Wake Forest Athletics
Navy Game Preview
10/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 7, 2010
Video: Game Preview With Jim Grobe 
Game Notes: Wake Forest 
| Navy
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By Steven Johns, WakeForestSports.com
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - For the second week in a row, the option offense heads for BB&T Field as Wake Forest hosts Navy in its Homecoming game.
The Deacons are now 2-3 (1-2 in the ACC) following a late-game 24-20 loss to Georgia Tech. Navy enters the game 2-2 after a loss to fellow service academy, Air Force.
Despite injuries that left Skylar Jones, the fourth quarterback on the depth chart, running the offense, Wake Forest held the lead over Georgia Tech until the final series of the game when Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt drove the Yellow Jackets 69 yards to score the game winning touchdown.
"It's been very frustrating" said senior linebacker Hunter Haynes. "As a football player you work your whole offseason and your whole life to win on Saturdays, so when it doesn't happen obviously we're disappointed."
"We've got a great group of guys who have always been hard workers, and I still see that in all of their eyes, so I know we'll get back to work and have good practices" said Haynes.
Wake Forest will face a foe similar to Georgia Tech when the Midshipmen return to Winston-Salem. Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has continued to run the triple option offense that his predecessor and current Yellow Jacket head coach Paul Johnson perfected when he was at the helm of the Mids.
"Having played Georgia Tech the week before Navy could help us because we're seeing the same fits, same reads," said Haynes. "So I think as a defense we will be moving a little bit faster."
According to head coach Jim Grobe, getting the defense up to speed is important when facing Navy.
"The problem that you have with option football teams is that you don't get to see it very much, so a lot of times it takes you a little while before you start getting the speed of the game" said Grobe. "The point we made last week against Georgia Tech, and the point we're trying to make against Navy, is to get off to a quick start so we don't have to play catch up."
While defense has the advantage of facing an option offense two weeks in a row, the offense will have to face a speedy defense while dealing with a question at the quarterback position. Last week, the Deacons went through three quarterbacks on the first four offensive series, as starter Ted Stachitas was knocked out of the game with a transverse process fracture while backup Brendan Cross sustained a shoulder injury on the next sequence, leaving the offense in the hands of Jones.
"One of the things that you worry about is the amount of reps you give guys during the week," said Grobe. "Last week we gave each quarterback a third of the reps because we didn't know who would be the best guy in the game or who would be the most durable, and as it turned out, we needed all three."
True freshman signal-caller Tanner Price is returning from a concussion and will get the start against Navy.
"Having different quarterbacks rotate in and out is difficult, but I think it's something we've been able to manage these past four or five games" said senior running back Josh Adams. "I think if we can maintain a healthy quarterback and maintain some consistency I think we'll be able to progress further."
The Wake Forest offense will be facing a mentally and physically tough team in Navy on Saturday.
"It's going to be a battle," said Adams. "Navy is going to come with different kind of blitzes and they're going to bring it, they're going to bring it every play."
"They're not going to quit until its double zeros in the fourth quarter," Adams continued. "They could be down how many ever points or up how many ever points; they never give up."
Navy is a small team (only one Midshipman cracks the 300 pound mark), but both Adams and Haynes are not taking their opponents lightly.
"Those guys, it's the easiest part of their day, playing football" said Haynes. "And they're just extremely tough, mentally tough guys that play extremely hard."
"We understand that these guys probably go through some training that we could never imagine" said Adams. "They've always been a physical team and will continue to be a physical team."
