New QB Hodges hasn't been Grobe's biggest concern
Just as he delegates responsibilities, Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest has been known to delegate sleepless nights.
So replacing injured Riley Skinner at quarterback has not been Grobe?s biggest concern for today?s home opener against Nebraska (noon, ESPN Ch. 33).
?It?s my biggest issue,? said Jeff Mullen, the assistant in charge of quarterbacks. ?I?ll be selfish and say that.
?But I?d say Coach Grobe has more pressing matters.?
The Deacons have confidence in Brett Hodges, a redshirt sophomore who was rushed into the fray when Skinner ? last season?s ACC rookie of the year ? was sidelined last week at Boston College. Mullen, Grobe and the staff felt even better after watching Hodges complete 17 of 23 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, in his first extensive action.
Hodges was waging a fierce competition with Skinner for the second-team spot last season before his separated shoulder left the door open for Skinner to replace an injured Benjamin Mauk.
?Sometimes the problem when you get into really close competition like that is you don?t have a one, you?ve got a couple of twos,? Grobe said. ?I think in this case we?ve got a couple of kids, and we like both of them very well.?
Far higher on Grobe?s list of concerns coming off the 38-28 loss at BC are the offensive line, the cornerback position opposite junior Alphonso Smith and depth at defensive end. The Deacons rushed for just 2 yards against the Eagles, and quarterback Matt Ryan of BC passed for 406 yards and five touchdowns.
Ryan did most of his aerial damage against starter Kerry Major and his replacement, Marcus Williams. Wake Forest could have slowed Ryan with a better pass rush, but defensive end Matt Robinson sprained an ankle on the game?s first play from scrimmage, and Grobe had to keep his other two most reliable ends, Jeremy Thompson and Anthony Davis, on the field far more than planned.
Grobe resisted making wholesale changes, and Wake Forest is expected to start today?s game with the same offensive line ? other than Jeff Griffin, back from a torn posterior-cruciate ligament, possibly replacing Joe Birdsong at tackle. Major and Williams are expected to split time at cornerback again.
Grobe said he certainly didn?t want his quarterbacks to throw 60 passes, as they did last week against BC. The Deacons completed 45.
?I?ve got to tell you, my comfort zone is not in throwing the ball 60 times a game,? Grobe said. ?That?s just not what I?m accustomed to.
?I think we can get better. I think our offensive line will be better, I think our backs will do a better job running the football. We?ve got to.
?If we go through the season, I don?t think we can come out with the idea every Saturday that we?re going to throw the football 60 times.?
Micah Andrews is expected to start again at tailback, and Kevin Harris should play as well. Senior De?Angelo Bryant was moved from tailback to fullback, which might give a shot to Josh Adams, a redshirt freshman who was the leading rusher in North Carolina as a senior at Cary High School.
Grobe considered moving safety Kevin Patterson back to cornerback, where he started 11 games last season. But persistent concerns about depth at safety persuaded Grobe to give Major and Williams another try.
They?ll be tested again by senior Sam Keller, a transfer from Arizona State who completed 14 of 25 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown in last week?s 52-10 season-opening victory against Nevada.
?They played like inexperienced players,? Grobe said. ?I felt both Kerry Major and Marcus Williams played their hearts out. They played as hard as they can possibly play.
?The good new is that Alphonso played like a veteran, so that helped our comfort zone a little bit. We feel like every week they?ll get a little better.
?They went against one of the better quarterbacks. They?re going to see another great quarterback this Saturday. So they?re getting thrown in the fire really quick. They?re getting their eyes opened pretty quick. I think they?ll play better.
?We weren?t happy, but we were pleased that they competed really, really hard. They didn?t have that deer-in-the-headlights look out there. They probably played a little too cautiously at times. They absolutely made some mistakes that hurt us.
?But overall it was about what we expected.?
Robinson said he is encouraged about his rehabilitation and hopes to be available for next week?s game against Army. But in the meantime, the Deacons will need depth at defensive end from Michael Lockett and Antonio Wilson.
?We can?t have Jeremy Thompson and Anthony Davis play 80 snaps,? Grobe said. ?They?ll have to get more help.?
Just as he delegates responsibilities, Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest has been known to delegate sleepless nights.
So replacing injured Riley Skinner at quarterback has not been Grobe?s biggest concern for today?s home opener against Nebraska (noon, ESPN Ch. 33).
?It?s my biggest issue,? said Jeff Mullen, the assistant in charge of quarterbacks. ?I?ll be selfish and say that.
?But I?d say Coach Grobe has more pressing matters.?
The Deacons have confidence in Brett Hodges, a redshirt sophomore who was rushed into the fray when Skinner ? last season?s ACC rookie of the year ? was sidelined last week at Boston College. Mullen, Grobe and the staff felt even better after watching Hodges complete 17 of 23 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, with one interception, in his first extensive action.
Hodges was waging a fierce competition with Skinner for the second-team spot last season before his separated shoulder left the door open for Skinner to replace an injured Benjamin Mauk.
?Sometimes the problem when you get into really close competition like that is you don?t have a one, you?ve got a couple of twos,? Grobe said. ?I think in this case we?ve got a couple of kids, and we like both of them very well.?
Far higher on Grobe?s list of concerns coming off the 38-28 loss at BC are the offensive line, the cornerback position opposite junior Alphonso Smith and depth at defensive end. The Deacons rushed for just 2 yards against the Eagles, and quarterback Matt Ryan of BC passed for 406 yards and five touchdowns.
Ryan did most of his aerial damage against starter Kerry Major and his replacement, Marcus Williams. Wake Forest could have slowed Ryan with a better pass rush, but defensive end Matt Robinson sprained an ankle on the game?s first play from scrimmage, and Grobe had to keep his other two most reliable ends, Jeremy Thompson and Anthony Davis, on the field far more than planned.
Grobe resisted making wholesale changes, and Wake Forest is expected to start today?s game with the same offensive line ? other than Jeff Griffin, back from a torn posterior-cruciate ligament, possibly replacing Joe Birdsong at tackle. Major and Williams are expected to split time at cornerback again.
Grobe said he certainly didn?t want his quarterbacks to throw 60 passes, as they did last week against BC. The Deacons completed 45.
?I?ve got to tell you, my comfort zone is not in throwing the ball 60 times a game,? Grobe said. ?That?s just not what I?m accustomed to.
?I think we can get better. I think our offensive line will be better, I think our backs will do a better job running the football. We?ve got to.
?If we go through the season, I don?t think we can come out with the idea every Saturday that we?re going to throw the football 60 times.?
Micah Andrews is expected to start again at tailback, and Kevin Harris should play as well. Senior De?Angelo Bryant was moved from tailback to fullback, which might give a shot to Josh Adams, a redshirt freshman who was the leading rusher in North Carolina as a senior at Cary High School.
Grobe considered moving safety Kevin Patterson back to cornerback, where he started 11 games last season. But persistent concerns about depth at safety persuaded Grobe to give Major and Williams another try.
They?ll be tested again by senior Sam Keller, a transfer from Arizona State who completed 14 of 25 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown in last week?s 52-10 season-opening victory against Nevada.
?They played like inexperienced players,? Grobe said. ?I felt both Kerry Major and Marcus Williams played their hearts out. They played as hard as they can possibly play.
?The good new is that Alphonso played like a veteran, so that helped our comfort zone a little bit. We feel like every week they?ll get a little better.
?They went against one of the better quarterbacks. They?re going to see another great quarterback this Saturday. So they?re getting thrown in the fire really quick. They?re getting their eyes opened pretty quick. I think they?ll play better.
?We weren?t happy, but we were pleased that they competed really, really hard. They didn?t have that deer-in-the-headlights look out there. They probably played a little too cautiously at times. They absolutely made some mistakes that hurt us.
?But overall it was about what we expected.?
Robinson said he is encouraged about his rehabilitation and hopes to be available for next week?s game against Army. But in the meantime, the Deacons will need depth at defensive end from Michael Lockett and Antonio Wilson.
?We can?t have Jeremy Thompson and Anthony Davis play 80 snaps,? Grobe said. ?They?ll have to get more help.?
