Skinner, receivers working out kinks

Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner didn't play well in the season opener against Baylor.

Skinner threw three interceptions in a 24-21 loss, but coach Jim Grobe said there's plenty of blame to go around.

"I don't know whether he felt too much pressure, thought he had to kind of be the guy Saturday," Grobe said Wednesday during the ACC coaches' teleconference. "But he didn't play his best football, and in several instances. . .we had receivers not run the right routes. Or in some cases, they're all young. So in some cases they weren't quite sure where they needed to be so they weren't getting there as fast as he needed to. "

Grobe said he has confidence that Wake Forest's veteran offensive line will protect Skinner better. But the Deacons' inexperienced receivers include redshirt freshman Chris Givens at wideout and sophomore Andrew Parker at tight end.

It might take more experience for them to eliminate their mistakes and give their decorated quarterback better targets.

"They can be corrected, there's no question about that," Grobe said. "But a couple of these kids are really young receivers."

Ken Tysiac