ESPN College Football

The Wake Forest coaching staff did things a little different this morning and broke the team into two squads and tried to approximate the flow of an actual game. The Black team ended the 90-minute scrimmage with a 9-7 win against the White. Here's a quick recap of the Demon Deacons' final preseason scrimmage:

Offensive highlights:

• The White team scored first on a 56-yard touchdown run by redshirt sophomore Josh Harris. Harris had 60 yards rushing on five carries and the lone touchdown of the scrimmage.
• The Black team settled for three field goals, two by Jimmy Newman and one by freshman Chad Hedlund. Newman was good on kicks of 45 and 34 yards, respectively. Hedlund’s kick came from 31 yards out.
• Ted Stachitas and Tanner Price alternated the quarterback duties for the White team with Stachitas drawing the majority of snaps. Stachitas completed eight of 12 passes for 52 yards. Price completed one of five attempts for seven yards.
• Khiry Sutton led the Black team with 14 yards rushing on five carries. Brandon Pendergrass had 55 yards on six carries for the White.

Defensive highlights:

• Cornerback Allen Ramsey II led the Black team with six tackles and recovered a fumble. Safety Joe LaBarbera had five tackles and a 69 yard return of a fumble before he was caught from behind by Stachitas.
• Kyle Wilber led the White team with four tackles and 2.5 sacks. Nose tackle Nikita Whitlock matched that with four tackles, two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.
• Freshman walk-on linebacker Britt Cherry had the lone interception of the scrimmage, picking off a Price pass with a diving, juggling catch.

We’ve already taken a look at the ACC’s Dream Team, which was comprised of the top position groups across the league. Now it’s time to go a little bit deeper and rank every position group for each team. We’ll start with the most difficult position -- the quarterbacks. More than half of the teams in the conference will usher in quarterbacks who are in their first season as a full-time starter, and many of the teams in the ACC are struggling with depth and experience at the position. This is not solely a ranking of the best quarterbacks in the ACC (stay tuned for that, it will look different), so backups are an important part of the equation.

Bottom line: Who's got the depth and talent to make it through a full season -- and win -- if more than one quarterback is needed?

Here’s a look at who’s stocked and who’s not at quarterback this year:

1. Miami: The Hurricanes have a proven albeit embattled option in Jacory Harris, and Stephen Morris also has significant starting experience. Whoever doesn’t win the job will be a more than capable backup. The Canes still need to add depth to the position, but they landed transfer Ryan Williams from Memphis.

2. Boston College: Starter Chase Rettig should be better in his second season as starter, but he’s not the only one on the roster with playing experience. Dave Shinskie has started 13 games, and Mike Marscovetra should be a familiar name to BC fans by now.

3. Duke: It’s possible coach David Cutcliffe could use three quarterbacks this year. He’s got one of the best in the league in starter Sean Renfree, backup Brandon Connette has seen significant playing time, and the emergence of redshirt freshman Anthony Boone this offseason could give the offense yet another option.

4. Wake Forest: Tanner Price is the undisputed starter, but Ted Stachitas had a better spring than coach Jim Grobe had anticipated, and Brendan Cross has always been in the mix to earn some playing time.

5. Florida State: The Seminoles haven’t settled yet on a backup to EJ Manuel, but depth isn’t a problem with both Clint Trickett and Will Secord competing for the No. 2 spot. It’s not like it was last year, though, when there was a Gator Bowl MVP sitting on the bench.

6. North Carolina: Not only is Bryn Renner unproven, so are his backups. Renner clearly distanced himself from the rest of the competition this spring. True freshman Marquise Williams will continue to compete with Braden Hanson and A.J. Blue, who was injured two years ago and redshirted last season, for the No. 2 spot.

7. Virginia Tech: Logan Thomas had an impressive spring and drew rave reviews from those within the program, but the backup situation remains a question. Redshirt freshman Mark Leal really pushed Ju-Ju Clayton for the No. 2 job and that competition will continue this summer.

8. Georgia Tech: It’s Tevin Washington’s job to lose, but Synjyn Days had the better spring game and made the competition a bit more interesting heading into fall camp. True freshmen Vad Lee and Demontevious Smith would have to have stellar performances in camp to make a move, but there’s definitely talent in the wings.

9. Clemson: Tajh Boyd was the only scholarship quarterback even on the roster until the early enrollees, Cole Stoudt and Tony McNeal, joined the team. The good news for Clemson fans is that Cole Stoudt, the son of former NFL quarterback Cliff Stoudt, had a productive spring and earned the No. 2 job.

10. Virginia: If there’s one problem the Hoos don’t have, it’s depth at the quarterback position. Mike London has yet to name a starter, and all of them lack significant game experience. Ross Metheny, Michael Rocco, Michael Strauss and David Watford all have a shot. Since they’re all preparing as starters now, they should all have a good grasp of the offense if needed.

11. Maryland: First-year coach Randy Edsall had five quarterbacks to work with when he was hired, and now he’s down to two. He’s got one of the best quarterbacks in the league to work with in Danny O'Brien, but he’s got to keep him healthy. C.J. Brown and walk-on Troy Jones are the only other quarterbacks on the roster.

12. NC State: If Mike Glennon gets hurt, the Wolfpack is in trouble. Redshirt freshman Tyler Brosius has a strong arm but no experience, and he’s not ready for prime time yet. The departure of Russell Wilson might not affect the win-loss record, but it definitely hurt the depth.

This was one of the closest poll races of last week, and the result in itself was a bit of a surprise. At last check, ACC fans voted Maryland as the team most likely to surprise us in 2011, but Boston College, Duke and Virginia were right on the Terps' heels. I happen to have a different opinion, but of course, that should come as no surprise to ACC fans. Nor should this pick.

My vote: Duke

Making the case for Duke: It's time. It's that simple. Coach David Cutcliffe is entering his fourth season, and it's time the Blue Devils' progress was measured in wins and losses, not just in the weight room or 40-yard dash times. Duke should have one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC in Sean Renfree, who is entering his second season as a starter, and the Blue Devils have three receivers who could be among the best in the conference. It has been well-documented that the defense and running game need work, but there were signs of improvement in both areas this spring.

Don't forget about: Wake Forest. Coach Jim Grobe had plenty of positive things to say following the Deacs' spring practices, and Grobe wouldn't have been shy about pointing out a subpar performance from his team. He's honest without being derogatory. He liked the staff changes that were made, quarterback Tanner Price has made progress entering his second season as a starter, and his backup, Ted Stachitas, also had a good spring. The secondary is two deep at every position, and while it's still a young group, Grobe is convinced his team is better than the one that finished 3-9 last year.

With so much attention on the quarterbacks this year, their backups tend to get lost in the shuffle. But, as the coachspeak goes, they’re just one play away. (See: Tevin Washington, Stephen Morris circa 2010). Here’s a look at who’s in good shape at No. 2, and who has reasons for concern:

GOOD SHAPE

Boston College -- It’s Mike Marscovetra's turn. Dave Shinskie was the starter before he was benched in the Notre Dame game last year in favor of Chase Rettig, but he’s since been demoted another spot. Marscovetra has played in 10 games in his career.

Duke -- Brandon Connette is the unquestioned backup, and he’s performed well enough that David Cutcliffe has used Connette’s running abilities to add a different dimension to the offense. Connette played in all 12 games last season and ran for 321 yards and a team-high eight rushing touchdowns.

Miami -- The Canes might not know who their starter is, but whichever one doesn’t win the job will be a more than capable backup. Morris was already thrown into the fire when he had to replace injured starter Jacory Harris last season in the Virginia game.

Wake Forest -- Ted Stachitas had a good spring and threw better than coach Jim Grobe had expected. Stachitas has played before, and his ability to run could help the Deacs in the option offense if they need a spark. Stachitas started three games last season.

NAME, BUT NO EXPERIENCE

Maryland -- The Terps are set on C.J. Brown, who has played well enough this spring to push starter Danny O'Brien, according to coach Randy Edsall. Brown only has one collegiate pass attempt in one game, though.

North Carolina -- Braden Hanson is the undisputed backup to Bryn Renner, but he hasn’t seen the field since 2009, when he played in three games and completed 2 of 6 passes with two interceptions.

Virginia Tech -- Ju-Ju Clayton was outplayed by Logan Thomas for the No. 2 job last spring, but now he’s the unquestioned backup. He hasn’t seen the field since 2009 when he was 1-for-5 passing.

Clemson -- Cole Stoudt, the son of former NFL quarterback Cliff Stoudt, won a battle of January freshman enrollees. At 6-foot-5 and because of his pedigree, Clemson fans wonder if he can be the next Charlie Whitehurst.

QUESTIONS REMAIN

Virginia -- Like Miami, the Hoos have yet to name a starter, but unlike the Canes, all of the quarterbacks lack meaningful experience.

Florida State -- Clint Trickett and Will Secord are still competing for the No. 2 spot. Trickett had better numbers in the spring game, so he may go into the fall with a slight edge, but keep in mind that the offensive lines they played with weren’t full strength.

Georgia Tech -- Entering summer camp, Synjyn Days is expected to be listed as the backup to Tevin Washington. True freshmen Vad Lee and Demontevious Smith would have to be especially impressive to move up, but there could be some good competition between now and the season opener.

NC State -- Technically, NC State might have one of the best backups in the country if former starter Russell Wilson decides to return. Let’s take the Wolfpack’s approach, though, and assume he doesn’t. It’s up to redshirt freshman Tyler Brosius, who has a strong arm but no experience.

The one thing Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe was looking for out of the Demon Deacons' spring game on Saturday was offensive consistency.

He didn't get it.

Instead, the offense was held to three plays or fewer on eight of 18 possessions and Josh Harris' 45-yard touchdown run was the only score of the game.

The scrimmage started about 45 minutes late because of bad weather, and the Deacs only played for a little more than an hour.

“A lot of our problems on offense were just misfires,” Grobe said, according to the team's scrimmage report. “Not getting the first down when you’re close to the sticks. I thought we dropped too many balls. Not much consistency. Certainly, if you’re trying to put first downs and drives together, it only takes one dropped ball, one missed assignment to get you off the field.”

The defense totaled six sacks, and backup Ted Stachitas was the most productive quarterback, completing 8 of 11 passes for 73 yards. Starter Tanner Price completed 7 of 14 passes for 49 yards.

The good news for Wake Forest fans is that Grobe has said repeatedly that he thinks this team will be better than last year's, which finished 3-9 and missed a bowl game for the second straight season.

"I think we can be better offensively but we’ve got to be more consistent," he said. "I feel a heckuva lot better than I did at the start of spring practice.”

Wake Forest will play its spring game at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Here are three main storylines to watch:

• Quarterback: How much progress has Tanner Price made since his freshman debut? He'll hold onto his starting job, but will Ted Stachitas work his way into more than a backup with his ability to run?
• The offensive line has four returning starters. How much better will that make Josh Harris and the running backs look?
• Will the receivers show the consistency that coach Jim Grobe has been looking for?

Wake Forest has its spring game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, so I caught up with coach Jim Grobe on Wednesday for an update on the Deacs' spring. Here are the highlights:

CONSISTENCY KEY: It's been a good spring for the defense, which he hasn't held back, and inconsistent for the offense. Grobe said he would like to see the offense close on Saturday with more consistency, particularly from the wide receivers. Grobe said the offense will make a good play and then follow with a busted blocking assignment, dropped pass or bad throw.

NAME YOUR PRICE: Tanner Price is the unquestioned starter, but Grobe said he liked what he saw from Ted Stachitas this spring. Stachitas eased Grobe's concerns about his durability, as he made every practice. Stachitas threw the ball better than Grobe expected he would after two shoulder surgeries on his throwing arm, and also showed he can run with it. Occasionally, Stachitas has to pull the ball down and get out of the pocket because of his size. Grobe said he's not looking for the quarterback situation to change, but option is part of the offense and would suit Stachitas better. Grobe said it wouldn’t be a problem to use Stachitas if he needed a spark for two or three series, but Price is the starter, and there's no doubt about it.

SOLID LINE: Grobe said the offensive line was "solid" this spring, and he liked what he saw from Brandon Pendergrass and Josh Harris, even though Harris missed a few practices with a hamstring injury.

SPEED ON D: One of the things Grobe was most pleased about was the energy on the defense. “That’s what’s been giving our offense problems, just the way the defense has been pursuing the football," Grobe said. "And they’re having fun. Sometimes they’re not going in the right direction, but they’re getting there in a hurry.”

KICKING CONCERNS: Punter/place-kicker Jimmy Newman sat out all spring with an injured hip, leaving the kicking game with an inconsistent walk-on. This is an issue that could extend into late summer for the Deacs. True freshman punter Alexander Kinal from Australia, and true freshman kicker Chad Hedlund from Texas could contribute as soon as they arrive on campus this summer. Grobe was told that rest this spring could be the answer, but there's no timetable for Newman's return.

LOOKING AHEAD: Grobe said he's not going to know what this team is truly capable of until Wake starts playing games. It's still a young group, but the players are all more comfortable with the system. Still, Grobe said he can tell from this spring that the Deacs are going to be a "much, much better football team."

Wake Forest quarterback Tanner Price is the Demon Deacons' returning starter, but all five quarterbacks had a chance to make their case on Saturday in the second spring scrimmage. Price, Brendan Cross, Ted Stachitas, Patrick Thompson and redshirt freshman Keenon Rush each had at least one completion of 35 yards or longer in the hour-long scrimmage. Each of the top four quarterbacks either accounted for a scoring drive or drove the team into field goal range.

Offensive highlights:

• Lovell Jackson scored on a 65-yard swing pass from Cross.
• Brandon Pendergrass scored on a 12-yard run and led all rushers with 52 yard on four carries, including a 34-yard run.
• Price drove the Deacons to the 11 and 29 while Stachitas had a drive that ended at the 9. Thompson led Wake to the 1 before a fumble at the goal line.
• Michael Campanaro led all receivers with six receptions for 77 yards. Jackson had five catches for a team-high 91 yards while Matt James finished the scrimmage with 67 yards on three receptions.

Defensive highlights:

• Zachary Allen, Riley Haynes and Mike Olson all recorded sacks during the scrimmage.
• Kris Redding and Gelo Orange each recovered fumbles.

Quotable: “Last season doesn’t cut it,” coach Jim Grobe said of delivering a message to his players. “It’s not like we have a season like we had last year, we can’t all get together at Chuck E. Cheese and hand out trophies. At this level, it just doesn’t happen and our guys have to understand it. If you don’t practice, it’s going to be hard for us to be a good football team. We have to have durable and dependable guys.”

Despite the return of 2010 starter Tanner Price, Wake Forest's quarterback job is still an open competition this spring, and the staff is still looking for more from Price, Ted Stachitas and Brendan Cross. The decision of Skylar Jones to transfer won't have a huge impact on the group, as Jones was No. 4 on the depth chart. The staff wanted him to stay -- Wake Forest actually used all four quarterbacks in 2010 -- but Jones wanted to be the starter and the coaches couldn't promise him that.

The Deacs have only had two spring practices heading into today, but as of right now, Price is No. 1 on the depth chart, followed by Stachitas and Cross.

Offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said the staff didn't help Price last year, as they asked him to do too much as a true freshman and changed offenses about three times during the season.

"We just need to settle on an offense and get him a thousand reps in it," Lobotzke said. "It’s not a locked-up job, either. Ted could take that job. Brandon Cross could surprise everybody and take that job. We’re still letting them compete. I don’t think anyone is playing well enough to really be the team we want to be offensively. It’s just going to take reps. We've thrown a lot at them in two practices. Once they settle down and get used to what were calling right now, they’ll play better.

"Our bar is very high. We’re not quite there yet with any of them."

Heading into this season, Wake Forest had spent the entire offseason preparing as if quarterbacks Ted Stachitas and Skylar Jones would be running their offense, but injuries to those players early changed the game plan -- and the entire season.

“A lot of the spring preparation and August preparation to be a gun-option team kind of went out the window," said coach Jim Grobe, "and we ended up scrambling from about the third game of the season on.”

Enter true freshman quarterback Tanner Price.

Price has started six of the past seven games, starting with the Sept. 18 game at Stanford. He’s one of three true freshmen to start for the Deacs this year, the most under Grobe. It’s been an up-and-down season for Price, but one that Grobe is convinced can be built upon heading into the future.

Price set almost every school single-game passing record in his first home start on Oct. 9 against Navy. He completed 37 of 53 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. It was the best performance by a true freshman quarterback in Wake Forest history. He now has seven touchdown passes, breaking the previous mark for true freshmen of three set by Anthony Young in 2000.

His 151 passing yards against Clemson brought his season total to 1,276 yards, breaking the previous record of 1,070 held by David Webber. Price also eclipsed Webber’s record for most completions by a true freshman (101) with 127.

Grobe said he is expecting even better things from Price next year and should have a reliable backup with Jones still in the mix.

“Honestly, I feel great about the progress we’ve made with Tanner,” Grobe said. “It’s not showing in wins right now, but I thought against a really tough, physical Clemson defense this past weekend, Tanner really grew up. … Going forward, you’re talking about a kid in Tanner that didn’t have the benefit of spring practice, and being a true freshman, he’s going to improve physically here in the offseason. I couldn’t be happier to be honest with you with Tanner Price’s development.”

This wasn't the plan.

The ACC was supposed to have experience at quarterback this year, with FSU's Christian Ponder, Miami's Jacory Harris, Georgia Tech's Joshua Nesbitt, and even an "old pro" in BC's Dave Shinskie.

Now, heading into Week 11, it adds up to this: Georgia Tech's Tevin Washington will become the eighth ACC quarterback to make his starting debut this year. He joins Miami's Stephen Morris, BC's Chase Rettig, Duke's Sean Renfree, Maryland's Danny O'Brien, and everyone on Wake's roster (well, ok, not everyone, but Ted Stachitas, Skylar Jones, and Tanner Price.)

Rettig, Morris and Price are all true freshmen. Brandon Connette, a backup quarterback who has seen significant playing time at Duke, is also a true freshman. Backup E.J. Manuel could start this weekend against Clemson at Ponder's expense, and Clemson backup Tajh Boyd has also seen some time this year.

While their youth an inexperience has accounted for some bumps along the way, the valuable reps now could bode well for the future of the position in the conference.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Record: 2-4 (1-2 ACC)

It wasn’t replacing the winningest quarterback in school history that has been the problem for the Deacs, it was keeping all four of those replacements healthy. True freshman Tanner Price has proven capable of taking over for Riley Skinner, but he suffered a concussion against Florida State, and backups Ted Stachitas and Brendan Cross were also injured, leaving the offense in the hands of Skylar Jones against Georgia Tech. The young defense has struggled to stop the run, is ranked last in the ACC in total defense, and has allowed 36.8 points per game. When the defense showed measurable improvement against Florida State, the offense came up empty. Since opening the season with back-to-back wins over unheralded Presbyterian and Duke, Wake has since lost four straight, putting their bowl hopes in serious jeopardy.

Offensive MVP: Quarterback Tanner Price. The true freshman is as good as advertised. He leads the team in total offense with 158.8 yards per game and has only started three games. He has the best completion percentage of the quarterbacks (58.7) and set a school record for pass completions by a true freshman (19). He has also accounted for three rushing touchdowns and his four passing touchdowns are the most in school history by a true freshman quarterback.

Defensive MVP: Kyle Wilber. He was sidelined with a broken leg for seven games last year and has returned with fervor. He’s tied for the conference lead in sacks with five and he leads the ACC and the country in tackles for loss with 12.5. He is also tied for second in the ACC with three forced fumbles, and made a career-high 11 tackles and two sacks at Florida State. He had three tackles for loss at Stanford.

Wake Forest backup quarterback Skylar Jones has turf toe. Backup Brendan Cross has a sore non-throwing shoulder. And Ted Stachitas will be out.

The good news for the Deacs is that true freshman Tanner Price should be ready to go after suffering a concussion two weeks ago against Florida State.

With so many injuries at quarterback, coach Jim Grobe said it's been impossible to find any consistency. Three quarterbacks played in Saturday's loss to Georgia Tech, and the first two -- Stachitas and Cross --left with injuries.

"It's impossible," Grobe said. "It's not a tough job, it's an impossible job. One of the things that you worry about is the amount of reps you give guys during the week. Last week we gave each quarterback a third of the reps because we didn't know who would be the best guy in the game or who would be the most durable, and as it turned out, we needed all three."

If Wake Forest can find some stability at quarterback and get the same effort from the defense against Navy on Saturday that it gave in the loss to Georgia Tech last weekend, the Deacs could get their first win since Sept. 11 against Duke. Wake has the advantage of facing a similar triple-option offense two weeks in a row.

On Saturday, the Yellow Jackets rushed 48 times for 209 yards. It marked the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Demon Deacons in seven games against Paul Johnson's triple-option offense (dating to Paul Johnson's arrival at Navy in 2002. Georgia Tech had entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in rushing, averaging 320 yards per game.

"It lets us know that we're capable of playing against the offense," Grobe said. "We can certainly look at things we did wrong, so we can correct those mistakes. One of the issues is that Navy now has a good bead on us. They saw how we attacked Georgia Tech, so they'll have a pretty good plan and have some wrinkles for us that we don't expect. One of the other issues is that we're beat up a little bit. That's a physical offense, and to go against it two weeks in a row makes it tough."

Redshirt senior linebacker Matt Woodlief has had three of his best games against triple-option teams. He had eight tackles against Georgia Tech on Saturday. He also had 12 against Navy last year and six against Georgia Tech in 2009. Woodlief’s three tackles for loss against Georgia Tech on Saturday also represented a career-high.

Still, Georgia Tech is not Navy.

"Georgia Tech isn't the same offense at Navy," noseguard Nikita Whitlock said. "They're a little bit more powerhouse and they hit you a little bit harder. But, Navy is more like technicians. When they cut you, they're going to cut you, so be ready for it. When they come at you with your helmets, make sure you have your shin guards on and your hands down because Navy is tenacious. They're really good at what they do. But playing the option against Georgia Tech really helped us."

TGIOctober ...

• NC State linebacker Nate Irving gives his take on his performance against Georgia Tech in the school newspaper, Technician.
• Georgia Tech receiver Tyler Melton has become more comfortable with his role in the offense.
• BC defensive end Alex Albright is praying he has no more injuries.
• It's time for UNC coach Butch Davis to be fired or leave writes Caulton Tudor.
• Defensive tackle Marvin Austin hasn't given up on playing this year.
• NC State will be happy to have offensive coordinator Dana Bible back on the sidelines this time around against the Hokies.
• Virginia Tech defensive end Chris Drager is a "tough nut." He's from the 'Burgh, what do yins expect?
• FSU defensive end Brandon Jenkins has worked his way into the spotlight.
• Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker is already a millionaire. No wonder he's not stressing this year.
• Maryland's Tony Logan is trying to follow in his good friend Kyle Wilson's footsteps.
• Wake Forest will go with Ted Stachitas at quarterback against Georgia Tech.
• David Glenn talked with Duke coach David Cutcliffe.
• Miami has special packages prepared for Seantrel Henderson against Clemson.
• Virginia defensive backs Ras-I Dowling and Rodney McLeod both "look fine" and will play against FSU.

It's almost October ...

• In addition to missed assignments on defense, Georgia Tech is also having trouble communicating.
• Duke coach David Cutcliffe remains positive despite a 1-3 start.
• Wake Forest is still undecided at quarterback. Ted Stachitas is listed as the starter. For now.
• One constant remains for Clemson: It's still looking for that "go-to receiver."
• For the first time all season, Duke quarterback Sean Renfree looked like a first-year starter. This just in: he is.
• True freshman Mustafa Greene has learned fast for NC State. Here are highlights of Tom O'Brien's weekly news conference.
• Miami linebacker Sean Spence has been one of the Canes' top playmakers this year.
• Saturday's game between Miami and Clemson is a matchup of two big-time recruiting classes.
• Maryland's attendance last weekend? It stunk.
• Miami offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson might get his first start at Clemson.
• Sometimes moms give the toughest grades, but defensive end Steven Friday finally earned an A.
• FSU might have to reshuffle its offensive line for Saturday's game at Virginia.