Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Michelle Hutchins | MHaas Photog
Wake Forest Accepts Invitation to Birmingham Bowl
12/2/2018 5:50:00 PM | Football
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest has received an invitation to play Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl at legendary Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday, Dec. 22. The game will kickoff at 11 a.m. CST (noon EST) and will be televised on ESPN. The invitation marks Wake Forest's 13th all-time bowl selection and its third consecutive bowl invite.
For just the second time in school history, Wake Forest will play in a bowl game in three consecutive seasons.
"On behalf of our entire football program, we are thrilled, honored and excited that the Birmingham Bowl has invited us to play against an excellent University of Memphis team," said Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson. "I've followed Memphis' season all year and they are extremely well-coached."
Wake Forest is 6-6 on the season and 3-5 in the ACC Atlantic Division. The Deacons won four road games and three ACC road games for the first time since 2006. Wake Forest has suffered 13 season-ending injuries including nine on defense. Yet, Wake Forest was able to put together a game plan that allowed the team to win two of its final three games, both on the road, including a 59-7 win at Duke in the regular season finale.
Clawson, in his fifth year at Wake Forest, has led the Demon Deacons to 27 wins during his tenure, the most-ever for a fifth-year Wake Forest head coach.
Wake Forest's offense ranks second in school history in points scored with 390 (32.5 per game) and total offense yards with 5,318 (443.2 per game). The Demon Deacons have set a school record with four 50-point games in 2018 and tied the school record with five games of 500 or more total offense yards.
This will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Demon Deacons and the Tigers. Wake Forest and Memphis met in four consecutive seasons between 1964-67 with each team winning twice. Wake Forest won the only home game, a 21-7 decision at Bowman Gray Stadium. Memphis won two of the three games played in Memphis.
The 2018 season marks the ninth time in 19 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. This is Wake Forest's third bowl appearance in Clawson's five years. The Deacons won the 2016 Military Bowl over No. 23 Temple and in 2017 defeated Texas A&M 55-52 at the Belk Bowl in Charlotte.
Wake Forest is 8-4 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. In 2016, the Deacons beat No. 23 Temple 34-26 in the Military Bowl to complete a 7-6 campaign. Last year, Wake Forest finished 8-5 following a Belk Bowl win over Texas A&M.
This is Clawson's third Year Five at his four different head coaching stops. He has averaged 8.3 overall wins in Year Five and the 2018 season will mark the second postseason appearance in Year Five.
Tickets are available for purchase through the Wake Forest Ticket office or on-line at WakeForestSports.com/Tickets.
For just the second time in school history, Wake Forest will play in a bowl game in three consecutive seasons.
"On behalf of our entire football program, we are thrilled, honored and excited that the Birmingham Bowl has invited us to play against an excellent University of Memphis team," said Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson. "I've followed Memphis' season all year and they are extremely well-coached."
Wake Forest is 6-6 on the season and 3-5 in the ACC Atlantic Division. The Deacons won four road games and three ACC road games for the first time since 2006. Wake Forest has suffered 13 season-ending injuries including nine on defense. Yet, Wake Forest was able to put together a game plan that allowed the team to win two of its final three games, both on the road, including a 59-7 win at Duke in the regular season finale.
Clawson, in his fifth year at Wake Forest, has led the Demon Deacons to 27 wins during his tenure, the most-ever for a fifth-year Wake Forest head coach.
Wake Forest's offense ranks second in school history in points scored with 390 (32.5 per game) and total offense yards with 5,318 (443.2 per game). The Demon Deacons have set a school record with four 50-point games in 2018 and tied the school record with five games of 500 or more total offense yards.
This will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Demon Deacons and the Tigers. Wake Forest and Memphis met in four consecutive seasons between 1964-67 with each team winning twice. Wake Forest won the only home game, a 21-7 decision at Bowman Gray Stadium. Memphis won two of the three games played in Memphis.
The 2018 season marks the ninth time in 19 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. This is Wake Forest's third bowl appearance in Clawson's five years. The Deacons won the 2016 Military Bowl over No. 23 Temple and in 2017 defeated Texas A&M 55-52 at the Belk Bowl in Charlotte.
Wake Forest is 8-4 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. In 2016, the Deacons beat No. 23 Temple 34-26 in the Military Bowl to complete a 7-6 campaign. Last year, Wake Forest finished 8-5 following a Belk Bowl win over Texas A&M.
This is Clawson's third Year Five at his four different head coaching stops. He has averaged 8.3 overall wins in Year Five and the 2018 season will mark the second postseason appearance in Year Five.
Tickets are available for purchase through the Wake Forest Ticket office or on-line at WakeForestSports.com/Tickets.
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