Wake Edges Commodores, 20-17
Game Report Posted: September 12, 2008 05:33
In a lackluster end to the regular season, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons struggled to beat a mediocre Vanderbilt squad, 20-17.
The Deacons jumped out to a 17-7 halftime lead, and seemed primed to blow the Commodores out in the second half. After leading the Deacons to the Vanderbilt 2 yard line, however, quarterback Riley Skinner was sacked for a big loss, then threw an interception in the end zone; from that point on, the Deacons struggled to move the ball.
After a quiet first quarter, Wake drew first blood when receiver Chip Brinkman took a quick slant 82 yards for a touchdown. Brinkman led the Deacons with 164 receiving yards, and an additional 55 yards on punt returns. Skinner added a rushing touchdown on an option keeper, and he passed for 276 yards on the day.
Wake's pass rush was highly effective, as the Deacons sacked Chris Nickson eight times. Linebackers Stanley Arnoux, Aaron Curry, and defensive end Matt Robinson had two sacks apiece.
Deacons Top Chippewas in Humanitarian Bowl, 41-31
Game Report Posted: September 14, 2008 05:43
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons rallied from a 10-point second quarter deficit to beat the Central Michigan Chippewas in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, 41-31. Wake was led by another strong showing by receiver Chip Brinkman, who had 8 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
CMU jumped out to an early 17-7 lead in the first quarter behind two touchdown passes from backup quarterback Brian Brunner, who played for the injured Dan LeFavour. After a Chippewa field goal, Wake struck back with an 86-yard kickoff return from C.J. Washington. After two Brunner touchdown passes, Riley Skinner connected with Brinkman on a crossing route for a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-14.
In the second quarter, the Chippewas reestablished their 10-point lead with a long touchdown run by Justin Hopkins. Skinner struck back with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Josh Adams, and then connected with Brinkman on a long bomb shortly before halftime to set up a Sam Swank field goal.
After a Swank field goal gave Wake an early fourth-quarter lead, the Chippewas' Bryan Anderson returned the kickoff 98 yards to reclaim the lead. Wake engaged in a methodical drive downfield, capped off by a 1-yard Kevin Harris touchdown run. After the Chippewas turned the ball over on downs with a minute left, Skinner added a 30-yard touchdown run to cap off the scoring.
Deacons Chase Away Wolfpack, 22-9
Game Report Posted: September 09, 2008 03:24
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons bounced back from last week's meltdown by shutting down the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 22-9. Most significantly, Wake's long-stagnant running game showed significant signs of life, as the Deacons rushed for more than 200 yards.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Deacons drew first blood when Chip Brinkman returned a punt 59 yards for a score. Kevin Harris added a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to extend the lead to 14-0. The Wolfpack added a field goal and a long touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-9. Harris then iced the game with a 60-yard touchdown run, and Josh Adams added a 2-point conversion on an option pitch from Riley Skinner. Linebacker Stanley Arnoux finished off the Wolfpack by intercepting a pass from Harrison Beck.
Harris led the rushing attack with 110 yards, and Adams ran for an additional 81 yards. Although the running game was effective, the Deacons inconsistent passing game struggled. Skinner threw for just 113 yards, and did not complete a pass longer than 18 yards. Linebacker Aaron Curry led the defense with 6 tackles, including 4 for losses.
Deacons' Defense Soars Over Eagles, 37-23
Game Report Posted: September 10, 2008 04:38
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons continued their winning ways, topping the Boston College Eagles 37-23. The game was effectively over in the second quarter, as the Deacons jumped out to a 27-0 lead, and BC did not score until the closing seconds of the first half. The Deacons struggled on both sides of the ball in a sloppy second half, but armed with their large cushion, the outcome was never in doubt. With the win, the Deacons are now bowl-eligible.
Wake opened the scoring with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Riley Skinner to wideout Casey Hill on a screen. Wake broke the game open in the second quarter, scoring twenty straight points. The Deacons' pass defense led the way, with Brandon Ghee and Aaron Curry returning interceptions for touchdowns, and Sam Swank added two field goals.
BC narrowed the gap in the second half, as wideout Clarence Megwa caught a touchdown pass and ran for another on a reverse. Josh Adams scored the lone touchdown of the second half for Wake on a 33-yard option pitch. After his early touchdown pass to Hill, Skinner struggled throughout the game, and he completed less than half of his passes on the day.
Wake's second-half struggles were compounded when right tackle Jeff Griffin went down in the third quarter with an injury and did not return. He is expected to miss next week's game against Vanderbilt, but should be back in time for the Deacons' bowl game.
Deacons Excommunicate Devils, 31-10
Game Report Posted: September 06, 2008 20:50
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons won their second straight game, beating the Duke Blue Devils 31-10. Wake relied on another strong defensive effort, as the Deacons sacked Devils' quarterback Thad Lewis 7 times, including four sacks by Antonio Wilson. The Deacons also intercepted two passes, and linebacker Aaron Curry ran one back for a touchdown.
The Deacons were led offensively by quarterback Riley Skinner, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 244 yards. Skinner connected with wideout Marshall Williams along the right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown in the second quarter; Skinner and Williams connected again for a 19 yard gain, where he was stopped just short of the goal line. Kevin Harris ran in for a touchdown on the next play.
The Deacons struggled to run the ball consistently, and they coughed up an astounding seven fumbles. Josh Adams led the ground attack with just 35 yards.
Deacons End Losing Skid, Upset Canes 27-16
Game Report Posted: September 06, 2008 05:33
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons relied upon a dominant defensive performance in shutting down the Miami Hurricanes, 27-16. The Deacons held Miami to just 133 yards of total offense on the day, and freshman Robert Marve completed just 3 of 13 passes. The Deacons' defense tallied six sacks and three interceptions.
The Deacons again struggled to run the ball effectively. Although Josh Adams had two 3-yard touchdown runs, he failed to gain consistent yardage, and he totaled just 30 yards on 18 carries.
The Deacons drew first blood, scoring on a 3-yard option keeper by quarterback Riley Skinner midway through the first quarter. Miami struck back with a 62-yard punt return touchdown by Sam Shields on the final play of the quarter.
The middle stages of the game turned into a battle of field position, and the Canes capitalized on four Wake turnovers, turning them into three field goals. Wake took the lead in the fourth quarter in a dramatic drive, highlighted by two long scrambles by Skinner. Skinner picked up a 14 yard gain on 3rd-and-12 from midfield, and later in the drive, scampered 17 yards to the 3, setting up an Adams touchdown run. Miami's last-ditch drive was thwarted when Marve's pass was tipped by linebacker Hunter Haynes to cornerback Brandon Ghee, which set up an insurance score by Adams.
The only drawback on the day was a season-ending injury to starting wideout D.J. Bolden, who separated his shoulder reaching for a pass in the second quarter.
Cavs Bomb Deacons, 34-27
Game Report Posted: September 07, 2008 15:22
The University of Virginia Cavaliers outlasted the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a wild shoot-out in Winston-Salem, 34-27, scoring the final touchdown on a 72-yard bomb from Peter Lalich to Maurice Covington with 21 seconds left. The Cavaliers denied the Deacons' last-ditch effort to score in the closing seconds, as linebacker Antonio Appleby sacked quarterback Riley Skinner, forcing a fumble that was recovered by All-American linebacker Cliff Sintim.
The game started off slowly with Wake providing the only offense in the first quarter on a Sam Swank field goal. The Cavaliers' offense awakened in the second quarter, as they added two touchdowns and two field goals. UVA's Cedric Pearman scampered for a 74-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-14 with just 24 seconds remaining in the half, giving UVA a 20-3 lead.
But Wake answered quickly, as Skinner connected with Chip Brinkman for a 60 yard touchdown down the left sideline in the closing seconds of the half. Hunter Haynes forced a fumble on the kickoff to start the second half, and Wake's Kerry Major recovered the ball at the UVA 25 yard line. Kevin Harris then pounded in a 15-yard touchdown run. Wake then retook the lead on an option keeper by Skinner late in the 3rd.
Turnovers and big plays in the fourth quarter doomed the Deacons. UVA's Jon Copper picked off a Skinner pass and ran it back 59 yards to give the Cavaliers a 27-24 lead early in the 4th. Skinner threw another interception on the next series, and after forcing a three-and-out, Brinkman muffed a punt. UVA, however, made a controversial decision to go on 4th-and-5 from the 35 and failed to convert. The Deacons marched downfield, and Swank hit a 40-yard field goal with 38 seconds left.
Following the kickoff, UVA picked up a quick first down on a slant to Covington. On the following play, cornerback Channing Schofield wrapped up Lalich, but failed to bring him down. Lalich threw a deep bomb to Covington. Although cornerback Alphonso Smith tipped the ball, Covington pulled it down, and ran untouched to the end zone for a game-winning 72-yard score.
Terps Shell Deacons, 56-30
Game Report Posted: August 28, 2008 05:10
In a game that started off as a gritty, low-scoring defensive struggle, only to turn into a second-half shootout, the Maryland Terrapins outlasted the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 56-30.
Wake struck first, jumping out to a 7-0 lead early on a 10-yard out from Riley Skinner to D.J. Bolden, one of four touchdwon passes thrown by Skinner on the day. Wake threatened to hold Maryland scoreless for the entire first half, but then disaster struck: Jordan Steffy connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 58-yard touchdown. On the first play from scrimmage after the touchdown, Skinner made his lone mistake of the day, tossing a soft pass into coverage where it was returned for a score by cornerback Kevin Barnes. Heyward-Bey struck again for a long score less than a minute later.
The onslaught continued in the second half. Heyward-Bey added another score, catching a tough third-down pass in coverage, then breaking two tackles for a score. Running back Da'rel Scott added three touchdowns, including a 49-yard scamper.
Wake held close for a while with some big play strikes, but ultimately, they failed to move the ball consistently. In addition to Bolden, Skinner connected on long touchdown passes with Chip Brinkman, Marshall Williams, and in the fourth quarter, Devon Brown. Ultimately, however, Wake was unable to consistently move the ball, thereby giving Maryland a short field to grind them down.
Tigers Trample Deacons, 31-16
Game Report Posted: August 25, 2008 05:32
After hanging close for three quarters despite an impotent offense, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons faded badly in the fourth quarter, falling to #9 Clemson 31-16.
Clemson struggled early in the game, allowing Wake to take a 9-7 lead into the locker room at halftime. All-American C.J. Spiller suffered a season-ending knee injury on his second carry of the game. Two Tiger turnovers set up field goals for Sam Swank, and the Deacons took a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter. Clemson regained the lead on a 49-yard touchdown pass to wideout Jacoby Ford on 4th-and-1 shortly before halftime. After a patient drive, Swank hit a 28-yarder as time ran out to retake the lead, 9-7.
On the first play of the second half, however, all of Wake's momentum was squandered. Riley Skinner forced a pass into coverage, and it was easily picked off- one of six interceptions for the Tigers. Clemson scored on the next play. Wake regained the lead late in the 3rd quarter when safety Chip Vaughn picked off a swing pass from Cullen Harper and took it 65 yards for a score.
In the fourth quarter, Clemson relied on a punishing running game to wear the Wake defense down. Tailback James Davis broke off a 74-yard run midway through the quarter, and then he iced the game with a 39-yard run with three minutes left.
The Deacons' offense continued to sputter, picking up just nine first downs on the game. Skinner threw six interceptions, and also fumbled twice.
Navy Sinks Deacons' Battleship, 52-24
Game Report Posted: August 23, 2008 18:09
The Naval Academy's ground attack ran over, around, and through the beleaguered Wake Forest defense, picking up 411 yards on the ground in a 52-24 romp. Shun White led the way for the Midshipmen with 244 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
Wake took an early lead, and hung around for the first half. After an early Navy field goal, running back Kevin Harris, split out as a receiver, took an end-around 47 yards for a touchdown. White answered for Navy with a 46-yard run up the middle in the closing seconds of the quarter, and then a 63-yard score on his first carry of the second half. Wake struck back with a 10-yard run from receiver Marshall Williams, after he hauled in a 52-yard bomb on the preceding play. Navy responded with two long touchdown runs by quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enh, including one as time ran out in the first half.
Wake struggled to move the ball consistently all day. Riley Skinner completed just 19 of 39 passes for a mere 191 yards, with many of his completions coming on dump-offs and short curls. Josh Adams struggled again with just 17 yards on 10 carries.
Wake Fades in Second Half, Loses 24-13
Game Report Posted: August 19, 2008 06:09
After jumping out to a 10-0 halftime lead, Wake Forest struggled to move the ball in the second half, and they lost 24-13 to Florida State.
Wake jumped out to an early lead on a 5-yard Josh Adams TD early in the second quarter, and added a 32-yard Sam Swank field goal shortly before halftime.
In the third quarter, however, the Seminoles defense clamped down on the Deacons, and they failed to move the ball effectively in the second half. Adams averaged just 2 yards per carry for the day, and tailback Kevin Harris lost three fumbles and played sparingly in the second half.
Offensively, Florida State was led by running back Antone Smith, who had 18 carries for 105 yards in the second half. Drew Weatherford struggled early, but fired three touchdown passes in the second half. The Seminoles took the lead for good late in the third quarter, on a 6-yard pass from Weatherford to tight end Caz Piurowski. Wideout Preston Parker and fullback Marcus Sims also scored for the Seminoles.
Wake Survives Scare, 23-13
Game Report Posted: August 19, 2008 06:23
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons jumped out to an early first-half lead against the Ole Miss Rebels, then waited out the clock to win. Wake's offense struggled to move the ball, but the defense saved the day, generating five turnovers. Cornerback Alphonso Smith led the way with three interceptions, and returned one for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Wake opened the scoring on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Riley Skinner to Marshall Williams. Smith scored on a touchdown return in the second quarter, and the Deacons added two Sam Swank field goals.
The running game was a problem all game for the Deacons, as they averaged less than three yards per carry. Skinner completed 18 of 22 passes, but most were for modest gains, as the Deacons gained only 126 yards through the air.
The Rebels had an opportunity to tie the game in the fourth quarter after Swank shanked a mid-range field goal, but they turned the ball over on downs, effectively clinching the game for the Deacons.
Deacons Blast Bears in Opener, 41-7
Game Report Posted: August 19, 2008 06:12
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons got off to a slow start, but pulled away from the host Baylor Bears in the second half, as Wake won 41-7.
Running back Josh Adams led the way with four touchdowns for the Deacons, including a 33-yard gain off a swing pass on 4th-and-2 in the first half. Adams broke the game open in the third quarter with a 62-yard run, and then a 50-yard scamper. Adams had 148 rushing yards on just 16 carries.
The Deacons' defense took advantage of an overmatched Baylor squad, forcing seven turnovers and six sacks. Chip Vaughn led the way defensively with 6 sacks and 2 interceptions.