Feb. 2, 2004
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
Six home games, as well as matchups with the ACC's three newest members, highlight the 2004 Wake Forest football schedule, as announced by the conference office on Monday.
"We are excited about this year's schedule," said Deacon head coach Jim Grobe. "Obviously, it is one of the toughest schedules we've faced in a long time. We're getting the opportunity to face all three of the new additions to the conference. It will be a great challenge for our team and we are looking forward to it."
For the fourth straight season, Wake Forest will kick off the year on the road, traveling to Clemson for an early-season conference matchup with the Tigers on Sept. 4. It will the be the ACC's first conference game of the season and mark the earliest ACC game in WFU history.
Following a Sept. 11 road trip to East Carolina, the Deacs open their home schedule with Air Force on Sept. 18. It will be the first trip to Winston-Salem for the Falcons in a game that will reunite Grobe with his former boss, Fisher DeBerry. Grobe served as an assistant under DeBerry at Air Force from 1984 to 1994.
Wake Forest plays its third straight and final non-conference game of the season Sept. 25, when Boston College pays a visit to Groves Stadium. It will also mark the final non-conference meeting between these two teams, as the Eagles begin ACC play in 2005.
Following an Oct. 2 trip to Raleigh to face NC State, the Deacs take on one of the league's two newcomers in 2004, Virginia Tech. The Hokies come to Winston-Salem Oct. 9, ending a 20-year hiatus in the series and marking their first visit since 1984.
The Virginia Tech game is the first in a four-game homestand for the Demon Deacons. Wake will also host Florida State (Oct. 23), Duke (Oct. 30) and North Carolina (Nov. 13) with open dates on Oct. 16 and Nov. 6.
Like its two-game road swing to open the year, Wake Forest closes out the 2004 regular season with consecutive away games. The Deacs travel to ACC-newcomer Miami (FL) on Nov. 20, its first meeting with the Hurricanes since 1971. The season wraps up at Maryland on Nov. 20. Wake Forest has also closed out its regular season with the Terps the last two years.
Seven of Wake's 11 opponents in 2004 participated in a post-season bowl game last season, collectively posting a 5-2 record. Four teams -- Miami, Florida State, Maryland and Clemson -- were ranked among the top 25 in the final national polls.
A by-product of ACC expansion is that Wake Forest will not meet two of its traditional conference rivals on the gridiron this season -- Georgia Tech and Virginia. The Deacs have faced Georgia Tech 26 times, including 22 straight seasons, and share a rivalry with the Cavaliers that dates back to 1889. Virginia and Wake have met 45 times in football, including 24 consecutive years.
Wake Forest, 5-7 a year ago, returns 45 letterwinners and 17 starters in 2004. Returning starters include seven offensive players and eight on defense as well as both specialists.
2004 Wake Forest Football Schedule
(All times TBA)
Link To Schedule
|
| Sept. 4 | at Clemson | Clemson, S.C. | Memorial Stadium |
| Sept. 11 | at East Carolina | Greenville, N.C. | Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium |
| Sept. 18 | Air Force | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Groves Stadium |
| Sept. 25 | Boston College | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Groves Stadium |
| Oct. 2 | at NC State | Raleigh, N.C. | Carter-Finley Stadium |
| Oct. 9 | Virginia Tech | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Groves Stadium |
| Oct. 23 | Florida State | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Groves Stadium |
| Oct. 30 | Duke | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Groves Stadium |
| Nov. 13 | North Carolina | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Groves Stadium |
| Nov. 20 | at Miami | Coral Gables, Fla. | Orange Bowl |
| Nov. 27 | at Maryland | College Park, Md. | Byrd Stadium |
