Wake Forest is 3-0 and the state's only undefeated Division I-A football team, but its losses have been piling up.
The Deacons lost starting quarterback Benjamin Mauk for the season to injury just a little more than two weeks ago. Yesterday, Coach Jim Grobe found out he will likely be without starting running back Micah Andrews the rest of the way as well. An MRI performed on Andrews Monday revealed a torn anterior-cruciate ligament, which will require surgery sooner or later.
So, the only way that Andrews would play again this season would be on a damaged left knee.
"We won't know how Micah is for a couple of weeks, when we get all the swelling down and see how he does after that," Grobe said. "But he's got a knee that ultimately will require surgery.
"Whether we do it sooner or later will kind of depend on how he rehabs over the next couple of weeks."
As unlikely as a return by Andrews might seem, Grobe wasn't ready yesterday to rule it out. Grobe said that Andrews has been playing hurt since hyperextending a knee against Duke.
"It's certainly a knee that the doctors feel has to be repaired," Grobe said. "But Micah Andrews is an interesting guy. He has been playing on a sore knee for three weeks now, so he's got great pain tolerance. Some kids have played with torn ACLs.
"I would hate to say anything right now. A couple of weeks down the road we'll know more. We've got to get the swelling down and see where he really is."
The report was almost as bad for Arby Jones, the starting left tackle who was injured against Connecticut.
An MRI revealed a torn medial-collateral ligament in his left knee, which, according to Grobe, will keep Jones sidelined from two to six weeks.
Grobe said he will probably go with junior De'Angelo Bryant backed by redshirt freshman Kevin Harris and untested junior Travo Woods at running back Saturday at Mississippi. Freshmen Josh Adams and Lucas Caparelli will probably make their first trip, but Grobe said yesterday that they would play only in an emergency.
Bryant missed last week's game against Connecticut with a slightly separated shoulder.
"Saturday at game time (trainer) Don Steelman thought he was 100 percent ready to go," Grobe said. "But we hadn't practiced him very much during the week, to specifically take care of that shoulder.
"And De'Angelo looked great (Monday) night, so I think he's full speed and ready to roll."
Grobe and his staff have apparently reconsidered moving either guard Louis Frazier or guard Matthew Brim into Jones' spot at left tackle.
Instead the Deacons plan to split time between two redshirt freshmen, right tackle Jeff Griffin and left tackle Joe Birdsong.
When Griffin is in the game, senior Steve Vallos will move to left tackle. When Birdsong is in, Vallos will move back to his regular right tackle position.
"Steve Vallos is one who we would say would get every snap, and the two young guys will probably split them - unless one is just playing so much better than the other one," Grobe said. "And I couldn't even guess as to how that might work out.
"They're both going to get a chance to play, so I'm sure they will be excited."
Grobe confirmed that receiver Kevin Marion, who missed games against Duke and Connecticut with a sprained knee, is expected to return for Saturday's game.
Grobe said the torn ligaments of Andrews and Jones have left him torn between the satisfaction of Wake Forest's being 3-0 for the first time since 1987 and the disappointment of seeing so many players who have meant so much to the program out with injuries.
"I always hate to see any of our players get hurt, but when football is as important as it is to Micah and to Ben and to Arby and to those guys, it just breaks your heart," Grobe said. "Aside from missing them as football players on your team, just knowing how important football's always been to those kids, it really hurts you personally.
"You hate to see kids who have invested that much time and effort into playing the game not have a chance to play. It really goes beyond winning and losing and having them in the game Saturday against Ole Miss."
The Deacons lost starting quarterback Benjamin Mauk for the season to injury just a little more than two weeks ago. Yesterday, Coach Jim Grobe found out he will likely be without starting running back Micah Andrews the rest of the way as well. An MRI performed on Andrews Monday revealed a torn anterior-cruciate ligament, which will require surgery sooner or later.
So, the only way that Andrews would play again this season would be on a damaged left knee.
"We won't know how Micah is for a couple of weeks, when we get all the swelling down and see how he does after that," Grobe said. "But he's got a knee that ultimately will require surgery.
"Whether we do it sooner or later will kind of depend on how he rehabs over the next couple of weeks."
As unlikely as a return by Andrews might seem, Grobe wasn't ready yesterday to rule it out. Grobe said that Andrews has been playing hurt since hyperextending a knee against Duke.
"It's certainly a knee that the doctors feel has to be repaired," Grobe said. "But Micah Andrews is an interesting guy. He has been playing on a sore knee for three weeks now, so he's got great pain tolerance. Some kids have played with torn ACLs.
"I would hate to say anything right now. A couple of weeks down the road we'll know more. We've got to get the swelling down and see where he really is."
The report was almost as bad for Arby Jones, the starting left tackle who was injured against Connecticut.
An MRI revealed a torn medial-collateral ligament in his left knee, which, according to Grobe, will keep Jones sidelined from two to six weeks.
Grobe said he will probably go with junior De'Angelo Bryant backed by redshirt freshman Kevin Harris and untested junior Travo Woods at running back Saturday at Mississippi. Freshmen Josh Adams and Lucas Caparelli will probably make their first trip, but Grobe said yesterday that they would play only in an emergency.
Bryant missed last week's game against Connecticut with a slightly separated shoulder.
"Saturday at game time (trainer) Don Steelman thought he was 100 percent ready to go," Grobe said. "But we hadn't practiced him very much during the week, to specifically take care of that shoulder.
"And De'Angelo looked great (Monday) night, so I think he's full speed and ready to roll."
Grobe and his staff have apparently reconsidered moving either guard Louis Frazier or guard Matthew Brim into Jones' spot at left tackle.
Instead the Deacons plan to split time between two redshirt freshmen, right tackle Jeff Griffin and left tackle Joe Birdsong.
When Griffin is in the game, senior Steve Vallos will move to left tackle. When Birdsong is in, Vallos will move back to his regular right tackle position.
"Steve Vallos is one who we would say would get every snap, and the two young guys will probably split them - unless one is just playing so much better than the other one," Grobe said. "And I couldn't even guess as to how that might work out.
"They're both going to get a chance to play, so I'm sure they will be excited."
Grobe confirmed that receiver Kevin Marion, who missed games against Duke and Connecticut with a sprained knee, is expected to return for Saturday's game.
Grobe said the torn ligaments of Andrews and Jones have left him torn between the satisfaction of Wake Forest's being 3-0 for the first time since 1987 and the disappointment of seeing so many players who have meant so much to the program out with injuries.
"I always hate to see any of our players get hurt, but when football is as important as it is to Micah and to Ben and to Arby and to those guys, it just breaks your heart," Grobe said. "Aside from missing them as football players on your team, just knowing how important football's always been to those kids, it really hurts you personally.
"You hate to see kids who have invested that much time and effort into playing the game not have a chance to play. It really goes beyond winning and losing and having them in the game Saturday against Ole Miss."
