Wake Forest University
Liberty
Demon Deacons Remain Unbeaten With 34-14 Win Over Flames
9/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 30, 2006
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Wake Forest was the preseason pick to finish last in its division. One month into the season, the Demon Deacons have gone to the other extreme.
The only unbeaten team in the Atlantic Coast Conference isn't one of the perennial powers. That honor instead goes to Wake Forest, which preserved its perfect start with a 34-14 rout of Division I-AA Liberty on Saturday behind 218 yards passing and a touchdown from Riley Skinner.
The win and Virginia Tech's home loss to Georgia Tech left the Demon Deacons (5-0) entering October as the last remaining ACC team with a perfect record.
"It's good to know that we're the only undefeated (ACC) team so far, but we've still got seven more games to go, and we can't sit here and just be happy about what's been going on already," Skinner said. "It's going to get tougher and tougher each week."
Backup tailback Kevin Harris had touchdown runs of 27 and 7 yards and De'Angelo Bryant added a 3-yard TD run for the Demon Deacons, who have their first 5-0 start since 1987 but face nationally ranked Clemson next week.
"There are no bad wins, but we've got a big job in front of us coming up," coach Jim Grobe said. "I think we're a pretty confident football team. I hope we're a smart football team that realizes we've got to play better next Saturday."
Skinner, a redshirt freshman making just his fourth start in place of injured Ben Mauk, was 13 of 21 passing with a career-long 59-yard touchdown pass to Nate Morton. Those big numbers came a week after he passed just five times in a win at Mississippi.
"We felt like if we came out with the mentality of 'three yards and a cloud of dust,' it would be a long day," Grobe said. "I don't think we're a team anymore that can just run the football."
Several Demon Deacons had career days. Sam Swank matched a personal best with a 52-yard field goal, Harris had his first two-TD game and Morton had 127 yards receiving and tied a career high with six catches.
"I knew today they had to throw the ball some more, in front of their home crowd, with Clemson coming in next week," Liberty coach Danny Rocco said. "It was important for them that they have the ability to get some throws and catches and get some confidence in their passing game, because they're obviously going to need it down the ACC stretch."
Now, Wake Forest - one of the most unlikely unbeatens in the nation - will bring its first five-game winning streak since 1992 into the upcoming game against the Tigers.
"Being 1-3 last year, it gives us a whole different attitude," Skinner said.
Liberty (3-2) entered with the nation's top scoring defense in I-AA, allowing 4.25 points per game.
But the Flames were no match for the Demon Deacons, who scored on five of their six possessions in the first half and led 27-7 at halftime with 305 total yards. They finished with 438 yards of total offense.
"Our offense needed a good game so that we could come out and put some points on the board," Skinner said.
Skinner also bemoaned a sluggish final 30 minutes in which Wake Forest was held to seven points, calling it "kind of a wake-up call that we can't come out lackadaisical in the second half ... or else we're going to have a hard time beating Clemson."
Swank added a 37-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Brock Smith was 15 of 25 passing for 211 yards with touchdown passes covering 9 and 6 yards to Darnell Edwards for Liberty.
"We wanted to open it up, spread it out a little bit more, throw it a little bit more and open up the run game," Rocco said. "It really didn't pan out the way we wanted it to."
Rocco is a former Wake Forest captain who played defensive back for the Demon Deacons in the mid-1980s.
