Comments

As someone who has, over the last 4 decades, witnessed the Deacons both snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as well as resemble anything but a major college football program (a five game stretch in 1974 comes to mind in which over a 5 week period we lost 210 to 0)I think it is time for a lot of alleged Wake fans to sober up.

There is no Wake supporter out there who becomes more frustrated than I do ( just aks my wife and dog) but there are some FACTS that we all need to keep in mind:

1. We ask our kids to compete on a major college level and also survive and thrive in an incredibly comeptitive academic environment. Wake cannot recruit the same kids that most other schools we compete with persue…yet Coach Grobe has built a recruiting strategy that has attracted the right kind of kids to the program and allowed them mature through redshirting both academcially and athletically. The result is that we have more quality athletes in the Wake Forest football program than anytime in it’s history.
(I think everyone would agree that Riley is the kind of person and athlete we want at Wake…...but remember he wasn’t on anyone’s radar out of high achool)

2. When Coach Grobe and his staff came to Wake Forest the first objective was to become comeptitive…..to be able to line up with anybody let them know that the outcome was not a forgone conclusion. The second objective being to create a program where the kids expect to be successful….objectives accomplished.

3. Coach Grobe’s approach to the game has been the same since he arrived which is a realistic reflection of the recruiting and competitive realities…....keep it close and give the kids a chance to win in the fourth quarter. Overall his approach has produced the best results in the schools history….there isn’t much different this year (except from the Clemson game)...we had a chance to win 4 of our 5 losses in the fourth quarter…..in the prior three years we won a lot more of those game than we lost doing the same things.

4. As far as Coach Grobe’s staff “family is concerned it is interestig to note that those assistants that have moved on have often moved on to head coaching positions…..generally considered by most ot be a pretty good reflection of a head coachs ability to identify and develop good coaching talent.

In the short term this has been a disappointing season…....and while we all have higher expectations (which we can thank Coach Grobe for creating).....the Deacons are a long, long way from 210 to 0. It is important to keep things in perspective and if you can’t do that be very careful what you ask for….you just might get it.

RB on 11/09/2009 (12:34 pm)

The way that some Deacon “fans” have turned on Lobo, Lambert, and Grobe this season is shameful.  We should be thankful for the coaches we have…even in a disappointing year.

QueenCityDeac on 11/06/2009 (5:51 pm)

Coach Grobe and his staff aren’t above some criticism, but those who believe that WFU could do better without him were born in 2006. Those of us who lived through the many 1-10 type of years, when we were the joke of NCAA football (including the 8 years under Jim Caldwell)know better. Coach Grobe is a class act and the best football coach in WFU history. He has raised our expectations but we can’t forget what it was like before he arrived in Winston Salem. The assertion that he is running WFU football into the ground in ridiculous. It used to be that 4 or 5 wins at WFU was a great year.  In fact, Caldwell averaged about 3 wins per season here—as did Al Groh and Bill Dooley.

The day that Coach Grobe retires or leaves WFU for another school(such as his alma mater, UVA) will be a very sad day for the old gold and black.

wake22fan on 11/05/2009 (12:09 am)

Dan,

Check out the results for the 2004 season.  The team had a 4-7 record, with 6 of those losses being by 7 points or less.  Then, note that in the ‘06 championship season, they won 5 conference games by 7 points or less.  I guess all I’m saying is that a handful of plays can determine a season, which is what we’re seeing this year.

No one ever talks about 2004 being a year we should’ve won the conference, but they were just a handful of plays away.  I like that our coaches have put a team together that has a chance to win conference championships.  It didn’t work out in ‘04, they kept plugging away at it, and it paid off in ‘06.  It’s not working out right now, but I expect them to keep plugging away at it.  That’s the perspective I have.

GK on 11/03/2009 (10:09 am)

The truth in regard to the team’s identity lies somewhere between DFP’s harsh comments and those who make this board a love fest for WF FB.  Coach Grobe gets an “A” for what he has done for this program.  However, when the offense is relied on to carry the team, as it has this year, I’m not sure Lobo gets better than a “C” for predictable offensive sets and a OL that is sporadic, at best.

Jim on 11/03/2009 (9:42 am)

A tough loss. We completely outplayed them. However, our defense has improved greatly thru the season.We don’t get the High school aa’s that others do. Our teams are so much better than the nineties,eighties,etc. We are blessed to have jim Grobe, Coach Grobe takes a better than average player and makes him into a B or A player. Go Deacs. Keep up the good work, Dan.

cal on 11/02/2009 (6:41 pm)

Echoing DCFROM79TEAM, I too think the players should be proud of their efforts, but not pleased with their results.  That said, toward the end of the game, we seemed to be playing not to lose, which often turns out badly.

Adversity is the true test of character (“clichish” but true I think).  Our team has the chance to prove its character by coming out fired up for a win.

ChrisM on 11/02/2009 (6:21 pm)

Something that may support Dan’s observations about the missing identity of this team might be what I witnessed in pre-game from Givens and Brown.  They actually provoked a verbal spat with the Miami players on the other side of the 50 during warm-ups. When they were separated by the coaches Givens continued to taunt.
I never would have expected that from a Grobe team.  That sort of thing reminds me of Forida ST and if this program goes in that direction cross me off the list as a loyal Deacon supporter and fan.

Deacracon on 11/02/2009 (6:18 pm)

Four of the five losses from this team came with only a difference of 10 points total.  This has made for some very exciting football games for the Wake Forest Fans and could have very easily been wins - unfortunately they were not and there is no one feeling those losses more than the players and coaches from this team.  This group from seniors to freshman have only known much success and post season bowl games! Let’s continue to give them support and lots of cheers - this season isn’t quite over!  They don’t need their supporters to turn on them!  They played an awesome game on Saturday and should have won the game!  Cheer them on for a GT Victory this week!

Deacon Mom on 11/02/2009 (5:59 pm)

Coach Grobe has spoken at length about how it is the coaches’ job to put the players in the best possible position to succeed, and I completely agree with that philosophy, and we can certainly argue whether the coaches have succeeded in that particular mission this season. 

But from the standpoint of developing an identity, it is the players’ team.  I remember the swagger that the 2006 team had before the Maryland game that clinched an appearance in the ACC title game.  It was the first time that I had seen a Wake Forest team (of any sport) exude confidence.  And I remember the defense getting itself fired up just before Georgia Tech’s final drive of the ACC Championship (remember Coach Grobe talked about how he wasn’t sure if they had enough gas in the tank until he turned around and saw them jumping around?). 

To be confident you have to be confident in your scheme and your preparation, so the coaches are involved.  But that attitude comes from the players and especially the team’s leaders.  The 2009 Wake Forest football team doesn’t have an identity because it doesn’t have proper leadership from among its better players.  I have reason for optimism when I look at some of the younger guys like Chris Givens, Kenny Okoro and Terrance Davis, who hopefully will step up next year and be more vocal.

DC on 11/02/2009 (4:51 pm)

One popular theory seems to be that, after the punt returner let the punt before go, the coaching staff told him to catch any other ones unless he was absolutely certain he couldn’t. This seems a little far fetched as I can’t quite imagine them not allowing him more room to make his own judgement, so take it for what you want.

Tim on 11/02/2009 (3:42 pm)

You’re not cheering me up any, Dan.  I would agree with you to a certain extent—that is, I don’t think the coaching staff has learned how to adapt quickly enough without a strong special teams/kicking game and a defense that can’t create a lot of turnovers yet—but if we catch a punt (or let it bounce) on Saturday and if we have a RB go the right way in Boston—we’re almost certainly sitting pretty at 4-1 in the conference.  I’m not sure either one of those mistakes are coaching—just kids that screwed up on that occassion.  And I hate to oversimplify and blame games on one or two plays—but those two plays are pretty clear cut in my mind.  If we make them—or even simply don’t screw them up royally—we almost certainly win both of those games.  I think the season would obviously have a much different feeling now. . .

Chris on 11/02/2009 (3:26 pm)

On the mark, as usual, Dan.  I have great respect for Coach Grobe and his staff.  They’ve done great things for our football program and as a 40+ year fan and an alum, I’ve seen lots of bad seasons.  I don’t think we could have a better coaching staff.  I do think that last season and so far this season, they have not performed at the level I’ve come to expect.  We should not be 4-5 this year with our talent.  We don’t have much time to get things turned around and avoid a losing season.

Thanks for the great job you always do in your coverage of the Deacs!

Steve on 11/02/2009 (3:14 pm)

Dan - your post here is right on, but also speaks to a larger point.  These teams have not played to their potential for the past four years.  Who can forget the Orange Bowl, and the lead we had going into the fourth quarter?  What about the HUGE missed field goal at UVA the next year?  Each of the last two teams were better than appearences in the Meineke Car Care and the Eagle Bank Bowl.  There’s something keeping these teams from real greatness, but I appreciate your honest reporting.

And for all the Wake Forest homers who accept losing and cheer the failure, this is your chance to weigh in.  Your segment of the fan base is a big reason our basketball team has underperformed too, and why the Athletic Department let Dave Odom run our program into the ground.

DFP on 11/02/2009 (3:05 pm)

I am proud to have seen the effort put forth in the game by the team. I feel they just have to regroup reload. The team don’t have to be ashamed of anything in fact should be proud. They should tune out the naysayers continue to be a family and get ready for a three game season. Let me be the first to say a three game winning streak which will propel them into a bowl game & a winning season.

DCFROM79TEAM on 11/02/2009 (3:00 pm)