Different Perspectives

The surest sign that a college-football team isn't happy about the direction of its season is the players-only meeting.

Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest said yesterday that he can't remember a season without one.

"But what's funny is they never seem to come after a win,'" Grobe said. "I've never had a kid come up to me after we won a win and say ‘Coach, I think we need to get this stuff straight.' "

Wake Forest held a players-only meeting Monday night, two days after its second straight loss and third in four games.

Grobe joked that he's upset he wasn't invited. He also said he didn't mind hearing this one was being held.

Several leaders called the meeting, including linebackers Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux, defensive end Matt Robinson and quarterback Riley Skinner.

"When you've got five games left, and you've had a couple of tough losses like we have, the seniors start realizing the clock is ticking pretty fast right now," Grobe said. "I think sometimes team meetings are not good because there's a lot of finger pointing, and guys aren't focused on team-type stuff.

"But I think with (Arnoux and Robinson), if they've got the team together, then you're going to have all the right things communicated."

Players said that the meeting was typical. Every player was given a chance to speak his mind and air any grievance he might have. Team leaders stressed the need to pull together for the good of the team.

"We just wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page and no one was complaining about this and that, and just focus on football," said Jeff Griffin, a junior offensive tackle. "That's what we're here for."

Robinson, as a sixth-year senior, has experienced his share and more of players-only meetings.

"It was mostly just housekeeping stuff," Robinson said. "We needed to come together. We're together as a team every day, but we needed to just sit down and if anyone had anything to say they needed to get it off the chest -- because once we're done with that meeting, it's time to go to work.

"We talked about some things and just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page. I felt good after the meeting that that was accomplished."

Robinson said that the meeting was not a sign of disunity.

The faultlines on many teams fall between the offense and defense, especially on teams that rely more heavily on one than the other.

Grobe has said time and again this season that because the defense is more experienced than the offense, he will play to the strength of his team. But Robinson said he has seen no examples of the defense blaming the offense for the recent setbacks, or vice versa.

"That was covered in the meeting," Robinson said. "That's not acceptable here. We let everyone, if they needed to get something out, they needed to get it out.

"One thing, we're very close as teammates, and we back the offense 100 percent."

Health has probably been as big a concern as attitude in recent weeks. The Deacons lost 16-10 at Miami on Saturday with kicker Sam Swank (pulled quadriceps) and cornerback Brandon Ghee (injured foot) sidelined for the whole game and offensive tackle Joe Birdsong out for long stretches because of an illness.

Also, tailback Josh Adams sprained his ankle in the game but still managed to a season-high 111 yards on 21 carries.

Grobe said that after consulting with football trainer Don Steelman, he expects Ghee and Adams to return for Saturday's game against Duke.

"(Brandon) and Josh were both running plays (Monday night), certainly not full speed," Grobe said. "Josh was probably a little better than Brandon.

"We feel like they'll be fine for Saturday."

But Swank remains sidelined by an injury he sustained in practice Oct. 6. Swank has missed three games.

"I'm just hopeful that he's like some young kids are," Grobe said. "Sometimes just almost overnight, kids get well. We'll just kind of keep working on him and see what happens."

■ Dan Collins can be reached at 727-7323 or at dcollins@wsjournal.com.