Wake Forest Demon Deacons

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.