Wake Forest University
Vanderbilt
Deacons Stopped by Vanderbilt 41-7 in Home Finale
11/26/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 26, 2011
Final Stats | Notes | Quotes | Final Stats
| Grobe Postgame Press Conference
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Five unanswered touchdowns by Vanderbilt sent the Deacons to a 41-7 loss in their 2011 home season finale.
The loss snapped a three-game series winning streak dating back to 2007 and was the Demon Deacons' worst loss against Vanderbilt since 1994 (35-14). The setback occurred in front of 28,020 fans, which pushed the season's total home attendance to a school record 223,769.
Brandon Pendergrass was one of the lone bright spots for the Demon Deacons, picking up 74 yards on 12 carries.
Tanner Price completed only 16 of 34 passes, his first time under 50 percent passing this season, to finish with 157 yards. He did go over 4,000 passing yards for his career, becoming only the 10th Demon Deacon ever to do so. His 2,803 yards in the air this season are the second-most in school history.
Chris Givens also climbed the record books for the Demon Deacons while catching four passes for 69 yards. He pushed his Wake Forest record single-season receiving mark to 1,276 yards, passing Florida State's Peter Warrick and Maryland's Marcus Badgett to move into fourth-place on the ACC single-season receiving charts.
Zac Stacy was the key player for Vanderbilt, carrying 28 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Jordan Rogers had 16 carries for 90 yards and also completed seven of 15 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.
The Commodores were in command early after Wake came out sloppy. Price missed on four pass attempts and fumbled on each of its first two possessions (losing control of one), which opened the door for a pair of first quarter field goals by Vandy's Ryan Fowler.
An early miscue on the game's fifth play derailed the Deacs' opening drive, as Pendergrass fumbled on Wake's 39-yard line to give Vanderbilt advantageous field position on its initial possession.
The Deacon defense held firm, forcing a failed mid-range fourth down conversion attempt by Vanderbilt, but Kenny Okoro was flagged for defensive pass interference to allow Vandy a new set of downs. The `Dores capitalized four plays later on a 33-yard Ryan Fowler field goal to go up, 3-0, as the Deacs failed to score first for just the third time in 2011.
Wake would grab a first down on the ensuing drive before stalling on three straight incompletions by Price. A 34-yard punt by Alex Wulfeck put the `Dores in control on their own 28 and set the stage for a 12 play, 59 yard drive and a 30-yard make by Fowler.
During the drive, redshirt freshman Merrill Noel nearly missed an interception, but was credited with a pass break-up to move into first place in program history with 20 deflections on the season.
Down 6-0, Wake's offense awoke on its next possession as the Deacs took the ball 75 yards over 10 plays and capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Price to Terence Davis, who got a foot in toward the back of the end zone. For Davis, it was his fifth touchdown grab of the season and second in as many weeks. Junior kicker Jimmy Newman tacked on the extra point to give Wake Forest its first lead at 7-6, but the advantage would not hold up long.
Vanderbilt answered immediately, taking the ball from its own 24 to the Wake Forest end zone over a grinding 14 play sequence. Finishing the drive was junior running back Zac Stacy, who barreled in from one yard out to re-establish a six point lead for the `Dores at 13-7.
After a WFU three-and-out, Jordan Rodgers found Brandon Barden on the sideline where the reshirt senior tight end hurdled a defender and bounced off several others on his way to a rumbling 73 yard touchdown - the longest play from scrimmage allowed by the Deacon defense this season.
The next drive by the Commodores was a bit more work, taking seven plays to cover 81 yards, but achieved the same result as Stacy scored for the second time in the opening half on a 20 yard scamper with just 37 seconds left. Wake then traded possessions with Vandy before heading into the locker room on the wrong side of a 27-7 score and facing its largest deficit since Oct. 30, 2010 at Maryland.
Vanderbilt opened the second with control of the ball, but was forced to punt after three straight rushes netted eight yards. Two more punts would follow before Wake Forest picked up its inaugural first down of the second half on a nine-yard reverse by Givens. The Deacons, with some momentum, drove to Vandy's 38-yard line before Price missed Davis on a fourth-and-three pass attempt to give it back to the Commodores.
Wake's defense trotted back out after the turnover on downs and surrendered another big play, this time a 45 yard passing touchdown from back-up quarterback Larry Smith to sophomore wide receiver Jordan Matthews.
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