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WINSTON-SALEM -- It's as if the architect's renderings have been smudged by a miscreant preschooler. Now the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will see if they can construct something sturdy anyway.

Seven true and redshirt freshmen played 75 percent or more of the snaps for the Deacs (5-3, 3-2 ACC) during Saturday's win over Duke, and that's not part of the traditional Jim Grobe template. Some veteran players are expected to return to the lineup when Virginia comes to town Saturday (3:30, ESPNU), but it's pretty clear that Wake will have to rely on depth if it intends to run the table and work its way into the ACC football championship game.

"You take for granted guys like Steve Justice, Louis Frazier and Matt Brim," Grobe said, recalling three recent graduates, "who never came off the field and never got hurt."

It starts, of course, with the offensive line. Center Trey Bailey suffered a broken ankle at Maryland on Oct. 18. Moments later, tight end Ben Wooster strained a hamstring. Right tackle Jeff Griffin missed most of the Duke game with a sprained knee. Rookies Joe Looney, Andrew Parker and Drew Weaver replaced them, and a unit that began the season as a source of concern had more uncertainty.

Griffin should be ready to go against Virginia.

An offense built around a two-tailback rotation had to be amended when Josh Adams turned an ankle early in the Miami game Oct. 25 and didn't play at all against the Blue Devils. Redshirt freshman Brandon Pendergrass had the most active day of his young career, with 21 carries, but said he didn't feel worn out.

"After the game I was sore, but running the ball is something I've been doing my whole life," he said. "I don't have a need for a (specific) number of carries. It depends on the game."

Pendergrass didn't have huge numbers, but Wake's coaches believed he looked more confident against Duke than against several other teams.

"I felt comfortable having him in the game," Grobe said. "It made me feel more like he belonged out there. I thought he had been stressing in trying to make all the right reads and all the right cuts."

Clearly, however, everybody prefers a tailback rotation anchored by a healthy Adams, who expects to play this week. And that includes Pendergrass.

"I came out several times and I could see in his eyes that he wanted to be out there," the speedy Floridian said of Adams. "And I wanted him to be out there. We're kind of dependent on each other."

Relief is not imminent in the kicking game, which has been derailed for the past four games by senior Sam Swank's quadriceps injury.

"I don't think he felt much better (Monday) than he felt two weeks ago," Grobe said.

That's one reason the coaching staff isn't pestering trainer Don Steelman for hourly progress reports. Another was the performance of redshirt freshman Shane Popham, who was 3-for-8 on field-goal attempts in his first three games but 3-for-3 against the Blue Devils.

Popham isn't expected to have Swank's range of 50 yards and out, but the Deacs will concede the distance if the accuracy continues as it did last week.

"I wouldn't want to be a kicker, period," defensive tackle Boo Robinson said. "And he had to replace an All-American? That's a tough job."

Defensively, end Kyle Wilber and safety Josh Bush played considerable snaps and generally graded out well against the Devils. Bush filled in for Brandon Ghee, who may return against the Cavaliers.

Realistically, Wake has to win its three remaining ACC games to have a chance at its second Atlantic Division title in three years. (The Deacs also need Virginia Tech and Florida State to take out Maryland.) One more victory delivers bowl eligibility, and two will probably lock up a postseason berth.

"Every week brings about new challenges," Robinson said. "This week, we have a Virginia team that just lost a tough game to Miami. When we played Duke, we faced a team that was very confident, having just beaten Vanderbilt.

"I just feel we've got to take care of ourselves. The ACC will take care of itself."

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com