BY MIKE LONDON
SALISBURY POST

WINSTON-SALEM — Maybe you don’t believe in global warming, but how about Grobe-al warming.

No one can dispute the fact that new Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe has lit a fire under a Deacon program that was in intensive care last season.

Unless you were Duke, Jim Caldwell’s 2000 Deacon team was like the free space on your bingo card — automatic.You might recall how early last season, Division 1-AA Appalachian dragged ACC member Wake Forest around Groves Stadium like a little red wagon. The score was close; the game wasn’t.

In the rematch, though, the tables were turned. Grobe’s boys grabbed a 20-10 comeback win that was a nice sequel to last week’s surprising road win at East Carolina.

“It’s a big one,” said Grobe, “because frankly, App State has owned Wake Forest. They’ve worn Wake out.”

The biggest factor in the turnaround might have been the superb physical condition of this year’s Wake squad. Last year, they were couch potatoes. Now they’re tough cookies.

“Last year when the game got tight, Wake quit, just ran out of gas,” said Appalachian defensive tackle Desmond Miller, the former A.L. Brown. “This year, they kept fighting. You have to give it to their new coach. He’s cocky. You have to be cocky to just about guarantee a win over a team that’s been beating you.

“But Grobe’s given them confidence. He’s turned them around.”

The turnaround in this one actually came late in the first half.

Appalachian State looked like the better squad most of the first half, taking advantage of two Deacon fumbles to take a 10-3 lead.

It should have been 13-3, but when the Mountaineers (1-1) missed a 29-yard field goal with 1:41 remaining in the half, momentum began to swing.

“It was like our back was to the wall at that point and nothing was going our way,” said Wake QB James MacPherson. “But we didn’t panic.”

“That second quarter was a nightmare,” said Grobe. “Our defense must have been on the field for 50 snaps, but we survived it.”

Wake survived so well, it wound up getting a Tyler Ashe field goal in the closing moments and trailed just 10-6 at intermission.

Grobe then fired up the Deacs to a new fever pitch at halftime. Wake made adjustments to take away Apps’ outside running and was also able to get more pressure on QB Joe Burchette, the former West Forsyth star, in the second half.

Wake’s night was filled with bad field position, but it took charge for keeps with a 13-play, 90-yard march in the third quarter for a 13-10 lead.

Then Dion Williams pounced on a fumble at the App 23 and the Deacs cashed in. A perfectly executed reverse fooled the Apps and speedster John Stone romped for an 8-yard score to blow it open at 20-10 with 1:26 left in the third quarter.

Appalachian had to respond or die at that point, and it expired.

On its next series, it reeled off consecutive penalties for holding, unsportsmanlike conduct and an illegal block. Then a harried Burchette uncorked a pass after he had crossed the line of scrimmage for yet another penalty. At that point, it was second-and-48 and you could see where this one was heading.

Appalachian’s last shot came when Remi Awolowo scooped up a fumble and brought it all the way to the Wake 25. But penalties put that opportunity in reverse as well. Wake wound up taking over on downs at its 45.

Contact Mike London at 704-797-4287 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .