Wake Forest Athletics
Football Prepares for ACC Opener Versus Maryland
9/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2001
Winston-Salem, NC -
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WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL NEWS & NOTES
Game #3 - September 22, 2001
Wake Forest (2-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Maryland (2-0, 1-0 ACC)
Kickoff: 3:38 p.m.
Site: Groves Stadium (31,500), Winston-Salem, NC
Television: None
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: Saturday's game marks the 50th meeting between WFU and Maryland. The Terps lead the series by a 35-13-1 margin.
The Rankings: Neither team is ranked. Maryland is receiving votes in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today coaches' polls.
The Coaches: Wake Forest's Jim Grobe is 2-0 as the Deacons' head coach with wins over East Carolina and Appalachian State. His career record now stands at 35-33-1 in his seventh season as a head coach. Maryland first-year head coach Ralph Friedgen is 2-0 in his inaugural season with the Terrapins.
Tickets: Tickets are available by contacting the WFU ticket office at 336-758-3322.
Officials: Announced on game day.
DEACONS, 2-0, host Maryland in ACC opener after unexpected break
After nearly all sporting events were cancelled last week in the wake of the national tragedies, college football teams will return to the gridiron this weekend. The Wake Forest football team, off to its best start since 1996, hosts ACC-rival Maryland at Groves Stadium this Saturday at 3:30 pm. It is the 2001 conference opener for the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest is 2-0 this year after winning its season opener on the road at East Carolina, 21-19, and downing Appalachian State, 20-10, in the home opener on September 8.
Saturday's game marks the 50th meeting with the Maryland Terrapins. The Terps already own a 1-0 record in league play with a 23-7 win over North Carolina in its 2001 season opener.
The postponed game between Wake Forest and Northern Illinois will be made up at a later date this season, most likely in late November.
LAST time out
It now seems like ages ago, but WFU improved its series record to 14-7-1 over Appalachian State and halted a two-game series winning streak by the Mountaineers in front of 29,127 fans at Groves Stadium on Sept. 8. After going up 3-0 in the first quarter on a Tyler Ashe field goal, the Deacs fumbled and lost the ball on two straight possessions in the second quarter, leading to 10 ASU points. Ashe hit a 33-yard field goal to close out the half and reduce the Deacon deficit to four (10-6).
In the third period, quarterback Anthony Young engineered a 13-play, 90-yard drive, capping it off with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Fabian Davis to give WFU a 13-10 lead. The Deacon defense returned the ball to the offense just 38 seconds later, as linebacker Dion Williams recovered a fumble at the ASU 23. This time it was James MacPherson directing the Deacs, as John Stone rushed for the endzone from eight yards out for the TD.
With WFU holding on to its 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, Mountaineer Remi Awolowo forced a Young fumble and returned it 46 yards to the Wake 24. Costly penalties hurt the App State cause as it was unable to capitalize on the turnover. (ASU finished the game with 10 penalties for 91 yards.) Wake Forest got the ball back with just under four minutes and was able to run out the clock for the 20-10 win, its largest margin of victory over the Mountaineers since a 20-3 win in 1993.
BUSY during the break
Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe found out about the WFU-Northern Illinois postponement during Wednesday afternoon's practice, and he informed the team following that day's session. Grobe and his staff kept the schedule as normal as possible for the rest of the week, resuming the typical Thursday practice session the next day. The team also held practices on Friday and Saturday before taking its usual day off on Sunday.
DEACON details
Last season Wake Forest had the fewest number of returning starters in Division I-A football. The numbers look a little better this season as Grobe and his staff welcomed 45 returning letterwinners, including 19 starters, into preseason camp.
On offense, starters return at every position but one along the line. Four experienced linemen, including All-ACC candidates Vince Azzolina and Michael Collins, return to the trenches this season, with some slight shifts in positions. The changes have been effective, as Deacon backs have piled up nearly 500 yards of rushing and WFU QBs have been sacked just twice over the first two games.
At quarterback, the battle for the starting job has picked up where it left off between junior James MacPherson and sophomore Anthony Young. The two continue to split playing time as they did in 2000 after the season-ending injury to starter C.J. Leak in the third game of the year. While Young has actually started both games so far this season, the two alternate nearly every series.
The Deacs return speed at wide receiver, although the position has been somewhat depleted in the preseason with an injury to senior Ira Williams. Williams broke a bone in his right foot during a summer workout and has not returned to action yet. Senior John Stone and junior Fabian Davis lead the receiving corps in terms of experience and catches, but junior Jax Landfried and redshirt freshman Jason Anderson have been impressive, as the underclassmen duo were Wake's top receivers at ECU. Landfried caught the game-winning touchdown pass against the Pirates, hauling in a 44-yarder from Young.
Junior veterans Ovie Mughelli at fullback and Tarence Williams at running back provide leadership in the Deacon backfield as both return to their starting roles in 2001. Williams has picked up where he left off in 2000, rushing for over 100 yards in the first two games of the season. Mughelli has not carried the ball in 2001, but switches between the fullback and tight end spots as a key blocker. Sophomore Fred Staton is starting to make an impact after returning to game shape (he arrived at preseason camp overweight), and is second on the squad with 51 yards per game.
Wake's defense, now settled in its new 3-4 lineup, boasts talent and experience, including senior Nate Bolling and junior Calvin Pace at the ends, with junior Montique Sharpe at nose tackle. All three have created or recovered fumbles through two games this season.
Two veterans - Ed Kargbo-Okorogie and Marquis Hopkins - lead the linebacking corps. Hopkins posted a team high 100 tackles last season, and again leads the Deacs in 2001 with 20 stops. Kargbo-Okorogie recorded the first interception of the 2001 season, picking off a David Garrard pass at ECU. At outside linebacker, redshirt freshman Mike Hamlar earned his first career start against the Pirates, and a week later recorded his first interception against ASU, while Kellen Brantley has tallied 15 tackles in two games at the other inside spot.
A host of young players make up the Deacon secondary, led by lone senior Adrian Duncan, who switched from corner to safety. Returning starter Quintin Williams returns to his post at corner and has already recorded his third career interception (versus ASU). A number of underclassmen will challenge for playing time at all four spots. Redshirt freshman Marcus McGruder has stood out in the early goings, as he intercepted a pass and recorded a sack at ECU.
Placekicker Tyler Ashe returns to his role for the second straight year, and will also handle kickoffs for the fourth season. Wake Forest has used two punters in two games, as sophomore walk-on Chris Rolle handled the duties at ECU and James MacPherson punted versus Appalachian State.
TERP tidbits
Maryland, under first-year coach Ralph Friedgen, is off to a 2-0 start in the young season with wins over North Carolina (23-7) and Eastern Michigan (50-3). Maryland was scheduled to play West Virginia in College Park last week, but that game has been rescheduled for Sept. 29.
While Friedgen is in his first season as a head coach, he is a familiar face in coaching circles and especially in the ACC, having served as the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech from 1987-91 and 1997-2000.
Sophomore running back Bruce Perry has been impressive in the early goings, rushing for two consecutive 100-yard games (116 vs. UNC, 133 vs. EMU) and three touchdowns. He ranks second behind Wake's Tarence Williams in the ACC rushing stats.
Quarterback Shaun Hill has been responsible for four touchdowns so far this season (three passing, one rushing) and has not committed a turnover.
While Maryland has posted big numbers on the scoreboard so far this season, it's also not allowing its opponents to do the same. The Terps currently rank fifth in the country in scoring defense, giving up just 5.0 points per game.
Two weeks ago, Maryland's defense held Eastern Michigan to 124 yards of total offense, the first time since a win over Wake Forest in 1996 that the Terps have held an opponent to less than 200 yards of total offense. (The Deacs totaled 189 yards in that 52-0 loss.)
Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson has been the team leader in tackles in each of the Terps' first two games. He tops the cumulative list with 20 tackles, including six tackles-for-loss, through two games.
Maryland punter Brooks Barnard leads the nation with a 46.0 punting average, and eight of his 10 punts this season have traveled 50 yards or more.
ACC openers
Going into its 49th ACC opener, Wake Forest owns a 14-34 record in conference lid-lifters. The Deacs have lost their last two league openers, a 35-14 loss to North Carolina last season and a 35-7 loss to Virginia in 1999. Wake's last ACC opening win was a 29-19 win at Clemson in 1998. That victory halted a 10-game losing streak in WFU's conference openers.
The Deacs have faced Maryland six times in their ACC opener, posting an even 3-3 record. The last of those meetings, however, was 19 years ago in Wake's 1972 ACC opener. The most frequent opponent in league openers for WFU is NC State, with the Wolfpack leading that series 15-7.
HEAD COACH Jim Grobe
The 2001 season marks the debut of new head coach Jim Grobe on the Wake Forest sideline. 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.
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.
Two-and-0 in First Deacon Season
Two weeks ago, we looked at how Wake Forest coaches have fared in their debut on the Deacon sideline. Jim Grobe became the 17th of 31 coaches in Wake Forest history to win his first game with the Deacs. After picking up two victories in his first two games, he now joins a more elite group. Only five other coaches in WFU history have won their first two games as the Deacons' head coach. The last to do so was Bill Dooley (1987-92), who is actually the most successful first-year WFU coach, opening his inaugural season 5-0 and finishing with a 7-4 mark. Only two - Tom Rogers and Dooley - won their first three games. Listed below are the WFU coaches who have won their first two games:
1910 Reddy Rowe def. Warrenton Prep, 17-0 def. Horner, 28-01926 James Baldwin def. North Carolina, 13-0 def. Wofford, 27-01951 Tom Rogers def. Boston College, 20-6 def. NC State, 21-61964 Bill Tate def. Virginia, 31-21 def. Virginia Tech, 38-211987 Bill Dooley def. Richmond, 24-0 def. NC State, 21-32001 Jim Grobe def. East Carolina, 21-19 def. Appalachian State, 20-10
IRA WILLIAMS questionable for action
Senior Ira Williams, WFU's leading receiver last season, will return to full practice this week, and his performance in practice will determine his status on Saturday versus Maryland. Williams broke a bone in his foot while doing voluntary practice drills earlier this summer. After wearing a boot on his lower leg during most of the preseason and missing two-a-day practices, Williams had the boot removed on Thursday, Aug. 24 to beginning running and gradually start participating in drills.
Williams also missed part of spring drills with a broken finger. The 6-2, 207-pound senior caught a team-high 45 passes last season for 495 yards. Entering the 2001 campaign, Williams was the second-leading returning receiver in the ACC in receptions per game.
INJURY update
* Senior reserve linebacker Matt Myers sprained his left ankle against Appalachian State and is questionable for action this weekend.
* Sophomore linebacker Jamaal Argrow twisted his right knee against East Carolina and is questionable for the Maryland game after not dressing against Appalachian State.
* Sophomore reserve lineman Chad Rebar dislocated his right shoulder during practice in early September and is scheduled for surgery later this month.
* Earlier this year, senior Jonathan Helms suffered a sublexed patella in his left knee and is out indefinitely, while senior Marcus Kisner is out for the year with chronic knee problems. Both players were listed as backups on the offensive line.
* True freshman Chris Owen injured his knee during the final days of preseason practice, and will undergo testing to determine the extent of the damage.
ON THIS DATE in WFU history
Wake Forest owns an all-time record of 4-2-1 in games played on September 22. Saturday's game versus Maryland also marks just the third time on this date that the Deacons have played in Groves Stadium in Winston-Salem, as four of the seven games have been on the road and one home game took place when WFU was still located in Wake Forest, N.C. The Deacs are also 1-0 versus ACC opponents on Sept. 22.
The Deacons' first game on this date was a 62-0 romp over Guilford, a score which still ranks as the 10th-highest scoring game in WFU history. The last two contests played on Sept. 22 were both big victories for the Deacons, including a 23-20 win over East Carolina in 1979 and a 24-15 victory at NC State in 1984.
THE SERIES with Maryland
* Saturday's game marks the 50th meeting between Wake Forest and Maryland. The Terrapins own a 35-13-1 lead in the series and owns a 18-6-1 record on the Deacons' home turf.
* Maryland has won two straight and six of the last eight games. WFU's last win was a 20-10 victory in College Park in 1998.
* Although it's still an early-season matchup, Saturday's game marks the first time in the series that both teams are undefeated heading into the contest.
* In the last five meetings between Wake Forest and Maryland, the team which scored first went on to win the game.
* This series has produced some classic record-breaking games. In a 1993 matchup at WFU, Deacon running back John Leach rushed for a school and ACC record 329 yards in a 33-32 loss. Maryland QB Scott Milanovich engineered a 14-play, 99-yard drive in the final two minutes that resulted in the game-winning touchdown. Leach's rushing total still ranks among the top 25 performances in the NCAA record book, and the 411 all-purpose yards he tallied that day ranks 11th all-time nationally.
* In a 1981 home game versus the Terps, the Deacons set a team record in passing with 556 yards, led by Gary Schofield's 504 yards in the air. Maryland, however, won the game 45-33.
* The Wake Forest-Maryland gridiron battle isn't the only meeting between the two schools on Saturday. Both schools' highly-ranked field hockey teams will face each at 1:00 p.m. in College Park. On Sunday, Wake's women's soccer team will travel north to take on the Terrapins in a 1:00 p.m. match.
MARYLAND connections
* Deacon junior Montique Sharpe and Terrapins Marcus Wimbush and James Lynch all graduated from Dunbar HS in the Washington, D.C. area.
* WFU's Goryal Scales and Maryland's Russell Bonham, both true freshmen, were teammates on Winston-Salem Carver HS squad that advanced to the Class 3-A state semifinals last season.
* Redshirt freshmen Brian Woychik of Wake Forest and Ryan Flynn of Maryland both attended Cardinal Mooney HS in Youngstown, Ohio.
* Maryland special teams coordinator/tight ends coach Ray Rychleski served as an assistant coach at Wake Forest from 1993-2000.
COMING up next
Wake Forest hits the road for the first time since Sept. 1 when it travels to Tallahassee to compete against Florida State. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. The Deacons will be striving to halt the Seminoles' 36-game home winning streak - currently the longest in the nation.
