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Grobe will try to mix up offensive sets
Deacons used I-formation effectively during the second half of last season and in bowl game victory
Journal file photo
Wake Forest plans to have a more balanced offense next season, led by quarterback Riley Skinner.
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Published: April 3, 2009
Wake Forest's offense last season, as it turned out, was a passing fancy.
Intent on capitalizing on the skills of junior quarterback Riley Skinner, the Deacons spent the first half of the regular season in a spread offense that averaged 36 passes a game. But after his team managed only 219 yards in a 26-0 loss at Maryland, Coach Jim Grobe had seen enough.
He spent the next week re-installing the I-formation, which he used that Saturday at Miami. The Deacons lost 16-10 but in the process reestablished their identity as a team with balance on offense. They went to win four of their last six games.
"We became a better football team," Grobe said. "I was so hardheaded. We did too much running at Miami, but I didn't know any way to do it without over-emphasizing it.
"Then after Miami, we kind of settled down and got enough practice on the throw and practice on the run. I thought by the end of the year we were a pretty good offensive football team."
Asked Tuesday if he planned to mix up his offense for the 2009 season, Grove was typically self-deprecating with his initial response.
"We're mixed up," Grobe said. "We're so mixed up we don't know which way to go.
"Talk about mixed up."
Then he answered the question, which he had in effect already done by designating junior Kevin Harris as the starting tailback going into spring drills. Harris, who spent the first 11 games of last season as the third-team tailback, gained 136 yards on 24 carries in the EagleBank Bowl against Navy as Wake Forest used the I-formation almost the whole game.
"We're just kind of a pro offense," Grobe said. "We're going to be in some two-back set. We're going to be in some one-back set. We're going to be under center. We're going to be in the Shotgun. We're going to do some different things.
"We've had years where we were too much run. And last year, all the way up to Maryland, we were too much Shotgun and throw. So we were better when we went back to running the football better.
"I think with Riley you've got to throw it. But I don't think you can win if you just throw it. So we're going to try to be a little bit of both."
Not too many college teams have quarterbacks as experienced or accomplished as Skinner, a three-year starter who has completed 639 of 949 passes (67 percent) for 6,602 yards and 34 touchdowns, with 22 interceptions. Wake Forest's record with Skinner as the starting quarterback is 26-11.
Demir Boldin, who led the ACC last season with 81 catches, was a senior, but Grobe said that this year's receiving corps should be deeper and have more overall talent. When Skinner does throw, he should have his share of targets.
The leading candidates for playing time are redshirt sophomores Marshall Williams and Devon Brown, sophomore Jordan Williams, redshirt freshmen Terence Davis and Chris Givens and incoming freshman Quan Rucker.
"We've got some question marks," Grobe said. "We think Terence Davis is special. I probably should have played him as a true freshman, but that remains to be seen. He's looked good so far in spring, and looked good all last fall.
"I think Marshall Williams has the potential to be good. He's grown up a lot. He's really serious about playing college football and has a great work ethic.
"A guy that's been really, really impressive and has shown a little bit of leadership has been Devon Brown. Now I hate to say that right now because last year I thought he had an up-and-down year. Of course he was just a redshirt freshman. And he's got the speed you're looking for.
"And a guy who could really make us special if he'll grow up is Jordan Williams. Jordan had the typical sophomore slump. He played as a true freshman, and then really wasted a year for all intents and purposes as a sophomore. But that's not unusual. A lot of our guys do that. But we need him to step up because he can do some really, really good things."
■ Dan Collins can be reached at 727-7323 or at dcollins@wsjournal.com.
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