<
>

Michael Campanaro could return for Deacs

If injured Wake Forest receiver Michael Campanaro (broken hand) returns for the Deacs against Clemson on Thursday night, it's a whole different ballgame.

According to a few tweets from @Wake_FB, the official Twitter page of the Deacs' football program, it's a definite possibility.

@Wake_FB: Grobe: Don't know if Camp will be able to come back and catch the ball like he was, but it looks like there's a chance we'll have him Thurs

@Wake_FB: Grobe: Camp has been catching tennis balls at practice. If only he could play with tennis balls in the game he would be alright

Jim Grobe is a funny guy. Clemson won't be laughing, though, if Campanaro is back in the lineup -- and back to his old form. He is without a doubt the Deacs' top offensive playmaker, and his absence has been a huge factor in their struggles. If Campanaro returns by Thursday night, it would be ahead of schedule, based on Grobe's comments last week.

With or without Campanaro, Wake Forest is facing an uphill battle against the Tigers. It's going to be tough for them to keep up offensively. Don't forget, though, about what happened last year. Wake Forest came within a field goal of beating Clemson to win the Atlantic Division. And Campanaro had a little something to do with that. He returned a punt 50 yards, and he had nine catches for 72 yards. The Tigers won 31-28.

Campanaro can't beat Clemson by himself, but if he's healthy enough to play, Wake's chances of winning automatically increase.