Wake Forest to Face Temple in Military Bowl
12/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bowl Press Conference Excerpts (PDF) | Wake Bowl Central
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest has received an invitation to play Temple in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. on Tuesday, Dec. 27. The game will kickoff at 3:30 pm and will be televised on ESPN. The invitation marks Wake Forest's 11th all-time bowl selection and its first since playing in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in 2011.
"We couldn't be more excited to be playing in the Military Bowl," said head coach Dave Clawson. "We were there with Bowling Green in 2012. (Military Bowl Executive Director) Steve Beck and his staff do an outstanding job. Washington D.C. is a beautiful place to be around Christmas. The people who run the Military Bowl do an outstanding job with their hospitality and accommodations. It's a first class experience."
"We are very pleased to accept the invitation to play in the Military Bowl," said Wake Forest Director of Athletics Ron Wellman. "Going to Annapolis gives our fans the opportunity to attend the game. We have earned the reputation that our fans do travel to bowl games as they have to our most recent bowl games. This is an excellent opportunity for our team and our fans and we will enjoy our experience at the Military Bowl."
Wake Forest is 6-6 on the season and finished fourth in the ACC's Atlantic Division. In their third year under Clawson's direction, the Deacons doubled their wins from 2015.
Temple is 10-3 overall, ranked 23rd in the nation and won the American Conference championship with a 34-10 win over No. 20 Navy on Saturday.
"Temple is an excellent football team," said Clawson. "Matt Rhule has done an amazing job there the last four years and really built them into an AAC championship team. They're physical, they're tough, they're good on defense, they're good on offense. We will be very challenged playing an excellent Temple football team."
This will be just the second all-time meeting between the Demon Deacons and the Owls. On Oct. 31, 1930, the Deacons dropped a 36-0 decision to Temple in the first night game played at Temple Stadium.
The 2016 season marks the sixth time in 17 seasons that Clawson has led his team to the postseason. He was 4-3 in three FCS playoff appearances. At Bowling Green, Clawson's team were invited to three bowl games in six seasons.
Wake Forest is 6-4 all-time in bowl games. The Deacons first appeared in the 1946 Gator Bowl and posted a 26-14 win over South Carolina. Wake Forest also appeared in the 1949 Dixie Bowl, the 1979 Tangerine Bowl, 1992 Independence Bowl, the 1999 Aloha Bowl, the 2002 Seattle Bowl, the 2007 FedEx Orange Bowl, the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, the 2008 EagleBank Bowl and the 2011 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets by visiting Wake Forest Sports or calling 336-758-3322. For the latest updates please visit militarybowl.org, follow on Twitter @MilitaryBowl or like the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman on Facebook.
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About the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
The Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman kicks off for the ninth time on Dec. 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, featuring a matchup between representatives from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the American Athletic Conference. Organized by the DC Bowl Committee, the Military Bowl serves as a premier regional event benefiting the USO and other organizations supporting members of the Armed Forces and their families. Since its inception in 2008, the Bowl has donated more than $600,000 to the USO and provided more than 30,000 complimentary tickets for troops and their families. For more information, please visit militarybowl.org.
About the USO
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort, and support. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: AT&T, the BNSF Railway Foundation, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, FedEx, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, NFL, Southern New Hampshire University and Four-Star Partners: Advisors Excel, BIC, ConAgra Foods, GEICO, Harris Teeter, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Starbucks, TKS, USAA and the Wawa Foundation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
