Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Clemson
Wake Forest Falls Short of No. 19 Clemson
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
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By Nick Sebesta, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Tied 20-20 to begin the fourth quarter, No. 19 Clemson scored two touchdowns to defeat Wake Forest 34-20 at BB&T Field on Thursday night.
Wearing gold helmets for the first time since 1972, Wake Forest (2-7, 0-5 ACC) matched Clemson (7-2, 6-1 ACC) score-for-score through the third quarter until the Tigers pulled away.
The Deacons led early but the Tigers looked to have a 17-14 lead heading into halftime until Mike Weaver kicked a 50-yard field goal to tie it up going into the locker rooms. After the two teams traded field goals in the third, Clemson had two long scoring plays in the fourth en route to the victory.
Cam Serigne caught two touchdown passes while totaling 34 yards on three catches. Quarterback John Wolford completed 11 passes for 88 yards with two touchdowns. Wolford also caught a 24-yard pass from wide receiver Jared Crump in the first half.
Anthony Wooding, Hunter Williams and Ryan Janvion led Wake Forest with nine tackles each. Janvion had six solo stops. Wake Forest caused two turnovers as Kevin Johnson intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble on a muffed punt.
Wake Forest took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as Wolford completed a four-yard touchdown pass to Serigne. The drive started on the Clemson 43-yard line after Kevin Johnson intercepted Cole Stoudt. On the following play, wide receiver Jared Crump threw a 24-yard pass to Wolford on a reverse. Four plays later, Wolford hit Serigne for the score.
Clemson kicked a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter and took a 10-7 lead with seven minutes left in the half on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Wayne Gallman.
Wake Forest responded later in the half as Wolford threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Serigne with 4:31 left in the half. Clemson muffed a punt which Johnson recovered to put Wake Forest deep in Clemson territory.
Clemson took a 17-10 lead with 27 seconds left in the second quarter on a four-yard touchdown pass to Artavis Scott.
Wake Forest tied the game up at 20-20 going into halftime on a career-long 50-yard field goal. Clemson was flagged for two penalties on the drive, putting Wake Forest into field goal range.
Clemson kicked a 39-yard field goal with 10:11 left in the third quarter to go up 20-17. On the following drive Weaver attempted a 54-yard field goal but it fell short.
Later in the quarter, Kinal boomed a 73-yard punt that backed the Tigers up on their own one-yard line. Clemson was forced to punt, putting Wake Forest in good field position. Weaver kicked a 31-yard field goal with 11:08 left in the game to tie it up at 20-20.
Clemson took a seven-point lead after Scott caught a 68-yard touchdown from Stoudt. The Tigers added on as Gallman rushed for a 30-yard score to push the Tigers' lead to 34-20. Clemson closed out the game for the win.
Notes
- Mike Weaver made his 10th straight field goal, a career-long 50-yarder, to earn the fourth-longest consecutive field-goal streak in program history, before missing from 54 yards.
- Cam Serigne became the first Wake Forest freshman with two touchdown catches in a game since Ira Williams did so against Georgia Tech in 1998.
- Freshmen scored all 20 of Wake Forest's points, and have now accounted for 65.2 percent of Wake Forest's points this season.
- Alexander Kinal booted a career-long 73-yard punt, the longest since a program-record 86-yarder by Sam Swank in 2006. Kinal, a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, averaged 48.0 yards on seven punts.
- The Wake Forest defense totaled nine tackles for loss, led by two apiece from Brandon Chubb and Ryan Janvion.
- Kevin Johnson recorded his seventh career interception, his first of the season. - Wake Forest wore gold helmets for the first time since 1972.
- Tight end Zach Gordon, who suffered a spinal cord contusion during an August preseason scrimmage, led the team onto the field.
- Matt James returned to action after missing three games with a broken hand.
- John Wolford notched his first career reception on a 24-yard reverse pass from Jared Crump, the first pass of his career.
Next Up
Wake Forest travels to Raleigh on Nov. 15 to face NC State with a 3 p.m. kickoff. The game can be watched on RSN affiliates and can be heard on the Wake Forest IMG Sports Network.
