Wake Forest winless in league, but playing tough

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest is on a three-game losing streak and winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but their record may be deceiving.<br> <br> The Demon Deacons have lost their four conference games by a combined 23 points. They fell to fifth-ranked Florida State last week 20-17 when Xavier Beitia booted a 22-yard-field goal with 1:03 left.<br> <br> ``Obviously when you haven&#39;t won in your league it&#39;s a problem,&#39;&#39; said Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, whose Demon Deacons play Duke at home Saturday. ``But I think that&#39;s the way things go in the ACC. It&#39;s just the way it is in this league. I think we are making great strides and we&#39;re very competitive right now but we&#39;re not there yet.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Being competitive isn&#39;t what Grobe had in mind this season. He was hoping for a few more wins, but with four games left they can still salvage a winning season and possibly get six wins to qualify for a bowl game.<br> <br> Safety Josh Gattis said it&#39;s ``kind of depressing&#39;&#39; to see where the Demon Deacons are in the standings. But with such a great defensive showing against Florida State, the confidence level remains high.<br> <br> ``Our defense is playing very well right now and our intensity is very high,&#39;&#39; Gattis said. ``The biggest thing we are doing now is creating a lot of turnovers and guys are running toward the ball. Every week we are starting to get better and are clicking even more.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The Demon Deacons lead the ACC in defensive scoring with four touchdowns and that&#39;s with a defense that started three freshmen last week on the defensive line. Defensive end Matt Robinson, the ACC&#39;s rookie of the week, returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown.<br> <br> ``Coach (Dean) Hood, the defensive coordinator, just kept calling blitz after blitz after blitz and that&#39;s the most fun I&#39;ve ever had on a football field,&#39;&#39; Robinson said. ``We were like a bunch of 12-year olds running around and having fun and flying to the ball.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Grobe said he hopes increased confidence and being in close games will help his team win a few more games before the season ends.<br> <br> ``We have just not been good enough to beat some of these teams we&#39;ve played,&#39;&#39; Grobe said. ``That&#39;s as simple as it is. There is no magic formula at the end of games you just have to block and tackle and find a way to win.&#39;&#39;