Sports > November 29, 2007

By Ryan Durham | Sports editor

With hopes of a return trip to Jacksonville already shattered, the Demon Deacon football team could have just laid down in its last two games of the season, but instead they plowed ahead, destroying both ACC rival N.C. State and Vanderbilt to end the season 8-4.

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Freshman Josh Adams runs the football in the home game against N.C. State. Adams averages 80.6 yards per game. (Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

The Deacs topped the Wolfpack 38-18 in their last home game of the season and then defeated the Commodores over the Thanksgiving holiday 31-17 in Nashville, Tenn.

“It feels good,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Riley Skinner said of the team’s eighth win of the season. “I was talking to Coach Grobe after the game and it doesn’t feel like we had that great of a season after last year. But he told me, ‘You realize if it wasn’t for last season, this would be one of the best seasons Wake has had in some time.’ 8-4 feels a lot better than 7-5.” Skinner was instrumental in both of Wake Forest’s wins, throwing for a combined 354 yards and four touchdowns in the two games while only throwing one interception in 60 attempts. Skinner was not the only major player in the Deacs’ season-ending streak.

Redshirt junior cornerback Alphonso Smith proved invaluable on the defensive side of the ball. Smith had two interceptions in both games, taking his season total to eight. Smith now has the most interceptions in all of Division I football, tied only with Elbert Mack of Troy. “I had a feeling that if they kept throwing it my way, that I could keep making plays,” Smith said. “I just try to have fun out there.”Another main component of the Deacon attack this season, redshirt freshman running back Josh Adams, proved instrumental in the Deacs’ two wins.

Against Vanderbilt, Adams rushed for his third 100-plus-yard game and scored two rushing touchdowns for the first time this season. Adams had a similar performance against the Wolfpack rushing, for 84 yards and a touchdown. These final two performances, combined with Adams’ work over the rest of the season were good enough to earn him the title of ACC Rookie of the Year. Adams follows in the footsteps of fellow teammate Skinner, who won the award during last season’s Orange Bowl run and becomes only the fourth player in Wake Forest history to win the award. Adams was not the only Deacon to earn postseason accolades.

Eight Demon Deacons received recognition by the conference by being placed or recieving honorable mention for the annual All-ACC squad. Smith and redshirt seniors center Steve Justice and wide receiver Kenneth Moore both were named to the first team, and Adams and redshirt junior linebacker Aaron Curry were named to the second team. Receiving honorable mention for the teams were redshirt juniors kicker Sam Swank and safety Chip Vaughn and redshirt senior return specialist Kevin Marion.

“A lot of people wrote us off this year, saying we weren’t going to be able to repeat our success from last season,” Smith said after the Vanderbilt game. “We’re trying to create a great program here and it’s all about winning. It’s like they say, winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Wake Forest’s 8-4 season marks a couple of milestones in the history of the football program. It marks the first time the team has had back to back seasons of eight or more wins and also makes them bowl eligible in back-to-back season. It also moves Head Coach Jim Grobe to a record of 45-39 during his tenure with the Demon Deacons. All Grobe and his players can do now is wait and see which bowl game they will attend. Several options look plausible for the team, but they will have to wait until next week before they know their postseason fate.