6-4 WFU victory in Raleigh... between 1893 and 1923, Carolina won 17 straight meetings... Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is 0-1 all-time against North Carolina... his first team at Ohio in 1995 lost to the Tar Heels, 62-0, in Chapel Hill... Grobe went 1-1 against Carolina while playing for Virginia in 1973 and 1974... Wake Forest is 16-39-2 all-time against UNC in Chapel Hill and 15-26-2 at Kenan Stadium.
CAROLINA connections
* North Carolina wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer was a two-year letterwinner at Wake Forest and later served on the Deacons' coaching staff under Al Groh and Bill Dooley.
* Wake Forest defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney began his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Tar Heels, earning a master's degree from UNC in 1985.
* Tar Heel assistant head coach James Webster served as a Wake Forest assistant coach from 1988-92.
* North Carolina tight end Doug Brown is from Winston-Salem and played at Parkland High School.
* Wake Forest's R.D. Montgomery, Tarence Williams and Recorian Stukes and North Carolina's Kitwana Jones all attended Laney High School in Wilmington.
* Wake Forest assistant athletic trainer for football Don Steelman and WFU media relations intern Laura McCoy are both North Carolina graduates.
* Wake Forest assistant strength coach Matt Jennings lettered on the North Carolina football team from 1992-94.
ANDERSON sets freshman receiving mark
Redshirt freshman Jason Anderson is living up to his preseason billing as a player who could make an immediate impact on the Deacon squad. One of just two redshirt freshman to have started every game this season, Anderson has tallied a team-high 25 catches for 430 yards in the first eight games of his collegiate career, and has already set the freshman single season records in receiving yardage. He is the only Deacon player to have recorded a catch in every game this season, and he has actually caught at least two passes in all but one game of 2001.
Not only is Anderson making the catches, he's made the big plays at key moments. His first career touchdown, a 42-yard catch in the fourth quarter against Maryland, brought the Deacons to within seven points of the Terps. Against Virginia he caught a 45-yarder from Fabian Davis which set up a late-game touchdown, then scored on a 64-yard reception for the game-winning TD against the Cavaliers. Anderson has also caught passes on four fourth-down conversions for the Deacs.
If he keeps up this pace, Anderson will become the first freshman (true or redshirt) to lead the Deacons in receiving since Mike Mullen in 1978. Mullen had a team-best 22 catches for 307 yards that season.
STATON steps up
Sophomore running back Fred Staton has shown glimpses of geatness throughout the season, but as a back-up to the team's leading rusher, Tarence Williams, for the past year and half, he hasn't had many opportunities to showcase his talents.
With Williams sidelined with an ankle sprain last Saturday at Virginia, Staton got a prime opportunity and took full advantage of the situation. He earned his first career start and recorded his first career 100-yard game. He carried the ball 28 times for 151 yards, and scored his sixth touchdown of the season (all over the last five games).
Third-team running back Nick Burney also got into the action against the Cavaliers, rushing 10 times for 67 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown, his first career score.
TWO-HEADED QUARTERBACK experiencing foot problems
Through the first six games this season, the gameplan at quarterback was for junior James MacPherson and sophomore Anthony Young to split playing time. The duo did the same in 2000 after the season-ending injury to starter C.J. Leak in the third game of the year. The system has integrated well in the Deacon offense, as Young is more of an option quarterback (and is the team's fourth-leading rusher) and MacPherson is a classic, drop-back passing-type QB, completing nearly 55 percent of his passes.
Although both quarterbacks have been hampered by injuries this season, until the Oct. 27 game with Clemson, neither had missed a game. After MacPherson sprained an ankle at FSU, Young had to play nearly the entire game against NC State the next week. But MacPherson went in for the final two series of the game, as the Deacs were down by three points and needed to pass the ball as the clock wound down.
MacPherson has flown solo for the past two games, however, as Young has been sidelined with a partial stress fracture in his right foot. Over those two games, MacPherson has rushed 13 times for 32 yards and completed 19-of-34 passes for 339 yards, a touchdown and four interceptions.
BOLLING moves up tackles-for-loss list, joins all-time sack chart
Wake's defensive line boasts talent and experience, including senior Nate Bolling and junior Calvin Pace at the ends, with junior Montique Sharpe at nose tackle. Bolling and Pace rank fifth and sixth respectively on the squad with 52 and 41 tackles, while Bolling has a team-high 16 tackles-for-loss (-47 yards). Also, all three starters on the line caused or recovered fumbles in the first two games this season.
After recording two more tackles-for-loss against Clemson, Bolling is now tied for fifth place on Wake Forest's all-time tackles-for-loss chart with 34 career TFL to his credit. Mike McCrary (1989-92) is WFU's all-time tackles-for-loss leader with 46.
He also recently joined Wake's all-time sack leaders list, as he is currently tied for seventh place with 11 career quarterback sacks.
COMING up next
Wake Forest returns home to play its final two regular season games at Groves Stadium. The Deacons host Georgia Tech on Nov. 17 (time TBA) and Northern Illinois on Nov. 24 at 1:00 p.m. The Northern Illinois game was rescheduled from Sept. 15 in response to the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. earlier that week.