100% Cotten - Optimism Abounds as Fall Approaches
8/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 19, 2004
At this writing, Jim Grobe has his Wake Forest football team hard at work as the Demon Deacons battle the dog days of August anticipating a September 4th trip to Death Valley to face Clemson in the 2004 season opener. And so far, so good. In two of his insightful and moving books about golf, Final Rounds and The Dewsweepers, North Carolina native and author James Dodson refers to his late father as "Opti the Mystic" for his dad's irrepressible positive attititude. Mr. Dodson always seemed to see the glass as half full. And so should all college football fans at this time of year, regardless of what various pundits might say. Makes the season worth playing doesn't it? I sure am optimistic as I watch the Deacons toil under Grobe for the fourth time with the reward of a season opener to come - a chance to finally hit somebody you really don't care for instead of a roommate or best friend. Wake Forest has won two of three season openers under Grobe including the shocker at East Carolina in the honeymoon of 2001. The Deacs went to Greenville heavy underdogs only to win 21-19. Wake Forest went on to post five other wins including victories at Virginia and at North Carolina. In 2002, a gutsy Deacon team lost a thriller at Northern Illinois going for broke and a two-point conversion at the end of regulation instead of playing for overtime. That same kind of resolve led the Deacs to seven wins and a Seattle Bowl victory over Oregon. And there was last season, the season opening win at then left-at-the-alter Boston College that was followed by the upset of nationally ranked Phillip Rivers-led N.C. State. And that gets me back to Clemson. The Deacons mauled (sorry, couldn't help it) the Tigers 45-17 rushing for over 300 yards in a game that was for all intents and purposes over at halftime. But Clemson didn't lose again on the way to its Peach Bowl victory over Tennessee. Wake Forest didn't win again, and the long winter and spring have given way to fall camp. Optimists would like to think Wake Forest can beat Clemson again - then keep on winning. Right now, as I see it, that can be done. Call me optimistic. But just looking at the Deacs as a whole you can see improvement. Numbers are better. And so is talent. There are more talented players vying for playing time since I first got to Winston-Salem in 1996. The combination of numerous seasoned upperclassmen and talented youth is enough to make me believe that this Wake Forest team will be better than many might think. The media tabbed the Deacs ninth in a July poll of the new eleven-team ACC. But I think that, with some breaks and a good bounce or two of the football, the Deacs can do better. The leash will be let out on qb Cory Randolph now with the redshirt off of Ohio's Ben Mauk. The Deacs are stocked full at running back and receiver with ACC rush leader Chris Barclay and Jason Anderson both back and having excellent fall camps. With some time for the offensive line to gel and center Blake Lingruen at the helm I think the Deacs will again be able to score points. On defense, a new four man front will help Wake Forest to better stop the run and apply more pressure on opponents' passing attacks. Linebackers and defensive backs are plentiful, and Brad White and Eric King are there to lead. Matt Wisnosky had a solid spring and looks good again with his placements. As for punter, two words - Plack Attack. First team all-ACC Ryan Plackemeier is killing it. He's a weapon. Have I mentioned speed yet? Team speed is no doubt better. You can see it. Sense it. And we all know what speed does. So as Skip Prosser likes to say before the first game: "All is great. We're undefeated." And Jim Grobe is the coach. See you on the radio.