Bouncing some questions off a Wake expert...

by Bud Elliott on Sep 18, 2008 4:56 PM EDT in FSU Football Comment 0 comments

First and foremost, this pace has been on fire today. We've dropped five large pieces, so make sure to check those out below.

This is the interview that I conducted with Martin Rickman, a writer for the Wake student newspaper, as well as The Sporting News. His corner of the world is here: http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/MRickman84/

I really appreciate all who submitted a question. Here's a sample: Click continue for the rest

In August I wrote

Keeping with the trend, Wake's offensive line is questionable as well. The other issue that jumps out at me is the huge loss of offensive weapons. Wake lost 60% of their rushing and receiving yards. Losing Micah Andrews, Kenny Moore, and Kevin Marion hurts a lot more than people may realize. I have to think Wake will struggle early behind a new offensive line while their WR's get jammed into the turf. The loss of TE Tereshinski will also hamper the offense. Wake is more of a passing team than people know.

Then, after Baylor I wrote

I'm not especially impressed by Wake's offensive line, specifically the interior of the line. They didn't generate much push up the middle. If FSU can neglect the run up the middle, the outside stuff will be less effective.

First question, I don't think Wake's running game has looked good, do you? Baylor's front 7 was pitiful and Ole Miss was without their best DE & DT, yet Wake's running game couldn't get going. What have you seen? Has this offensive line improved? Are we likely to see wake give up on the run and use the quick pass instead?

Second Question: Skinner looks good so far. I mentioned all the guys they lost. Who stepped up to replace those guys? Who is filling in well and what positions are still struggling?

MARTIN:

This is point of concern for most everyone who follows Wake Forest football right now. Adams and Pendergrass simply have not had the holes to run through that has been so consistent with Jim Grobe football. Any success they have had has come on the outside so far this year. Pendergrass had one series where the right side opened up against Ole Miss and Adams had 14 yards off an option against Ole Miss as well.

Despite the loss of linemen like Steve Justice from last year, I do also think it is a product of getting the line to work together. This group has only had two games together and if you go back to last year, the Deacs had a tough time running the football in their first two games last season. Against BC, the running game was non-existent and against Nebraska, the running game really struggled. This may be more a product of working out the kinks as most of these players have had significant starting time (Joe Birdsong, Barrett McMillian, Jeff Griffin) and C Trey Bailey is bigger and stronger than Justice was. This team will be able to run the football, it is merely a question of how long it will take, and I know Florida State is not the team to just 'hope' that the running game comes together. The offensive line has improved from week to week in trying to get timing down and positioning correct on pulling and I also think that another element of the offense will be used to try and open up the running game, as I will discuss in a later question.

I think the replacement for Moore is right there in DJ Boldin. Boldin had a history of being a "knothead" as Coach Grobe calls him. He dissented freshman year from wanting to be redshirted, he had a bit of academic trouble early in his career and as a product of these issues he did not work as hard and was a bit overweight. This year he came as an entirely different player and it has showed early. Being Anquan Boldin's brother, he shows a lot of similarities: He is incredibly gifted at reading where Riley will throw the ball and adjusting his body to make the play. He also is great in one-on-one coverage and is bigger than Moore and just as fast. He is the ideal #1 for a team that has switched to a spread offense.

I would say that this Wake Forest offense is the best one I've seen. Chip Brinkman is the critical possession receiver that the Deacons always seem to need, Ben Wooster looks to be able to catch anything at the TE position (which Florida State has had trouble covering in the past) and Marshall Williams is turning into a legitimate #2 receiver despite being just a redshirt freshman. Also, Jordan Williams, who was a deep threat last year, has yet to be used this season as he has been battling injuries.

The slot is where the Deacs are still struggling. Devon Brown is one of the fastest players on the team, but he has been largely a non-factor this year. If he can pull it together, he will be able to run the underneath routes that Wake Forest loves to run. If not, Coach Lobo may be more inclined to shift Pendergrass out there, as he has the speed and hands to make the play.

3. Everette Brown is a probable first round draft pick as an early entry to the NFL draft. I was angry when Ole Miss (Wake's week 2 opponent) Defensive End Greg Hardy went down with a knee injury. Hardy and Brown are similarly talented players and I was anxious to see how Wake's re-tooled offensive line would handle the challenge. Brown plays RE, (Skinner's Backside). Wake's OLine coach commented that Brown would see a lot of double teams. Do you think he is blowing smoke? If he isn't, then my focus turns to the other side of the line. FSU has a very aggressive player in JUCO National defensive Player of the Year Markus White. FSU DC Mickey Andrews said that he is the most high-effort player we have had in a while. Can Wake's Right Tackle handle White?

-I do not think the coach is blowing smoke when he says he will double team Brown. but I think he will do so in a way that would not necessarily help White. On the plays that Brown is double-teamed, I feel like Wake will run counters to that side or roll-outs to try and negate his abilities. Wake Forest is not a team that really likes to double-team players, the line likes to stay in their lanes and be responsible for one guy. This is something that may have to be adjusted if either White or Brown have a great deal of success early against the Deacs.

4. I've watched every snap of Wake this year. This team looks nothing like the squad that beat FSU two years ago in Tallahassee. Where are all the "Moon Sweeps"? Where is the misdirection?

-This is the big question for this game. The general opinion is that Wake Forest has been trying to build up the line by running mostly spread and I-formation and sticking to what has appeared to be Coach Lobo's most conservative playbook ever. In practice, the sweeps and misdirections are there and I think that this is the week that they will be unveiled. Lobo has plays in his playbook that the players still haven't practiced and I believe that by only running what seems like pretty typical, straightforward plays the first two weeks, Florida State does not have about half of the Wake Forest offensive playbook scouted. The Deacs beat Ole Miss and Baylor with passing, and not with smashmouth running (which didn't work apparently) or the orbit offense. This week is the week that the orbit makes its debut.

5. Let's play chess: I expect FSU to sit in their base 4-3, press Boldin with Carter, place Rolle very close to the line of scrimmage, and have Jamie Robinson or Darius McClure (FS's) play centerfield (shaded to Boldin of course). By playing a lot of defenders close to the line, Mickey will hope to clog Skinner's passing lanes. The goal of course, is to make Skinner pull it down for a split second, hopefully just enough to let the beast defensive ends swoop in for a kill, or maybe produce a pick as there is someone in a zone underneath who wouldn't normally be there. You are Wake's OC, how do attack this base defense?

-The way to beat this defense is to effectively use the Tight End in the flats. Riley has show he is very good at reading the defense and doesn't usually get burned by a LB or a DB who has dropped back into coverage. If he has less time the throw the football, he is usually pretty good about taking the hit or throwing it away rather than making a risky throw. Another way to beat this defense is to try and get Marshall Williams or Boldin in a 1-on-1. If they are being pressed, Skinner might have to throw a jump ball up there in coverage and hope that Williams and Boldin can beat their men deep and force Florida State to give the receivers a cushion which will open up the quick slants and the underneath routes.

6. Let's play checkers: FSU's offense has changed in a couple of ways.
1. It is considerably more athletic, especially at the line spots. While not as strong or experienced, this line appears to be a lot quicker and more agile, and generally fits better with the zone scheme we want to run.
2. FSU no longer even informally acknowledges the existence of the Tight End Position. Four wide is the new standard set, with some use of 3WR 2RB.
3. FSU's best offensive player (in my opinion) wasn't on the field in the last 2 Wake Forest games. Corey Surrency ha a good shot to the best wide receiver in the ACC.
4. Antone Smith looks to have finally shaken the devastating effects of his turf toe injury that plagued the Seminole RB last year.

So, does Wake blitz and leave their secondary man-on-man against FSU? Or, do they gamble that they can get pressure with only the front 4?

How has Wake performed against Spread offenses? How has wake performed against running qb's, as of late?

-This will be a tough decision. The Deacs usually like to play 1-on-1 coverage and blitz the linebackers and I feel like they will try to do this unless Florida State has a lot of early success throwing the football downfield. The outside linemen will need to do a good job of containing the Quarterback and minimizing the roll-out. I feel like Florida State will have a difficult time running the football, as even though the Wake front four has not given a ton of pressure early on (only 2 sacks thus far), they have shown the ability to stop the run effectively. If they can stop the run, this will allow the LBs to blitz on the ends and hopefully there will be more pressure there on the QB who will have to make a quicker throw. All of this is negated if the Deacs have to go into a nickel or dime package and then the real checkers match is between the defensive backs and the receivers. Wake Forest certainly can take advantage of a quarterback's mistakes and it will really be on Ponder to show he is as grown-up as Florida State wants him to be.

I agree with you Bud that this game will be a very hard-fought close one and it will probably come down to mental mistakes and turnovers. Florida State is, according to the Wake players, the fastest team they are going to see all year, so it comes down to athletes. Even though this Deacon team is far different from the 2006 team that came into Tallahassee and won 30-0, these changes are not all bad. This team is more explosive overall offensively and has a lot more athletes on both sides of the ball. They are faster and stronger as well and just as disciplined. There is no question that the 'Noles are jacked up for this game and this might negate the "underdog" status that Wake Forest has used so effectively the last two seasons, although they are still -4-5.5 point dogs. I think Wake has the edge on special teams and defensively and this wins football games.

Wake 24

FSU 21