Wake Forest Athletics
Riley Skinner vs. Duke, 2009
Riley Skinner Recalls his Experience with Duke Rivalry
11/22/2019 9:55:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
Wake Forest starting quarterback Riley Skinner had his head down with his arms around a teammate as Chip Vaughn got the game-saving field goal block on the final play of the game to stave off Duke in a 14-13 victory in the second game of the 2006 season.
It was the first career start for Skinner and the first career start for his Blue Devil counterpart Thaddeus Lewis.
"We were in similar situations — smaller, undervalued schools," Skinner said.
Of course, the Deacs wound up winning the ACC Championship in 2006 and Skinner ended up going a perfect 4-0 against Duke during his tenure.
"It was always a tougher game than I think the fans would have anticipated," Skinner said. "The 2006 game was an eye opener. I didn't know if I had what it took to compete in the ACC, and neither did the coaches."
The Deacs couldn't move the ball on the ground in the first half, Skinner recalled, and had just 87 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes. But they trailed just 10-0.
"We had no choice other than to open it up and throw the ball," Skinner said. "It gave me a lot of confidence. I started believing even more in myself.
"It was a pretty unbelievable moment for the first win in my career and for the team to move to 2-0."
Of course, nobody really knew at the time just how crucial the Vaughn block of the 27-yard field goal attempt would turn out to be.
"After we beat Florida State (to move to 9-1) , we realized we had a serious chance to win the ACC," Skinner said. "It was wild to think that a 27-yard blocked field goal allowed us to be in that position. It's not like it was a 45-yarder. It was a chip shot. You really understood the magnitude of how close we were.
"That's football. Football is a game of inches, and about the football bouncing left or right."
Skinner threw for 221 yards and Kenneth Moore contributed 100 receiving yards, 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 41-36 win over the Blue Devils in 2007.
The following year, Aaron Curry anchored the Wake Forest defense with 16 tackles in a 33-30 overtime victory back in Winston-Salem over Duke.
"I can name 50 games where he had a ton of tackles," Skinner said of Curry. "We had such a good defense. I could trust them. He was just an animal all over the field."
A Thaddeus Lewis pass was intercepted in the end zone by Alphonso Smith in overtime to seal the game for the Deacs.
"I remember Alphonso catching that interception in the back of the end zone," Skinner said. "He read that route perfectly and made a tough catch over his shoulder in the end zone. He was one of the best playmakers I've ever been with."
In Skinner's four years at Wake Forest, the Deacs went 9-1 versus the other three teams in the Big Four.
"That meant a lot to me, understanding what the in-state rivalry was like in North Carolina, having come from Florida," Skinner said.
"They were really close games all four years," he said about the four contests against the Blue Devils.
The final game of his Wake Forest career was at Duke, starting against Lewis, who was also playing in his final game. The two starting quarterbacks began their career against each other and finished against each other. Fittingly enough, it was an offensive slobberknocker, with Wake Forest coming out on top 45-34. Skinner threw for 372 yards and five touchdowns while Lewis had 387 yards passing and three touchdown passes.
"One of the most memorable games of my career was in my senior year against Duke," Skinner said. "It was a memorable way to end a career against somebody I had a lot of respect for."
As this year's Wake Forest team gets set to finish its season at home against the Blue Devils, Skinner remembers just how important fan support was for his teams.
"The fans don't know how much they mean to the players and how much their attendance means in the game," Skinner said. "As a player, when you walk out and see a crowded stadium, it gets you juiced up more than anything.
"I was really proud of our fans during my time there. They really started to show up and support us. That made a world of difference to us, and allowed us to have some success. I hope and pray the fans see that, feel that and understand the importance they have. They're the lifeblood of our program, especially for the seniors."
It was the first career start for Skinner and the first career start for his Blue Devil counterpart Thaddeus Lewis.
"We were in similar situations — smaller, undervalued schools," Skinner said.
Of course, the Deacs wound up winning the ACC Championship in 2006 and Skinner ended up going a perfect 4-0 against Duke during his tenure.
"It was always a tougher game than I think the fans would have anticipated," Skinner said. "The 2006 game was an eye opener. I didn't know if I had what it took to compete in the ACC, and neither did the coaches."
The Deacs couldn't move the ball on the ground in the first half, Skinner recalled, and had just 87 yards of offense in the first 30 minutes. But they trailed just 10-0.
"We had no choice other than to open it up and throw the ball," Skinner said. "It gave me a lot of confidence. I started believing even more in myself.
"It was a pretty unbelievable moment for the first win in my career and for the team to move to 2-0."
Of course, nobody really knew at the time just how crucial the Vaughn block of the 27-yard field goal attempt would turn out to be.
"After we beat Florida State (to move to 9-1) , we realized we had a serious chance to win the ACC," Skinner said. "It was wild to think that a 27-yard blocked field goal allowed us to be in that position. It's not like it was a 45-yarder. It was a chip shot. You really understood the magnitude of how close we were.
"That's football. Football is a game of inches, and about the football bouncing left or right."
Skinner threw for 221 yards and Kenneth Moore contributed 100 receiving yards, 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 41-36 win over the Blue Devils in 2007.
The following year, Aaron Curry anchored the Wake Forest defense with 16 tackles in a 33-30 overtime victory back in Winston-Salem over Duke.
"I can name 50 games where he had a ton of tackles," Skinner said of Curry. "We had such a good defense. I could trust them. He was just an animal all over the field."
A Thaddeus Lewis pass was intercepted in the end zone by Alphonso Smith in overtime to seal the game for the Deacs.
"I remember Alphonso catching that interception in the back of the end zone," Skinner said. "He read that route perfectly and made a tough catch over his shoulder in the end zone. He was one of the best playmakers I've ever been with."
In Skinner's four years at Wake Forest, the Deacs went 9-1 versus the other three teams in the Big Four.
"That meant a lot to me, understanding what the in-state rivalry was like in North Carolina, having come from Florida," Skinner said.
"They were really close games all four years," he said about the four contests against the Blue Devils.
The final game of his Wake Forest career was at Duke, starting against Lewis, who was also playing in his final game. The two starting quarterbacks began their career against each other and finished against each other. Fittingly enough, it was an offensive slobberknocker, with Wake Forest coming out on top 45-34. Skinner threw for 372 yards and five touchdowns while Lewis had 387 yards passing and three touchdown passes.
"One of the most memorable games of my career was in my senior year against Duke," Skinner said. "It was a memorable way to end a career against somebody I had a lot of respect for."
As this year's Wake Forest team gets set to finish its season at home against the Blue Devils, Skinner remembers just how important fan support was for his teams.
"The fans don't know how much they mean to the players and how much their attendance means in the game," Skinner said. "As a player, when you walk out and see a crowded stadium, it gets you juiced up more than anything.
"I was really proud of our fans during my time there. They really started to show up and support us. That made a world of difference to us, and allowed us to have some success. I hope and pray the fans see that, feel that and understand the importance they have. They're the lifeblood of our program, especially for the seniors."
Wake Forest Women's Golf: Kim Lewellen Women's History Month Feature
Monday, March 16
Men's Basketball Postgame Presser vs. Clemson, 2026 ACC Tournament
Thursday, March 12
Wake Forest Women's Basketball: Mary Carter Women's History Month Feature
Wednesday, March 11
Sebastian Akins Tough
Wednesday, March 11