Josh Adams' career to date is proof that freshman year is not the time for a player to hit his prime.
Adams burst into prominence as a running back at Wake Forest two years ago by rushing for 953 yards and being named the ACC's offensive rookie of the year. He most likely would have broken the 1,000-yard mark if he hadn't sat out the first two games with an injured shoulder.
Since then, he has shown only flashes of his freshman form -- most recently with 94 yards rushing and 40 yards receiving in last Saturday's victory over Maryland. But the performance, coming on the heels of his inspired third-down catch and run that sealed the victory over N.C. State, has stoked the hopes and expectations of his coaches and teammates.
He'll need another good game or two to solidify his status as the Deacons' featured back, with Brandon Pendergrass also in the rotation heading into Saturday's game at Clemson. Running back Kevin Harris, who was expected to play against Clemson, reinjured his groin this week and will miss the game.
But the signs are there that Adams is coming on.
"Josh, he's starting to run pretty hard," quarterback Riley Skinner said. "You can see it in his determination.
"When I hand the ball off to him, he kind of jerks me a little bit every time. It seems like he's kinda grabbing that thing ready to roll. That's been good to see."
What Coach Jim Grobe is happy to see is a healthy Adams, a rarity during a sophomore season marred by arthroscopic knee surgery two weeks before the season and then a sprained ankle and a shoulder injury. Adams showed his courage last year by rushing for 111 yards on a gimpy ankle against Miami, but the effort took its toll.
Over the final six games, Adams carried 21 times for 45 yards. He finished with 402 yards on 122 carries.
"He's healthy now," Grobe said. "He's having fun. He's got a smile on his face.
"He worked really hard in the weight room in the offseason. He's strong, and he's got his foot speed back. He's starting to see things now a little better and making better decisions."
There have been times when Grobe would have liked Adams more if he hit the holes a little harder. When Grobe complained last season that he saw his backs giving "limp legs to ghosts" he wasn't naming Adams by name, but probably could have been.
Adams has great feet and balance and might be the Deacons' best combination of speed and power. But Grobe wants to see him run like he did against the Terps more often.
"I only saw him once the other night where I thought he was too indecisive, too much shake and bake going on," Grobe said. "But most of the time, he got the ball and picked the crease and hit it."
If Adams doesn't play another down, his season will be remembered for the play he made to clinch the victory over N.C. State. The Deacons, leading 30-24, faced third and 6 from their 24 with 1:45 remaining.
Adams caught a swing pass from Skinner and broke a series of attempted tackles for the 10-yard gain that denied the Wolfpack one last crack. Coach Tom O'Brien of State said after the game, "That kid wanted it more than we did."
Adams said he did, indeed, want it pretty badly.
"Coach Grobe told us that if we get this big first down, then it's pretty much the game," Adams recalled. "I talked to Riley about it and said they hadn't been covering the backs a lot in the flat. I told him that if I'm open to just throw me the ball.
"He threw the ball, I was able to get the first down. I was initially stopped behind the line of scrimmage, and I kind of panicked. And sometimes when you panic, you do things you didn't know you were capable of doing."
dcollins@wsjournal.com.
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