Wake Forest Athletics
Football Kicks Off This Week At Northern Illinois
8/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Aug. 26, 2002
WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL NEWS & NOTES
Game #1
Thursday, August 29
Wake Forest (0-0) at Northern Illinois (0-0)
Huskie Stadium (31,000)/DeKalb, IL
Kickoff
6:35 p.m. Central Standard Time
Television
Televised on Fox Sports Net Chicago and Fox Sports Net South. David Kaplan and Tom Waddle are the announcers, with Michael Leary producing and Jim Corno, Jr. directing the telecast.
Radio
Broadcast by the Wake Forest ISP Sports Network, heard on 20 stations across North Carolina and in Virginia. Full station listing is on page five of this package. Voice of the Deacons Stan Cotten calls the play-by-play with former Deacon great Ed Bradley serving as color analyst.
On the Web
The radio broadcast can be heard live over the internet via WFU??s athletics homepage: www.WakeForestSports.com.
The Series
Thursday??s game marks the second meeting between NIU and WFU. The two teams are actually playing back-to-back games, with the Deacons winning the 2001 season finale in Winston-Salem, 38-35.
Rankings
Neither team appears in the preseason rankings, although Wake received one vote in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Both squads finished the 2001 campaign with a 6-5 record.
The Coaches
Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe enters his second season in Winston-Salem after guiding the Deacs to a bowl-eligible 6-5 record last year. Entering his eighth season as a head coach, Grobe??s career record stands at 39-38-1.
Northern Illinois?? Joe Novak enters his seventh year as a head coach - all with the Huskies - with a 20-46 record.
Tickets Tickets for the game are available by contacting the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-0353 or visiting www.niuhuskies.com.
Gridiron Deacs Open 2002 Campaign at Northern Illinois
The Wake Forest football team kicks off the 2002 season at Northern Illinois with a Thursday night televised game (7:35 pm EST on Fox Sports Net Chicago/South).
Although this is just the second meeting between the two teams, the Demon Deacons -- at least the coaches and returning players -- should be somewhat familiar with the Huskies. WFU concluded the 2001 campaign with a 38-35 win over NIU at home, and is playing a school in back-to-back games for the first time since facing Appalachian State in the 1988 and ??89 seasons.
After putting together an impressive 6-5 record in 2001, the Demon Deacons, under second-year head coach Jim Grobe, look to post a second-straight winning season for the first time since the 1987 and ??88 campaigns. The 2002 campaign marks the 101st season of Wake Forest football. WFU enters the year with a 359-547-34 all-time record.
Demon Deacon Details
Wake Forest kicks off the 2002 season with 35 letterwinners and 16 starters returning from a team that posted a bowl-eligible 6-5 record last fall. Eight starters return on both offense and defense.
Returning starters on the offensive side of the ball include WR Jason Anderson, OG Tyson Clabo, OG Blake Henry, QB James MacPherson, OT Mark Moroz, FB Ovie Mughelli, TE Ray Thomas, and RB Tarence Williams. The defense brings back starting DB Caron Bracy, ILB Kellen Brantley, DB Obi Chukwumah, DB Eric King, CB Marcus McGruder, DE Calvin Pace, NT Montique Sharpe, and DB Quintin Williams. With the exception of the injured Tarence Williams, all returning starters are projected to start the 2002 season opener at Northern Illinois.
The freshman class is 23 members strong, including19 signees and four non-scholarship players. While Grobe and his staff have been impressed with the rookies, his philosophy is to redshirt as many as possible. Last season, Grobe held out the entire fall freshman class, putting 18 redshirt freshmen in the mix for action this season.
Quarterback Job in MacPherson??s Hands
For the first time in his career, senior quarterback James MacPherson enters a season knowing the job of Wake??s starting signal caller is in his hands. In 1999, MacPherson served as a backup QB whose only game action was at punter. Coming off a knee injury in 2000, MacPherson was called to action much sooner than expected after starter C.J.Leak suffered a season-ending knee injury. MacPherson split time with true freshman Anthony Young that season. Both players returned in 2001, with the starting job up for grabs. Again, the duo split time until a foot injury sidelined Young. MacPherson responded well to being Wake??s only healthy QB, leading to Deacs to thrilling, come-from-behind road wins at Virginia and North Carolina.
With the move of Young from quarterback to wide receiver, MacPherson entered the 2002 preseason as the Deacs?? starter. Backing him up is redshirt freshman Cory Randolph, an athletic player who was named the ACC??s ??Best Option Quarterback?? by Street & Smith??s magazine.
Backfield Runs Into Road Blocks
One position that appeared to be in great shape for the 2002 season was the Wake Forest stable of running backs, with the return of 1,000-yard rusher and second-team All-ACC pick Tarence Williams and a pair of juniors, Fred Staton and Nick Burney.
However, the ground game took a hit this summer when it was announced that Staton would sit out the 2001 campaign for academic purposes. One day later, Williams suffered a broken bone in his left foot and will miss some games in the early season.
Staton??s absence ensures that Burney will see more action. As Wake??s third-string back in 2001, Burney totaled 139 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. The door is also open for Cornelius Birgs, a redshirt freshman who sat out spring drills to concentrate on academics, and Chris Barclay, a true freshman.
When Williams is healthy, he will look to become the first Deacon in school history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Head Coach Jim Grobe
Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe enters his second season with the Demon Deacons and eighth overall season as a head coach with a 39-38-1 career record. Grobe led the Deacs to a bowl-eligible 6-5 ledger in 2001, becoming just the eighth coach in WFU history to post a winning record in his first season at the helm.
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.
After beginning his collegiate career at Ferrum Junior College, Grobe went on to the University of Virginia, starting two seasons for the Cavaliers and earning Academic All-ACC honors. He earned both a bachelor??s and master??s degree from Virginia.
Injury Report
Running back Tarence Williams?? injury has been well-documented since breaking a bone in his foot and undergoing surgery in June. Williams was able to run during preseason camp, but did not participate in any drills or contact. His return is projected to be the NC State game on Sept. 14.
The Deacs were fortunate during preseason camp, suffering no major injuries. Aside from Williams, the only players questionable for action at NIU are defensive back Jason Carter, safety Obi Chukwumah, and receiver Cassiel Smith, all with minor injuries.
Scouting the Huskies
Northern Illinois returns 44 letterwinners and 18 starters from a team that posted a 6-5 record and was co-champion of the Mid-American conference West Division in 2001.
The Huskies return several players at key positions, including tailback, wide receiver, linebacker, placekicker, and the entire secondary. Senior tailback Thomas Hammock led the team in the rushing (1,096 yards) last year and earned first-team All-MAC honors. Like WFU??s Tarence Williams, Hammock is on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award.
Senior wide receiver P.J. Fleck caught a team-high 59 passes for 732 yards and five touchdowns last season while also handling punt return duties. Fleck injured his shoulder early in the game at Wake Forest last season.
On defense, NIU returns linebacker Nick Duffy, who tallied a team-high 125 tackles, including 11 for loss, in 2001. Cornerback Vince Thompson was a first-team All-MAC pick and led the squad with five interceptions. He leads a veteran secondary that includes returning starters Randee Drew, Akil Grant and Lionel Hickenbottom. Huskie placekicker Steve Azar returns in 2002 after a sophomore campaign in which he led the team in scoring (91 points), made 20-of-26 field goals and 31-of-32 PATs. Azar was the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year in addition to being a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Northern Illinois must replace quarterback Chris Finlen, a three-year starter who finished his career in 2001 ranked second in the Huskie record book in pass completions (502), yards (6,551) and touchdowns (42). The heir apparent at the position appears to be Josh Haldi, a 6-2, 197 sophomore who played 20 snaps last season.
WFU-NIU Connections
* WFU head coach Jim Grobe came to Winston-Salem from another Mid-American Conference school, Ohio University. During his tenure, the Bobcats defeated Northern Illinois twice. Ohio won 35-30 in DeKalb in 1997, then were victorious 28-12 at home in 1998.
* Wake Forest has one player on its roster -- Jason Carter (Evanston) -- from the state of Illinois. Northern Illinois has no players from North Carolina.
* Deacon sophomore Caron Bracy and NIU sophomore Devron Francis both hail from Jacksonville, Fla.
* Wake Forest redshirt freshman Dominic Anderson and Huskie junior Gerard Taylor are both from Hollywood, Fla.
* Wake Forest assistant coach Ray McCartney and Northern Illinois offensive coordinator Dan Roushar were both on the Ball State coaching staff in 1994.
* Jay Lowe, who worked two years in the athletic operations department at Wake Forest, was recently hiredas NIU's manager of events.
* Northern Illinois assistant SID Michael Smoose graduated from Ohio in 1998 while Jim Grobe and most of his current staff were coaching the Bobcats.
* Mid-American Conference commissioner Rick Chryst was an assistant commissioner at the ACC office in Greensboro from 1992-99.
* Thursday??s game marks just the second meeting for Wake Forest against a MAC school, with the first being last year??s win over NIU. The Deacs played Marshall three times from 1939-41, prior to the formation of the league.
On This Date in WFU History
Wake Forest has played just one other game on August 29, the earliest start date in Deacon football history. The first game held on August 29 was a memorable one, as the Deacs defeated Appalachian State, 19-13, in Groves Stadium to open the 1996 season.
The Deacs used a big play passing attack, opportunistic defense and an excellent kicking game to defeat the nationally-ranked I-AA Mountaineers. Placekicker Bill Hollows converted on four field goals while Brian Kuklick??s 76-yard pass to Herman Lewis set up the Deacs?? only touchdown of the evening.
Road Warriors
Wake Forest won four away games last season for just the second time since 1951. WFU also posted four victories on its opponents?? home field in the 1992 campaign en route to an 8-4 record and a win over Oregon in the Independence Bowl.
The Deacons?? three ACC road wins in 2001 (at Duke, Virginia and North Carolina) tied a school record, also set in 1992.
The Deacs put a streak of three straight road wins on the line this week at Northern Illinois. The school record is eight consecutive road wins, set in the 1945-46 seasons (including an appearance in the Gator Bowl).
On Pace to Break the Record
Senior defensive end Calvin Pace has his eye on Wake Forest??s career sack record. The current record of 30 career sacks is held by Michael McCrary, who played at WFU from 1989-92 and is a two-time Pro Bowl player for the Baltimore Ravens.
Pace enters the 2002 campaign ranked second on WFU??s career list with 21 quarterback sacks. He recorded 10 last season, tying as the second-best season total in school history. He also ranks seventh on the career tackles-for-loss list with 32, 14 behind McCrary??s school-record 46. Last season, Pace tallied 18 TFLs.
On the national scale, Pace??s 21 career sacks rank third among active Division I players, behind Georgia Tech??s Greg Gathers (30) and Louisville??s Dewayne White (27).
Experience Pays Off
Wake Forest used a lot of players on both sides of the ball last season, and that experience should pay dividends this year. Eight players on the offense have started at least 10 games over the course of their careers, led by fullback Ovie Mughelli with 23 career starts. The defense returns six players with at least 10 starts, led by Calvin Pace??s 21.
Entering the season, the offense collectively owns 152 career starts, while the defense has tallied 114 starting nods.
Poll Particulars
Two 2002 Wake Forest opponents are ranked among the nation??s Top 25 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Ranked opponents include No. 3/4 Florida State and No. 21/20 Maryland. A third opponent, NC State was ranked No. 25 in the coaches poll and was the second team listed in AP??s ??receiving votes?? category.
Wake opponents Georgia Tech, Clemson, Purdue and North Carolina appeared in both polls. Virginia received a few votes in the coaches poll. Wake Forest also picked up one vote in the coaches poll.
Turning It Around
As the 2002 campaign kicks off, much of the excitement surrounding Wake Forest football can be credited to the remarkable turnaround Coach Grobe and his staff engineered in their first year with the Demon Deacons. The Deacs posted a 6-5 record in 2001 after going just 2-9 the previous season. Playing with one of the nation??s youngest rosters, four of Wake??s five losses came by a combined total of just 22 points. All five losses came against post-season bowl teams, including Maryland, which earned a BCS berth.
In fact, Wake??s 2001 turnaround tied as the third-biggest turnaround in school history. The 1979 team posted an 8-4 record after going 1-10 in 1978 (seven-game improvement). In 1992, the Deacs went 8-4, a five-game improvement after a 3-8 mark in 1991.
Wake??s 2001 improvement also tied as the 10th-best turnaround among Division 1-A schools last season.
Among the Statistical Leaders
Among returning quarterbacks from Division I-A teams, Wake senior James MacPherson ranks 25th in career passing yards with 2,879 ... senior wide receiver Jax Landfried??s average per catch in 2001 (19.8 yards) ranks first in the ACC and ninth among returning receivers nationally.
Groves Stadium Celebrates 35th Season in 2002
Wake Forest will play its 35th season of football in Winston-Salem's Groves Stadium in 2002. Originally dedicated on September 14, 1968, the stadium has been the site of 71 Deacon victories, including two undefeated home seasons (1970 and '79).
WFU football has had several homes over the years. The original Groves Stadium is located in Wake Forest, N.C., the first home of Wake Forest College. Built in 1940, the Demon Deacons compiled a 26-12-2 record in that facility with just one losing season at home between 1940-55. After the school moved to Winston-Salem, WFU played at Bowman-Gray Stadium from 1956-67.
Deacon Diaries Online
Get an inside look at Wake Forest football through the eyes and thoughts of the players. During preseason camp, senior offensive guard Blake Henry wrote a daily diary on the WFU athletics website -- www.WakeForestSports.com. Henry provided insight to the Demon Deacon practices and preparations for the upcoming season. His diaries are archived via a link on the front page of the site.
During the season, senior nose tackle Montique Sharpe will write a weekly diary, also available on the WFU athletics site.
Special Football Saturdays
Wake Forest celebrates Homecoming on October 12 versus Duke ... Parents?? Weekend takes place around the North Carolina game on October 26 ... the Varsity Club welcomes former Wake athletes on September 28 for the Virginia game ... times for all these games are TBA.
Coming Up Next
The Deacons return to Winston-Salem for their home opener against East Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 7. Game time is set for 6:30 pm at Groves Stadium. It marks the second straight meeting (fifth overall) for the in-state rivals and just the first trip to Winston-Salem for the Pirates since 1979. The Deacons defeated ECU in Greenville, 21-19, in last year??s season opener.
