Wake Forest University
Northern Illinois
Demon Deacons Beat Back Northern Illinois, 38-35
11/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov 24, 2001
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Tarence Williams ran for 140 yards to top 1,000 for the season, and James MacPherson threw two touchdown passes to lead Wake Forest past Northern Illinois 38-35 Saturday.
The Demon Deacons (6-5) had lost four straight home games to Atlantic Coast Conference teams by a total of 22 points, but bolted to a 24-7 halftime lead and held on to become one of seven ACC teams that could qualify for bowl games.
Clemson and North Carolina would join that list with wins next Saturday.
It was the seventh straight game for Wake Forest decided by seven points or less.
Williams, who carried 35 times for his seventh 100-yard game of the year, became the seventh Wake Forest running back to gain 1,000 yards in a season. The junior's 1,018 yards tie for the sixth-best single-season mark in school history.
Northern Illinois (6-5) had won four straight games and were gunning for their best record since going 9-2 in 1989. But the Huskies couldn't get much going offensively in the first half after losing star receiver P.J. Fleck to a shoulder injury late in the first quarter.
The Huskies did close to 24-21 on Chris Finlen's second of three TD passes to Darrell Hill and a 1-yard scoring run by Thomas Hammock in a span of four minutes midway through the third quarter.
But the absence of Fleck, who also returns punts, hurt the Huskies two minutes later when Randee Drew fumbled a punt to Wake Forest at the Northern Illinois 12. Williams took it in on the next play as the Demon Deacons built the lead back to 10.
Williams had runs of 10 and 14 yards on Wake Forest's next short drive, which ended with John Stone's 13-yard scoring run.
The Huskies weren't through, though, driving 80 and 78 yards for scores in the fourth quarter to make it interesting.
MacPherson had thrown for just three touchdowns in 185 pass attempts through 10 games, but found Ira Williams from 14 yards out late in the first quarter to give Wake Forest a 10-0 lead.
A series after throwing an interception, MacPherson connected with Fabian Davis on a 47-yard scoring play as the Demon Deacons went up 17-0 and outgained the Huskies 266-52 in the first half.
The Huskies scored with 4:50 left in the second quarter after two personal foul penalties and an unsportsmanlike conduct call against Wake Forest set up Finlen's 6-yard scoring pass to Hill.
Hill finished with eight catches for 160 yards.
