Riley Skinner has spent his college career proving people wrong. Last year, he proved a redshirt freshman could lead Wake Forest – the smallest school in the Atlantic Coast Conference – to a league title. This year, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Skinner had to prove the Demon Deacons were not just one-year wonders ? a feat that wasn’t easy after opening the season 0-2.
But since a losses to Boston College and Nebraska, Skinner’s team has won four straight, including a 24-21 win over Florida State last week. Wake Forest (4-2) goes for its fifth straight when it visits Navy (4-2) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium this afternoon at 1.
“There’s definitely a different mindset we’ve had to have this year,” said Skinner, last year’s ACC Rookie of the Year. “We’ve got a target on our back now. We got away early on from what worked for us last year. It took us some time to get into a groove and start having fun again.”
Skinner has had his struggles this season, as he has thrown nine interceptions to just four touchdowns. But he has also completed more than 70 percent of his pass attempts for 891 yards and made the plays when they matter most. Against Florida State, he threw an eventual game-winning 35-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Kenneth Moore. That made Skinner, a Jacksonville, Fla. native 2-0 against the team from his home state that didn’t recruit him.
“They have a good football team,” said Navy coach Paul Johnson on Wake Forest. “They run well, they have a lot of speed and they have a lot of experience, especially on defense. Their quarterback is playing really well right now and they have a great kicker. They have scored five or six touchdowns on defense. They have a lot of speed on both sides of the ball. They do a good job of not beating themselves.”
Skinner said he also has a lot of respect for Navy and knows every offensive possession will be crucial. He?s well aware that Navy can control the clock with its running game, as it has just punted eight times this season.
“You understand when you play Navy that you may only have six, seven or eight possessions in a game,” Skinner said. “Because of Navy’s explosive offense you know they have the ability to score at any time and you have to be able to take advantage every time you get the ball back.”
