Wake Forest University
Duke
Wake Forest Gets In The Win Column, 28-26
11/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 4, 2000
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Tarence Williams rushed for a career-high 154 yards and scored on runs of 16, 5, and 72 yards as Wake Forest beat Duke 28-26 in a battle of winless teams Saturday.
Williams' first three career touchdowns helped Wake Forest (1-7, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) win for the first time since a Dec. 25 victory over Arizona State in the Aloha Bowl. The Demon Deacons avoided their first winless season since 1962.
The loss left Duke (0-9, 0-6) two defeats away from its second 0-11 season in the last five years. The Blue Devils tacked on a touchdown with 53 seconds left, but Wake Forest recovered an onside kick to close out the game.
Williams' second TD came one minute after the Blue Devils closed to 14-9 late in the third quarter. His long run occurred 29 seconds after Duke pulled to 21-19 with 9:57 left in the fourth.
The previous high for the sophomore was 110 yards two games ago against Georgia Tech as Wake Forest rolled up a season-high 244 yards on the ground.
Duke and Wake Forest came in as two of five winless Division I-A teams and with a combined 0-15 record - making it the worst matchup in ACC history.
But the Demon Deacons were able to salvage their season somewhat, while the Blue Devils ran their losing streak to 10 straight dating to last season.
Wake Forest led 14-3 at halftime and its defense appeared to be taking control in the third quarter, holding Duke to 12 yards on its first three series.
But D. Bryant, who was benched in the second quarter, found Mike Hart over the middle for a 63-yard pass play to the Wake Forest 5. One play later, Chris Douglas bolted in to narrow the margin to five.
A 41-yard field goal by Brent Garber closed the score to 21-19.
But Williams took off up the middle, broke a tackle near midfield and then cut back across the field for Wake Forest's longest play of the year.
Duke snapped its six-game streak of scoreless first quarters with a 22-yard field goal by Garber, but still trailed 7-3 as the Demon Deacons drove 71 yards on the game's opening series. Williams gained 44 yards on the drive, including a 16-yard TD run.
Wake Forest wasted an interception at the Duke 40 with 5:17 left before halftime by failing on fourth-and-1. But a 45-yard punt return by Fabian Davis helped set up a late score by the Demon Deacons as Anthony Young scrambled on a busted play, diving into the right corner of the end zone from 16 yards out.
Garber also missed field-goal attempts of 45 and 52 yards in the opening half as the Blue Devils have yet to score a TD in the opening 30 minutes. Duke has been outscored 190-17 in the opening half of nine games this season.
