Wake Forest Athletics
2002 Football Season In Review
1/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Jan. 17, 2003
WAKE FOREST FOOTBALL
2002 SEASON REVIEW
7-6 Overall, 3-5 ACC
Wake Forest Wins Seattle Bowl; Posts Winning Season
Playing in its sixth bowl game and second in the last four years, the Wake Forest football team ended the 2002 campaign on a strong note with an impressive victory over Oregon, 38-17, in the Seattle Bowl at Seahawks Stadium on Dec. 30.
The post-season win gives the Demon Deacons a 7-6 record in 2002, their second winning season in as many years. WFU went 6-5 last year. It marks the first time Wake Forest has had consecutive winning seasons since the 1987 (7-4) and 1988 (6-4-1) campaigns.
Demon Deacon Bowl History
The 2002 Seattle Bowl appearance marked the sixth bowl game in Wake Forest football history. The Demon Deacons previously appeared in the inaugural Gator Bowl (1946), Dixie Bowl (1949), Tangerine Bowl (1979), Independence Bowl (1992) and Aloha Bowl (1999).
WFU owns a 4-2 record in post-season outings and, with the Seattle Bowl victory, is currently riding a three-game win streak in bowl games.
This year??s Seattle Bowl also marked WFU??s third straight bowl game against a team from the Pacific-10 Conference. Previously the Deacs faced Oregon (1992) and Arizona State (1999), defeating both.
Senior Class Is A Special Group
The Seattle Bowl provided a happy ending for the Wake Forest??s 16-member senior class. The class of 2002 will go down in the record books as one of the more successful groups in school history.
This year??s group of seniors is the only full class in the history of the program to compete in two bowl games -- the 1999 Aloha Bowl and 2002 Seattle Bowl. Wake Forest competed in bowl games following the 1945 and ??48 season, but due to service obligations during and following World War II, just a small number of Deacon players were on the roster for both of those seasons.
The class of 2002 compiled 22 victories over the last four years, the highest number of victories by a senior class since 1988 and three short of the school-record 25 wins posted by the 1942 and ??47 senior classes.
Notes From The Seattle Bowl
* Senior Ovie Mughelli scored his 12th touchdown of the season on WFU??s opening drive of the game, moving up to a tie for fourth place on the season TDs chart with James McDougald (1979), Kenny Duckett (1980) and Chip Rives (1986).
* When James MacPherson connected with Jason Anderson on 57-yard and 63-yard touchdowns against Oregon, it marked the second and third time in three games the duo has hooked up on long TDs. MacPherson found Anderson for a 70-yarder in the Navy game on Nov. 23. Versus Oregon, the 63-yard toss was the second-longest pass completion of the season and second-longest scoring pass. The 57-yarder was the third-longest in both categories.
* Out of the 30 longest touchdown pass plays in WFU history, four have been from MacPherson to Anderson.
* Anderson caught six of WFU??s eight touchdown passes this season.
* MacPherson's 241 passing yards were a season-high, and the most since throwing for 259 at Navy on Nov. 18, 2000.
* MacPherson had tallied 117 yards passing by the 12:32 mark of the second quarter, a mark that was higher than five of his game totals this season. His 154 passing yards at halftime was higher than seven of his game totals this year.
* Anderson had three catches for a career-best 157 yards. Also, with his 63-yard TD catch in the third quarter, Anderson went over the 1,000-yard career receiving mark in just 51 receptions.
* Senior Calvin Pace tallied a tackle-for-loss on Oregon??s fourth-and-1 attempt in the second quarter, which moved him into sole possession of second-place on the single season TFL chart with 22 this year. Michael McCrary owns the school record with 24 in 1992.
* MacPherson??s one-yard keeper for Wake??s third TD of the game marked his first rushing touchdown of the season.
* With Oregon's touchdown just before the half, the Ducks became the eighth Wake Forest opponent (of 13) this season to score at the 1:03 mark or under in the second quarter.
* Senior wide receiver Jax Landfried closed out his career with a streak of 20 consecutive games with at least one catch.
* Redshirt freshman Matt Wisnosky made the score 24-10 with a career-long 43-yarder on Wake??s opening drive of the third quarter. It was his fourth field goal of 40 yards or more this season and fourth consecutive made FG.
* With eight points in the game, Wisnosky also moved into third place on Wake??s single-season scoring chart with 84 points on the season. It is the most scored by a Demon Deacon since Larry Russell put up 94 in 1971. The school record is 111, set by Brian Piccolo in 1964, a mark which led the NCAA that season.
* Oregon??s punt return of 43 yards in the third quarter which set up its second touchdown was the longest such return by a Deacon opponent this season.
* Wake Forest set a Seattle Bowl record with 497 yards of total offense.
Head Coach Jim Grobe
Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe finished his second season with the Demon Deacons and eighth overall season as a head coach with a 46-44-1 career record. Grobe has led the Deacs to two straight winning seasons in his first two years at the school, something only five other coaches in WFU history have accomplished. With a bowl-eligible 6-5 ledger in 2001, he became just the eighth coach in WFU history to post a winning record in his first season at the helm.
Grobe??s career record at WFU now stands at 13-11.
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.
Grobe In Elite Coaching Group At WFU
With the Demon Deacons?? bowl bid this season, Jim Grobe joined an elite group of Wake Forest head coaches -- only four other coaches have taken WFU to a bowl, including D.C. ??Peahead?? Walker (1946, ??49), John Mackovic (1979), Bill Dooley (1992) and Jim Caldwell (1999).
Grobe and Mackovic are the only coaches who earned a bowl berth with the Deacs in their second year with the program.
Grobe??s 13 combined victories in 2001 and ??02 also ties as the best win total by a Wake Forest coach in his first two years with the program. Hank Garrity (1923-24) and Dooley (1987-88) each tallied 13 victories as well in their first two seasons at WFU.
Bouncing Back
Wake Forest kept a notable streak going with its win over Oregon in the Seattle Bowl.
Following their previous nine losses (dating back to the 2001 season) the Demon Deacons have bounced back to win the very next game.
Five of those eight rebound victories have come on the road, including 2002 wins over Purdue and Georgia Tech and the victory over Oregon in Seattle.
More Post-Season Appearances
Four Demon Deacon seniors will participate in post-season all-star games in early 2003. Defensive end Calvin Pace has elected to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Saturday, Jan. 18 (2:00 p.m./ESPN). He will be joined by teammate Ovie Mughelli at fullback. Mughelli and Pace will both compete on the North Roster, which is coached by the staff of the NFL??s Houston Texans.
Nose tackle Montique Sharpe will participate in the Rotary Gridiron Classic in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday, Jan. 25 (2:00 p.m./espn2). Sharpe will be a member of the Team USA roster which goes up against Team Florida, made up of college all-stars who are originally from the Sunshine State.
Offensive guard Blake Henry was recently invited to participate in the Hula Bowl in Maui, Hawaii. The All-Star Football Classic will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1 and will be broadcast on ESPN at 9:00 (EST).
WFU Ranked Fifth In NACDA Director??s Cup Standings
Through all fall sports Stanford, an eight-time champion, leads the NACDA Directors?? Cup Division I standings and Wake Forest is ranked fifth. Wake Forest enjoyed a remarkable fall. The Deacons won the field hockey NCAA championship -- WFU??s first national title since the men??s golf team in 1986 and the first by a Deacon women??s team. The men??s soccer team was ranked No. 1 nationally and advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. The women??s cross country team won the ACC championship and finished ninth in the NCAA championships. The football team finished 7-6 after beating Oregon, 38-17 in the Seattle Bowl. Wake Forest is one of three ACC schools represented in the Director??s Cup top 10.
Making The Grade
Ten members of the Demon Deacon football team were named to the Wake Forest Dean??s List for the 2002 fall semester. Honorees include Dustin Abercrombie, Tim Bennett (as a graduate student), Conner Breen, Patrick Ghee, Steve Hale, Anders Larson, Matt Lopatka, James MacPherson, Andrew Shelton and Brad White.
Looking At The Big Picture
The 2002 campaign marked the 101st season of Wake Forest football. WFU now owns an all-time record of 366-553-34. In the 50th season of ACC competition, the Demon Deacons have a 94-238-5 mark.
Wake Forest In Elite Company
Wake Forest athletics finds itself among elite company after enjoying great success the last two seasons. Listed below are the only 14 schools in the country who have winning records in football, basketball and baseball in each of its last two seasons.
Alabama
Boston College
Bowling Green
Dayton
Florida
Fresno State
Georgia
McNeese State
Miami (FL)
Mississippi
Ohio State
Texas
WAKE FOREST
Western Kentucky
An Early Look at 2003
Starters Returning/Lost 12/12
Returning
Offense: 3
Defense: 7
Specialists: 2
Total: 12
Lost
Offense: 8
Defense: 4
Specialists: 0
Total: 12
Letterwinners Returning/Lost 40/16
Returning
Offense: 16
Defense: 21
Specialists: 3
Total: 40
Lost
Offense: 10
Defense: 6
Specialists: 0
Total: 16
Offensive Starters
Returning (3)
Tyson Clabo (OG)
Blake Lingruen (C)
Mark Moroz (OT)
Lost (8)
Tim Bennett (OT)
Fabian Davis (WR)
Blake Henry (OG)
Jax Landfried (WR)
James MacPherson (QB)
Ovie Mughelli (FB)
Ray Thomas (TE)
Tarence Williams (RB)
Defensive Starters
Returning (7)
Caron Bracy (B)
Kellen Brantley (LB)
Warren Braxton (SS)
Eric King (CB)
Daryl Shaw (CB)
Brad White (LB)
Quintin Williams (FS)
Lost (4)
Calvin Pace (DE)
Jamie Scott (LB)
Montique Sharpe (NT)
Rod Stephen (DE)
Specialist Starters
Returning (2)
Ryan Plackemeier (P)
Matt Wisnosky (PK)
Lost (0)
Other Offensive Letterwinners Returning (13)
First-Year: Greg Adkins (OT), Chris Barclay (RB), Cornelius Birgs (RB), Chris Davis (WR), Craig Jones (C), Cory Randolph (QB)
Second-Year: Jason Anderson (WR), Nick Burney (RB), R.D. Montgomery (TE), Chad Rebar (OG), Joe Salsich (OG)
Third-Year: Josh Warren (TE), Anthony Young (WR)
Other Offensive Letterwinners Lost (2)
David Walters (OT), Masanori Toguchi (OG)
Other Defensive Letterwinners Returning (14)
First-Year: Dominic Anderson (SS), John Finklea (DE), Arthur Orlebar (DE), Jason Pratt (LB), Goryal Scales (NT), Robert Simmons (DB), Cori Stukes (NT/LB)
Second-Year: Jamaal Argrow (LB), Mike Hamlar (LB), Marcus McGruder (CB), Jerome Nichols (DE), Dion Williams (LB)
Third-Year: Obi Chukwumah (SS), Ricky Perez (CB)
Other Offensive Letterwinners Lost (2)
Drew Dayton (DB), Elliot Ivey (FS)
Scholarship Players Redshirted in 2002 (17)
Dustin Abercrombie, James Adams, Bryan Andrews, Dan Callahan, Pierre Easley, Josh Gattis, Patrick Ghee, Willie Idlette, Arby Jones, Damon McWhite, Nate Morton, Daniel Orlebar, Jamil Smith, Riley Swanson, Napoleon Sykes, Zac Taylor, Steve Vallos
