When Jim Grobe left Ohio University to take over as head coach at Wake Forest, people -- including his own son -- told him he was nuts, that winning at one of the smallest schools in Division I-A is practically impossible.

It isn’t, as Grobe proved last year by leading the Demon Deacons to a 6-5 record in his first year on the job. The Demon Deacons didn’t get a bowl bid, unlike a league record six of their brethren from the ACC, but Grobe has no reason to be bitter.

Consider this: The only other Wake coach to have a winning record in his debut season was Bill Dooley, who led the Deacons to an 7-4 record in 1987.

If Wake has been able to turn out the occasional winning season, it has been practically impossible to have sustained success. The Deacons have had consecutive winning seasons only twice since the ACC was formed in 1953. The first time was in 1970-71 under Cal Stoll and the second time was 1987-88 under Dooley.

Grobe has high expectations, however. He believes it is possible and welcomes other people to join him in that belief.

"I think our expectations are that one of these years, we are going to win [an ACC championship]," Grobe told the Winston-Salem Journal at the end of last season. "I don’t know how quickly it will come. Some of my buddies tell me we set the bar too high already.

"I don’t have any idea what [2002] holds, or the year after that holds, but I think we are going to continue to compete."

One of the most frustrating parts of Grobe’s first season with the Demon Deacons was the unsettled position at quarterback.

Injuries hampered both James MacPherson and Anthony Young, the makeshift platoon that former coach Jim Caldwell hastily put together when former quarterback C.J. Leak was lost to a knee injury in 2000.

But MacPherson, the drop-back passer of the platoon, had off-season surgery himself, and Young, the more athletic, ground-oriented half, was the starter in the season opener. The two alternated for the first six games, but Young played inconsistently, up until he was lost for the season with a broken foot.

MacPherson (6-2, 197) led the Demon Deacons to wins in three of the last four games, and heads into his senior season with a firm grasp on the starting job, which was solidified in the spring when Young was moved to wide receiver.

There are some young players who might push MacPherson more than Young did last year. Red-shirt freshman Cory Randolph (6-1, 180) nearly had to come off the bench last year when MacPherson and Young were both hobbled with injuries. He was recruited in Grobe’s first year as an option quarterback to operate the run-oriented offense.

Zac Taylor (6-3, 180) and Willie Idlette (5-10, 160) were also signed as quarterbacks, but the versatile Idlette will likely play at defensive back or wide receiver.

Grobe learned to use an option ground attack during his 11 seasons as an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy, and he took that philosophy him to Ohio. In 2000, his final season with the Bobcats, the team finished second in the nation with 323.0 rushing yards per game.

"We feel like we have three tailbacks that we can win with," Grobe said in the spring.

By June, that number was reduced to one.

The leader in the backfield, senior Tarance Williams (5-10, 178), underwent surgery in mid-June to repair a broken bone in his foot. Williams was supposed to be of commission for eight to 10 weeks, which means he would miss games against Northern Illinois, East Carolina and N.C. State.

Grobe heard the bad news about Williams only a day after he learned junior Fred Staton would be academically ineligible for 2002.

The loss of Williams and Staton left Wake with junior Nick Burney and redshirt freshman Cornelius Birgs as its primary running backs.

Williams became the eighth 1,000-yard rusher in school history. He suffered a sprained ankle in the spring that kept him out of a majority of the drills, allowing his two backups to get more repetitions. Staton (6-0, 210) and Burney (6-3, 214) split time in the backfield, going through a second spring of learning Grobe’s offensive system.

Staton, overweight at the beginning of last year, trimmed down during the season and rushed for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. With Williams on the sideline, Staton was the star of the team’s spring game, gaining 157 yards on 15 carries despite weighing more than 220 pounds.

Burney scored two touchdowns and gained 139 yards, but saw his playing time increase as the season went along. He had his best game of the season when Williams was out against Virginia, gaining 67 yards on 10 carries.

At fullback, senior Ovie Mughelli (6-2, 248) is primarily a blocker who did not have an official rush last season. Grobe plans to use Mughelli as both a fullback and tight end after seeing him catch seven passes for 53 yards last year.

Staton is listed as the backup fullback, though incoming freshman Damon McWhite (6-2, 230) is a highly touted runner who could see action at fullback or tight end.

Red-shirt freshman Birgs (5-10, 198) is also a tailback option, but he sat out of spring practice because of academics.

Perhaps the deepest position on offense got a couple of boosts in the off-season, which should make up for the departure of speedy wide receiver John Stone.

First, Grobe decided to move junior Anthony Young (6-3, 198) to the position he was recruited to play. However, Young was forced to spend time at quarterback because of injuries to both Leak and MacPherson.

Young made the move without complaint in the spring, with good reviews from the coaching staff.

"Anthony has a lot of ability," Grobe said after the spring game. "He runs well, he can jump, he’s got good size, he’s a good target. Our concern is that he’s an every-play guy, not just a big-play guy. He’s gone up and made some spectacular catches, but dropped some easy passes.

"Mentally, he’s got some work to do to get sharper running routes."

Young will join a mix of receivers that includes senior Fabian Davis (5-11, 180) and sophomore Jason Anderson (6-3, 189), the projected starters, as well as senior Jax Landfried (5-9, 175), a former walk-on who caught the game-winning pass in the Deacons’ upset of East Carolina in the season-opener.

Davis caught 24 passes for 306 yards last year, but also contributed several big running plays as well as kickoff and punt returns.

Red-shirt freshmen Derek Tharpe (6-0, 180) and Maurice Moten (6-0, 164) impressed coaches during the spring. Sophomore Scott Marino (5-11, 180), sophomore Billy Cobb (6-2, 188) and red-shirt freshman Cassiel Smith (6-2, 190) will compete for playing time.

Grobe signed three wide receivers in his freshman class -- Idlette, Christopher Davis (5-11, 185) and Napolean Sykes (5-10, 180).

At tight end, senior Ray Thomas (6-4, 245) returns for his third year as a starter. He caught 20 passes last season, becoming one of MacPherson’s favorite targets late in the year.

Junior Josh Warren (6-4, 245) is the backup, though the coach plans to use senior fullback Ovie Mughelli (6-2, 248) at the position, too.

Grobe knows that the Demon Deacon line isn’t going to overwhelm many opponents, but he believes his players can still open holes for his ground-oriented attack, even with the least experienced unit on his team.

The Deacons offense relies heavily on misdirection plays that call for a lot of traps and pulling linemen, and Grobe thinks a smaller, speedier offensive lineman has a better chance to help his team.

The Deacons suffered some significant losses in the middle of the line, losing three-year starting center Vince Azzolini, second-team All-ACC guard Michael Collins and two-year starting guard Michael Moosbrugger.

But the coaching staff knew that would be a problem last year, which is why it rotated a total of 10 players on the offensive line throughout the season, giving several young players invaluable experience.

And the projected starting lineup has two seniors on the right side in tackle Tim Bennett (6-4 285) and guard Blake Henry (6-6, 301) and two juniors on the left side in tackle Mark Moroz (6-4, 270) and Tyson Clabo (6-6, 307).

The biggest question mark is at center, because sophomore Blake Lingruen (6-4, 275) missed spring practice with a shoulder injury. Coaches were impressed with red-shirt freshman Craig Jones (6-1, 280), but it will still be the youngest spot on the line.

Clabo, Bennett and Henry combined for 20 starts last year, while Moroz is still learning his position after moving from tight end.

Departed place-kicker Tyler Ashe was steady during his tenure and had a very good senior season, making 11-of-14 field goals and 34-of-35 extra points.

But now Grobe has to find someone who can replace that productivity, and the list of candidates is fairly short, especially because red-shirt freshman Chris Strappel is an academic casualty and no longer on the roster.

That leaves little-known sophomore walk-on Matt Wisnosky (6-1, 190) of Moorestown, N.J., as the primary candidate to handle the Deacon’s kicking duties.

Grobe will likely have to hunt for other walk-ons to help his kicking game; he didn’t sign a place-kicker to a scholarship.

If the Deacons can find someone to replace the leadership -- and manic intensity -- of defensive end Nate Bolling, the defensive front could again be a strong point of the defense.

Both Bolling and returning senior end Calvin Pace (6-6, 260) were second-team All-ACC selections on a team that recorded 26 sacks last season. Pace led the team in that category with 10 and had a total of 18 tackles for loss, second only to Bolling’s 21.

Pace has 21 career sacks and needs 10 this season to break Mike McCrary’s school record of 30. Pace enters his final season with the third-most career sacks of any player in Division I-A, behind Georgia Tech’s Greg Gathers with 30 and Louisville’s Dewayne White with 27.

Senior Roderick Stephen (6-4, 250) will take over Bolling’s end position. He played sparingly in all 11 games last year, recording only 17 tackles and one sack. The coaches were impressed with his productivity in the spring, but that won’t guarantee success in the fall.

Sophomores Joe Salsich (6-4, 266) and Jerome Nichols (6-2, 260) are the backup ends, with help available from sophomore Jacob Petty (6-5, 247), red-shirt freshman Jason Finklea (6-5, 258) and red-shirt freshman Arthur Orlebar (6-4, 245).

At nose tackle, senior Montique Sharpe (6-3, 287) returns after starting all 11 games last year. He was the defensive line’s biggest surprise, beginning in the season opener when he forced East Carolina quarterback David Garrard to fumble early in the game. He went on to notch nine tackles for loss, five sacks and two fumble recoveries.

The Wake coaches are also excited about the return of red-shirt freshman Goryal Scales (6-0, 264), who played in two games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Going into the spring, the linebacker position seemed to have less depth than any on the squad, losing two starters and a little-used reserve.

But sometimes the spring turns up surprises, and the Deacons may have found several players who can help in this area.

First off, junior inside linebacker Kellen Brantley (6-3, 236) is the only returning starter. He finished second to departed middle linebacker Marquis Hopkins with 95 tackles last year as he started every game on the right side. Brantley recording 11 tackles for losses, three sacks and a team-high three interceptions.

Taking over for Hopkins was one of the spring’s most pleasant surprises in sophomore Brad White (6-1, 216), a transfer from Georgia who sat out last season under NCAA rules. He was a monster in the spring, providing the leadership that a young defense needs, both off the field and on.

The other newcomer in the starting lineup is senior left inside linebacker Jamie Scott (6-0, 218), a converted running back who played in 10 games as a reserve and amassed 31 tackles.

Reserves at the inside positions are sophomore Mike Hamlar (6-2, 200), junior Jamaal Argrow (6-1, 217), sophomore Trevor Harris (6-2, 217) and red-shirt freshman Jason Pratt (6-0, 210). Hamlar started several games as a red-shirt freshman before suffering a hamstring injury.

The best thing about starting young players? They grow up with experience.

Over the last six games in 2001, the Deacons started four freshmen and a sophomore in their unusual 3-3-5 defense, so all five will be back this season, which should improve a unit that was ranked eighth in the ACC and 87th in the nation in passing defense last year.

Wake gave up 244.9 yards a game through the air in 2001 and gave up 21 passing touchdowns, second only to Duke for most in the league.

Junior strong safety Obi Chukwumah (6-2, 200) is the senior member of the starting five. He had 53 tackles and broke up two passes last year.

Sophomore Caron Bracy (6-0, 213) played the bandit position, which is a cross between a strong safety with some outside linebacker responsibilities. He played that as a freshman last year.

Junior Quintin Williams (6-2, 195) played cornerback and safety last season, starting the last seven games as free safety. He finished fourth on the team with 72 tackles, led the team with 11 passes broken up and had two interceptions.

The cornerbacks, sophomores Marcus McGruder (5-9, 180) and King, are small but fast.

McGruder started every game as a red-shirt freshman last year, and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. He also had nine pass break-ups and two sacks.

Eric King , one of only two first-year freshmen who played for the Deacons last year, took over the starting job at mid-season, breaking up six passes, making two tackles for losses and causing two fumbles.

None of the three punters Grobe used last year as a replacement for incumbent Matt Brennie ever really owned the position, and the coach hopes to be more settled this year.

That might be difficult, because the Decons’ two best kickers might be MacPherson and Young. But it is unlikely that either will punt for Wake this year, with the somewhat fragile MacPherson needing to stay healthy this season and Young, who has never kicked in a game before, already learning a new position.

That leaves junior Chris Rolle (5-11, 189) as the top punting candidate. He split time with MacPherson last year, while Brennie, a two-year starter, stayed in Grobe’s doghouse. Brennie chose to graduate this spring and will not return to the team.

For the first time in four years, the Deacon won’t have the dangerous John Stone returning kickoffs for them. Stone, who doubled as an ACC track champion, was one of the fastest players in the ACC and one of the most dangerous return men in college football. He returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown last season, the third of his career, and finished second in the conference and 16th in the nation with an average of 26.7 yards per return.

Senior Fabian Davis (5-11, 180), who averaged 23.2 yards on 10 returns last year and 10.8 yards on 33 punts, will become the team’s primary return man, a position that looks thin going into fall practice.

There is little doubt about what the Demon Deacons were looking to add with Grobe’s first full recruiting class: speed up front.

Almost every one of the 20 signees who arrived in the late summer were dual-sport athletes in high school, either basketball, track or wrestling. In fact, six of them were sprinters in track, including super athlete Idlette, who won state championships in the 100, 200 and 400 and set school records in the long jump and triple jump. Grobe hasn’t decided where he will use Idlette, from The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., but will give any player with his kind of speed an immediate chance to earn playing time.

"Quite frankly, we backed off some really, really good football players that we felt like maybe would labor a little bit playing in the ACC, with the speed we go against," Grobe said on signing day. "In this league, if you can’t run, you have no chance to win.

"So speed was a factor, and not only at the skill positions. I think we’ve got a very athletic group of offensive linemen and the same thing is true on the defensive line."

In his first season, Grobe matched the number of winning seasons that predecessor Jim Caldwell had in eight years.

This year, no team in the conference returns more starters than the Demon Deacons, and there is certainly an opportunity for Grobe’s second edition to compete for a spot in the league’s upper division and nab one of the bowl spots that would come after a second-consecutive winning season.

That would be a remarkable achievement at a school that has rarely tasted football success, with only five bowl appearances and one ACC title in the 49-year history of the league.

Grobe has a history of taking on major challenges and finding success, as he did when he took over a struggling Ohio program. If he can do the same thing at Wake Forest, we will proudly give him the title of Miracle Worker.