Wake faces daunting task of stifling Louisville offense

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe is either a realist or a man who enjoys playing the role of coy Cinderella. On New Year's Day, in his last news conference before facing Louisville's high-powered attack in the Orange Bowl, he said, "You'd just like to see yourself heading into the fourth quarter with a chance."

Vegas isn't giving the Demon Deacons much of a chance against the Big East champs, slotting them as the BCS' biggest underdogs (at 10 points). No one had much confidence in Wake back in August, either, picking it to finish last in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. Grobe's boys limped into the 2006 season, losing their starting quarterback, Ben Mauk, to an injury in Week 1, and then needing a blocked field goal to beat Duke -- Duke! -- in Week 2.

Led by a redshirt freshman quarterback, Riley Skinner, who started the year as a third-stringer, the Deacons crept up on the nation and finished an improbable 11-2. Now they're facing their most daunting test of the season -- a Cardinals team that set out with the goal of being the nation's No. 1 offense ... and did just that. Can Wake play well enough to give itself a chance, or will it be overwhelmed by Louisville's firepower long before the final 15 minutes roll around?

Bowl Breakdown: Orange No. 5 Louisville (11-1) vs. No. 15 Wake Forest (11-2) Jan. 2, 8 p.m. (FOX) Dolphin Stadium (75,540) Miami Gardens, Fla.

Three Things You Should Care About

1) For the best player on the field at Dolphin Stadium, there's more on the line than a mere BCS-bowl victory.

Two serious injuries kept Louisville's Brian Brohm from even getting close to Heisman contention this season. But there are NFL scouts who believe that the junior is first-round quarterback material (along with Notre Dame's Brady Quinn and LSU's JaMarcus Russell), should he opt to turn pro early. Brohm is well aware that the quality of his performance on a BCS stage will have a sizable impact on his draft standing. Wake Forest's scorching passing day could propel him to the top of the board -- especially if Quinn is smothered by LSU's defense in the Sugar Bowl. Louisville shielded Brohm from the media in December, presumably to avoid the NFL chatter. Will the added pressure get to him on Tuesday?

YOUTUBING THE ORANGE BOWL The best Louisville- and Wake Forest-related video tracked down on the Web. 1. Paper Snowstorm in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest students saved up 36 years' worth of toilet paper to celebrate their ACC title in the quad. 2. In Brohm's Grill. Rutgers fans rush the field after their upset of Louisville ... and get up close and personal with Brian Brohm. 3. Sounds of Louisville. Kentucky-bred band My Morning Jacket on Letterman, playing Gideon with the Boston Pops in June.

Brohm entered 2006 still shaking off the rust from a knee injury suffered last November against Syracuse, which kept him out for the remainder of the '05 season. Midway through the Cardinals' manhandling of Miami on Sept. 16, Brohm tore a ligament in his throwing (right) thumb, and missed Louisville's next two games and they played with pain all through October. It wasn't until the final three regular-season games -- in which he threw for 10 touchdowns (and 952 yards) against just one interception -- that he finally looked like the true Brohm.

"I believe he's getting sharper," Cardinals wideout Mario Urrutia said of his QB on Sunday. "I think he's getting his 'swag' back. He's just getting in sync with everybody, and I think it's showing."

Whether it's "swag" or sync or just a clean bill of health, Brohm is looking dangerous, and Wake is fully aware of it.

"He's probably the best quarterback we've faced," Grobe said last Thursday. "Brian has all the throws. He really manages the offense well, he has all the underneath stuff, but he's got the arm strength to get the ball down the field."

The Deacs could either be starring in Brohm's NFL audition tape, or stuffing him back into college for another season.