Can Nebraska win early-season matchup with Wake?

By Josh Lashley  |   Sunday, May 06, 2007  |  Comments( 10 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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There used to be a time when Nebraska fans seeing an early-season visit to Winston-Salem North Carolina to face Wake Forest wouldn't even have blinked twice. Heck, the 2005 Cornhuskers dealt the Demon Deacons a 28-point loss. Oh, how quickly things can change.

After they won the ACC championship with a 9-6 triumph over Georgia Tech on Dec. 2, 2006 in Jacksonville, Fla., and posted an eye-opening overall season record of 11-3, it's hardly breaking news to mention that Wake deserves serious consideration from the Huskers this fall. Like Nebraska, Wake was defeated in its bowl game (24-13 to Louisville in the Orange Bowl).

Thanks to a spirited and confident defense, no team reached the 30-point plateau against the Demon Deacons last season. Although, in their two regular season losses, both at home, the Deacons gave up 27 points to Clemson and Virginia.

Jim Grobe, now in his seventh season as head coach, has turned Wake Forest into a winner, and a victory over a storied program like Nebraska would indeed be a feather in his cap.

Grobe earned ACC Coach of the Year honors for the 2006 campaign and will look to sophomore quarterback Riley Skinner to lead the offense onto the field. Skinner appeared on the scene last fall when then-starting signal caller Ben Mauk suffered an opening-game injury. After, Skinner remained the No. 1 QB for the duration of the season, throwing for just over 2,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie year.

The young QB will be surrounded by some noteworthy talent, including senior Kenneth Moore. Moore is a versatile player who can get the job done as a receiver, running back and on special teams. De'Angelo Bryant, a senior, had over 330 yards and three touchdowns on the ground last fall. Kevin Marion, a senior wide receiver/kick returner, and junior Demir Bolden may provide the Demon Deacons with solid depth at the skill positions on offense. The front should be paced by Steve Justice, regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the country.

Wake Forest's defense, which rightly garnered much attention in 2006, lost its share of standouts who are now in the NFL. However, there still are enough playmakers remaining to keep the opposition honest.

Defensive end Matt Robinson, who missed the 2006 season with a severe knee injury, will look to regain his form from 2004 and 2005. Stanley Arnoux, a junior who tallied 69 tackles last year, is returning at linebacker. Junior Eric Berry recorded 26 tackles as a backup LB to star Jon Abbate (now with the Houston Texans) and could be a big contributor this season.

The defensive backfield looks like it can be dominant with guys like Alphonso Smith (junior cornerback) and Kevin Patterson (senior CB). Keep in mind that there are players at various positions who saw ample time in the spotlight for Wake last season.

No preview of Wake Forest would be complete without including another important cog, and that's highly touted punter and place kicker Sam Swank. The junior was tremendous for the Demon Deacons last season, hitting all of his 33 point-after attempts and finishing 23 of 31 in field goals, including a long of 53 yards. He also averaged over 41 yards per punt in 2006.

This game has all the makings of close contest, with turnovers, field position and yes special teams possibly deciding the outcome. Does Nebraska have the focus needed to win such a matchup? We'll see, but a confidence-boosting victory leading into a rematch, this time at home, against USC could be in the cards.

Original offseason Nebraska Cornhuskers insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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