Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Holds On to Beat Maryland
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 17, 1998
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Desmond Clark couldn't have drawn up a much better scenario for his record-breaking day.
Clark scored two touchdowns and became the leading receiver in Atlantic Coast Conference history Saturday, and the accomplishment was enhanced by the numbers on the scoreboard at Byrd Stadium: Wake Forest 20, Maryland 10.
Clark had eight receptions for 112 yards and extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to five. The 6-foot-3 senior has 200 catches in his career, seven more than Jermaine Lewis had with Maryland from 1992 to 1995.
"I feel really good about it. Most of all, that we got a win to go with it," Clark said.
Brian Kuklick went 22-for-34 for 225 yards to help Wake Forest bounce back from humiliating losses to Appalachian State and Duke. The Demon Deacons (3-3, 2-1 ACC) scored on three of their first four drives and outgained Maryland 205-99 in the decisive first half.
Clark got the record during Wake's first drive of the game, leaving him and the Demon Deacons the rest of the afternoon to focus on the main task of the day - beating Maryland.
"I'm really happy for Desmond. He only needed two coming in and we got him the ball in the first two out of three plays," Kuklick said. "I'm really just happy to be a part of throwing him the ball."
The Terrapins (2-5, 0-4) closed to 17-10 late in the third quarter, but Wake Forest used an interception to set up the game-clinching field goal with 3:27 remaining.
LaMont Jordan ran for 132 yards and threw a 68-yard touchdown pass off the halfback option, but the Terrapins lost their third straight to go 0-4 in the ACC for the first time since 1992.
"In the first half we played tentatively and couldn't line up with their receivers," coach Ron Vanderlinden said. "But in the second half we held them to 89 (actually 88) yards."
It hardly mattered, given the way the Maryland offense sputtered.
"We need to mix the run and pass better," Vanderlinden said. "Our play-calling needs to be more creative."
Thanks heavily to Kuklick and Clark, Wake Forest won a second straight over Maryland for the first time since 1968. The Demon Deacons, who beat Maryland 35-17 last year, trail the series 33-13-1 and were outscored 83-7 in their last two visits to Byrd Stadium.
Wake Forest moved 47 yards in its opening drive before Matthew Burdick kicked a 46-yard field goal. Clark had three catches on the drive, breaking Lewis' record with a 6-yarder on third-and-3 play.
"It's going to be something I can look back for years now, even when I have my family," Clark said. "In the future, when I have kids, I'll be able to say that once I was the ACC leader in career catches."
The Demon Deacons made it 10-0 with a methodical 12-play drive that ended with a 26-yard pass to Clark on the third play of the second quarter. Clark and Kukick again ended Wake Forest's next drive, making it 17-0 with a 9-yard score on a third-down play.
Maryland snapped a scoring drought of 92 minutes midday through the third quarter. Jordan took a pitchout, rolled to his right and lofted an end-over-end pass that Jermaine Arrington caught between two defenders before weaving his way to the end zone.
Late in the quarter, a short punt set up a 36-yard field goal by Brian Kopka to bring Maryland to 17-10. But the Terrapins would not threaten to score again, and afterward the Demon Deacons had two reasons to celebrate.
"I think it's great Desmond can get that record along with a win," Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell said. "That obviously puts a little icing on the cake."
