News > December 27, 2007

By Ryan Durham | Sports editor

For the first time in school history, the Demon Deacons make their second consecutive bowl appearance with the Meineke Car Care Bowl Dec. 29 in Charlotte, N.C. Wake Forest is much closer to game site Bank of America Stadium, just a short drive from Winston-Salem, than their opponents from 785 miles to the north, the University of Connecticut Huskies. "We're really excited about going to Charlotte,” Head Coach Jim Grobe said. “Going to back-to-back bowls is really big for Wake Forest. We've never done that before. That's pretty cool. I think Charlotte will be pretty good for our fans, so we're looking forward to it."

In the last meeting between the two teams, the Demon Deacons took advantage of an 86-yard interception returned for a touchdown by then junior defensive end Jeremy Thompson to defeat the Huskies in East Hartford, Conn., 24-13 moving the Deacs to 3-0 and helping in their run to an Orange Bowl berth.

The Huskies, 9-3, will look to avenge last year’s defeat with a strong showing in the air and on the ground, as they have done all season. UConn finished the season 25th in BCS standings but, like the Deacs, just outside of the Top 25 in AP and USA Today polls.

"They're a really good team, a much better team than last year,” Grobe said. “We were fortunate last year to go up there and win a game against those guys.”

The Huskies will look to junior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen to try for this victory. Lorenzen has played in 12 games this season, amassing a passer efficiency of 126.95. He completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 2269 yards, 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions.

He could be a challenge for the Deacons' secondary, which has struggled much of the season, giving up 242 yards per game in the air. In their last meeting Wake Forest gave up 197 yards and a touchdown to UConn in the passing game.

Lorenzen is also part of a reliable run attack for the Huskies, rushing for over 304 yards over the season.

The real bulk of UConn’s running game comes from the combination of sophomore tailbacks Andre Dixon and Donald Brown. Both averaged nearly 5 yards a carry this season, and they combined for an average of 149 yards and .91 touchdowns per game.

These two backs will face the strong front seven of the Demon Deacons, who gave up only 108.9 yards per game on the ground despite playing rushing powerhouse Navy.

Defensively, the Huskies will look to the leadership of senior linebacker Danny Lansanah. With 116 tackles this year, 13.5 of which were for loss, Lansanah has led the UConn defense all season. He has also been important in the battle for turnovers, picking off four passes and forcing one fumble.

For the Deacons, familiar faces will try to ensure a Wake Forest victory. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Riley Skinner will conduct the offense. He passed for 193.6 yards per game and 11 touchdowns on the season, gaining a passer efficiency rating of 132.61. Skinner's 12 interception, however, could prove a stumbling block for the Deacons. Connecticut is ranked 15th in passing defense nationally, snatching 22 interceptions this season.

Redshirt freshman running back and ACC Rookie of the Year Josh Adams will likely also be big for the Deacs' offense. Adams has averaged 80.6 yards per game and recorded 10 touchdowns on the ground. His performance and the ground attack may be key to Wake Forest, because the Huskies’ run defense has been a soft spot all season, giving up over 150 yards per game.

Defensively the Deacs will look to redshirt junior linebacker Aaron Curry, who recorded 96 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two sacks on the season.

The defense’s biggest contribution should be forcing turnovers. Two interceptions in last year’s meeting proved pivotal for the Deacon win. This year, both teams have positive turnover ratios and can capitalize well on takeaways, turning opportunities into points. This contest could boil down each side's defensive performances.

"It's very important for us to have a good crowd,” Grobe said. “One thing we'd like to show all the bowls is that if you pick Wake Forest, we're going to travel well."

Wake Forest has sold all tickets allocated to the university, with more than 20,000 purchased by Deacon fans. Upper-level seats are still available through Ticketmaster.

Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.