EagleBank Bowl Postgame Notes

12/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football

Dec. 20, 2008

Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery

Skinner Named EagleBank Bowl MVP

  • Junior QB Riley Skinner was named the MVP of the inaugural EagleBank Bowl. Skinner completed 11-of-11 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown and rushed seven times for 29 yards.
  • Skinner hit TE Ben Wooster on an eight-yard TD pass for the go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter. It was Skinner's sixth fourth-quarter game-winning scoring drive of his career and his third this season (Ole Miss; Clemson).
  • The TD pass was Skinner's 13th of the season and the 34th of his career.
  • In three bowl starts, Skinner has completed 61 of 82 passes (74.4%) for 675 yards and three TDs.
  • Skinner finishes his junior season third in school history with 639 career completions, passing Gary Schofield (637 from 1981-83) today.
  • Skinner is now 26-11 as Wake's starting QB, and the Deacons are 19-3 when he does not throw an interception.
  • Skinner's 256.76 passing efficiency rating on the day was the highest of his career.

Alphonso Smith Sets ACC Career Interception Record

  • Senior CB Alphonso Smith's second-quarter interception was his seventh of the season and the 21st of his career.
  • With the pick, Smith set a new ACC career record for interceptions. Smith entered the game tied with North Carolina's Dre' Bly (1996-98) for the conference mark with 20 apiece.
  • Smith also extended his school record for career passes defended to 61.

Adams Rushes For Two Touchdowns

  • Despite starting the game as the backup tailback, sophomore Josh Adams rushed for two touchdowns on the day. Adams had a four-yard TD run in the second quarter and a five-yard run in the third.
  • Adams' scores were his third and fourth of the season, and it marked his first touchdown runs since the Sept. 27 meeting with Navy.
  • It was the first time a Deacon had rushed for two touchdowns since Adams accomplished the feat at Vanderbilt in 2007, a span of 13 games.

Harris Turns In 100-Yard Rushing Performance

  • Junior RB Kevin Harris rushed 24 times for 136 yards on the day. It was a career-high in rushing yards (previous: 77 vs. Liberty in 2006) and rushing attempts (22 vs. NC State in 2006) for Harris.
  • Harris' 136 rushing yards were the most by a Deacon since Josh Adams had 140 against Florida State in 2007.
  • The 100-yard rushing game was the third by a Deacon this season and the first time since Brandon Pendergrass had 110 yards on 27 carries against Virginia. The other time Wake had a 100-yard rusher was Adams with 111 yards on 21 carries at Miami. This is the second time in three seasons that the Deacons have had three different players turn in 100-yard rushing performances. Micah Andrews, De'Angelo Bryant and Kenneth Moore did so in 2006.
  • Harris made just the third start of his career and his first since the NC State game on Oct. 14, 2006.
  • Harris also surpassed the 500-yard rushing mark for his career. He ends the 2008 season with 629 career rushing yards.

Skinner Hits Wooster For Go-Ahead Touchdown

  • QB Riley Skinner hit TE Ben Wooster for an eight-yard touchdown pass with 7:52 remaining in the fourth quarter, putting the Deacs on top for good.
  • It was Wooster's third TD catch of the season and his first since the Virginia game.
  • Skinner and the Deacs also converted the two-point conversion after the TD, as he hit Devon Brown in the back of the end zone to give Wake a 22-19 advantage.
  • The scoring drive was 80 yards in nine plays over 4:38.

Wake Forest Drives 98 Yards For First Touchdown

  • Wake Forest put together a 12-play, 98-yard scoring drive that lasted 3:48 and culminated with a four-yard touchdown run by Josh Adams
  • It marked the second straight game that the Deacons drove 98 yards for a TD. Against Vanderbilt, Wake went 98 yards in 12 plays and 5:08, ending with a six-yard TD run by Brandon Pendergrass.
  • On its second touchdown of the game, Wake Forest went 73 yards on 10 plays over 5:17 in the third quarter, culminating in a five-yard TD run by Josh Adams.

Belton Seals Victory With 35-Yard Touchdown Run

  • FB Rich Belton sealed the win with a 35-yard TD run with 54 seconds remaining in the game.
  • It was Wake Forest's longest touchdown run of the season the longest since Josh Adams had a 38-yarder in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
  • A senior, Belton ended his career with touchdown runs in each of his last two games.

Deacons Rack Up 405 Yards of Total Offense

  • Wake Forest finished with 405 yards of total offense on 59 plays. The Deacons had 239 yards rushing and 166 yards passing.
  • It was Wake's largest total offense figure since finishing with 412 yards against Connecticut in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl.
  • The 239 rushing yards were the most by the Deacons this season and their highest total in a game since gaining 296 against Maryland in 2006.

Deacon Seniors Wrap Up Stellar Career

  • Wake Forest's 16 seniors have accomplished a great deal in their four season.
  • The seniors have compiled a record of 32-19, the most wins by any class in school history.
  • The seniors contributed to the 2006 ACC Championship and went to three bowl games, winning two of them.
  • The senior class has compiled an ACC record of 18-14 and has gone 17-8 at home over their four years.

Miscellaneous Notes

  • Five Wake Forest players started their third consecutive bowl game: QB Riley Skinner, LB Aaron Curry, LB Stanley Arnoux and S Kevin Patterson. PK Sam Swank also started his third straight bowl contest.
  • The Deacons are 8-0 when recording an interception on defense this season.
  • WR D.J. Boldin extended his team-high streak of consecutive games with a reception to 13.
  • After Navy went 2-for-3 on field goal tries today, Wake's opponents made 17 of 20 field goals this season. Deacon opponents had made seven straight attempts before Navy missed its try late in the fourth quarter.
  • Wake Forest won for the first time in five games with a kickoff of noon or earlier.
  • The Deacons are now 43-13 under Grobe when scoring 24+ points.
  • Of Wake's 273 points this season, 125 have come off 37 opponent turnovers.
  • 10 of Wake Forest's 13 games this season have been decided late in the fourth quarter
  • Sam Swank kicked off for the first time since the Navy game on Sept. 27.
  • WR Chip Brinkman had a career-long 44-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
  • Wake Forest did not allow a punt return of over two yards this season.
  • Wake Forest's game captains were WR D.J. Boldin and LB Aaron Curry. The Deacs won the coin toss and elected to receive.
  • Wake Forest was three-for-three on red zone opportunities against Navy. Over the final three games of the regular season, the Deacons were successful on all eight red zone opportunities.
  • With a game time temperature of 40 degrees, it was the coldest temperature at kickoff for a Wake Forest game since Wake played in 39 degree weather at home against Duke on Nov.16, 1996.

Jim Grobe At Wake Forest

  • Jim Grobe has completed his eighth season at the helm of the Demon Deacons and has a record of 54-44.
  • In Wake Forest's 98 games before Grobe's arrival, the Deacons were 33-65.
  • Grobe's career record improves to 87-77.
  • Grobe is second in school history in career victories, trailing only D.C. "Peahead" Walker who was 77-51-6 in 14 seasons from 1937-50.
  • Grobe is the first coach in school history to win three bowl games and the first to take the Deacons to four bowl games.
  • Grobe's record against the service academies improves to 3-1 at Wake Forest.

Wake Forest-Navy Series: Until We Meet Again...

  • Wake Forest now leads the all-time series with Navy, 7-3.
  • The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Annapolis on Sept. 26, 2009. That game will mark the fourth contest between the Deacons and the Midshipmen in less than two years. The two clubs met in regular season games on Oct. 20, 2007 and Sept. 27, 2008.

Wake Gets Rematch Victory Over Navy

  • For the first time since 1945, Wake Forest played a team twice in the same season.
  • In 1945, the Deacons tied South Carolina 13-13 during the regular season. The two teams then met in the inaugural Gator Bowl on Jan. 1, 1946 and the Deacons posted a 26-14 win.
  • In 2008, Wake lost the regular season game to Navy 24-17 on Sept. 27 and then bounced back to defeat the Midshipmen, 29-19, in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl.

Sam Swank Finishes Record-Breaking Career

  • Sam Swank finishes his career as Wake Forest's all-time leading scorer with 337 points. His career point total is the third-highest total in ACC history.
  • Swank extended his school records for career PATS to 125 attempts and 124 made, both school records.
  • Swank's 71 career field goals is the second-highest total in ACC history.

Deacs A Second Half Bowl Team

  • Wake Forest fell behind Navy 13-0 and trailed 13-7 before rallying for 22 second half points.
  • In the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, the Deacons trailed Connecticut 10-0 at half before scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half for a 24-10 win.

With the Win . . .

  • Wake Forest finishes with a record of 8-5
  • This marks the first time in school history that Wake has won eight or more games in three consecutive seasons (11-3 in 2006, 9-4 in 2007)
  • Wake Forest improves to 6-3 in bowl games and has won two straight.
  • The Deacons have won five of their last six bowl appearances.
  • Wake Forest's record improves to 29-11 since the start of the 2006 season.
  • The Deacons are 4-1 under Grobe in neutral site games.
  • Wake Forest is 26-8 in non-conference games in Grobe's eight seasons.
  • Wake Forest improves to 9-3 all-time in games played in December.
  • The Deacons have won six straight December games
  • Wake snapped a streak of four straight losses in games that kicked off at noon or earlier.

Players Mentioned

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Fullback
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Wide Receiver
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Running Back
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Tight End
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