As Skinner goes, so goes Wake Forest

By Lee Roberts  |   Thursday, November 06, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Injuries forced quarterback Riley Skinner into action at Wake Forest as a redshirt freshman and he hasn’t looked back since. This year, as a junior, Wake Forest’s season has been a bit of a roller coaster, much like Skinner’s. When Skinner plays well, the Demon Deacons win. When he doesn’t, they lose.

Commentary: Skinner is the prototypical quarterback for Jim Grobe’s system. He is smart and accurate, which is essential in the timing-based passing game Wake Forest favors. While he may never play on Sundays, Skinner is an excellent college quarterback who is vital to his team’s success.

The Deacons started off the season hot, winning at Baylor and FSU and beating Ole Miss at home. In those three games, Skinner completed 70.4 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and zero interceptions. In five of Wake Forest’s wins, Skinner has hit on 67.1 percent of attempts for seven scores and no picks. The other two wins came against Clemson and Duke.

After the quick start came the debacle against Navy. Skinner had arguably the worst outing of his career, throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. It was a terrible day for Skinner and an ugly loss for the Demon Deacons. The correlation between Skinner’s struggles and Wake Forest’s struggles would continue. In losses to Maryland and Miami, Skinner combined to complete 17 of 38 passes for zero scores.

This weekend, Wake Forest faces the surprising Virginia Cavaliers. If Wake is going to win, it will need a big day from Skinner. If he doesn’t produce one, Wake Forest fans will not be happy Saturday night.

Fan Pulse: Wake fans not only think the team will beat UVA, but most seem to think the Deacons will cover as 4.5-point favorites.

Injury Watch: Wake Forest should be getting a lot of players who have been banged up back, but kicker Sam Swank probably won’t be one of them.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report