ESPN College Football

WAKE FOREST

2010 overall record: 3-9

2010 conference record: 1-7

Returning starters

Offense: 7, defense: 9, kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

WR Chris Givens, G Joe Looney, DE Tristan Dorty, DE Kyle Wilber, SS Cyhl Quarles, PK Jimmy Newman, QB Tanner Price, RB Josh Harris, NG Nikita Whitlock

Key losses

C Russell Nenon, RB Josh Adams, WR Marshall Williams, WR Devon Brown, LB Hunter Haynes, LB Matt Woodlief, P Shane Popham

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Harris* (720 yards)

Passing: Price* (1,349 yds)

Receiving: Brown (302 yds)

Tackles: Hunter Haynes (77)

Sacks: Wilber* (6)

Interceptions: Alex Frye (3)

Spring answers

1. Solidified secondary. All four starters return in CB Josh Bush, SS Cyhl Quarles, FS Daniel Mack and CB Kevin Johnson, and the Deacs are two-deep at every position. It’s a much better scenario than it was a year ago, when Wake had to start two true freshmen corners. The Deacs will also have Dominique Tate, who missed all of last year for academic reasons, and two players who redshirted last year in Desmond Cooper and Merrill Noel. The Deacs ranked 11th in the ACC in pass defense last year, but saw signs this spring of that improving.

2. Sold on the 3-4 defense. The staff is confident in the defensive tackles and committed to the scheme, which it began using last year. Nose guard Ramon Booi, the backup to Nikita Whitlock, might have been the most improved player on the roster this spring, and is a good contrast to Whitlock, who is 5-foot-10 and more of a speed guy. Booi is a 6-foot-6, 300-pound man-wall. At tackle, Grobe singled out defensive end Zach Thompson as a possible all-ACC candidate, and Tristan Dorty moved from linebacker to defensive end.

3. Staff changes were a positive. Without disrespecting former defensive coordinator Brad Lambert, who left to become head coach of the fledgling Charlotte program, Grobe said he was pleased with the promotions of Tim Billings and Brian Knorr to co-defensive coordinators, and Lonnie Galloway, who was hired to coach the wide receivers. Knorr’s knowledge of the 3-4 scheme has been an added bonus.

Fall questions

1. Which running back will take over? Josh Harris is the most talented back on the roster, but he missed several spring practices with a hamstring injury he suffered while competing in the 100-yard dash with the track team. He’ll have to get healthy and earn the starting job this summer despite competition from senior Brandon Pendergrass. Harris, though, scored the only touchdown of the spring game.

2. Will dependable receivers emerge? The Deacs didn’t chart every one, but there were about eight or 10 dropped passes by wide receivers in the spring game. Wake Forest is looking for a playmaker to emerge like Kenny Moore did in ’07 and D.J. Boldin in ’08. Chris Givens, Michael Campanaro, Danny Dembry and Terence Davis are lead candidates, but redshirt freshmen Matt James (6-foot-6) and Brandon Terry (6-5), could both work their way into the rotation.

3. Will the offensive line improve? Four starters are back, so it looks better on paper, but the Deacs will sorely miss the experience and leadership of former center Russell Nenon. Garrick Williams started the final three games of 2010 -- two at guard and one at center, but he struggled with the snaps towards the end of spring and isn’t where the staff needs him to be yet.

Today we looked at the teams in the ACC in most need of offensive improvement. It's time to take a look at the other side of the ball. Here are the three teams in the league most in need of a defensive overhaul this offseason:

1. DUKE: You name it, the Blue Devils struggled to do it. Duke ranked among the nation's worst defenses in almost every major relevant category. Duke was 113th in rushing defense, 109th in scoring defense, 108th in total defense, 108th in pass efficiency defense, tied Georgia Tech for the fewest passes intercepted (eight), and last in the league in sacks and tackles for loss. It hasn't helped that the Blue Devils have had three different coordinators in as many seasons, but there has been some continuity as Jim Knowles was promoted from within.

2. WAKE FOREST: No, it's not good that the Deacs have appeared on both lists. Wake Forest hasn't been the same since Alphonso Smith and Aaron Curry moved on. Creating turnovers, once a strength, has seen a significant drop-off. The Deacs also struggled to stop the run, ranking 99th in the country last season in rushing defense. They were 101 in total defense, and more importantly, 110 in total defense, allowing a league-high 35.83 points per game. With the departure of coordinator Brad Lambert to Charlotte, Tim Billings and Brian Knorr will co-coordinate in 2011. The pressure is on to make immediate improvements.

3. VIRGINIA: As expected, it was a transition year in Mike London's first season. The Cavaliers changed staffs and schemes, and the statistics reflected that. Virginia struggled to get takeaways, trailing the league with 16. They had only five fumble recoveries all year. Only Wake Forest and Duke fared worse in total defense and scoring defense, as the Hoos allowed 28.25 points per game. They also struggled to stop the run. More should be expected in Year 2, and this year's recruiting class should also help -- eventually.

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe has named current assistants Brian Knorr and Tim Billings co-defensive coordinators, Grobe told ESPN.com on Monday.

The Demon Deacons were scheduled to start spring practices on Tuesday, but the unexpected departure of former defensive coordinator Brad Lambert, who left to become the head coach of Charlotte, forced Grobe to reshuffle his staff. Wake Forest is now expected to start practicing on Friday.

Knorr, who was coaching the receivers, was the inside linebackers coach under Grobe at Ohio University, where he succeeded Grobe as head coach. He will also coach the inside linebackers this year. Billings, who coached the outside linebackers last year, will continue that role. Billings was head coach at Southeast Missouri State (2000-05), and defensive coordinator at Marshall in 1999.

Steve Russ will move from linebackers to the secondary. Grobe has also designated Keith Henry, who coached the secondary last year, as the special teams coordinator.

Grobe recently hired former West Virginia receivers coach Lonnie Galloway, who will coordinate the passing game with quarterbacks coach Tom Elrod. Offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke will continue to oversee the entire offense, in addition to coordinating the running game with Billy Mitchell.

“This was a great opportunity to help ourselves offensively, and I don’t think we’ll miss a beat defensively,” Grobe said. “We’ll be better just because our kids will be older, but it’s really more of an opportunity for us. I hate to lose Brad, but in losing Brad we’re able to make ourselves better on the offensive side, and hopefully with Brian coming over we don’t miss anything because we’ve got another really experienced defensive coach coming over to help us on defense.”

It's quiet out there today, guys ...

• Former Georgia Tech safety Jerrard Tarrant posted some impressive numbers at the NFL combine.
• It's official: Former Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert is the head coach at Charlotte.
• At Miami, walk-ons are the heart and soul of the team.
• Virginia Tech linebacker Lyndell Gibson reportedly had a blood-alcohol content level of .12 percent when he was pulled over earlier this month.
• Miami receiver Travis Benjamin could help himself if he beefs up a bit.
• Christian Ponder versus Jake Locker: ESPN.com's John Clayton says Ponder.

Every team has questions heading into spring practices, and the specific ones for each team were addressed in the spring previews. The conference as a whole, though, has a few questions to answer. Here are five of the biggest storylines facing the ACC heading into spring practices:

1. Who will be Miami’s starting quarterback? Before Al Golden makes any major progress, he’s got to name his starting quarterback, and arguably the biggest position battle this spring will be between Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris. Regardless of whether it’s winning or losing, Miami is a national story, and so is its quarterback.

2. How quickly can new staffs and coordinators adjust? Four of the six teams in the Atlantic Division will have new coordinators, along with two teams in the Coastal Division. Wake Forest just lost its defensive coordinator, Brad Lambert, who left to become head coach at Charlotte. There are two new head coaches, at Maryland and Miami. The speed at which the players learn the new terminology and playbooks will be critical.

3. How much better will Georgia Tech and Clemson look? Both programs were playing for the ACC title in 2009, and fell flat last year with losing seasons. How much progress they make this spring will be key to their turnarounds. Clemson has to adjust to a new offense under a new coordinator with a first-year starting quarterback. Georgia Tech quarterback Tevin Washington has the edge in the competition, but nothing is a guarantee. Al Groh’s defense must take another step forward in his second season.

4. How will the new quarterbacks adjust to their roles? All eyes will be on Logan Thomas at Virginia Tech, Bryn Renner at North Carolina, Mike Glennon at NC State, Tajh Boyd at Clemson and EJ Manuel at Florida State. Virginia will also have a quarterback battle this spring. With so much turnover at the position, who will lead the learning curve?

5. Is FSU really that good? The hype has returned. The expectations are soaring for Jimbo Fisher in just his second season. The Seminoles have been mentioned in the same sentence as “national title” and should be a preseason top-10 team. So what’s their weakness? The Noles need to replace two outstanding starters on the offensive line in Rodney Hudson and Ryan McMahon. The receivers need to be more consistent. And there will be new starters at linebacker. Nothing major, but all still important if FSU is going to live up to the hype.

As expected, Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert has been hired as Charlotte's first football coach. Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe released the following statement:

“I am really excited for Brad Lambert but at the same time, I am sorry to see him leave. This is a wonderful opportunity for him and I know he’ll be a great head football coach. We are certainly going to miss Brad, Angie and the family, but we look forward to a new challenge at Wake Forest.”

With spring practices rapidly approaching, the timing of the move is unfortunate for Wake Forest. The good news for Deacs fans is that a lot of coaches out there want to work for Grobe, so finding a candidate shouldn't be too difficult. An interesting twist to this story, though, is that former NC State coach Chuck Amato wasn't even really considered. His age and health could have been factors.

There's always something to talk about ...

• This is a strongly condemning piece of the way former Miami AD Kirby Hocutt left and the state he left the program in.
• ACC football isn't exactly making the mad cash the SEC and Big Ten are.
• It's been a year of change for Miami quarterback Stephen Morris.
• Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert is expected to be announced as Charlotte's first head football coach today.
• If there's a job opening he's interested in, former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen will probably come back for it.
• Virginia Tech's Billy Hite knows he wasn't the best at recruiting.
• Ras-I Dowling's injuries haven't scared off NFL scouts.
• Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers is not as gentle with quarterbacks as he is with his guitar.

Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert is leaving to become the first head coach of the Charlotte 49ers, a source confirmed on Monday.

This is a significant loss for the Deacs and a great hire by Charlotte, a fledgling program that begins play in 2013. It's a good chance for Lambert to get his first head coaching opportunity, but it leaves Jim Grobe with an important hire to make. The Deacs had switched to the 3-4 defense last season and committed to running it this year. He'll have to hire -- or promote -- somebody with the same philosophy, or switch back to the 4-3. I would be surprised if Grobe deviated from the plan, though, because the 2011 recruiting class was comprised with that defensive scheme in mind.

Lambert coached some of the best defensive players to come through the program in Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith and Stanley Arnoux. In 2008, Wake had one of the best defenses the program had ever seen. The Deacs held opponents to just 296.7 yards of total offense per game -- the second-best effort by a Wake Forest defense in 41 years.

This move adds to an offseason filled with turnover in the ACC, and much like Frank Beamer's staff, Grobe's is one that doesn't usually see a lot of reshuffling -- unless somebody leaves to become a head coach.

First, to be clear, these are not demotions or anything of the sort. It's just an attempt by coach Jim Grobe to better utilize the talent he already has on staff.

The biggest change is the move of Steve Russ from coaching the tight ends and fullbacks to the defense, where he will coach the linebackers. It's a move that makes sense, as Russ played linebacker for Grobe at the Air Force Academy and during his NFL playing career with the Denver Broncos. Russ was also a defensive coordinator at Syracuse. The tight ends will now be coached by offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke.

“We’ve wanted for a while to get Steve Russ back on defense,” Grobe said in a prepared statement. “We will do that this fall. Last year, I thought it would have been too disruptive. Now, with our re-alignment, this is a good time to move Steve. From a defensive perspective, with five coaches on defense, we’ll have the opportunity to do a better job on that side of the ball.”

Grobe also made the following changes:

• Associate head coach Billy Mitchell, who has been coaching the running backs and kickers, will add the fullbacks to his responsibilities.
• Defensive coordinator Brad Lambert will move from coaching the linebackers to the safeties, while defensive ends coach Keith Henry will move to cornerbacks.
• Tim Billings, who spent the last two years working with the entire secondary, will now coach the defensive ends.
• Ray McCartney remains as the defensive tackles coach and recruiting coordinator.

Wake Forest offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke will interview for the head coaching job at Buffalo, according to a source. Buffalo is looking to replace Turner Gill, who took the job at Kansas. Bulls offensive coordinator Danny Barrett was named interim coach and is a candidate to take over full time. The job is expected to be filled by the end of the bowl season.

First it was Brad Lambert at Marshall, now "Lobo." Grobe hires good assistants, and his staff continuity has been a big reason for the program's success. He'd like to keep it that way, but will be the first to push one of them out the door if it's for a head coaching job.

According to a report by ESPN's Joe Schad, Marshall will hire West Virginia assistant Doc Holliday as its next head coach, which means Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert, who was also a candidate for the Marshall job, will stay in Winston-Salem, and FSU offensive line coach Rick Trickett, who also interviewed at Marshall, is staying put.

Lambert is one of the good guys in this business, and coach Jim Grobe was just raving about him on Wednesday. Lambert will get his head coaching opportunity eventually, but it's good news for the Deacs that he'll be sticking around. He's one of the best recruiters on the staff, and is a major reason behind the program's success during Grobe's tenure.

And Trickett, as we all know, is highly regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. This will be a huge help to Jimbo Fisher, as it's another hire he doesn't have to worry about making. Trickett will have an outstanding veteran line to work with next year that will be the heart of the Noles' offense, and with Christian Ponder back at quarterback, 2010 should be another great season for FSU's offense.

Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett will interview for Marshall's head coaching vacancy today, ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach is reporting. Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert is also reported to be interested.

This would be a huge loss for both schools. Trickett has earned a reputation as a hard-nosed coach and one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. He was retained by Jimbo Fisher and deservedly so. Trickett made one of the youngest offensive lines in the country into one of the best in the ACC. And Lambert, a former Marshall assistant, has worked wonders with that defense under coach Jim Grobe. He's well-respected by his players and his peers and played an important role in recruiting and leading the Deacs to the 2006 ACC title. It's a good opportunity, though, for both coaches.

This was not the kind of season Wake Forest fans had grown accustomed to under coach Jim Grobe. Heading into the 2009 season, Grobe had directed the Demon Deacons to three straight bowl games for the first time in school history, and had three straight finishes with at least eight wins for the first time.

Those streaks were snapped this year, as Wake Forest (5-7, 3-5 ACC) lost five of its final six games. It was a particularly painful season, as five of those losses were by three points or fewer. It wasn’t until the season finale at Duke that Wake Forest won a road game this year. The best win came Sept. 12 against Stanford.

Wake Forest had a chance to beat Florida State for the fourth year in a row, as the Noles came to town with rookie E.J. Manuel making his first career start in place of injured starter Christian Ponder, but the Deacs’ defense caved, quarterback Riley Skinner struggled and Wake lost, 41-28.

Much of this year’s struggles had to do with the rebuilding effort on defense, where coordinator Brad Lambert had to replace seven starters. The most noticeable difference was in the turnover category, where the Deacs led the nation with 37 takeaways in 2008. This year they had 15. They also dropped from the No. 1 punt return unit in the nation to No. 56. Skinner had another record-setting season, but he was inconsistent at times and finished with 12 interceptions, compared to seven last year.

Still, this senior class finished as the winningest class in school history with a record of 33-19.

Offensive MVP: QB Riley Skinner – He threw for a school-record 3,160 yards and 26 touchdowns. With two rushing touchdowns, Skinner accounted for 28 of Wake Forest’s 39 offensive touchdowns this season. He finished his career second in ACC career completions (903) and completion percentage (.669), and fourth in ACC history in passing yards (9,762) and fourth in total offense (9,923).

Defensive MVP: DT John Russell – He was Wake Forest’s most consistent defensive player all season. Russell led all defensive linemen with 46 tackles (fifth on the team overall). He led the team with 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Turning point: On Sept. 26, Wake trailed BC 24-10 midway through the fourth quarter before Skinner rallied the Deacs to tie the game with 11 seconds to play. After holding BC to a field goal in overtime, Wake had the ball first-and-goal at the BC 4. The Deacs missed the handoff and Skinner had the ball knocked out of his hands and a sure win became a heartbreaking loss. It was the second of what would be five losses by three points or fewer during the season.

What’s next: The coaching staff needs to work hard to recruit more talent like the defenders who departed to the NFL in 2008, and maintain the commitments from the players who said they’d play for Grobe before they knew it would be a bowl-less season. A quarterback will also have to be developed to replace Skinner.

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Wake's defense, which had to replace some of the best starters the program has ever seen, is growing up fast against Miami. They've been pressuring Jacory Harris all night, and Harris has thrown his 11th pick of the season. He's also been sacked several times, and Wake's defensive line, led by John Russell, is making a huge difference in this game. Defensive coordinator Brad Lambert is doing a great job against Mark Whipple. Wake is making it tough for Miami to climb out of the 27-14 hole.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

The Wake Forest defense has done its homework. In addition to their routine study of game film, some of the Deacs looked up Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin on the internet.

	James Lang-US PRESSWIRE
	The Wake Forest defense knows it will have its hands full with Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin.

They know he goes by RG3. They read he might be the fastest quarterback in FBS history. (He’s also a world-class hurdler.) And they know the dual-threat quarterback will present a legitimate early challenge to a group that graduated seven starters on defense, including some of the most talented players to ever come through the program.

Wake Forest traveled to Baylor last year for the season opener and won, 41-13. Griffin came off the bench and made his collegiate debut in the second quarter, and remained the starter for the rest of the season. As an 18-year-old true freshman, Griffin was the youngest starting quarterback in the country, and he quickly matured into one of the best. With Griffin now more seasoned, and the entire team entering its second season under coach Art Briles, nobody in Winston-Salem is expecting an easy opener, especially considering the question marks that loom on defense.

Wake Forest is confident in its defensive line, but this year’s Baylor team will keep every unit on the Deacs’ defense honest, including a completely rebuilt linebacking corps, and a secondary that had to replace three starters.

“They present a lot of problems because they’re so athletic,” said Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert. “It all starts at quarterback. … We played them last year, so that helps us, obviously, but we caught Robert at a good time. Last year was his first college game. He’s got 12 games under his belt now, so he’s going to be a different player coming in here than he was last year when he came in the game. We’ve had to focus on that a lot. I don’t know that you can ever stop him. You try and slow him down a little bit, keep him under control and avoid those big plays. That’s going to be the challenge for us.”

Griffin accounted for two-thirds of his team’s touchdowns last year (a school-record 28 of 46). He scored 13 rushing and 15 passing with just three interceptions. He set an FBS record 209 passes without an interception to start his career, and didn’t throw a pick until the ninth game of the season. Add on his 843 rushing yards, and it doesn’t seem like there’s much Griffin can’t do.

“He can definitely challenge all aspects of our defense,” defensive end Kyle Wilbur said. “He can throw the ball, as everyone can see. I just read something talking about him being the fastest quarterback to ever play college football, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us.

“I don’t think you can just contain one person. They’re starting to call Robert Griffin RG3 now. If we just surround him, then the wide receivers will have a breakout day on us, or the running backs will have a breakout day. I think we have to come with a balance and shut down everything.”

Linebacker Jonathan Jones, who has the daunting task of taking over for Butkus Award winner Aaron Curry, agreed.

“This is definitely, definitely an early test,” said Jones. “In one sense it’s a blessing we get to play them in the first game so we’ve had a little longer to prepare for them. They do a lot of things, throw a lot of things at you, and with Robert Griffin being the dual threat that he is, you have to have everybody have all eyes on him. Everybody has to be focused and in tune. This is not a game that’s going to be won by the front, or won by the defensive backs. We need a collective team effort on defense to try to contain this offense.”

And without the star-studded defensive cast of last year, it will likely take a collective team effort all season.