Golden Years: Deacons who know what it takes to win charged with leading younger teammates

Heading into his fifth and final season at Wake Forest, defensive tackle Boo Robinson wants only to go out the way he came in.

"We came in with the Orange Bowl," Robinson said. "It would be good to leave with the Orange Bowl again. But if we don't, it will be good to go bowling for a fourth straight year and be the first class to ever do that.

"I really want that. That's a personal goal I strive for, and I'm pretty sure all the other seniors want to go to a fourth straight bowl and end our senior season right."

Completing the circle with Robinson's redshirt senior class is something that has been on Coach Jim Grobe's mind as well.

The Deacons are in their golden era of football and have been since winning the 2006 ACC championship before losing to Louisville in the Orange Bowl. They've been to two bowls since, beating Connecticut in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl and Navy in the 2008 EagleBank Bowl.

In 2007 and 2008, the Deacons fell just one victory short of another division title and berth in the ACC championship game. While watching film this summer from 2006, Grobe was struck by how many players who played in the Orange Bowl either as starters or key backups are still in the program.

They were the pups then, guys such as Robinson, defensive tackle John Russell, offensive linemen Jeff Griffin, Chris DeGeare, Joe Birdsong and Barrett McMillin, fullback Mike Rinfrette, tight end Ben Wooster and, of course, quarterback Riley Skinner.

If the Deacons are to make it back, Grobe said, they'll have to be the leaders of the pack.

"So we've got some guys who have seen us win, know what it takes to win," Grobe said. "And if they can give the leadership to the young guys -- who obviously have a lot of ability -- and keep everybody playing full speed every snap, then we might have a chance."

Nobody is shouldering a heavier load than Robinson and Russell, the twin pillars of the defensive line that Grobe is hoping to rebuild his defense around. Graduation ravaged last year's defense, which had seven senior starters. Among them were four -- linebackers Aaron Curry and Stanley Arnoux, cornerback Alphonso Smith and safety Chip Vaughn -- who were selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft.

Curry, very possibly the best linebacker to ever play at Wake Forest, was the fourth player chosen, by Seattle. Smith was picked in the second round by Denver.

The 2009 defense might actually have more talent throughout the depth chart, given the boost that the Orange Bowl season gave the program in recruiting. But most of that talent remains unproven.

Of the players expected to start on defense -- Russell and Robinson at tackles, Kyle Wilber and Tristan Dorty at ends, Hunter Haynes, Matt Woodlief and Jonathan Jones at linebacker, Brandon Ghee and either Michael Williams or Josh Bush at cornerback, and Alex Frye and Cyhl Quarles at safety -- only Russell, Robinson, Wilber and Ghee have ever started a college game.

To contend for another ACC title, the Deacons will need immediate contributions from the other starters and significant support from untested reserves such as redshirt freshman Ramon Booi at defensive tackle, sophomore Gelo Orange at defensive end, redshirt freshmen Riley Haynes, Joey Ehrmann and Scott Betros at linebacker, sophomore Junior Petit-John at safety and redshirt freshman Kenny Okoro at cornerback.

The offense has no excuses.

Skinner, the most accurate passer in ACC history with a completion percentage of 67.3, has a 26-11 record as a starter.

The two backs who alternated last season, Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass, return, but they dropped down the depth chart after Kevin Harris claimed the starter's role by gaining 136 yards on 24 carries in the EagleBank Bowl.

The receiving corps lost D.J. Boldin, the ACC's leader last season with 81 catches, but could be a strength if juniors Marshall Williams and Jordan Williams, sophomore Devon Brown and freshman Chris Givens play as well as they did during the spring and preseason camp. In Wooster, the Deacons have a 6-5, 235-pound senior tight end with the size and speed to get downfield.

That leaves the offensive line, the unit that will make or break the season.

Grobe was extremely disappointed in the line last year, when the Deacons finished ninth in the ACC rushing and third in most sacks allowed. Experience abounds, with eight players -- DeGeare, Griffin, Birdsong, McMillin, Russell Nenon, Trey Bailey, Joe Looney and Doug Weaver -- having combined for 116 career starts. But Grobe said he's looking for more toughness and durability.

The return of DeGeare from academic ineligibility provided a huge lift. The Deacons are expected to start the season Saturday with DeGeare at left tackle, Looney at left guard, Nenon at center, Griffin at right guard and Birdsong at right tackle.

"You've got a guy in Riley Skinner who can get the job done, and we need 10 other guys," Grobe said. "I thought last year the only guy that we had that really supported Riley the way he needed to be supported was D.J. Boldin.

"So it's important to us to make sure we've not only got the old guy, Riley, playing good but have 10 other guys supporting him.

"I feel as good about this offensive line as I've felt in a long time. I think this is a good group. I don't know how well we're going to play. I just like the attitude. The attitude of these guys is that ‘We're going to be better and we're going to play better and do our part' -- which I don't think we did last year."