GAME NOTES: The 20th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons open the home portion of their schedule this weekend, as they host the Ole Miss Rebels in a non-league affair in Winston-Salem.

The Demon Deacons kicked off their 2008 campaign on a high note, as they posted a convincing 41-13 victory over Baylor on August 28th. It marked the second straight season-opening victory for Wake, which beat a team from Texas for the first time in school history. The program had been 0-14-1 against institutions from the Lone Star State. The Deacons, who are now one win shy of 400 all-time victories, return home where they have notched five consecutive wins.

As for Ole Miss, it too was victorious in its opener, capturing a 41-24 triumph over Memphis last weekend. It was the first time that the Rebels had scored 40 or more points against a Football Bowl Subdivision program since outlasting South Carolina 43-40 during the 2003 season. The lofty point total helped the Rebels make a winner of Houston Nutt in his debut as coach of the program.

Ole Miss and Wake Forest have met just one time previously on the gridiron, with the Demon Deacons recording a 27-3 victory in Oxford in 2006.

The Rebels put forth quite an offensive performance in their opener, as they used a balanced and cautious attack to defeat Memphis, 41-24. Not only did Ole Miss rush for 216 yards and throw for 222 more, but they did so without turning the ball over or allowing a sack. Quarterback Jevan Snead showed a glimpse of his talent and he threw for 185 yards and a pair of scores on 10- of-22 pass attempts. The Texas transfer made good decisions in his first start for the Rebels and earned the praise of his head coach.

"Jevan Snead, for his first time out, was just outstanding because he sat in the pocket and took some hits," Nutt said. "He kept concentrating on the receiver, which is something a lot of quarterbacks are unable to do because they get antsy when they feel the pressure coming."

Shay Hodge was the recipient of both touchdown passes, as the wideout posted his first career multi-touchdown performance, while finishing with 79 yards. The ground attack was paced by the duo of Brandon Bolden and Dexter McCluster, who combined for 140 yards and two scores on 14 carries. McCluster also added four catches for 61 yards and Nutt expressed his importance to the offense.

"He is almost like a 12th guy on the field because the defense has to find out where he is located and what he is doing," Nutt said. "You are putting a guy with a little more athleticism in certain spots, and that helps everything in your run and passing game."

Defensively, it was a different story for the Rebels, as they were burnt for 453 yards by Memphis. The unit didn't have much success against the run (188 yards) or pass (265 yards) and also surrendered 28 first downs. On a positive note, Ole Miss did record a couple of interceptions and those picks set up a pair of important field goals by Joshua Shene. Kendrick Lewis registered one of the interceptions and he also logged three PBU and seven stops. Jamarca Sanford paced the defense with a career-high 13 tackles, including 11 of the solo variety.

The Demon Deacons scored on their first three possessions and never let up, as they earned a 41-13 win at Baylor last week. WF controlled the ball for nearly 35 minutes of the game and it totaled 376 yards, including 156 via the run. Quarterback Riley Skinner was simply sensational for the Deacons, completing an efficient 27-of-36 pass attempts for 220 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. With so much hype surrounding Skinner, he certainly didn't disappoint and in fact became the school's winningest quarterback with 19 career victories. He also didn't throw an interception and that is certainly a positive after being picked off 13 times a year ago.

Ben Wooster paced the receiving corps with six grabs for 90 yards and a touchdown, while D.J. Boldin notched a team-best seven catches for 33 yards.

Tailback Josh Adams, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, didn't get off to a good start though, rushing for only 37 yards and a score on 14 totes. It was a disappointing beginning for Adams, who erupted for 953 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago.

Wake turned in a stout effort on the defensive side of the ball in its opener, limiting Baylor to just 250 total yards, including only 94 on the ground. The unit caused havoc all night long and generated five turnovers and two sacks. The Demon Deacons were also effective on third downs, allowing Baylor to convert just 2-of-12 opportunities. Standout LB Aaron Curry led the charge with seven stops and half of a sack, while Hunter Haynes and Stanley Arnoux each had five tackles. Alphonso Smith recorded his 15th career interception and he finished with three stops as well.

Both programs are coming off solid season-opening wins and that should make for a good game this weekend. Wake though, has a big edge on the defensive side of the ball and its ability to create turnovers will play a big factor in this game. With Skinner leading the offense and a stout defense, the Deacons should have plenty to take down Ole Miss in this one.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Wake Forest 38, Ole Miss 14