Running Game:

The Deacons will have three very solid backs in junior Josh Adams, sophomore Brendan Pendergrass and senior Kevin Harris. Running behind a huge push from a stacked offensive line, the Deacon rushing attack will be tough to stop. The Baylor running situation will make this game interesting. Not only does Baylor return junior running back Jay Finley, who amassed 865 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground last season, but the Bears will also have their sophomore dual threat quarterback Robert Griffin III, who might be the fastest player on the field. Griffin rushed for 846 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

Passing:
Senior quarterback Riley Skinner has a chance to graduate as the most successful quarterback in the history of the Deacon football program. He has become one of the most efficient passers in the nation, completing 64% of his passes last season, and he is on the verge of smashing several school and ACC records during his senior campaign. Skinner’s efficient passing style will be enough to pick apart a weak Baylor secondary.

While the most exciting part of Robert Griffin’s game is his ability to move the ball on the ground, his passing abilities cannot be underestimated. Last season, Griffin threw for 2,091 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also completing 60% of his pass attempts. Griffin has the weapons in his receiving corps to do some serious damage, but, as a sophomore, he has some maturing to do and his run-first mentality could land him in some trouble against a disciplined Deacon defense.

Receiving:
The Deacons have some big shoes to fill with the departure of DJ Boldin, the team’s leading receiver in 2008. Junior Marshall Williams, who showed great potential in 2008 with 390 receiving yards and two touchdowns, will be the go-to man at wideout. Senior tight end Ben Wooster will emerge this season as one of the team’s top receivers and adds to the Deacon passing attack.
The Bears return both of their leading receivers from their 2008 campaign. Sophomore Kendall Wright pulled in 50 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns in 2008. Expect to hear his name called quite a bit on Sept. 5, as he will be Griffin’s go-to man through the air. The Bears also return senior David Gettis, who has tallied nearly 800 receiving yards over two years.

Offensive Line:
The Deacons return 10 starters on the offensive side of the ball, including the entire offensive line, which is filled with experienced players. Senior Joe Birdsong will keep the holes open for the running attack and will keep Skinner’s blindside safe. The experienced offensive line will be the key to winning this matchup for the Deacons.
The Baylor offensive line is probably the weakest part of the squad, which is a shame considering that the skill position players on offense could put on a speed clinic and burn almost any defense, even in the tough Big 12 South. Last season, the Bears were only able to convert 37% of their third down attempts, mostly because of the offensive line’s inability to protect Griffin, their biggest playmaker.

Overall Offense:
The Deacon offense will determine the outcome of this game. Skinner should have no problem with dissecting the Baylor secondary and the offensive line will control the clock, which will keep the ball out of Griffin’s hands.
Baylor has the talent to be a tough out this season, even in the Big 12 South. However, too much pressure will be placed on the shoulders of Griffin. Griffin might be able to singlehandedly keep the Bears in the game early on, but the Robert Griffin show will not be enough to determine the outcome of this game.

Defensive Line:
The Deacon defensive line will be one of the best in the ACC this season. With returning players like seniors John Russell and Boo Robinson, it is tough to say that a weak Baylor offensive line will have any say in what happens in the trenches. Russell and Robinson will be the key to shutting down Griffin by containing his rushing attack and putting pressure on him when he drops back to pass.
While the Baylor defensive line will not be a game changer, watch out for junior defensive tackle Phil Taylor. Taylor, a transfer from Penn State, has the potential to be a huge headache for the Deacon offensive line. An experienced line should be able to quiet Taylor, but if the offensive line cannot contain Taylor, Skinner and the running game could be in some serious trouble.

Linebackers:
There are a lot of question marks at the linebacker position for the Deacons. Losing Aaron Curry was a huge blow to the linebacker corps, but juniors Matt Woodlief and Hunter Haynes and senior Jonathan Jones appear ready to step in to their new roles as starters. It is tough to gauge the effectiveness of the linebackers, as none of them have significant game experience.
The Bears will bring a strong group of linebackers with them to Winston-Salem. Senior linebacker Joe Pawelek has separated himself as one of the best linebackers in the Big 12 and will give the Deacons trouble. Pawelek will light up anything in sight and is extremely effective when dropping back into pass coverage. Pawelek has the ability to cause mistakes that can affect the outcome of the game.

Secondary:
The Deacon secondary will be led by senior Brandon Ghee. Ghee is effective in defending the pass and he can come up to give run support just as well. Ghee forced four fumbles in 2008 and is especially effective as a pass rusher coming off of the corner. Sophomore Josh Bush showed great potential last season, having standout games against Miami and Duke.  The Baylor secondary may be fast, but while they have the speed, they lack discipline and technique. Their defense was among the worst in the country in 2008 and this problem is a direct result of poor defense in the secondary. Baylor’s opponents converted 50% of their third down conversions and 81% of their fourth down conversions, which is a product of bad defense from the last line of defense in the secondary.

Overall Defense:
While this is not the Deacon defense from 2008, it will still be formidable and it matches up very well against Baylor’s offensive scheme. It might take the defense a few series to figure out Robert Griffin, but once the pressure comes from the defensive line, do not expect it to stop. If the defense can eliminate Griffin from the picture, it is going to be a long, quiet trip back to Waco for the Bears.
The success of Baylor’s defense rests on linebacker Joe Pawelek and tackle Phil Taylor. If these two are on, expect a slow start to the game for the Deacon offense. However, Taylor, who has not seen game time in over a year, will be thrown right into the fire against a strong Deacon offensive line and Pawelek can be worn down quickly if the Deacs keep cycling in fresh legs at the tailback spot from the last line of defense in the secondary.

Special Teams:
Sophomore Shane Popham was able to gain some crucial experience when Sam Swank went down with a quadriceps injury last season. Popham was a very effective punter, placing 11 of his 30 punts inside of the opponents’ 20 yard line. He was, however, inconsistent with his field goal kicking, a fact that hurt the Deacs. However, if Popham can punt like he did last season, he will give the Baylor offense a long field to work with.
The kicking duties for Baylor are entrusted to sophomore Ben Parks. Parks does not have much range, but is fairly effective from 30 yards and in. Good punting can help win the field position battle and set up the Baylor offense with solid scoring opportunities. Junior punter Derek Epperson can punt the long ball, sending three of his punts over 60 yards last season. Keep an eye out for David Gettis, too.

Intangibles:
No matter who you are, playing at home helps. It especially helps when so many defensive players are making their first starts. Home field advantage and the Deacons’ trademark ability to cause takeaways give the squad a nice edge over the Bears.
While BB&T Field might not be as large as some of the Big 12 venues that Baylor is used to traveling to, it still gets loud and gives a boost to the Deacon squad. Watch for Baylor to pull out some tricks during this matchup. Baylor’s schedule is incredibly difficult and this game might be one of its only winnable matchups this season, so be prepared for a desperate Baylor squad ready to try anything.

Prediction:
This meeting with Baylor provides an interesting early season matchup for the Deacons. It will be interesting to see how a fresh Deacon defense will handle a player like Robert Griffin, and this contest could be a good measuring stick to judge how ready they are for players like N.C. State’s Russell Wilson, Clemson’s CJ Spiller and Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer later on this season. In this instance, though, the Deacon defense will be too much for Baylor to handle. Robert Griffin will single-handedly keep Baylor in the game for the first half of play, but he will be shut down by Robinson and Russell after half time adjustments are made. Once Griffin is out of the picture, the Deacon offense will blow the game open and cruise to a sound victory over Baylor, 35-17.