Huskers challanged by Wake running game

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[SIZE=14pt]Wake Forest running game will challenge Huskers[/SIZE]

ERIC OLSON

Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. - Nebraska knows its assignment becomes more difficult Saturday when Wake Forest brings its vaunted rushing attack to Memorial Stadium.

A week after Division I-AA Maine netted minus-6 yards on the ground, the Cornhuskers' defense will face a Demon Deacon team that shows no sign of slowing down after finishing second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 17th nationally in rushing in 2004.

Tailback Micah Andrews generated 254 of the Deacons' 274 rushing yards in a 24-20 loss to Vanderbilt last week. Andrews had the second-best rushing day in Wake Forest history as the replacement starter for the suspended Chris Barclay, a two-time All-ACC pick after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Andrews will start again Saturday, but Barclay will get his share of carries, coach Jim Grobe said.

The Andrews-Barclay tandem probably will be the best the Huskers see this season, defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said.

Linebacker Bo Ruud says he's looking forward to the challenge.

"Last year, we always stopped the run," Ruud said. "Its something we always pride ourselves on doing. The same way this year, the first thing we do is stop the run. It should be a good matchup."

The Huskers (1-0) were second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally in rushing defense last season, giving up only 104 yards a game. Wake Forest (0-1) ran for 206 yards a game and scored 18 of its 24 touchdowns on the ground.

While Nebraska's defense is concerned with stopping the run, the Huskers' offense will be trying to get its rushing attack on track.

Nebraska scored only one offensive touchdown against Maine and totaled only 121 yards on the ground. The Huskers had fewer rushing yards in only three games last season.

I-back Cory Ross said he's not worried.

"It's a long season, and you get all the kinks out the first couple of games," he said. "I definitely feel we're destined to do great things this year as long as we come together as a team and do the right thing."

The Huskers also hope to sharpen their passing game. Zac Taylor completed fewer than 50 percent of his attempts and threw two interceptions against Maine.

"I think they're having some problems because they're in transition from an option attack to a West Coast offense," Grobe said. "Defensively, they have great talent and fly around."

Wake Forest and Nebraska have met only once before. The Huskers won 36-12 in the 1970 season opener. The Deacons went on to win the ACC championship that year and the Huskers their first national title.

This game was scheduled last December, with Nebraska agreeing to play at Wake Forest in 2007.

"They are a big, powerhouse team," Deacons defensive tackle Goryal Scales said. "They have a winning tradition there. I enjoy the challenge of big teams like that. It's why I play the game, the chance to play in that environment, to be seen nationally on TV and to play to the best of your ability."

 
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[SIZE=14pt]TBS analyst weighs in with take[/SIZE]

Charles Davis, who will provide color analysis for TBS’ broadcast of Saturday’s game, said Thursday he expects Nebraska to play more physically than it did during its season-opening win against Maine.

“I think that because they got that first game out of the way and now they can let it go a little,” said Davis, a four-year starter at defensive back for Tennessee during the 1980s. “Plus, it never feels good when you’re criticized for winning.”

In other words, Nebraska might be motivated by criticism it received for beating Division I-AA Maine 25-7. The Black Bears, helped by five Husker turnovers, pulled to 15-7 behind early in the fourth quarter before succumbing.

Meanwhile, Davis said Wake Forest (0-1) is a more physical team than people might think.

“They’re tough, tough, tough,” he said, noting the Demon Deacons’ inclination toward running the ball.

He said Wake Forest makes effective use of misdirection plays and “cut” blocks, a la the NFL Denver Broncos.

“They cut people down at the ankles — it’s nothing dirty,” Davis said. “Wake Forest isn’t a dirty team. But you better be on your horse . . . They cut you down, they’re blocking you to the whistle, they’re staying in your face all of the time.”

Davis notes that Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is an old-school type who taught a multiple-option attack at his previous coaching stops, including Ohio University.

“Now, he’s got a quarterback who can throw the ball (sophomore Benjamin Mauk), but he’s not straying from his roots,” Davis said, noting that backup running back Micah Andrews rushed for 254 yards last week in a 24-20 loss to Vanderbilt.

. . . Should be an interesting game.

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Taylor Talk[/SIZE]

By Brian Rosenthal

Saw some bashers in some previous blogs declaring that Zac Taylor “wasn’t even good enough” for Wake Forest. Thought I would throw in my two-cents worth.

One of the main reasons Zac left WF was because of a change in offensive philosophy. Zac was there in 2002 and redshirted. In 2003, Steed Lobotzke took over at offensive coordinator, and the Deacons changed into the run-oriented offense you see today. Zac didn’t fit that system and left. (Sound familiar?) I had this conversation with his family back in February.

Now, I don’t know how good Zac will be here, and I’m not going to declare him a Heisman Trophy candidate. But to simply say he “wasn’t good enough” for Wake Forest without doing a little research isn’t fair, either.

And for anyone who’s looking at the Wake Forest coaching staff bios and sees where Lobtozke has been there five years … that’s true. But not until 2003 did he become the OC. Before that, he was the O-line coach.

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Tidbits from Husker Camp[/SIZE]

By Steve Sipple

Nebraska coach Bill Callahan provided a poignant example Thursday of why the Huskers should respect Wake Forest’s relatively small defensive line.

“I learned a valuable lesson in a game called the Super Bowl,” Callahan said, referring to the Oakland Raiders’ 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. Callahan was the Raiders’ head coach at the time. “I think we had the largest (offensive) line in the history of the league,” he said. “If you looked at the Buccaneers, they were thin and slight up front, but mobile and quick. I know what type of damage that can do. We respect speed, and we respect movement.”

Wake Forest averages 255 pounds per player along its defensive line, while Nebraska’s offensive line averages 305 pounds per man.

Callahan singled out Demon Deacon ends Matt Robinson (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) and Jeremy Thompson (6-5, 250). “They have ends who have long arms and good speed,” the coach said. “They’ve got good overall length and very good athleticism.”

Dontrell Moore, a transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, remains uncertain at which position he’ll ultimately settle.

“I’m still trying to find me a home,” he said earlier this week.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Moore, a junior, has played middle linebacker and defensive end in recent practices after playing outside linebacker during the spring.

He said he hasn’t been approached by coaches about playing weakside linebacker in the wake of Steve Octavien’s season-ending leg injury. However, “I wouldn’t mind getting a little taste of that,” said Moore, a native of Thibodaux, La., about 30 miles southwest of New Orleans. He said his mother and other family members left for Baton Rouge before Hurricane Katrina hit.

GOOD FOOTING: After Nebraska I-back Cory Ross gained 80 yards on 20 carries against Division I-AA Maine, some speculated that he wasn’t getting good traction on Memorial Stadium’s new FieldTurf. Not true, he said. “I wasn’t slipping and sliding anywhere, so figured I was getting pretty good footing,” he said. Regarding the new FieldTurf, “It’s getting better, but it’s not like the FieldTurf in here,” Ross said, referring to the 6-year-old turf in Cook Pavilion. “It’s a little harder in here.”

PHILLIPS IN LEAD: J.B. Phillips, a 6-3, 255-pound sophomore, has become the clear-cut No. 1 Husker tight end, said tight ends coach Scott Downing. It makes perfect sense in at least one regard: Of Nebraska’s top three tight ends, only Phillips played the position full time in high school, catching about 20 passes in 2002 as a senior at Colleyville (Texas) Heritage High School. The two players immediately behind Phillips — redshirt freshman Clayton Sievers and sophomore Josh Mueller — are basically co-No. 2s, Downing said. Sievers played fullback and defensive end at Elkhorn High, while Mueller played wideout and running back for Columbus Lakeview.

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Wake Forest meets Nebraska for the first time since 1970[/SIZE]

In Week Two, the Demon Deacons return to Lincoln, Neb., for the first time in 35 years to play the Cornhuskers. Wake Forest and Nebraska last met in 1970, the year the Deacons captured an ACC championship and the Huskers won the national championship.

In its season opener, a 24-20 loss to Vanderbilt last Thursday, Wake Forest seemed to read from an all-too-familiar script. Last year, the Deacons lost six games by a touchdown or less. It was the first loss in a home opener in Grobe’s five years in Winston-Salem. Remarkably enough, 27 of Grobe’s 48 games at Wake Forest have been decided by seven points or less.

In the season opener, the Deacons played without two-time All-ACC running back Chris Barclay and junior Riley Swanson, the team’s most experienced cornerback, due to a violation of team policy. In Barclay’s place, sophomore Micah Andrews piled up 254 yards on the ground. Redshirt freshmen Kevin Patterson and Alphonso Smith were tested and combined for four pass break-ups.

Swanson returns this week to bolster the team’s depth in the secondary. Barclay and Andrews create a formidable 1-2 punch at running back.

Nebraska is 1-0 after a 25-7 season opening victory against visiting Maine last Saturday. The Huskers sacked the quarterback 11 times and held the Black Bears to minus-six yards rushing.

The 1970 meeting between the schools, a 36-12 Nebraska victory, is the only meeting in series history. The Huskers will return to the trip to Groves Stadium in 2007.

Andrews Named ACC Offensive Back of the Week

Micah Andrews’ 254 rushing yards against Vanderbilt goes into the Wake Forest record books as the second-best single day performance by a running back in school history. The 254 yards came on 34 carries, an impressive average of 7.5 per attempt.

For Andrews, a sophomore, it was only his second career start and it came in place of two-time All-ACC selection Chris Barclay, who missed the Vanderbilt because of a violation of team rules.

Barclay was the last Wake Forest rusher to go over 200 yards (243 vs. Maryland in 2003). Andrews, the son of former Atlanta Falcon All-Pro William Andrews, became the eighth player to rush for 200 yards in a Deacon uniform and it was the 10th time in happened in school history. Andrew’s previous career best was a 17-carry, 125-yard, three touchdown game against North Carolina A&T last September.

Barclay Named To Doak Walker Award List

For the second straight year, Wake Forest senior running back Chris Barclay has been selected as a candidate for the Doak Walker Award. The SMU Athletic Forum announced the 2005 preseason list last week. The Doak Walker Award is annually presented to the best running back in college football. Barclay, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound running back from Louisville, Ky., has rushed for 1,000 yards and led the ACC in rushing during the regular season each of the last two years. He is a two-time All-ACC pick and the only player in WFU history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in consecutive years.

Barclay played in all 11 games last year for the Demon Deacons. He led the ACC with 243 attempts and finished with 1,010 yards. His season-high came in the season opener at Clemson, a 179-yard rushing performance that led to ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors.

Barclay stands 907 yards away from breaking Wake Forest’s career rushing mark, currently held by James McDougald. He has already tied the school’s career rushing touchdown record.

From The Training Room

The injury report for Saturday’s game:

Out: OG Brodie Overstreet (eye). Doubtful: None. Questionable: LB Jon Abbate (hamstring), LB Pierre Easley (groin), CB Johnny Edwards (ankle), WR Willie Idlette (shoulder). Probable: None.

A Win This Week Would...

... give Wake Forest a 1-1 start for the second

straight year and the third time in four years.

... make Wake Forest 6-1 in non-conference

games away from Groves Stadium under Jim Grobe.

... even the all-time series against Nebraska

at 1-1.

... break a three-game road losing streak.

... mark Wake Forest’s second win on national

television in as many seasons.

... improve Wake Forest’s all-time record on

national television to 7-12.

... be Wake Forest’s first win against a Big 12

squad since 1976 at Kansas State, a 13-0 win.

... make Wake Forest 2-11 all-time against

schools currently in the Big 12.

... be the largest crowd to ever witness a

Wake Forest victory. The Deacons are 0-11 all-time

in front of crowds of more than 73,000.

... improve Grobe’s record at Wake Forest 23-

26 in five seasons and his all-time record to 56-

59-1 in 11 seasons.

... improve Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 11-

13 in road games.

... improve Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 13-

4 in non-conference games.

... improve Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 10-

8 in September games.

... improve Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 9-8

in night games.

... improve Wake Forest’s all-time record to

379-575-33.

A Loss This Week Would...

... give Wake Forest an 0-2 start for the first

time since the 2000 season.

... make Wake Forest 5-2 in non-conference

games away from Groves Stadium under Jim Grobe.

... give Nebraska a 2-0 lead in the all-time

series.

... make four straight road losses.

... drop Wake Forest’s all-time record on

national television to 6-13.

... make Wake Forest 1-12 all-time against

schools currently in the Big 12.

... drop Grobe’s record at Wake Forest 22-27

in five seasons and his all-time record to 55-60-1

in 11 seasons.

... drop Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 10-14

in road games.

... drop Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 12-5 in

non-conference games.

... drop Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 9-9 in

September games.

... drop Grobe’s Wake Forest record to 8-9 in

night games.

... drop Wake Forest’s all-time record to 378-

576-33.

Deacons Experience Road Success

Wake Forest owns a 5-1 record against non-conference opponents away from Groves Stadium since 2001. The Deacons have posted impressive wins including triumphs over Boston College (32-28 in 2003 while still a member of the Big East), Oregon (38-17 in the 2002 Seattle Bowl), Purdue (24-21 in 2002) and twice against East Carolina (31-17 in 2004 and 21-19 in 2001).

The Deacons have won four in a row and their only blemish came in 2002 at Northern Illinois, a 42-41 overtime loss.

Grobe: Best First Four Years

With 22 victories at Wake Forest, Jim Grobe has more wins in his first four years than any other coach in Wake Forest history.

Not Al Groh (17), not Bill Dooley (18) and not even the legendary D.C. “Peahead” Walker (21) had this much success this early in their tenure.

Grobe, the program’s 32nd coach, already ranks fifth all-time in career wins.

The Deacons have a chance to propel Grobe even higher up that chart. He stands four wins behind Jim Caldwell and Groh. Grobe needs seven wins to catch Bill Dooley.

Mauk Sets New Career-Highs

Getting his fourth career start, sophomore Benjamin Mauk established new career-highs against Vanderbilt for completions (15) and passing yards (198). He finished 15-for-26 passing. His previous high for yards passing was 127 vs. Duke last season. Mauk spread the ball around and hit six different receivers.

More On Mauk

Redshirt sophomore Benjamin Mauk, who set national passing records at Kenton High School in Ohio, has been named the starting quarterback. Mauk came to Wake Forest with a lot of notoriety. In high school, he operated in a no-back, five-wide, no-huddle offense. He totaled 6,540 passing yards and 76 TDs his senior season, en route to a second state championship and Mr. Football in Ohio honors.

Last year, Mauk rotated with the veteran Cory Randolph, who has 20 career starts under his belt. A toe injury sidelined Randolph against Duke last October and Mauk led the Deacons to victory that day and started the season’s final three games. In part-time duty, Mauk completed 52.1 percent of his passes for 572 yards, two TDs and three interceptions. His 295 rushing yards ranked second on the team. But his fearless, hard-nosed style endeared himself to Wake Forest teammates, coaches and fans. Mauk bowled over a would-be tackler against Duke last season. After the game, he told reporters that “if I wanted to slide I'd play baseball. Football is all about hitting.”

First Time For Everything

Five players made their first career starts against Vanderbilt, including three redshirt freshmen. The first time starters were Richard Belton (R-Fr., FB), Alphonso Smith (R-Fr., CB), Kevin Patterson (R-Fr., CB), Aaron Mason (R-So., SS) and Jason Pratt (RSr., LB). Chris Barclay and Josh Gattis saw their 11-game consecutive start streaks snapped. Punter Ryan Plackemeier (31), offensive tackle Steve Vallos (24) and safety Patrick Ghee (12) now own the longest such streaks.

Mistakes Doom Deacs vs. Vandy

Jim Grobe said leading up to the Vanderbilt game that the biggest key would be to limit “typical first game mistakes” like turnovers and penalties. Despite outgaining Vanderbilt, having more time of possession and getting a spectacular performance from Micah Andrews and the rushing offense, the Deacons could not pull out a victory.

Wake Forest drew seven flags for 65 yards while Vandy committed just two penalties for five yards. The Deacons also failed to score in two of its six chances in the red zone. Wake Forest fumbled on the five and missed a field goal of 39 yards. On the opening drive, the Deacons committed a holding penalty that forced a field goal instead of a possible touchdown.

Quotebook

Jim Grobe on the team’s inexperience --

“It doesn't take Kojak to figure out when you have two seniors starting that you don't have a strong senior class. As far as old grizzly vets, we don't have many of those guys on the field. We're talented. We just tend to play pretty good for eight or nine plays, then hyperventilate on one.”

Jim Grobe on the team’s level of talent --

“We've had some very good individual players on our football team since we've been here. But this team has the most talent and depth that we've had since this coaching staff arrived.''

Jim Grobe on raising the bar --

“It's funny how expectations change. I think people appreciate what we've done. But now that we've become competitive, I think their attitude is the same attitude the players and coaches have. It's time to start winning our share.''

Jim Grobe on Richard Belton --

“I think he is a guy who has the potential to do more than any fullback we've ever had. Ovie (Mughelli) would vaporize you, and Nick Burney could run the ball really well, but I think he's the first combination of a guy who can run and block.”

Jim Grobe on the program’s direction --

“Mickey the Dunce could figure out this thing is going the right way when you watch these kids out here right now. I think the future is very bright, but we really want the future to be right now.”

Steve Vallos on Benjamin Mauk --

“He brings an element of emotion. He's not scared of anything, not scared of getting hurt. He doesn't run out of bounds. He tries to run people over.”

Mauk on being coached by his dad --

“We'd go out to lunch after church and after we finished eating, my dad would draw plays on the napkins.”

In The Last Meeting

September 12, 1970

Nebraska 17, Wake Forest 10

Memorial Stadium (66,103)

LINCOLN, Neb. - Wake Forest lost four costly fumbles as the ninth-ranked Cornhuskers rolled past the Demon Deacons 36-12. The game served as the season opener for both teams.

Wake Forest would begin its season 0-3, with each loss coming on the road. However, the Deacons would turn it around in time to finish 6-5 overall, 5-1 in the ACC, to capture its first and only conference championship.

Coach Bob Devaney and sophomore Johnny Rodgers would eventually lead that Nebraska team to an 11-0-1 record and the program’s first national championship.

The lone blemish that season was a 21-21 tie at USC in the second week. In this game, the Deacons actually jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. After trading punts, the Deacons forced a Nebraska fumble by Kinney, recovered by Frank Fussell on the first play of the next drive.

Four plays later, Tracy Lounsbury split the uprights from 35 yards away to give Wake Forest a field goal lead midway through the first quarter. But Nebraska responded with two touchdowns before the end of the first quarter, the second of which was setup by a fumbled kickoff return.

The Deacons cut the lead to 14-5 early in the second quarter when Pat McHenry blocked a Husker punt out of the endzone.

But Wake Forest would get no closer as junior quarterback Jerry Tagge rushed for one touchdown and pass to Rodgers for another before the teams.

The teams went to locker room with Nebraska leading 29-5. The Huskers added to their lead in the third quarter with a Joe Orduna

scoring run. Wake Forest back-up quarterback Jim McMahen found Gary Johnson on a 12-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to go to cap the scoring.

The Deacon rushing attack, spearheaded all season by quarterback Larry Russell, was slowed to a crawl for much of the day. Nebraska pinned Russell to minus-three yards on 18 carries.

Wake Forest-Nebraska Connections

* Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor began his career at Wake Forest, where he redshirted in 2002 and served as a back-up in 2003. He played in three games and completed the only pass he attempted. He transferred to Bulter County (KS) Community College for the 2004 season.

* Taylor and Wake Forest tight end Zac Selmon both played at the same high school – Norman HS in Norman, OK.

* Wake Forest has one player – Lincoln’s Boomer Peterson – from the state of Nebraska. Peterson attended Lincoln Southeast High School.

* Nebraska senior Shamus McKoy hails from Raleigh, NC, and is the only North Carolinian on the ‘Husker roster.

* Deacon assistant coach Brad Lambert was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma in 1989 when current Nebraska assistant coach John Blake was also working on the Sooners staff.

* Cornhusker assistant Phil Elmassian served in the ACC three seasons as an assistant at Virginia from 1987-90.

* Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan was born in Manson (NC), attended North Carolina and coached for the Tar Heels from 1989-92.

* Former Deacon Eric King and former Cornhusker Chris Kelsay are currently teammates with the Buffalo Bills. * Former Wake standout Joe Zelenka and recent NU standout Bernard Thomas both play for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

* Former Deacon receiver John Stone now plays with the Oakland Raiders along with Nebraska grads Jay Foreman, Adam Treu and Fabian Washington.

* NFL veteran tackle Fred Robbins of Wake Forest and T.J. Hollowell of Nebraska are teammates with the New York Giants.

* Wake Forest’s Desmond Clark and Dustin Lyman and Nebraska’s Mike Brown and Jerrell Pippens all play for the Chicago Bears.

* The Carolina Panthers’ roster includes former Deac Ricky Proehl and former ‘Huskers Mike Minter and Mike Rucker.

* Former Deacon standout Calvin Pace is a teammate of former Cornhuskers Aaron Golliday and Eric Johnson with the Arizona Cardinals.

When & Where:

At 6:00 PM central time on September 10 at Memorial Stadium (73,918) in Lincoln, Neb.

Television:

TBS. Ron Thulin (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analysis) and Craig Sager (sidelines) call the action. Scott Cockerill is the producer.

Radio:

Wake Forest/ISP Radio Network. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Bill Urbanik (analysis) call the action.

Series:

Nebraska leads, 1-0. The teams haven’t met since the 1970 season when Wake Forest won the ACC Championship and Nebraska won the national championship.

Rankings:

Neither team is ranked.

Coaches:

Jim Grobe is in his fifth season at Wake Forest with a 22-26 record. Nebraska coach Bill Callahan is in his second year with the Cornhuskers. He owns a record of 6-6.

Schedule & Results:

S1 Vanderbilt ESPNU L, 20-24

S10 at Nebraska TBS 6:00 ©

S17 East Carolina 6:30

S24 Maryland TBA

O1 Clemson TBA

O8 at Florida State TBA

O15 at Boston College TBA

O22 NC State TBA

O29 at Duke TBA

N5 at Georgia Tech TBA

N17 Miami ESPN 7:30

 
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[SIZE=14pt]A long way from Wake[/SIZE]

Nebraska quarterback will face his old Deacons teammates

DAVID SCOTT

 

Staff Writer

That guy lining up under center for Nebraska on Saturday will look awfully familiar to Wake Forest offensive guard Arby Jones.

That's because the Cornhuskers quarterback who will face the Deacons is Zac Taylor -- a transfer from Wake Forest and Jones' former roommate.

"I talked to him the other day," said Jones. "We both agreed that we can't believe we're actually playing each other."

From teammate to opponent, from Deacons black and gold to Huskers scarlet and cream, Saturday will hold a mixture of emotion for Jones and Taylor. At least they won't be on the field at the same time.

"I never could have imagined anything like this," Taylor said of facing the Deacons (0-1).

Taylor's college football travels have been long and circuitous, but the story seems to have a happy ending -- at least for now. Judgment on that won't ultimately come until he proves he can keep the starting job and, more importantly to the Nebraska fans who will fill Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday, help pull the Huskers (1-0) back to the national prominence they held for so long.

Taylor redshirted his freshman year at Wake Forest, then played behind starter Cory Randolph in 2003. He got into three games and completed the only pass he threw.

Taylor knew that in 2004 Randolph would still have two seasons of eligibility remaining and another highly regarded quarterback, Benjamin Mauk, would also compete for the starting job.

"The two years I was there they had some quarterbacks that were better than I was," said Taylor. "I kind of saw the writing on the wall ... and so I saw the opportunity where I could play somewhere else."

Said Deacons coach Jim Grobe: "It wasn't a situation where we thought Ben Mauk was the next guy and we wanted Zac to move on. We saw a lot of improvement in Zac and thought he could be a good quarterback for us."

Taylor spent last season at Butler County (Kan.) Community College, where he passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns and led the Grizzlies to the national junior college championship game.

He transferred to Nebraska and won the starter's job in spring practice. His first game in coach Bill Callahan's west-coast offense, a 25-7 victory against Maine on Saturday, was choppy, as he completed 15 of 36 passes for 192 yards and an interception.

"He looks like a different quarterback because they're running a different offense," said Jones. "But he looks real good, and I'm impressed at what he's accomplished."

Spoken like a true friend.

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Zac's Quest: Quarterback Taylor has traveled long road from Wake Forest to Nebraska[/SIZE]

By Dan Collins

JOURNAL REPORTER

If Zac Taylor ever wished to return to Wake Forest, he would have no trouble traversing any river between Lincoln, Neb., and Winston-Salem.

No bridges were burned.

Taylor, recruited to play at Wake Forest in 2002, is now the starting quarterback at Nebraska. After directing the Cornhuskers to a lackluster 25-7 victory over Maine in the 2005 opener, he will play his second game for Nebraska on Saturday against - of all teams - Wake Forest.

Kickoff is set for 7:10 at Nebraska's 73,918-season Memorial Stadium.

"It will definitely be very interesting," Taylor said. "I never could imagine a situation like this.

"But it'll be a lot of fun. I think everything will be kind of put aside once the game starts. It's just another game."

Taylor, a 6-2, 210-pound junior from Norman, Okla., spent one year at Wake Forest as a redshirt and a second as a backup quarterback who played three games and completed the only pass he threw for a 3-yard gain.

Taylor didn't see much future competing against Cory Randolph, then a sophomore, and Benjamin Mauk, then a first-year freshman being redshirted. So he left to seek more playing time elsewhere. He found it first at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., where he passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns and led the Grizzlies to the national junior-college championship game against eventual champion Pearl River (Miss.) Junior College. That won him a scholarship to Nebraska, where he emerged from spring competition as the Cornhuskers' starting quarterback.

In discussing his decision to leave Wake Forest, he said he felt he really didn't have much choice if he wanted to play college football.

"I had a good time there," Taylor said. "I was there for a year and a half. I have a lot of great friends, and I'm really good friends with the coaching staff.

"I think I've improved a lot over the last two years. The two years I was there they had some quarterbacks that were better than I was, and I kind of saw the writing on the wall. Those guys were better than me.

"I just thought I'd find an opportunity to play somewhere else, so I decided to leave."

Coach Jim Grobe of the Deacons said he was uncertain enough of Taylor's abilities early in the 2003 season that he rarely allowed Randolph - who threw 246 of Wake Forest's 249 passes that season - to run the ball. But as the year unfolded, and Taylor continued to improve, Grobe said he gained more and more confidence in Taylor's abilities to direct the offense.

When Taylor walked into his office and explained that he wanted to transfer, Grobe was understandably understanding. But that doesn't mean he celebrated the extra scholarship.

"He was a guy that we liked," Grobe said. "I wanted him to stay, but at the same time I wanted him to be happy. And if he didn't feel like staying here behind Cory for a couple of years was going to be to his advantage, he had my blessing to go play somewhere else."

Arby Jones, a junior guard for Wake Forest, was in Taylor's recruiting classand roomed with him for two years. The two have kept up, talking as recently as Friday, the day after Wake Forest lost to Vanderbilt 24-20 in the season opener.

"He's a great guy," Jones said. "He's a good roommate.

"We talked about it and he said 'I just can't believe we're actually going to play each other, on different sides of the ball.'

"It's kind of crazy."

Jones said that there was more than just the competition that prompted Taylor to leave Wake Forest.

The Deacons deploy a run-oriented offense that requires the quarterback to run as well as throw. And Taylor said that running with the ball isn't his strongest suit.

Against Maine, while directing the Cornhuskers' West Coast offense, the only two times that Taylor was credited with a run was when he was sacked.

"I think the main reason was just the offense," Jones said. "He wasn't really a roll-out guy. He didn't like a lot of running.

"He found his niche. He found where he can be a pocket-passer type guy where he can have a better view and more time to throw the ball.

"I think he found a place where he likes it."

Taylor said his debut at Nebraska was less than scintillating, when he completed 15 of 36 passes for 192 yards while throwing two interceptions. But Bill Callahan, the Cornhuskers' second-year coach, said he's happy to have Taylor and expects him to improve.

Taylor said he hopes his coach is right.

"I was pretty disappointed in the way I played," Taylor said. "I made some really poor throws that I wish I could have back. I felt I could make those. I made decisions that were not what I was coached to do, so I was kind of wishing we could just play another game the next day and put that last one behind us and start all over."

Starting over, after all, is something that Taylor knows all about.

• Dan Collins can be reached at dcollins@wsjournal .com

 
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[SIZE=14pt]McKeon is roaming without fear[/SIZE]

LINCOLN - Corey McKeon has heard about Wake Forest's rushing attack, the one that pounded out 274 yards last week. He's seen it on film, the clips of pulling tackles and reverses and quarterback draws

I'm ready for it," McKeon said. "I'm going to say, 'Hey, if you want to give me a quarterback or a running back without a lead block, you're going to have a problem because I'm right here and I've got Bo Ruud and Stew Bradley to my left and right, and they are fast.' So I'd be a little worried if I were them."

Nebraska's sophomore middle linebacker learns fast, talks faster and heaves his body around like an old pair of boots. The first-year Blackshirt was supposed to be a question mark in the middle. On Saturday against Maine, he was an exclamation point.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder led the Huskers with 10 tackles, including one forced fumble, three tackles for loss and one sack. He's more proud of bruises than numbers, though.

The Chicago native with the buzzed head likes to joke around. He sat somber in the locker room before Saturday's game listening to music. McKeon's best friend, tight end Sean Hill, looked across at him, shook his head and muttered:

"Don't try to get all focused."

McKeon started laughing. He tried to play the serious guy. Tried to be nervous like everybody else. Didn't work. Not even on the field.

"During the game, me and Bo look at each other and we were like, 'We better get more serious,'" McKeon said. "We were playing good. You can't fault us for it."

Neither would defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. McKeon's performance would've surprised Cosgrove had it come six months ago. Not now.

McKeon's knowledge of the game gives him an edge over most linebackers, Cosgrove said.

The coach didn't get a chance to fully evaluate McKeon during spring practice. He quickly became a fan in fall camp, though, after seeing how quickly McKeon picked up defensive schemes.

"He has a great feel," Cosgrove said.

Mastering the system has allowed McKeon to roam without fear of missing an assignment. The opener was his first game replacing Barrett Ruud, the school's all-time leading tackler. McKeon isn't as big as Ruud. Doesn't pack the punch that Ruud's 240-pound frame did.

But McKeon's first start bettered Ruud's five tackles in his 2002 opener against Arizona State. One factor that motivated McKeon: He didn't have to stare at the same old faces.

"Finally, I'm not hitting Kurt Mann," McKeon said. "I'm hitting some guy from some town in the East I've never seen before and I'm never going to see again, so I can do whatever the heck I want to do to him and there's no consequence."

McKeon understands attitude contributes to success. He savors chances to intimidate, to push a lineman just before the whistle blows, to level a ball carrier in front of his sideline for the whole opposing team to see.

"That's how you've got to play," McKeon said. "You've got to let them know you're there."

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Sophomore bumps star from Deacon backfield[/SIZE]

LINCOLN - If you're Wake Forest's football coach, what do you do when you have an All-ACC tailback returning from a one-game suspension and a replacement who rushed for 254 yards in his absence?

"What you do," Jim Grobe said, "is you start the guy who ran for 254."

That's the impression Micah Andrews made on the Wake Forest staff last week. Filling in for Chris Barclay, the sophomore plowed over Vanderbilt, averaging 7.5 yards a carry in a 24-20 loss.

"It's going to be an interesting situation," said Grobe, who's preparing the Demon Deacons for a Saturday night game at Nebraska. "How much time does Chris Barclay get is going to be the key."

Barclay needs 907 yards to become Wake Forest's all-time leading rusher, but Andrews suddenly has everybody's attention. Before last Thursday night, most questions for the 5-foot-10, 205-pounder were about his dad, former Atlanta Falcons all-pro back William Andrews.

The 254-yard game - the second best in school history - was even more than Micah Andrews could have expected.

"I did surprise myself," he said. "But our offensive line made my job a lot easier. They opened holes, and I ran through them. Our offensive line should be more noted than I was."

Andrews backed up Barclay last season as Barclay posted his second straight 1,000-yard season. The senior sat against Vanderbilt because of a "violation of team rules," and Andrews knows it was tough for his mentor.

It's possible that Barclay, Andrews and sophomore D'Angelo Bryant all could play at Nebraska, a 6:10 p.m. game that will be televised by TBS.

"We're a tight-knit group of guys," Andrews said. "Chris was on that sideline last week, and every time I came off he was coaching me up, saying what I did wrong or what I should have done.

"I wish he could have been there to help us. I don't know how hard he took it, but just being a player and knowing you're not there for your teammates in a season-opener, I'm sure it hurt a lot."

Andrews' work against Vanderbilt nearly doubled his previous career total of 264 rushing yards. It mostly came between the tackles - and mostly came quietly to him.

"I thought I had maybe 120 or 130, because in the game it's almost like a blur," Andrews said. "One of our media guys came into the locker room after the game and whispered it in my ear. It just felt good that they trusted me to go with me 34 times."

William Andrews was known as a strong, punishing runner playing for Auburn and then the Falcons. Micah Andrews hesitates to say if their styles are similar.

"I'm told at times that I run like him, but I'm told at other times that maybe I have a little shake or a little more speed," Andrews said. "I couldn't tell him that. I'm sure he wouldn't agree."

Wake Forest operates its offense around the rushing attack, and NU coach Bill Callahan said he wouldn't be surprised if the Deacons run it 40 to 50 times on Saturday night. The Huskers were ranked 11th nationally against the run last season, and they started 2005 by holding Maine to negative rushing yardage.

A student of the game, Andrews already knew some of that information.

"They always have big, strong, fast guys, and it's going to be a struggle," Andrews said. "That's what we already know. Hopefully they'll take it easy on us".

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Revenge no factor for Nebraska QB Taylor[/SIZE]

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Huskers' quarterback says he enjoyed time at Wake Forest

By Terry Douglass

terry.douglass@theindependent.com

It seemed like the perfect angle: Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor heading into Saturday night's game seeking revenge against Wake Forest -- the school where he began his college career -- but transferred away from

Then, Taylor had to go and squash the story.

Unfortunately for members of the media looking to play up the grudge factor, Taylor apparently has no ill will toward the Demon Deacons or their coaches.

"I had a good time there," Taylor said of his 11Ž2 years at Wake Forest. "I had a lot of great friends (and) was really good friends with the coaching staff.

"Looking at the situation, I think I've improved a lot over the last two years. The two years that I was there, they had some quarterbacks that were better than I was and I kind of saw the writing on the wall."

Taylor then made the decision to leave, transferring to Butler County (Kan.) Community College for the 2004 season, leading his team to the junior college national championship game. In an odd twist of fate, the junior from Norman, Okla., eventually wound up at Nebraska (1-0) and will now face several familiar faces when the Cornhuskers host Wake Forest (0-1) at 6:10 p.m. Saturday.

"It will definitely be very interesting," Taylor said. "I never could've imagined a situation like this, but it will be a lot of fun. I think everything will be kind of put aside once the game starts and it will just be another game."

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said the encounter with Taylor probably won't be as strange for him as it will the Demon Deacon players that knew Taylor well.

"It will probably be a bad, bad feeling if they're going up and down the field because of Zac," Grobe said.

Wake Forest junior guard Arby Jones, who was a roommate of Taylor's at Wake Forest, said he spoke with the Nebraska quarterback recently.

"We both agreed that we can't believe that we're actually playing each other and I'm going to see him when we go up there," Jones said.

Jones said he and Taylor kept in touch after Taylor transferred. Jones even attended Taylor's NJCAA national championship game and has been following his progress with the Huskers.

"I watched his spring game highlights and he looked pretty good," Jones said. "I mean he looks like a different quarterback, just because they're running a different offense, but he looks real good.

"I'm impressed at what he's accomplished."

Grobe said Taylor was by no means pushed out of Wake Forest's program. He said he gained "a lot of confidence" in Taylor by the end of his redshirt freshman year in 2003.

"We wanted him to stay," Grobe said. "It wasn't a situation where we thought (current Wake Forest quarterback) Ben Mauk was the next guy and we wanted Zac to move on.

"We saw a lot of improvement in Zac and thought he could be a good quarterback for us. I think that's exactly what has happened. He went to junior college and matured and got stronger and now he's doing a nice job for Nebraska."

Taylor started in Nebraska's 25-7 season-opening win over Maine, but had mixed success. He completed 11 of his first 15 attempts, but finished 15 of 36 passing for 192 yards with two interceptions.

"I was pretty disappointed in the way I played," Taylor said. "I made some very poor throws that I wish I could have back. I feel like I can make those.

"I thought I made some decisions that were just not stuff I was really coached to do, so I was kind of wishing we could just play another game the next game and put that last one behind us and start all over. Luckily, that was just the first week and we got a win."

NU offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said Taylor's disappointment was obvious.

"When he watched the film, he was just sick because there were plays that he could make that he makes every day in practice," Norvell said. "He has learned from that situation in his first start and hopefully he will improve on that performance this week."

Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said that after a solid 11Ž2 quarters, Taylor might have tried to do too much against Maine.

"A little bit later on in the game he was aiming throws," Callahan said. "He was trying to be a little too exact on his placement instead of just cutting loose on his throwing like he did in the first half. He knows exactly where he needs to improve and there's no doubt in our minds that he'll accomplish that."

Taylor said he noticed in his film study that he was doing some uncharacteristic things, such as throwing off his back foot. He said nerves weren't a factor and that the coaching staff had him prepared for everything the Black Bears threw at him, defensively.

"I don't know what it was, but the first play, I didn't feel very nervous," Taylor said. "I was just kind of having fun out there and. I think I started off all right, I was enjoying it out there and then I just kind of got into a slump."

Taylor admitted that he might have been pressing after the Huskers failed to start pulling away from the NCAA Division I-AA Black Bears in the third quarter.

"I think I was getting a little concerned," Taylor said. "We only had 12 points and obviously, we should've been scoring more than that. I think everybody knows that, so I really felt the need to get the ball into the end zone and maybe I was worrying too much about that, instead of just executing a play at a time and just taking the drive down the field.

"Obviously, that's something I won't get too caught up in next week."

Nebraska's receivers didn't always help Taylor's cause as they failed to haul in a handful of catchable balls. Even Frantz Hardy, who led the Huskers with seven receptions for 152 yards, had a couple of drops.

"I think that was just first-game stuff," Taylor said. "That's not something guys usually do. You know, a lot of those passes weren't the easiest passes to catch either -- they were behind buys -- so, a lot of that, I'd have to put on myself."

Taylor said he took some solace in the fact that several other college teams struggled offensively in their season openers.

"It just lets you know that everybody has first-game struggles," Taylor said. "Obviously, it's something we're going to have to overcome, but I saw a lot of teams on Saturday going through the same things we were

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Taylor goes head to head with former teammates[/SIZE]

Zac Taylor has known all along that his past could come back to haunt him.

On the final day of Taylor’s official recruiting visit to Nebraska, an NU assistant coach informed Taylor that Wake Forest, the team Taylor had suited up for not two years ago, had just been added to the Cornhuskers’ schedule.

In the midst of total shock and disbelief, Taylor, as calm as always, took it all in stride.

He was going to be a Husker now, and if the task at hand involved a weekend’s worth of slight awkwardness and reunions, so be it.

As the Huskers prepare for Saturday’s 6 p.m. kickoff against the Demon Deacons, Taylor’s attitude hasn’t changed.

“I was stunned when they first told me Wake Forest was on our schedule,” Taylor said. “I thought they were messing with me at first, but soon I realized they weren’t. When I look at it now, it will definitely be very interesting. I never could have imagined anything like this, but it will be a lot of fun.

“I think I’ll put everything aside once the game starts and it’ll just be another game.”

In his two years with the Demon Deacons, Taylor’s time on the field was limited, to say the least.

After redshirting his first season in 2002, Taylor served as a backup the next year to starter Cory Randall, a speedy quarterback who better fit the Deacons’ option-oriented offense.

Taylor played in three games that season, completing the one pass he attempted.

According to Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe, Taylor intentionally was used sparingly because he felt Taylor wasn’t yet ready to run an option offense.

The following spring, the Deacons stacked the odds against Taylor even higher when they signed acclaimed prep quarterback Ben Mauk.

Taylor realized his chances of becoming the starting quarterback were slimming by the minute, and he transferred to Butler (Kan.) County Community College in El Dorado, Kan., in hopes of finding a better opportunity elsewhere.

Needless to say, he found it in Nebraska.

“Just looking back at the situation, I think I’ve improved a lot over the last two years,” Taylor said. “The two years I was there they had some quarterbacks there that were better than I was. I kind of saw the writing on the wall, and those guys were better than me, and so I saw the opportunity where I could play somewhere else and I just decided to leave.”

Though one would assume there would be some love lost between Taylor and the Deacons, both sides say they are more excited for the game then anything else.

While Taylor studied Grobe’s offense for two seasons, the junior says his familiarity with the Deacons unfortunately won’t do the Huskers much good come game time.

The Deacons are less concerned about reuniting with Taylor than keeping him from lighting up their defense through the air.

“It probably won’t be as strange to me as it is for the players,” Grobe said during the Wake Forrest press conference on Tuesday. “The players, of course, spent a lot of time with Zac. It will probably be a bad, bad feeling if (Nebraska is) going up and down the field because of Zac.

“We saw a lot of improvement in Zac and thought he could be a good quarterback for us. I think that’s exactly what has happened. He went to junior college and matured and got stronger, and now he’s doing a nice job for Nebraska.”

Taylor’s ambivalence toward facing his former team has given a certain amount of comfort to the Huskers, who know that they’ll need his complete focus to improve from a sputtering opener last week against Maine.

In the Huskers’ 25-7 win, the NU offense managed just 192 passing yards against a defense that ranked 98th in Division I-AA last season in total defense.

Taylor, who played the entire game, completed just 15 of 36 passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Though much of that can be attributed to first-game jitters, Taylor recognized the need for his improvement for the Huskers’ offensive production to increase.

As the Huskers wrap up their final preparations for Saturday, Taylor’s coaches say there aren’t any worries about how he’ll perform.

Taylor will have something to prove come game time to his teammates, his opponents and himself.

“All I know is from our perspective … we want him to play the way he’s capable of playing,” NU Coach Bill Callahan said. “We just want him to perform, and coming off Saturday night he’s resolved to improve what needs to be corrected. He knows exactly where he needs to improve, and there’s no doubt in our minds that he’ll accomplish that

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Offensive line plans comeback for Wake Forrest[/SIZE]

Cory Ross isn’t pointing fingers.

Sure, his 20 carries for 80 yards in a 25-7 win over Maine aren’t sitting well with the senior I-back, but his attitude is a little less than malicious.

To improve, only one thing needs to happen, Ross said.

“Just communicate. Period,” Ross said. “You have to talk out there on the field. You have to be able to talk the game of football and that’s what we’ve been working on all week. That’s our main focus.”

Ross will again lead the Cornhusker offense that rushed 42 times for 121 yards against Maine as they take on Wake Forest on Saturday at 6 p.m.

NU Offensive Line Coach Dennis Wagner said improving the running game starts up front with the offensive line.

And just like Ross, Wagner said communication is the best way to improve.

“It’s especially important in the run because people aren’t going to stand there and let us pound on them,” Wagner said. “They’re going to move around, and jump around and bring blitzes. Until you pick it up, they’re going to keep blitzing.”

The NU offensive line came into the season with an abundance of confidence.

After the first half against Maine, though, the NU running game fizzled, and the line struggled to stop the blitzing Black Bears.

Of Ross’ 80 yards, 30 came on one carry. Backup I-back Brandon Jackson had 18 yards on six carries and freshman Marlon Lucky carried 13 times for 44 yards.

The offensive line has had to shoulder most of the blame for the inconsistent running attack against Maine, but Ross said he is still confident with the unit.

“I’m definitely confident in those guys,” Ross said. “You have to be confident in the guys blocking in front of you. I definitely feel that when Saturday comes, we’re going to be way more prepared than the first game.”

The Wake Forest defense is expected to blitz in much the same fashion that Maine did.

And the 121 yards rushing NU gained against Maine will not get the job done against the Demon Deacons, Wagner said.

“There has to be an urgency about it and it has to start happening now,” Wagner said. “The hard part is I thought we had a solid fall camp. I thought we were taking steps forward with this group, then we got into that game and didn’t put that on the table.”

In 2004, the Huskers averaged 176 rushing yards per game – 55 more than they gained against Maine.

The consistency of the offensive line was a large area of emphasis in spring and fall practice, and Wagner said he is not ready to give up on them.

“The first time your kid does something wrong or your wife does something wrong, you don’t get a divorce or have them out of the house,” Wagner said. “You just keep grinding and pounding on people to do it right – and they will; they’ll respond.”

The key to that, Wagner said, is to return to the basics.

“You have to find the right guy to block, then worry about technique,” Wagner said.

 
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[SIZE=14pt]Practice Notes [/SIZE]

Final Preparations

The Nebraska Cornhuskers concentrated on precise execution in Thursday’s practice to continue preparation for Saturday’s game against Wake Forest.

“We finished up a short practice today that was very similar to last week,” NU Coach Bill Callahan said. “It was a good practice and we focused on red-zone execution and various game procedures, such as substitutions.”

Better Upfront

Callahan was pleased with the play of his offensive line in practice this week and expects some definite improvement against Wake Forest

“I thought they responded well,” he said. “I thought they learned a lot from the (game) tape. I think we’ll be more efficient, and that should translate to more production. We can talk about things all we need to, but until we go out and prove it, those are just words.”

Nothing For Granted

The Cornhuskers are not looking at the game on paper. When asked about the lack of size upfront for the Demon Deacons, Callahan immediately shifted the focus to Wake Forest’s speed.

“Speed makes up for their size limitations,” he said. “I learned that in a game called the Super Bowl. Headed into the game, we (Oakland Raiders) were probably one of the biggest lines in the league, but Tampa Bay was small and quick and you know the ending result. I definitely respect speed and what it can do

 
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