Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — A winning record and a bowl game are guaranteed for Wake Forest. That doesn't mean the Demon Deacons are out of challenges as they prepare to close their regular season Saturday at Vanderbilt.

"You don't want to spend too much time patting yourself on the back, because you're not going to play very well against Vanderbilt if you do," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said Tuesday.

Wake Forest (7-4) snapped a two-game losing streak with last weekend's 38-18 win over North Carolina State. The bowl tie-in structure in the Atlantic Coast Conference means the Demon Deacons are assured a postseason game regardless of the outcome against Vanderbilt (5-6).

But defensive end Matt Robinson believes it is important to keep building momentum Saturday.

"Everybody wants to talk about bowl games right now, but there's not a lot of talk going on with us," Robinson said. "I went up (to the team meeting room) and turned the film on, and this Vanderbilt team is really, really good. There's no one on our team that's looking ahead to a bowl game. That stuff will take care of itself."

Wake, which won the 2006 ACC championship and played in the Orange Bowl, has earned back-to-back bowl berths for the first time in school history. The Deacons are seeking to become just the fifth Wake Forest team to win at least eight games in a season.

Injuries are a mid-week concern for Grobe, who labeled the Demon Deacons a "banged-up football team." Several players suffered mild concussions against North Carolina State, and a number of others are slowed by the nagging aches and pains typical of a team approaching its 12th game.

"We've got a lot of ankles, we've got hamstrings, we've got groin pulls, hip flexors ... you've got to take out a medical encyclopedia to figure out all the things that are wrong with our football team right now," Grobe said.

"None are real serious injuries, but they're the kind that can prevent you from having an effective week of practice."

The Demon Deacons have not beaten Vanderbilt since 1992 and are trying to avoid a fifth straight loss in the series. Wake Forest's upperclassmen remember dropping a 24-20 decision to the Commodores in the 2005 season opener.

This near-misses of this year's Vanderbilt team include a three-point loss to now sixth-ranked Georgia and a 25-24 loss to 19th-ranked Tennessee last weekend in which the Commodores let a 15-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter.

Vanderbilt carries a three-game losing streak into Saturday's game.

"We've got our hands full," Robinson said. "It's their Senior Day, and they're sitting right there on bowl eligibility. We're going to get their best shot. We've got to make sure...we're doing everything on our end to give ourselves a chance of winning."

ACC PLAYERS

GREENSBORO — Wake Forest center Steve Justice was named offensive lineman of the week.

Fellow Demon Deacon Aaron Curry was named defensive back of the week. The linebacker led Wake Forest with eight tackles and returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown. He now has three interception returns for scores, tying for an NCAA single-season record among linebackers.