WINSTON-SALEM – We’re not talking about Babe Ruth in the 1932 World Series here, but Donavon Greene did say more than two weeks ago that he was looking forward to ditching his knee brace.

He got to back up those words during Thursday night's scrimmage at Truist Field.

Finally free of the brace, Greene made a pair of fantastic plays on deep balls that helped Wake Forest’s offense – and quarterback Mitch Griffis – find a rhythm in the second scrimmage of fall camp.

“Yeah, got the brace off, get a little freedom,” Greene said. “Feel like I can get wide open again.”

The Deacons’ defense was the story off of the first scrimmage last week and it felt like things were headed that way again. There were four sacks in the first eight plays – three of them by Rondell Bothroyd – and Wake’s offense had two first downs in the first four series.

In that fifth series, on third-and-10, Griffis unleashed a dime to Greene, who cradled the ball in with one hand through contact with Caelen Carson.

That led to a field goal. Later in the scrimmage, Greene got behind the defense and adjusted well for a 44-yard catch – he unofficially had three catches for 95 yards – and set up Griffis’ 8-yard touchdown strike to Taylor Morin.

Coming off of the torn ACL that caused him to miss last season and the spring, Greene donned a bulky brace for the past two weeks. It was an adjustment to wear it, he got comfortable with it, and now that he doesn’t need it, he’s adjusting again.

“I’ve never had to play with a brace and it’s kind of heavy, a lot of straps on the backside,” the fourth-year wide receiver said. “My body got comfortable in the brace and now with the brace off, I’m in that phase of trying to adjust to running on my own again.

“It’s clicking, day by day. I feel like … still some minor adjustment to feeling myself out (there) again.”

Griffis, if you can’t tell from those two throws and from Wednesday’s practice report, is settling in after a stop-and-go first few practices as the starting quarterback. His unofficial passing stats from the scrimmage were: 12-for-15, 215 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions.

It’s a work in progress to have the third-year QB ready for the opener against VMI, which comes two weeks from the night of this scrimmage, but Thursday felt like more than just one step in the right direction.

“We’ve still got some things to work on. Obviously reps … creates chemistry,” Greene said. “I feel like tonight he did well … some of those things are starting to click, as you can see tonight.”

Not to make this too much about the offense: This was a balanced scrimmage, with coach Dave Clawson lauding Greene’s catches as field-flipping plays.

With defensive line coach Dave Cohen saying recently that he’s trying to find out whether one of his linemen is going to step into dominant role, Bothroyd certainly looked that part – at the expense of Wake’s offensive line and with the benefit of Wake’s QBs being down by touch.

“We came into the scrimmage knowing that the offense was going to try to bring it because last week, we got after them a little bit,” Bothroyd said. “Just flying around, having fun, it just carries over to making plays.”

To his own detriment but with admirable honesty, Bothroyd admitted that the sacks are discounted because QBs don’t get tackled in scrimmages.

“I was surprised they blew the whistles, to be honest with you,” he said. “They don’t like blowing the whistle, you know that. They like getting secondary work.”

At least with fall camp winding down, Bothroyd doesn’t have too much longer to ponder whether or not his pressures and sacks are legitimate.

Here were my observations during Wake Forest’s 15th practice/second scrimmage of fall camp:

Equipment: Full pads

Was today won by the offense, defense or neither: Neither

Bothroyd laid it out pretty clearly:

“In the beginning the defense was dominating, but then they got rolling and the offense did what they did,” Bothroyd said. “Then it just kept going back and forth, so I think it was a good scrimmage.”

It felt like we were headed toward a similar feeling as the first scrimmage, when the offense had one first down in the first nine series. But Greene’s one-handed catch on the fifth series cracked the seal, and the rest of the night featured what felt like an even amount of standout plays from each side.

On a personal note, Matthew Dennis won the scrimmage. He missed a 39-yarder with a lot of pressure applied – defensive sideline getting loud, Clawson icing him – to end Wednesday’s practice. Wake’s new kicker made field goals of 30, 23 and 37 yards tonight without missing.

Catch of the day: Donavon Greene/Ke’Shawn Williams

This is a tie and it’s a cop out but it’s just too close to say one was better than the other.

Both of them were one-handed catches that would be sure to land in the late-night highlight packages and top-play countdowns. Each play saw the receiver fend off contact from a DB with one arm while reeling in the reception with their other.

Greene’s went for 40 yards as he was falling along the far sideline, and was made through pass interference by Carson.

Williams’ was in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown – and came after he had a great 23-yard catch – and was against Brendon Harris. I think there was a flag for pass interference, also.

I think A.T. Perry’s catch from back in the first week of camp is still “the catch of camp” … but that might need some confirmation from the guys who actually make these plays.

Quote of the day: “He demands a lot of us all day, every day. And I think it’s helped all of us grow. We have so much depth now. Even the young guys know what he wants, know what he demands. And it transitions to the field and helps us win every day.” – Bothroyd about defensive line coach Dave Cohen

Freshman/newcomer of the day: Wesley Grimes, freshman wide receiver

Oh yeah, he earned this spot.

It seems like an injury would be the only thing to keep Grimes from contributing this season – and not just in four games to retain his redshirt.

He can help the Deacons win ACC games and is primed to be the first freshman receiver at Wake Forest to not redshirt since Alex Bachman and Tabari Hines in 2015.

Grimes made a fantastic 41-yard catch with outstretched hands to set up the first touchdown of the night – a 1-yard plunge by Quinton Cooley on the next play.

The 6-2, 170-pound Grimes doesn’t have the height advantage of a Scotty Washington or Perry; he’s more in the mold of Greene, really, in being a light-footed, sure-handed target who can get into space and cover yards in a hurry.

Positional observations: This is going to be a random smattering – I’m filling out this section as the scrimmage happens.

- Demond Claiborne was the primary kick returner to start off the scrimmage, and Grimes looked like the No. 2 returner.

I’m skeptical that’s how the Deacons come out against VMI – kick returners have more responsibility than you’d think.

And Ke’Shawn Williams returned a kickoff for a touchdown later in the scrimmage.

- Spencer Clapp was the first-team center for the scrimmage but … how to put this … was not the first-team center for the walk-through that preceded the scrimmage periods. That was one of those five centers mentioned by Warren Ruggiero on Wednesday who’s been out and is working his way back from [redacted].

- Safety, man … they’re toying around with a lot of combinations. For the first part of the scrimmage the first-team safeties were Harris and Evan Slocum.

Slocum has only just gotten back on the field as he recovers from his spring injury.

The second-team safeties were AJ Williams and Christian Masterson, a walk-on and Luke’s brother. When the first-team retook the field, Malik Mustapha was one of the safeties (couldn’t get a number on the other but it might have been Chelen Garnes).

- Jaylen Hudson and Eldrick Robinson II (notably in a white jersey) were the second-team linebackers, but Quincy Bryant and Dylan Hazen both got some run with the twos, also.

It’s interesting and not totally unexpected, but the two new position coaches on the defense – Glenn Spencer (linebackers) and James Adams (safeties) – are both through 2½ weeks of fall camp and still, I think, trying to figure out their rotations.

Spencer does have the benefit of having his starters (Chase Jones and Ryan Smenda Jr.) lined up for him.

News of the day: Nothing much here that hasn’t been discussed already. Plus, it’s late. Wake Forest doesn’t practice Friday but it’s not an off day for yours truly.

We’ll call the news of the day the thread that was posted earlier today – link if you missed it.