Syracuse vs Wake Forest Football Preview

Last year, the Syracuse Orange made the proverbial great leap forward. If the Wake Forest Demon Deacons want to do the same thing this season, they’ll have to go to Syracuse’s house and make a strong statement on the first night of the college football season.

Wake Forest won the ACC championship in 2006 but has steadily declined ever since. The Deacs had seemingly figured out how to become a mainstay in its conference, but the ensuing years have knocked the program to the ground floor. Now begins the climb to respectability for Wake, a team looking for a signal caller who can lead a revival in the Carolinas.

At its most successful point, head coach Jim Grobe’s offense was run by a smooth, strong armed quarterback named Riley Skinner. The Deacons have missed having a quarterback of Skinner’s caliber but are beginning to feel that sophomore Tanner Price can develop into that role in 2011. Price was inconsistent in 2010, but at times showed some of the potential that has coaches confident in his abilities. If Price doesn’t take the next step in his development, keep an eye out for true freshman Kevin Sousa. Grobe is often reluctant to play any true freshman, but if the Price is wrong against Syracuse, Sousa might make an appearance.

 If Wake gets better production at quarterback, the offense could take a significant step forward. Tailback Josh Harris returns after sharing duties and rushing for 720 yards and seven touchdowns. The Deacons also return leading receiver Chris Givens. Wake’s skill people will benefit from an offensive line that returns four of five starters and as many as eight linemen with starting experience.  Look for Grobe to lean on his offensive line and the running game in this contest.

There is experience at every level of the Wake Forest defense. Nine starters return from a unit that, like the offense, played a lot of sophomores and inexperienced juniors with an eye toward this season and beyond. The defensive line returns two of three starters, led by its best pass rusher Kevin Smith. Still, it is an undersized unit with defensive tackle Nikita Whitlock 260 pounds. The linebackers are a bigger and more physical group. Three of the team’s four linebackers return, led by seniors Tristan Dorty and Kyler Wilber.

 The secondary is a concern. Kenny Okoro and Kevin Johnson return at cornerback, while Cyhl Quarles and John Bush return at the safety positions. The Deacons were very susceptible to the pass early in the season, but slowly showed improvement as the year wore on. This season they’ll need to take the next step, and against Syracuse, they’ll gain a very good sense of where their secondary stands.

The Orange experienced an unexpected breakthrough last season. It took only two seasons at the helm for head coach Doug Marrone to return the program to respectability. After SU crashed and burned in the miserable Greg Robinson years, Marrone took over a program in desperate need of life and has delivered. In 2010, the Orange won seven regular season games and a thrilling Pinstripe Bowl over Kansas State. By establishing a physical, run-oriented offense and a sound, dependable defense, the Orange took significant steps forward in 2010. They’ll attempt to replace a large senior class and take yet another step forward in 2011.  

This year, quarterback Ryan Nassib and six other starters on offense return for Syracuse; without question, the big key in this contest is Nassib’s ability to throw the ball against Wake’s unproven back line of defense. Nassib had respectable numbers last season (2,334 yards, 19 touchdowns) but was often shut down by aggressive defenses. Until Nassib can punish teams that load up the box to stop the Orange’s rushing game, the Syracuse offense will not develop. The encouraging sign for Nassib and Syracuse fans is that he seemed to finally get comfortable in the win over Kansas State in the bowl game. If that Ryan Nassib shows up against Wake, the Orange should start their season with a home win against a BCS conference team. Last year, one of the ironies of Syracuse’s bowl-bearing campaign was that the Orange didn’t win a single home game against other power conference teams. The arrival of Wake in upstate New York gives Syracuse a chance to satisfy its home fans and reaffirm the improvements the program made last season.

On defense, the Cuse’s top two tacklers from last season are gone, and only five starters are returning. The defensive line is thinner, but it boasts potential all-conference candidate Chandler Jones at defensive end. The only returning linebacker is sophomore Marquis Spruill, who was the highest rated prospect of Marrone’s initial recruiting class and played immediately last season as a freshman. Wake Forest’s offense might have an opportunity to exploit Syracuse’s defense, but the central collision in this game is still likely to emerge when the Orange try to move the ball against the Deacons’ defense.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer