Monday, December 5, 2011

Barnes, Deacons get bowl bid

Whit Barnes
Former Rocky Mount football standout Whit Barnes won't be sitting around watching bowl games on TV during his Christmas break. 

He'll be playing in one!

The former All-State offensive lineman, now a redshirt sophomore on the Wake Forest football team, will join his Deacon teammates in Nashville, Tn, when Wake (6-6, 5-3) takes on Mississippi State (6-6) in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl. The Deacs got the invite Sunday evening.

Wake, which will be making its fifth bowl appearance in 11 years under current head coach Jim Grobe, will play on Friday, Dec; 30 at 6:40 p.m. at LP Field, the home of the Tennessee Titans. ESPN will carry the game.

The Deacons have compiled a 6-3 (.667) record in their nine previous bowl appearances and are 3-1 in bowl games under Grobe. Wake Forest and Mississippi State will be meeting for the first time in football. 

Wake is making its first bowl appearance since 2008, but enters having won five of its last six bowl appearances.