Wake Forest junior quarterback Riley Skinner tries to train his mind to forget the awful passes -- and the great ones. It's not healthy or productive to walk around with the past replaying in his memory, he says.

"Even if we win," he said. "I try not to kind of relive the past Saturday during the week. Things in the past you can't control."

It's meant to protect him from the "big-head" syndrome as well as those low moments when nothing goes right. And if there was ever a time when nothing went right, it was against Navy on Sept. 27, when Skinner's career-high four interceptions and a fumble factored significantly in the Demon Deacons' 24-17 defeat - their first loss of the season.

As the 21st-ranked Deacs (3-1, 1-0 ACC) prepare to host Clemson (3-2, 1-1) on Thursday night, the winningest quarterback in school history looks to regroup from what he calls the worst game of his life.

"For sure," he said. "High school, college, anything."

Before encountering Navy's zone defense, where at times eight players dropped into coverage, Skinner had not thrown an interception this season -- 131 consecutive attempts dating to last season's Meineike Car Care Bowl.

Skinner said he has not dwelled on his mistakes during the Deacs' bye week, instead taking the extra practice days to revisit the fundamentals -- footwork and ball protection -- that helped him lead the nation in pass completion percentage last season.

For a time, it was hard to shake the blunders. Facing questions at a postgame news conference, Skinner made no excuses, accepted the errors and tried to look ahead, though by the way he nervously shook his right leg it was evident those mistakes were fresh on his mind.

Back at his apartment following the Navy loss, he ate takeout food with his girlfriend and parents but couldn't bring himself to watch a digital video recording of the game. He watched Georgia-Alabama and fell asleep early.

On Sunday, faced with the highlight shows and Wake's drop in the Associated Press poll, he couldn't help but think about every mind-boggling detail -- including his three intercepted passes and a fumble in the first half.

That fumble came after Skinner carried the ball loosely in his right arm and it popped out on a hit as Wake was driving to score. On his knees after the play, he banged both hands on the ground.

"It's just frustrating at a time like that in the position we were in to lose the ball," he said. "The guy made a good play; he just stripped me from behind."

Wake senior wide receiver D.J. Boldin phoned Skinner on Sunday to remind him that everyone had seen his best work before the Navy debacle -- the picture-perfect spirals and leadership in bowl games in 2006 and 2007.

"He wanted to take the whole load by himself," Boldin said. "I called him the next day and told him, 'It was a team effort, you didn't lose it by yourself.' He wanted to take it all on himself. That would have been selfish on my behalf if I would have let him."

Skinner soon let it all go.

"Starting on Monday, it was the Clemson Tigers," Skinner said. "That's all I was worried about."

Offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke said Skinner forced the issue too much.

"He tried to make every throw, make every run," Lobotzke said. "He sometimes didn't want to take what they gave him."

Forcing passes into coverage is an issue that coaches have harped on with Skinner since last season, when he threw 13 picks.

After a game with so many mistakes, Skinner committed to the fundamentals in practice last week, especially after two consecutive games with fumbles. Coaches watched players closely to make sure all points of the ball were covered.

In drills, players took extra care to protect the ball. Skinner even ran wind sprints with a ball cradled in his right arm. He seemed to carry it everywhere.

Did he take it to class?

"No, we don't take it that far," he said. "I'm sure if it happens again, who knows? I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen."

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