Demon Deacons Downed by Duke, 19-16
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 10, 1998
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Sims Lenhardt kicked four field goals, including a 32-yarder with 1:50 left, as Duke ended the ACC's longest losing streak with a 19-16 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.
Duke's Richmond Flowers caught nine passes for 78 yards, including a key third-down reception that led to Lenhardt's final kick, which ended Duke's 21-game league losing skid.
Bobby Campbell threw for 181 yards and a touchdown for the Blue Devils (3-3, 1-3 ACC).
Brian Kuklick completed 22-of-39 passes for 198 yards for Wake Forest (2-3, 1-1), but he was sacked by Nate Krill in the final minute as he tried to rally the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest trailed 9-7 at halftime, but Kuklick hit Desmond Clark deep in the right corner of the end zone midway through the third quarter for a 13-9 lead. Wake coach Jim Caldwell opted to try for a two-point conversion, but Kuklick's pass attempt fell incomplete.
The Blue Devils chewed up 7:27 bridging the third and fourth quarters to retake the lead. Campbell hit Flowers on third-and-goal from the 8 with 10:37 to go.
Wake kicker Matt Burdick hooked a 48-yard field-goal attempt with 6:59 left, but Jeff Muyres picked off a Campbell pass with 4:38 remaining and Burdick booted a 37-yarder 15 seconds later to tie the score.
Flowers returned the ensuing kickoff to the Duke 45 and made a difficult sideline catch on third-and-14 to get the Blue Devils to the Wake 18. B.J. Hill had two short runs and Campbell threw an incompletion before Lenhardt kicked the game-winner.
The Demon Deacons were just the opponent Duke needed to end its dubious streak. Duke's last conference win before Saturday night was a 42-26 win over Wake Forest on Oct. 28, 1995.
The teams combined for 10 first-half penalties, some of them coming at critical moments.
After the Demon Deacons's first punt, safety David Moore was flagged for an illegal hit on Ronnie Hamilton before he had a chance to field the kick. The penalty enabled Duke to start its first possession at its own 30 instead of its 15. Eight plays later, Lenhardt kicked a 48-yard field goal to put Duke up 3-0.
In the second quarter, Wake cornerback Reggie Austin was whistled for hitting Flowers out of bounds after a reverse. The resulting 15-yard penalty gave Duke a first down at the Wake 36, and Lenhardt connected on a 41-yard field goal five plays later.
Duke returned the favors late in the second quarter, when several defenders ran into Wake punter Tripp Moore at the Demon Deacons' 15. The roughing-the-kicker call gave Wake a first down, and Kuklick engineered a scoring drive capped by his 1-yard touchdown run with 1:55 left.
The Blue Devils marched down the field with relative ease in the closing minutes of the half to set up Lenhardt's third field goal, a 26-yarder, with 11 seconds left.
By CHRIS DUNCAN
Associated Press Writer