2010 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Preview Odds

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

5-7, 6-6 ATS, 4th Place in ACC Atlantic

Odds to Win 2010 BCS Championship: +20000
Odds to Win ACC 50-1
at 5Dimes Sportsbook

The Demon Deacons underwent a tremendous collapse last year. After winning four of their first six, the team dropped five in a row and missed bowl eligibility. A weak ground game and mediocre defense kept Wake Forest down. Now, they must fill the quarterback spot and solidify the defense in order to remain competitive in the ACC.

Offensive Outlook: Last year’s 26th ranked passing offense was led by quarterback Riley Skinner. Skinner completed 66% of his passes for 3,160 yards, 26 scores, and 12 picks. The ball was spread around well to a solid corps of wide receivers in Marshall Williams, Devin Brown, and Chris Givens, all who will return this season. Williams led in yards with 867, while he and Brown both scored six times. Givens scored on eight of his 45 catches. QB Skylar Jones will be seeing action for the first time at Wake Forest. Jones joined the team in 2007 as a true freshman but has never taken the field. As with the wide receivers, the leading rushers also return to the team in Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass.

Defensive Outlook: Opposing offenses did well against the Wake defense, averaging 383.1 total yards, 164.3 rushing yards, and 26.2 points per game. The Deacons also allowed teams to convert on third down 42.3% of the time. Cornerback Brandon Ghee will be missed this year, as he made four interceptions in his senior season. Depth at linebacker will be lacking. New freshmen Zachary Allen and AJ Marshall could help make a difference. Allen was ranked as the 25th best OLB in the nation, while Marshall was the 19th best cornerback. Overall, however, the Deacon defense looks to remain in the middle of the pack nationally.

The Final Word: There is no doubt that the Wake offense has a solid corps of wide receivers, but whether Jones can find them is the question. This, combined with what appears will be another mediocre defensive year, means Wake Forest won’t be going much of anywhere in the ACC.

2010 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Prediction: 5-7, 5th place in ACC Atlantic

2010 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Schedule
9/2 Presbyterian
9/11 Duke
9/18 @ Stanford
9/25 @ Florida State
10/2 Georgia Tech
10/9 Navy
10/16 @ Virginia Tech
10/30 @ Maryland
11/6 Boston College
11/13 @ NC State
11/20 Clemson
11/27 @ Vanderbilt