Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is coming off an 8-16 record the past two seasons. That's after going 28-12, with three straight bowl appearances (including the Orange Bowl) 2006 through 2008.
Grobe doesn't accept this as a down cycle. He senses a complacency in his program and he's not putting up with it.
“The last couple of years it just hasn’t been’’ the same, Grobe said Tuesday, while preparing for Thursday's season-opener at Syracuse. “There might be some complacency. That might not just be the players -- the coaches, too.’’
Grobe has been pushing his players to be more "durable'' this preseason (as in don't miss so much practice time with nagging injuries). At least two key players who fit that description -- linebacker Kyle Wilber and wide receiver Chris Givens -- were listed as second-string on Tuesday's depth chart.
Grobe said he's not punishing anyone or playing mind games. In fact, the coach went out of his way to say he wants to play Wilber all four quarters Thursday. But it was obvious Wilber, a senior, took this as a message to toughen up.
“We have to have mental toughness and physical toughness. That’s why I’m second-string,’’ Wilber said. “I’ve been trying to take care of my hamstring, but some of the time I’ve missed (has been costly). He wants guys who are ready to play all four quarters.’’
--Rick Bonnell
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wake Forest's Grobe senses "complacency''
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5 comments:
Wake's silly '06 ACC title still happens to be the biggest sports aberration I've ever seen.
Never seen one team on the winning end of EVERY two-point squeaker throughout a season.
Except possibly last year's UNC basketball season.
silly indeed...including a 30-0 blowout of fsu in tallahassee. face it, most successful seasons come with a share of close calls. and we gave one to clemson that shouldn't have happened.
Wake Forest's average margin of victory in 2006 was 11.7 points. They won one game by 2 points, and 2 games by 3 points. Their other 8 wins were all by 7 points or more. Doesn't sound like too many two-point squeaker or aberrations to me....
The 06 team was a good one with a stout defense and a Veteran QB. That is always a recipe to win in any conference of football. Face it, if you think your team should have won the title then they should have won the games that mattered.
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