Deacons want to keep Grobe's 'bug eyes' to a minimum

Wake Forest was a stunning 5-7 last year, which tells you a great deal about how far the Deacons have come when a 5-7 season is considered a disappointment. Hey, it wasn’t that long ago that five wins was something to celebrate in Winston-Salem.

Coach Jim Grobe has changed those expectations, and running back Josh Adams recently gave you a sense of that when he talked about Grobe’s reaction after one game in 2009.

“You know he’s mad when his face turns red and he throws his hat down and gets the bug eyes,” running back Josh Adams said.

The Deacons actually lost five games in a row at one point last season, and three of those were close. Adams, who played at Cary High, said the team needs more “mental toughness” in those tight games. “When it comes to grinding time, you’re able to pull out the win,” he said.

The Deacons enter this season without quarterback Riley Skinner, a four-year starter. But Adams enters the year with 1,896 career rushing yards, 11th in Wake history, and Grobe plans to give him heavy carries this fall.

“We expect ourselves to win,” Adams said. “That’s why falling short last year was very disappointing.”

Oh, and they definitely don’t want a repeat performance of Grobe getting angry with the team, tossing his hat and getting “the bug eyes.”

“We saw more frustration [from the head coach] than we have seen,” Adams said. “Hopefully we can keep that to a minimum this year.”