Deacons Direct - Baylor Gameday Blog
8/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 28, 2008
Heading Home - 11:30 p.m.
We're on the buses getting ready to head to the Waco airport and come home. The trip back is always more enjoyable when you get a "W". We're not expected to get back onto campus until after 4 a.m. ET. It's going to be a late night/early morning. At least I don't have classes in the morning like the players. I'll have to hold off on the postgame thoughts for tonight, as the battery life on my computer will not allow it.
One final note, I am told by the Wake Forest sports medicine staff that dehydration was not an issue tonight for the Deacs. The players were well-hydrated and thus did not suffer from any heat cramps, which was a concern coming in. Great job by the athletic trainers and team doctors to do their part in a big win for the Deacs.
I hope that you enjoyed our first gameday blog. We're planning on making this a regular feature, so check back next weekend for the Ole Miss Gameday Blog.
Final - Wake Forest 41, Baylor 13 - 10:30 p.m.
Wake Forest opens the season with a convincing road win. The 28-point win is the Deacons' largest margin of victory in a season opener since defeating Maryland, 34-0, in 1958.
10:26 p.m.
Center Chance Raines played on the final offensive series, making him the third true freshman to see action tonight. Wake Forest last had three true freshman play in 2002 when RB Chris Barclay, WR Chris Davis and P Ryan Plackemeier all saw action. Each of those three players has spent time in the NFL.
10:24 p.m.
The Deacon defense recorded its fourth turnover of the game when Alex Frye intercepted Kirby Freeman in the endzone. The Bears had been driving, but Wake Forest now has the ball with less than two minutes to go. Ryan McManus is now in at quarterback and C.J. Washington at running back.
10:11 p.m.
Wake Forest got a break when Sam Swank's punt bounced off a Baylor player and Chantz McClinic recovered the ball at the 10-yard line. Three plays later Josh Adams converted the Baylor miscue into six points for the Deacs, running it in from four yards out to give Wake a 41-13 advantage.
9:51 p.m. - 34-13 Deacons
Baylor put another touchdown on the board, as Robert Griffin rushed in from six yards out. The Bears went 76 yards on 12 plays in 5:25. Griffin, a true freshman, has shown some great speed from the quarterback position. Miami transfer Kirby Freeman started under center for the Bears but gave way to Griffin in the second quarter.
9:41 p.m.
Minor scare for the Deacons when linebacker Aaron Curry went down with an injury. I'm not a medical expert, but it looked as though they were stretching out his left leg for cramps. Curry jogged off the field and returned after missing just one play.
9:40 p.m.
Tonight's announced attendance at Floyd Casey Stadium is 30,633. However, with the Deacons holding a 34-6 advantage, many of the fans have left the stadium. Most noticeable is the mass exodus of most of the student section. Early in the game, the students were almost four sections strong, blanketing the stadium with a sea of yellow.
The Deacon faithful in attendance are still filling up their section of the East stands.
9:33 p.m. - 34-6 Deacons
Wake Forest put another seven points on the board, as Riley Skinner found a wide-open Ben Wooster for a 43-yard score. Wooster was all alone at the four yard line and made it in easily for the touchdown.
It was Skinner's third TD pass of the night and the 24th of his career. This marks the first time in Skinner's career that he has thrown for three touchdowns. Skinner had thrown for two touchdowns in a game four times previously.
9:17 p.m. - Deacons 27-6
Coming in to the game with zero career touchdowns, Chip Brinkman now has two. Riley Skinner hit Brinkman on a crossing pattern deep in the endzone for an eight-yard score. With two TD passes tonight, Skinner is now tied for eighth on the school's career list with 23 TD passes.
9:14 p.m.
A big turnover for the Deacons. Baylor fumbled at its own 11, and Hunter Haynes came out of the scrum with the ball. That is the third turnover the Deacons have forced tonight. Last season, Wake had nine games with three or more turnovers forced.
9:12 p.m.
The Deacons' drive stalled at midfield, but Sam Swank gave Wake Forest an edge in field position. His punt was downed at the Baylor four-yard line.
9:06 p.m.
The Bears gave the ball right back, as Jay Finley fumbled and Boo Robinson fell on the ball at the Wake Forest 20. Neither Adams' fumble nor Finley's fumble were forced.
9:03 p.m.
Tough start to the second half. Josh Adams fumbled on the first play, and Baylor recovered at the Wake Forest 34.
Halftime Notes - 8:55 p.m.
- Riley Skinner spread the ball around to seven different targets in the first half. D.J. Boldin led the way with five receptions for 23 yards, while Marshall Williams and Ben Wooster caught four passes each. With the Deacons looking to replace the production of departed wide receiver Kenneth Moore, it looks as they'll do so using a committee approach. Chip Brinkman, who missed some time in the preseason due to a hamstring injury, caught his first career touchdown pass.
- The Deacons won the time of possession battle in the first half, 17:22 to 12:38. In the first quarter, Wake held the ball for 10:20 compared to 4:40 for Baylor. The Deacs' first three drives all went for scores, while Baylor went three-and-out on three of their first four drives. The other drive in the first four ended with an Alphonso Smith interception.
- Two true freshmen played for Wake Forest. Guard Joe Looney and tight end Andrew Parker both saw considerable time on the field. Looney had a key block on Brandon Pendergrass' second quarter touchdown run. This is the first season since 2004 that multiple true freshmen have played for the Deacons. In 2004, long snapper Nick Jarvis and defensive end Jeremy Thompson played in their first year on campus.
- The Deacons rotated just six players on the offensive line in the first half. Joe Looney was the lone substitute to see time on offense. Michael Hoag and Doug Weaver saw action on special teams.
- Alphonso Smith made his 15th career interception in the first quarter. The NCAA's active career leader in interceptions, Smith is now two shy of tying the school record. Ronnie Burgess (1981-84) and A.J. Greene (1985-88) share the mark at 17 picks apiece.
- Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass shared the workload in the backfield. Adams rushed the ball eight times and Pendergrass five times. Pendergrass hit paydirt in the second quarter, running it from three yards out to put the Deacs up 17-0.
8:40 p.m.
Wake Forest takes a 20-6 lead into the locker room. A few halftime notes to follow.
8:35 p.m. - 20-6 Deacons
The Deacons answered the Bears' first score with three points of their own. Sam Swank converted on a 42-yard field goal, his second field goal of the game. The drive was aided by a 15-yard penalty on Baylor for hitting Skinner late after he slid to the ground on a rush.
8:27 p.m. - 17-6 Deacons
Baylor is on the board after Jacoby Jones ran it in from 12 yards out. The extra point, however, was wide right. Robert Griffin keyed the scoring drive, rushing 22 yards to put the Bears in the red zone. Griffin made a couple of nifty moves to make the Deacon defenders miss before he was finally brought down by Brandon Ghee.
8:24 p.m.
The Bears tried a little trickeration when they put four wide receivers bunched out wide on the left, moving three of them in motion in a group. Griffin then looked right on the play and tried to hit David Gettis in the endzone. However, Alphonso Smith was there for the breakup in the back corner of the endzone.
8:20 p.m
The Deacons committed their first turnover of the night when Marshall Williams was stripped of the ball after making a six-yard catch. Williams almost got out of bounds, but the ball popped out and Dwain Crawford made the recovery for Baylor.
8:18 p.m.
Baylor is still scoreless after its drive stalled at the Wake Forest 37. It was the Bears' longest sustained drive of the night. The drive was aided in large part by Robert Griffin's 26-yard pass to Jay Finley. The Deacs missed on tackles twice on Finley before Chantz McClinic knocked him out of bounds. Facing fourth and 12 at the 37, the Bears went for it but Griffin's pass was incomplete.
8:07 p.m.
Wake had its first punt of the game after its drive stalled at midfield. The Deacons almost had a big gain into Baylor territory, as Skinner looked to hit Boldin down the middle. However, the ball popped out of Boldin's hands as he hit the ground. Skinner was then sacked on third and long, forcing a punt. Swank's punts went 43 yards, and Brandon Ghee had a nice hit when the return man didn't call for a fair catch.
Freshman quarterback Robert Griffin came in for Baylor to start the second quarter. Despite a sizable gain on first down, Griffin's first drive stalled after three plays.
7:53 p.m. - 17-0 Deacons
The Deacons put another touchdown on the board when Brandon Pendergrass ran in from three yards out. Joe Looney had the key block on the left side of the line to pave the way for Pendergrass.
Some first quarter stats...Riley Skinner completed 12 of 13 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Josh Adams rushed seven times for 17 yards, while Pendergrass rushed twice for three yards. Marshall Williams, D.J. Boldin and Ben Wooster had three catches each.
7:50 p.m.
Heading into the second quarter, Wake Forest is facing first and goal at the six yard line. The Deacons faced a second and 17 early in the drive after fumbling a low snap. Riley Skinner rushed for nine yards on an option play and then hit Ben Wooster for seven yards. Wake went for it on fourth, as Brandon Pendergrass rushed up the middle for four yards.
7:41 p.m.
Wake Forest got its first takeaway of the year. Alphonso Smith intercepted Kirby Freeman when wide receiver Jay Finley had the ball tip off his hands. It was Smith's 15th career interception.
Brandon Pendergrass is in the backfield on this drive for the offense. Joe Looney is also in at guard.
7:40 p.m.
Sam Swank is taking advantage of having the breeze behind his back. All three of his kickoffs tonight have gone deep into the endzone. None have been returned.
7:35 p.m. - 10-0 Deacons
Nice scoring drive by the offense. Riley Skinner and Chip Brinkman hooked up for a 12-yard score. Skinner faked to an out pattern to the right and then hit Brinkman coming across the middle. Brinkman did a great job of getting position in front of the cornerback to shield him from the ball. It was Brinkman's first career touchdown reception.
The Deacons ate up 62 yards in 4:23 on that drive. Marshall Williams, had a couple of nice grabs on the right sideline, one of which was on third and eight.
7:32 p.m.
Andrew Parker is in at tight end on this drive. That makes two true freshmen to play tonight, including OG Joe Looney.
7:30 p.m.
Our first television timeout gives us a chance to take a look at tonight's Deacon starters. The only surprises were safety Alex Frye starting in place of Chip Vaughn and wide receiver Chip Brinkman starting in place of Marshall Williams. Brinkman is a returning starter but was listed at #2 on the depth chart.
Defense:
DE - Matt Robinson
NG - Boo Robinson
DT - John Russell
DE - Anthony Davis
OLB - Aaron Curry
MLB - Stanley Arnoux
OLB - Chantz McClinic
CB - Alphonso Smith
FS - Alex Frye
SS - Kevin Patterson
CB - Brandon Ghee
Offense:
QB - Riley Skinner
RB - Josh Adams
FB - Mike Rinfrette (split wide)
WR - D.J. Boldin
WR - Chip Brinkman
TE - Ben Wooster
LT - Joe Birdsong
LG - Russell Nenon
C - Trey Bailey
RG - Barrett McMillin
RT - Jeff Griffin
7:25 p.m. CT
Another three-and-out for the defense. Alphonso Smith had a nice pass breakup on the outside. Baylor QB Kirby Freeman has twice tried to go long but has missed on both attempts.
7:18 p.m. CT
Wake had to settle for a field goal after its first drive stalled. The Deacs picked up a first down but then couldn't gain any ground from there.
True freshman Joe Looney made his collegiate debut on the field goal unit.
7:13 p.m. CT
Good showing by the Deacon defense with a three-and-out on the opening drive. Baylor's kick then caromed off the back of a blocker and went for 13 yards. Good starting field position for the Wake offense.
7:10 p.m. CT
D.J. Boldin and Aaron Curry served as the game captains for tonight. The Deacons won the toss and deferred to the second half. Wake will start by defending the South endzone.
Swank's kickoff went eight yards deep into the endzone for a touchback.
We're having problems with Netitor, the program that publishes our website, so I may not be able to update the blog as quickly as I had planned. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Baylor Band - 7:00 p.m. CT
We're minutes from kickoff, and the Baylor band put on a nice pre-game show. They lined up in the formation of the state of Texas while an invocation was said in the stadium, followed by the national anthem.
A horde of yellow-clad students, enough to populate a small country, have now run out on to the field to create a tunnel for the Bears to run out of. Seriously, they are like lemmings running onto the field. It's a never-ending line of students. Amazingly enough, the student section is still filled.
Tonight's Storylines - 6:55 p.m. CT
Here are some storylines to take note of for tonight:
- Freshman Watch: With three true freshmen listed on Wake Forest's two deep, will Jim Grobe buck the trend of mass redshirting and play a few rookies? Grobe said at Tuesday's press conference that tight end Andrew Parker and guard Joe Looney will play. Parker is listed as the backup tight end, and Grobe called Looney the team's third guard. Chance Raines is also on the two-deep behind Trey Bailey at center. With redshirt freshman center Ryan Britt out with a knee injury, Raines may have to spell Bailey from time to time. True freshmen Kenny Okoro, Kevin Smith and Garrick Williams are all on the 70-man travel roster to Waco. While Smith and Williams are likely to redshirt, Okoro may be called into action in an emergency.
- Personnel Questions: Throughout the preseason, college football analysts have posed two main questions about the Deacs: Will they have the offensive line depth to succeed and will they be able to replace the production of wide receiver Kenneth Moore. It will be interesting to see how the two storylines play out in the season opener.
- Record Watch, Offensive Edition: Quarterback Riley Skinner could begin his ascension on a number of Wake Forest career records lists tonight. First and foremost, with a win Skinner would become the all-time career wins leader by a Deacon starting quarterback. With 18 wins under his belt as a starter, Skinner is tied with Mike Elkins (1985-88) for first on the list. Skinner could also move up on the career lists for pass attempts, pass completions and passing TDs with a solid performance.
- Record Watch, Defensive Edition: Cornerback Alphonso Smith is three interceptions away from tying Ronnie Burgess (1981-84) and A.J. Greene (1985-88) for Wake Forest's career interceptions lead. Smith, who is the NCAA's active career leader in interceptions, has 14 picks in three seasons.
- Record Watch, Swank Edition: With the Wake Forest career scoring record already in tow, placekicker Sam Swank can now take aim at the ACC record. Maryland's Nick Noval (2001-04) holds the conference mark with 393 points. Swank is 107 points away with 286 career points. Swank is also 13 PATs away from tying Wilson Hoyle (1986-89) for the Wake Forest career mark of 119.
- A Night of Firsts?: Wake Forest has historically had its fair share of trouble with anything Texas. The Deacons are 0-11 in games played in the state, 0-14-1 against teams from the state and 0-4 against Baylor. The Deacs are also just 1-11 against the Big 12 Conference.
From the Field - 6:40 p.m. CT
I was just on the sidelines and all I can say is it is hot. There is a slight breeze on the field, blowing in from the South endzone. Floyd Casey Stadium has FieldTurf, just the same as BB&T Field so the Deacons should be on familiar footing.
The Wake Forest sideline is on the East side of the stadium, opposite the pressbox. The Baylor student section is located directly behind the team bench. As the players were coming out of the tunnel for warmups, they were greeted with a chorus of boos from the students.
There are two Deacons not in uniform for tonight, center Ryan Britt and defensive lineman Kevin Smith. Britt is out with a knee injury, and Smith is a true freshman who is likely to redshirt.
Uniform Report - 6:15 p.m. CT
The kickers are out on the field warming up right now, and it looks as if we're going with white on white uniforms tonight. The Deacons went with white jerseys and white pants in last year's season opener at Boston College.
Beverly Hills 76711 - 6:00 p.m. CT
We've arrived to Floyd Casey Stadium, which is located off campus in an area known as Beverly Hills. The stadium is surrounded by mainly parking lots. However, when we were driving up, on one side of the street was a huge stadium. On the other side was a H-E-B grocery store. Odd.
Floyd Casey is a fairly large stadium, seating 50,000. On the outside it is adorned with giant action photos of former Baylor football greats (I'm assuming they were great since they each have a huge photo on the side of the stadium). The tailgating atmosphere is sizable with a number of tents and activities set up on each side of the stadium.
Inside the stadium, there is seating in a horseshoe shape. In the open end of the stadium, are some bleacher seats that are covered by a green tarp reading "This Is Bear Country". All of the seats in the stadium are bleacher seats, with the exception of a section just below the pressbox that has chairbacks.
The concourse shows the stadium's age (it opened in 1950), as it is obviously antiquated and a little cramped. Nothing is as cramped, however, as the pressbox. We're packed in here with little room for more than a laptop. But, it beats a number of other options so I can't really complain.
And We're Off... - 4:20 p.m. CT
The team buses have pulled out and we are offically on our way up I-35 to Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco. It looks as if it's going to be a gorgeous night for football. Right now, it's sunny and hot. Temperaturs were in the mid to upper 90s today and are expected to drop to about 88 degrees at kickoff. It's about a 45-minute drive from our hotel in Temple to the stadium, so I'll check back in when we hit the field.
1961 Wake Forest vs. Baylor Connections - 4:00 p.m. CT
I just returned from the team's pre-game meal, where in addition to enjoying a very delicious lasagna I learned an interesting tidbit about the last time Wake Forest and Baylor met on the gridiron. It turns out that Bill Faircloth, Wake Forest's Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations, has returned to the site of his collegiate debut.
Coach Faircloth (also known as "Big Daddy" to most of the team) was a sophomore on the Deacon squad that lost at Baylor, 31-0, in 1961. It was the era in which freshmen were not allowed to play in games, so as a sophomore, Coach Faircloth made his debut as a two-way player against the Bears. He played offensive guard and linebacker for the Deacs that year.
In addition to Coach Faircloth, another member of the Wake Forest athletic department is connected to the 1961 matchup. Cook Griffin, an Assistant AD and the Executive Director of the Deacon Club, was the head manager for the Deacon football team that season and was on the trip to Waco.
Coach Faircloth also mentioned that on the charter flight to Baylor, the oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling once they got into the air--an inauspicious start to say the least. Normally the team would charter two smaller planes on a road trip, but for this one they used one 125-passenger plane.
On the Cover of the Rolling Stone - 12:30 p.m. CT
Not quite the Rolling Stone, but the cover of the USA Today isn't half shabby. Today's issue of USA Today features a photo of quarterback Riley Skinner on its front page...not the front page of the sports section, but THE front page. Riley is shown on the top preview bar of the page, as the USA Today wrote capsules about tonight's televised games.
The publication also had a feature article on Baylor freshman quarterback Robert Griffin. The Bears have yet to name who will start under center tonight. For more preview articles on tonight's game, check out the Deacons Direct main page.
Food in Focus - 11:45 a.m. CT
The team had brunch this morning about an hour ago. They left a special teams meeting to go eat and then it was back to more meetings for offense and defense afterwards.
The amount of food available (and consumed) on a football trip is unbelievable. For those of us not playing in the game tonight, it's easy to over-indulge and then pay the price in the waistline. From the time we leave campus to the time we touch down in Greensboro coming home, there is always something to be eaten.
Here's a breakdown of all the food available on this trip:
- On the bus to the airport: bags of Chick-fil-A and a bottle of Gatorade.
- Boarding the plane: bottle of Gatorade or water.
- During the flight: a bag of snacks that includes pretzels, two granola bars, a Snickers bar, an apple and a banana; plus more Gatorade available.
- During the flight, part 2: more fruit, cheese and crackers and again more Gatorade or soft drinks.
- Arriving at the hotel: more Gatorade.
- Team dinner: salad, fruit, rolls, green beans, mashed potatos and gravy, roast beef, spaghetti, more Gatorade (of course) and the highlight of the evening, the ice cream bar (including hot fudge, strawberry topping, caramel, whipped cream, nuts, bananas and cookies - yikes!).
- After movie: late night snacks which includes salty stuff such as chips and popcorn (gotta have salt to stay hydrated) and more Gatorade.
- Team gameday brunch: fruit, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, pancakes, grits, juice and more Gatorade.
- Pre-game meal: heavy on pasta and Gatorade.
- Post-game meal: TBA...everyone is usually given a bag or box of food (of course in a generous portion)
- During the flight home: similar to the first flight, but top it all off with a Wake Forest football tradition that is said to pre-date the current coaching staff: Dove ice cream bars. Oh, and more Gatorade.
Gameday! - 9:00 a.m. CT
Today is the day we have all been anxiously anticipating--the official start of the 2008 college football season. The Demon Deacons have a full day ahead of them leading up to their game against the Baylor Bears.
The players have a 9:30 a.m. devotional with team chaplain Joe Haynes and then special teams meetings following that. Brunch is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. with offenive and defensive meetings to follow. After some rest in their rooms, it's another round of offensive and defensive meetings this afternoon.
The pre-game meal is set for 3:15 p.m., and we're scheduled to depart the hotel for Waco an hour later. It's about a 45-minute bus ride to the stadium, so the team should arrive about two hours prior to kickoff (which is set for 7:10 p.m. CT).
Aug. 27, 2008
Plane Flight in Focus - 9:15 p.m. CT
If you have ever wondered what it's like traveling with a college football team, imagine going on a weekend trip with 125 of your closest friends. In addition to the 70-man travel roster and the 15 coaches, you have another 40 or so people that are on the trip. This includes athletic trainers, team doctors, support staff, administration, boosters and cheerleaders.
It takes three buses to get us wherever we're going - one bus with the offensive players and coaches, one with the defense and a third bus with the administrators, support staff and cheerleaders.
On trips that require a plane flight, we usually take a US Airways charter out of Greensboro. This is much less of a hassle than going the commercial route--checking into the airport, going through security and then waiting at the gate. For the charter flight, the buses pull up on the runway within 50 yards of the plane. Everyone is then filed through a security line where they wand you and check out your carry-on bags.
The seating on the plane is like any other commercial flight. While Coach Grobe allows the seniors to occupy the first-class cabin, everyone else (yours truly included) is stuck in coach.
The flight to Waco lasted about two and a half hours. The movie Leatherheads (which is about 1920s professional football, starring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger) was the featured film for the flight. In continuing the team's running joke, the flight attendant wished sixth-year defensive end Matt Robinson a happy 40th birthday prior to takeoff.
Messing With Texas - 8:30 p.m. CT
One thing to note about this trip is it's Wake Forest's first visit to the Lonestar State in 18 seasons. The last time the Deacons played in Texas, they suffered a 33-17 loss to Rice.
There are three Texas natives on Wake Forest's roster, but none are expected to play tomorrow night. OL Ryan Britt (Grapevine, TX) was originally penciled in on the depth chart as the backup center, but he is out with a knee injury. WR Chris Givens (Wylie, TX) and DE Kevin Smith (Plano, TX) are expected to redshirt as true freshmen. Britt and Smith were included on the 70-man travel roster to Waco.
Greeting from Temple, Texas! - 7:00 p.m. CT
After a 2.5 hour flight into Waco and then a bus ride that lasted more than an hour to Temple, we are finally here at the hotel and ready to settle in and prepare for tomorrow's game at Baylor.
After we checked in at the hotel, it was straight to the team dinner. Dr. Daryl Rosenbaum, one of the team physicians, briefly addressed the Deacs during the dinner. With temperatures reaching the upper 90s in Texas, Dr. Rosenbaum talked to the players about avoiding heat cramps. He discussed two factors that cause heat cramps: fatigue and dehydration.
To avoid fatigue, Wake has to trust that its preseason conditioning will pay off. However, in terms of dehydration, Dr. Rosenbaum stressed to the team the need to hydrate their bodies starting tonight. He and the rest of the medical staff have laid out a very specific plan for the players to stay hydrated leading up to Thursday's game. The plan centers around lots of Gatorade and getting plenty of salt in their diet over the next 24 hours.
Besides from constant hydrating, the players have little planned for the evening. Continuing a long-standing tradition, the team watches a movie the night before the game. Tonight's flick is The Express, a drama based on the life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
Blogging the Baylor Trip - 11:30 a.m.
With Wake Forest's first football game just a day away, we're set to launch another feature of Deacons Direct. I'll be traveling with the team to Waco, Texas, and will be filing a number of blog entries along the way.
To cap it all off, I'll be blogging live from the pressbox at Baylor with various thoughts, notes and tidbits on the game as its happening.
We're set to leave campus at 1 p.m. today, and we will fly charter out of Greensboro at approximately 2:30 p.m. The itinerary has us arriving in Waco around 4:30 CT and then heading to the hotel in Temple, which is 45 minutes south of Waco.
Check back here for more updates on the Baylor trip.
- Blog posts by Scott Wortman, WFU Media Relations
