Wake Forest vs. Miami Game Preview
10/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 29, 2009
Video: Game Preview With Jim Grobe
Game Notes: Wake Forest 
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By Alex Botoman, WakeForestSports.com
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest (4-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) will be hoping to pull a Halloween trick on No. 18 Miami (5-2, 2-2) Saturday at BB&T Field. It will be the Demon Deacons' first game against a ranked opponent since they defeated No. 24 Florida State in Tallahassee last season.
After a two straight weeks on the road, Wake will be looking forward to its return home as they have won their last four games in the friendly confines of BB&T Field. The Demon Deacons are also 9-1 in their last 10 ACC home games.
"Being in front of a home crowd is definitely going to help us," tight end Cameron Ford said. "It's a top-25 team on Halloween, and it's going to be really exciting."
There can be no doubt about the quality of the Hurricanes as they have successfully navigated a difficult schedule with their first four games all coming against ranked teams. Miami had cracked the top-10 prior to its overtime loss to Clemson last weekend.
Miami's offense will be much different than the triple option that Wake faced against Navy last week. In his first year as a full-time starter, sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris has demonstrated that he is one of the best signal-callers in the ACC. Harris is averaging 253 passing yards per game and currently ranks third in the conference in passing efficiency.
"He's got as good a touch as any quarterback we've seen so far," head coach Jim Grobe said. "He's got a live arm and can go down the field, but he really puts it where it can be caught. The thing that really helps him there is their front not only protects well for him, they run the ball so well that you can't just dial up blitzes to put pressure on him and hopefully help you in the throw game."
The Hurricanes employ a three-headed rushing attack with Javarris James, Graig Cooper, and Damien Berry taking the handoffs. All three backs average over five yards per carry, and James and Cooper both rank among the top ten rushers in the ACC.
The Wake Forest defense had plenty of practice in stopping the run last weekend, as the Midshipmen did not attempt a single pass. Defensive end Tristan Dorty made a career high 10 tackles against Navy, while linebacker Dominique Midgett recorded 15 tackles and also recovered a fumble.
"We're really pleased with Dominique Midgett. He's played really, really well, maybe better than we expected," Grobe said. "We expected him to be in the mix and to be a factor for us, but he's turned out to be a real bright surprise for us."
The Demon Deacon offense hopes that returning home will be the cure for their recent woes. Wake has scored only 13 combined points in their last two games after previously leading the conference in total offense.
"There's times in every season where you face hardships, and I think this is just one of those times," said Ford. "I don't think there's anything wrong with our offense. It's just a slump that we went through and it's about to change.
Even with two down weeks, quarterback Riley Skinner ranks fourth in the conference in passing yards per game and passing efficiency and will be looking to regain the form he showed in his last two home games where he threw for over 350 yards against both NC State and Maryland.
"Riley plays really well every week. I think we know how good of a quarterback Riley is, and I think we use him smartly, but sometimes things just don't work out," Ford said.
Running back Josh Adams had a season-high 18 carries against Navy, picking up 89 yards. Receiver Devon Brown had three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. They will face a fast Hurricanes defense which will have to replace one of their leading players in linebacker Sean Spence who is sidelined for the game with a knee injury.
"We saw that with Clemson. They had a really fast defense, and we're about to see a similar situation with Miami," said Ford. "But we have fast players on offense too so it's going to be a great game when you have fast players on both sides of the ball."
A game against one of the most storied programs in college football is always something to be excited about, especially since the Hurricanes have not made the trip to Winston-Salem since 2005.
The Demon Deacons must win two of their final four games in order to become bowl eligible, and with no easy wins in sight the game against Miami takes on added importance. With the tight ACC standings, both teams are also still in the hunt for the ACC Championship Game.
"Miami has always been a great team that always has great athletes," Joe Looney said. "They have always been in the top 25 and winning national championships."
"We all know what's ahead of us. We have four really tough games and four very important games," added Ford. "We're also fighting for a championship, and how can you not be excited when you are playing for a championship."
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at BB&T Field. The game will be televised regionally by ABC, and can also be heard on the Wake Forest ISP Sports Radio Network.
