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Deacs have no margin for error
Grobe says status of injured Skinner will be monitored daily
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Published: November 4, 2009
Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest was asked the kind of question no coach wants to entertain entering the home stretch of the season.
How will the Deacons respond to falling to 4-5 and 2-3 in the ACC with Georgia Tech, Florida State and Duke remaining?
"That remains to be seen," Grobe said yesterday. "Our backs are against the wall. There's not seven or eight games left to make up. We've got to win.
"But I think everybody's on point, knowing where we are. We're beyond the pats on the back for good tries."
It also remains to be seen if quarterback Riley Skinner will be available to help the Deacons try to pull off the upset at 10th-ranked Georgia Tech. Skinner is questionable because of a concussion suffered late in Saturday's loss to Miami.
Skinner returned to practice last night but was not wearing shoulder pads. Head football trainer Don Steelman said that Skinner's participation would be strictly limited.
"He's just going to throw the ball around a little bit and move around and have a little physical activity -- that's all," Steelman said.
Steelman said there was no deadline for the decision, other than, of course, Saturday's 3:30 kickoff.
"We'll just monitor him through the week and see how he progresses," Steelman said. "Doctors have already looked at him (yesterday), and we'll see how he's doing on Thursday."
Grobe said yesterday that if Skinner can't play, the position belongs to Ryan McManus, a fifth-year backup who played his first four years as a walk-on.
"I think Ryan's capable," Grobe said. "I feel good about that. But at the same time I hope Riley's healthy and can go."
With freshman Brendan Cross only three regular-season games from being redshirtted, and with Skylar Jones having moved to wide receiver, the only other quarterback behind Skinner and McManus is Ted Stachitas, a redshirt freshman who has yet to throw a pass. Grobe ruled out splitting time between McManus and Stachitas.
"I think Ryan would get all the snaps and Ted would be the emergency guy -- about the same way we've done with Riley, with Ryan as the backup," Grobe said.
The Deacons should be healthier than they have been during their recent three-game losing streak to Clemson, Navy and Miami.
Defensive end Kyle Wilber, who returned to practice last week from a broken fibula but didn't play against Miami, has improved to the point that Grobe expects him to play at least a limited role Saturday. And Andrew Parker, a tight end who has missed two games with a sprained ankle, might also ease his way back into the rotation.
(Wilber) looked better," Grobe said of Monday night's practice. "He's getting back in shape now, and I think he feels better about himself. So we're probably more apt to play him a little this week. We don't know how much. We'll see how that goes. It's kind of a tough preparation to get him ready for because this is a team that's going to get on your legs a lot. And he's not sharp yet. He's not back in the flow.
"Parker got the green light from Don. Don liked everything that he did in his tests, figure eights and those kinds of things. He looked a little gimpy (Monday) night with some of the deep routes and things we were doing with him. I would say if he doesn't twist his ankle again this week in practice, then probably by Saturday he would be pretty much ready to roll."
Grobe said he expects Mike Rinfrette, who has been alternating between fullback and tight end, to start at tight end against Tech, with freshman Tommy Bohanon in the lineup at fullback.
"Because of the injury to Andrew we've been working Mike at tight end as much as we have at fullback," Grobe said.
"We like some of the things Bohanon has done at fullback, and we've got Cameron Ford. So those three will be in the mix, but I would say it's Rinfrette, Ford and Parker, in that order, and we'll probably treat Parker a little bit like we're treating Kyle Wilber right now."
Defensive end Tristan Dorty practiced Monday and showed no ill effects of a bruised back that kept him out against Miami. He also has been limping this season on cartilage damage in a knee.
And Kevin Harris, who started the first three games before missing the next six with a groin injury, was available against Miami but did not play.
"I think Harris could have played the other night but we felt (Brandon) Pendergrass and Josh (Adams) were playing really good," Grobe said. "Your worry with a running back that's been out for five or six weeks is taking care of the football.
"I'd love for Kevin to get snaps. It's his last year. We'd love for him to get out there. We've just got to find a way to do it."
dcollins@wsjournal.com
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