Wake Forest Athletics
100% Cotten: Seeing Red
9/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 11, 2007
by Stan Cotten
It wasn't that long ago that a three point Wake Forest loss to Nebraska on the football field would have been viewed by many almost like a victory for the Demon Deacons. The Huskers are fourth on the all-time win list and have won five national titles. Three Heisman Trophies have the name of a Husker on them, and the last time a Nebraska home game was not a sellout at Memorial Stadium was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That was 1962. We're talking Nebraska here.
But as the last few seconds ticked off the clock recently at BB&T Field, there was nothing victorious about losing 20-17 to the men from Lincoln. I spoke with defensive end Jeremy Thompson and center Steve Justice after the game. Neither seemed too pleased. Both were in Lincoln in 2005 when the Nebraska band played the Wake Forest fight song as the Deacs took the field - a nice touch by the Deacs' hosts just before Wake was sent home black and blue and a 31-3 loser.
"We've grown as a team and a program since then," Justice said. "We expected to beat Nebraska, but we just didn't do what we needed to do to make it happen."
"I felt really good about our team going into the Nebraska game," added Coach Jim Grobe. "I thought we would win. I liked the work we had put in during the week. I liked our players' attitude and our coaches' game plan. And I'm really disappointed that we didn't execute a little better down the stretch and win the game."
No, a 20-17 defeat to - yes, even Nebraska - just won't cut it anymore. Not good enough.
Isn't it great?
Isn't it great that expectations have skyrocketed for Wake Forest football? Both from the inside as well as the outside? A lot of people feel that the Deacs, despite the 0-2 record following the Nebraska loss, will win their share of games and be a bowl team again in 2007. There's still a very good season out there to be had, and it's not a stretch to think it will still happen. Not anymore.
As I left the stadium following the game I had the windows down to let the hot air that had built up during the heat of the day find a way out. At a traffic light I looked to my left and noticed a car with two Nebraska fans in it. They didn't look so good. Their windows were also down so I offered congratulations to them for their team's victory.
"Get a good look at us," the man smiled as he shouted above the noise of the street. "You won't be seeing Nebraska in this town ever again. We don't want any more of you guys."
I chuckled and waved to them as the light turned green. And then the man's words began to sink in a little bit. Nebraska doesn't want any more of the Deacs? I'm sure that wasn't the sentiment in 2005. But Wake Forest is a different team now. A different program. The ACC title and trip to the Orange Bowl are last season's memories, but they have fueled the belief that it's time for Wake Forest to win in football more than just once in a while.
A tide is turning in college football. Michigan and Notre Dame have both started the season 0-2 for the first time ever. Wake started 0-2, but the Deacons could easily have won both of their first two games. Neither the Wolverines nor the Irish can make that claim.
Michigan now knows too well now where Boone is, and Nebraska is throwing away its maps to Winston-Salem. The Deacs see red now when they come up on the short end of the score. But their chances of seeing Nebraska red any time soon might have gone out the window with the September heat.
