Outlook: Coach Jim Grobe finally has Wake headed in the right direction. After going 11-3 in 2006 and winning the ACC championship, the Deacons went 9-4 last season. Not bad for a team that in Grobe's first five seasons won six, seven, five, four and four games. Wake's defense returns nine starters, including five who have at least 26 career starts.

Coach: Jim Grobe (46-39 in seven seasons)

2007: 5-3 in ACC (third in the Atlantic), 9-4 overall; beat Connecticut 24-10 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Players to watch: Riley Skinner, Jr. QB; Josh Adams, So. RB; Chip Brinkman, Sr. WR; Aaron Curry, Jr. LB; Stanley Arnoux, Sr. LB; Alphonso Smith, Sr. CB.

All eyes on: Quarterback Riley Skinner, entering his third season as the starter. He completed 72.4 percent of his passes last season and was the nation's most accurate passer. He has completed 69.5 percent in his career and ranks second nationally among returning quarterbacks, behind Chase Holbrook of New Mexico State.

Big game: Oct. 9, Clemson. Last year, the Tigers pounded Wake 44-10. But this time, the game is in Winston-Salem on a Thursday night. If the Deacons want to contend for a spot in the ACC title game, they'll likely have to go through Clemson.

Quotable: "That was the best day in Wake Forest history." -- Curry on Grobe informing his team during the offseason that he wasn't taking the head coaching job at Arkansas

Key stat: Wake's 20-7 record over the past two seasons is the best two-year record in school history.

The bottom line: Second in the Atlantic. With Skinner and Smith, the Deacons have stars on both sides of the ball, but that won't be enough to topple Clemson.

Date Opponent Time
Aug. 30 at Baylor 8 p.m.
Sept. 6 Mississippi 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Florida State TBA
Sept. 27 Navy TBA
Oct. 9 Clemson 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 at Maryland TBA
Oct. 25 at Miami TBA
Nov. 1 Duke TBA
Nov. 8 Virginia TBA
Nov. 15 at N.C. State TBA
Nov. 22 Boston College TBA
Nov. 29 Vanderbilt TBA