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Deacons Hold Third Preseason Scrimmage

 Brian Formica    Created:  8/25/2009 9:18:17 PM  Updated: 8/25/2009 9:19:33 PM
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Winston-Salem, NC - Wide receiver Danny Dembry caught four passes for 64 yards, and cornerback Michael Williams scored on a 61-yard fumble recovery to highlight Wake Forest's third preseason scrimmage Tuesday morning at BB&T Field.

The defense dominated the first part of the scrimmage, limiting the offense's ability to put together a drive. The defense's reign was highlight by Williams' scoop and score. Linebacker Scott Betros knocked the ball loose from wide receiver Chris Givens, and Williams was there to pick up the ball and run untouched 61 yards for the score.

"The good news is our defense got a lot of pressure on the quarterbacks," said head coach Jim Grobe. "The bad news is that our offensive line didn't perform well. I thought we just looked really soft and not very motivated to do anything on offense. For whatever reason, our offense looked flat today."

The offense finally got on the board six possessions later when the Deacons put together a 13-play, 65-yard drive that was capped by Riley Skinner's one-yard touchdown plunge.

With the drive about to stall in the defense's territory, Skinner hooked up with Dembry to keep it alive. Facing second-and-20 at the 39-yard line, Skinner found Dembry for a 33-yard gain to the six. Four plays later, Skinner hit paydirt on fourth-and-goal from the one.

Fullback Tommy Bohanon scored two touchdowns on the day, marking the second straight scrimmage he has tallied two TDs. The freshman from North Fort Myers, Fla. scored first when the Deacons were working on their redzone offense and then scored a second time to cap a six-play, 65-yard drive late in the scrimmage. Bohanon ran the ball a total of six times for 11 yards.

Tailback Brandon Pendergrass also scored during redzone work, running it in from nine yards out. Pendergrass finished the day with a team-high 10 carries for 17 yards.

Tailback Kevin Harris capped the scoring on the day when he caught a 25-yard pass from Skinner to complete a six-play, 65-yard drive. It was Harris' only catch of the day, and he also rushed for 22 yards on seven carries.

Skinner completed 11 of 16 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Ryan McManus finished 5-for-12 for 64 yards, while Ted Stachitas and Brendan Cross also saw time behind center.

Tailback Josh Adams led all rushers with 57 yards on eight carries, including a 21-yard gain. Willie Dixon rushed four times for 16 yards, and Givens carried twice for 22 yards.

Dembry led the receivers with 64 yards on four catches. Marshall Williams and Devon Brown also had four catches apiece. Williams finished with 47 yards and Brown 18. Matt Hartford had a pair of receptions for 16 yards.

Defensive tackle Tripp Russell led the defense with eight tackles, while defensive backs Kenny Okoro and Geoff Wissing were right behind with six stops apiece. Okoro led all defenders with five solo tackles.

Defensive ends Gelo Orange and Will Wright had two sacks apiece, while Boo Robinson and Kyle Wilber also had sacks.

In addition to his fumble recovery for a touchdown, Michael Williams broke up two passes and had three tackles.

Wilber and linebacker Joey Ehrmann each finished with five tackles on the day.

"We've got some energy on the defensive side of the ball," said Grobe. "When you lose guys like Aaron Curry and Alphonso (Smith), sometimes the young guys just kind of stay out of their way. But we've got a little bit of bounce on the defensive side of the ball because everybody sees a chance to play. I don't think (defensive coordinator) Brad (Lambert) played any of the true freshmen today. It's fun right now because there are so many guys with a chance to play. There's a little buzz on defense right now."

Wake Forest returns to the practice fields on Wednesday for practice at 5:15 p.m.

WFU/WFMY News 2 Sports



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