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Skinner shines as Wake Forest trounces Baylor

Aug 29, 2008 - 5:22 AM WACO, Texas (Ticker) -- Riley Skinner did not let Wake Forest get off to another bad start.

Skinner tossed three touchdown passes Thursday night to become the school's all-time winningest quarterback as 23rd-ranked Wake Forest crushed Baylor, 41-13, in its most lopsided season-opening victory in 50 years.

Following an 11-win season capped by an Orange Bowl appearance in 2006, the Demon Deacons lost their first two games last season - all but ending their chances of another BCS bowl berth.

But Skinner got Wake Forest (1-0) off on the right foot in Thursday's prime time contest, completing 27-of-36 passes for 220 yards with no interceptions. The redshirt junior recorded his 19th career win as a starter, passing Mike Elkins for the top spot on Wake Forest's all-time list.

"That's not too impressive of a record," Skinner said. "Hopefully, we can add on to that a little bit more."

Ben Wooster had six catches for 90 yards and a TD for the Demon Deacons, who improved to 4-4 in season openers under head coach Jim Grobe.

The 28-point rout was Wake Forest's largest margin of victory in a season opener since a 34-0 shutout of Maryland to start the 1958 campaign.

"I don't know if I've ever been this nervous about an opening game," Grobe said. "We've always played well as the underdog, but I was really concerned about having that top-25 ranking coming in here."

Tabbed as one of the preseason favorites to contend in the Atlantic Coast Conference and installed as a two-touchdown favorite in this game, Wake Forest looked sluggish early and entered the break with a 20-6 lead.

The Demon Deacons pulled away in the third quarter, however, as Skinner found Chip Brinkman for an 8-yard TD with 7:36 remaining in the period to make it 27-6.

Wake Forest all but sealed the victory 3 1/2 minutes later when Skinner hooked up with Wooster for a 43-yard scoring strike.

A perennial doormat in the Big 12 Conference, Baylor (0-1) looked overmatched against an ACC opponent and lost its 13th straight game against a ranked opponent.

The Bears managed just 250 yards of total offense, committed five turnovers and converted just 2-of-12 third downs in head coach Art Briles' debut at Baylor.

"The thing that's really painful for me is you want to give people a reason to believe," Briles said. "I feel like we let a lot of people down."

The 30,633 people that did show up at Floyd Casey Stadium watched Bears quarterback Kirby Freeman, a Miami transfer, struggle mightily against Wake Forest's ferocious defense.

Freeman completed just 4-of-11 passes and was intercepted twice before being replaced by Robert Griffin.

"We felt like (Freeman) deserved the opportunity, and we gave it to him," Briles said. "I thought (Griffin) provided a spark, which is what he has to do for us."

Griffin completed 11-of-19 passes for 125 yards and also rushed for a 6-yard TD in the fourth quarter.