Wake Forest Rushes Past Duke 39-27

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind a season-high 334 rushing yards, Wake Forest defeated in-state rival Duke 39-27 on Senior Night at BB&T Field.

Following wins over North Carolina and NC State earlier this season, the Demon Deacons won the Big Four Championship for the first time since 2007 and the eighth time in school history. Wake Forest improved to 30-18 against Big Four opponents since 2001.

In a game which featured a rain-soaked first half, the Demon Deacons (8-3, 4-3 ACC) used a balanced ground attack while limiting the Blue Devils (4-7, 2-5 ACC) to only 290 total yards. Behind quarterback Jamie Newman who rushed 29 times for 144 yards and a touchdown, Wake Forest's ground attack featured Kenneth Walker who had 113 yards on the ground and Cade Carney who tallied 71 yards rushing. Each recorded a rushing touchdown in the win.

Wide receiver Kendall Hinton recorded six catches for 189 yards and a touchdown as Newman had 284 yards passing on the day.

How It Happened:
Nick Sciba started the scoring with a 38-yard field goal near the end of the first quarter. Duke countered with a 97-yard kickoff return from AJ Reed as the Blue Devils led 7-3 heading into the second quarter.

After a Duke field goal put the Blue Devils up 10-3, Newman led the Demon Deacons on a 70-yard touchdown drive which included a 42-yard keeper from the quarterback to tie the game up. The score was the longest touchdown run of Newman's career. Sciba kicked a 34-yard field goal late in the quarter as the Demon Deacons led 13-10 at halftime.

Wake Forest came out of the locker room firing in the third quarter as Newman hit Hinton for a 62-yard touchdown pass. Duke kicked a field goal later in the quarter followed later in the third quarter by a 44-yard field goal from Sciba. It was the 31^st consecutive field goal for Sciba which set the NCAA record dating back to the 1981-82 season.

Trailing the Demon Deacons 23-13 to start the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils scored a 23-yard touchdown making it a one-possession game. Sciba tacked on his fourth field goal of the game midway through the quarter extending his own NCAA record to 32 consecutive field goals made.

Duke scored on a 98-yard kickoff return on the following play as the Blue Devils took a 27-26 lead however Wake Forest struck back quickly. Newman hit Hinton for a 57-yard pass on the second play of the drive which put the Demon Deacons down on the Duke 14-yard line. Kenneth Walker then powered his way into the endzone for a 32-27 Wake Forest lead.

Later in the quarter, Carney bulldozed his way to the endzone on an 18-yard carry as Wake Forest closed out the game for the 39-27 victory.

Key Moments:
After momentum seemed to shift after Duke scored on a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead, Wake Forest needed only three plays to retake the advantage. Newman found Hinton for a 57-yard pass followed by a 14-yard touchdown run from Walker.

Defensive Stat Leaders:
Ryan Smenda, Jr. had a team-high 11 tackles with seven solo stops. Carlos Basham, Jr. had 2.5 sacks with a forced fumble. Ja'Sir Taylor recorded his first career interception. The Deacons limited the Blue Devils to 290 total yards and forced three turnovers.

Noteworthy:

It is Wake Forest's first 8-win regular season since 2007
It is Wake Forest's first 4-win ACC season since going 5-3 in 2011
It is the 13th time Wake Forest has won 4 or more ACC games in the 67 years of being in the ACC
Wake Forest has won six home games for the first time in school history
The Deacons finish 2019 with a 6-1 home record
Wake Forest's senior class has won its 30th game in its four years, the third-highest total for a senior class.
With the win, Dave Clawson's record improves to 36-38 in his sixth year at Wake Forest and 126-118 in his 20th year as a head coach.
Clawson's 36 wins in six years is one shy of Wake Forest's record for best start to a career as Jim Grobe won 37 games in his first six years.
Clawson is the second-winningest coach at BB&T Field, having earned his 20th win today.
Jamie Newman had 284 yards passing and 144 yards rushing, marking only the sixth time in school history that a QB has at least 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing.
Cade Carney's fourth quarter 18-yard TD run was the 20th rushing TD for his career, good for eighth-most on Wake's all-time list.
Kendall Hinton had six receptions for a career-high 189 yards, marking his third 100-yard receiving game of the year (Louisville-134, Virginia Tech-162) … the 62-yard TD reception is the longest of his career.
Kenneth Walker had 113 yards and one TD on 17 carries, the second-highest total of the season (125 vs. Rice)

Next Up:
Wake Forest closes out the regular season on the road at Syracuse on Nov. 30. The Demon Deacons have gained bowl eligibility for a school record fourth-straight year.

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Team Stats

Jamie Newman

Players Mentioned

Cade Carney

Kendall Hinton

Jamie Newman

Nick Sciba

Ryan Smenda, Jr.

Ja'Sir Taylor

Players Mentioned

Cade Carney

Kendall Hinton

Jamie Newman

Nick Sciba

Ryan Smenda, Jr.

Ja'Sir Taylor

Wake Forest Athletics