Associated Press
WINSTON-SALEM ó Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe came prepared as he gathered his team this week. He wore his reading glasses, had statistics in front of him and used a stern voice.
Grobe is determined not to have the Demon Deacons join the growing group of college football’s top dogs to lose to the little guys of the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision.
He knows a slip up against upstart neighbor Elon today in their first meeting in 70 years will quickly erase memories of the Demon Deacons’ stirring comeback win over Stanford last week. It would also be a miserable way to go into the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule next week against Boston College.
“I went through the (FCS) Top 25 with these guys,” Grobe said of the meeting. “We just pointed out with them, started with Richmond at No. 1.”
The Spiders knocked off Duke on the same day William & Mary upset Virginia, Villanova beat Temple and Iowa needed two blocked field goals to hold off Northern Iowa.
Last week, New Hampshire surprised Ball State, while Maryland needed overtime to beat James Madison and Florida State had to rally to edge Jacksonville State.
“I think our guys understand that if you look at any team at the Championship Subdivision level ranked in the Top 25, you better buckle up because they’ve got good players,” Grobe said.
The Phoenix (2-0), in only their second decade in Division I, are ranked No. 11 in the FCS polls. They’ve only played one Football Bowl Subdivision school before ó losing 28-13 at South Florida in the 2007 opener ó but have plenty of offensive weapons.
Quarterback Scott Riddle has thrown more touchdown passes than Southern Conference rival Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State.