TheReff
Rod Griffin
- Joined
- May 15, 2011
- Messages
- 6,388
- Reaction score
- 565
It's now July and it is time to talk college football. The Deacs will be strong with 8 official returning starters on offense & 6 returning starters on defense. OC Ruggerio's offense was #2 in the ACC last year and set the all-time Wake Forest scoring record and this year could top that. With the depth we have developed, we now have a "plug & play" situation as we saw when Dortch went down and we all thought the sky had fallen. This year's team could average 40 points per game as long as Newman or Hartman develops quickly [and they have to good games to get themselves acclimated before taking on a good Boston College team on ESPN on a Thursday night!]
The defense now has had a year to develop under 3 new coaches and get some consistency. The 6 returning starters will be led by Zeke Rodney & Willie Yarbury and also Boogie Basham on the D-line. # starters return in the backfield even though we lost Bates to the NFL so we have strength there. I expect us to give up fewer points this year.
Special teams will be interesting. Punter is in good shape with Maggio returning as punter. Returns should be spectacular as Dortch is healthy again and is 1st team all-ACC caliber!! But we will miss Weaver and need a reliable kicker to come from somewhere. [we have about 4 in camp]
I am looking for an 8-9 win season as we build off that spectacular 55-52 win over Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl. We will need to stay healthy and have a good QB emerge in the first 2 games, then beat BC in the ACC/ESPN Thursday night opener. Clemson may be the only "unwinnable" game for us, but they always lose some strange game every year so why not lose one to us one year? The rest of the ACC & the rest of the country will come later so chime in.
The defense now has had a year to develop under 3 new coaches and get some consistency. The 6 returning starters will be led by Zeke Rodney & Willie Yarbury and also Boogie Basham on the D-line. # starters return in the backfield even though we lost Bates to the NFL so we have strength there. I expect us to give up fewer points this year.
Special teams will be interesting. Punter is in good shape with Maggio returning as punter. Returns should be spectacular as Dortch is healthy again and is 1st team all-ACC caliber!! But we will miss Weaver and need a reliable kicker to come from somewhere. [we have about 4 in camp]
I am looking for an 8-9 win season as we build off that spectacular 55-52 win over Texas A&M in the Belk Bowl. We will need to stay healthy and have a good QB emerge in the first 2 games, then beat BC in the ACC/ESPN Thursday night opener. Clemson may be the only "unwinnable" game for us, but they always lose some strange game every year so why not lose one to us one year? The rest of the ACC & the rest of the country will come later so chime in.
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