Wake Forest to Play Michigan State in 2019 New Era Pinstripe Bowl

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University has accepted an invitation to play Big Ten representative Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27, 2019, in New York City at Yankee Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 3:20 p.m.

Wake Forest (8-4, 4-4 ACC) will be facing Michigan State (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) for the first time in school history.

Tickets
The Wake Forest Ticket Office has already begun taking ticket orders for the 2019 Pinstripe Bowl. Fans can order online at GoDeacs.com/tickets or call 336-758-3322 ext. 1 to place their order.

SEATING AREAS

Field 100 Level Sideline -- $140
Main 200 Level Sideline -- $95
Field 100 Level Redzone -- $70
Upper Terrace 300 Level -- $70
Main 200 Level Redzone -- $55
Bleacher Seat Outfield -- $55
Yankee Stadium Seating Map

Fans can also take this virtual tour of Yankee Stadium to view the layout of sections.

Wake Forest students will have an opportunity to purchase discounted tickets for $15. Instructions on purchasing the discounted tickets will be emailed to students on Sunday, December 8th by 8:00pm.

Quotes:
Head Coach Dave Clawson:

"I'm happy and pleased for our student-athletes after an outstanding season. This will be an excellent opportunity for our program as we play an outstanding opponent in Michigan State. It will be a great trip for our players and it will be nice to play in front of our large alumni base in the New York City area."

Athletic Director John Currie:

"On behalf of President Hatch, Coach Clawson and our student-athletes, I am honored to accept this invitation to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Our 2019 Big Four Champions are fired up to represent the ACC in one of the world's iconic venues, Yankee Stadium. Deacon Nation is going to paint the Big Apple Black & Gold."

Pre-Bowl Game Party:
Wake Forest Athletics and the Alumni Engagement office are famous for large-scale events for Deacon fans attending the bowl game. Click here to view the pre-game event offerings and register to attend. Any additional information will be shared on GoDeacs.com, via email and through athletic and University social media channels leading up to the bowl game.

Follow on Social Media:
Follow the Deacs on Twitter for the latest announcements and news. We will be sharing information throughout the entire month of December as details surrounding the game are finalized.

2019 Big 4 Champions
With wins over UNC, NC State & Duke in football this season, the Deacs won the Big 4 Championship for the eighth time in program history and now boast a record of 30-18 against those ACC rivals since the turn of the century.

In addition during that time period, Wake Forest is 43-18 against all in-state opponents.

Wake Forest celebrated the Big 4 championship and the rise of the Demon Deacon football with billboards across the state of North Carolina.

All-ACC Deacs
Wake Forest placed a school record 14 players on the 2019 All-ACC football team and were represented by three players on the first team, including wide receiver Sage Surratt, defensive end Carlos "Boogie" Basham, Jr., and placekicker Nick Sciba.

Punter Dom Maggio was a second team selection while wide receiver Kendall Hinton, left tackle Justin Herron, right guard Nate Gilliam and cornerback Essang Bassey were all third team picks.

Wake Forest had six players earn honorable mention in quarterback Jamie Newman, tight end Jack Freudenthal, right tackle Jake Benzinger, center Zach Tom, linebacker Justin Strnad and safety Nasir Greer.

Wake Forest's 14 honored players exceeds the previous season-high of 12 selected following the 2017 season. The three first team picks marks the first time since 2008 that the Deacons have had a trio of players named to the top unit.

Congrats to our 14 All-ACC selections! The most All-ACC selections in Wake Forest history! 🎩 pic.twitter.com/IDKwk40LBA
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) December 3, 2019

'19 Season News & Notes

Wake Forest's 8-4 record after 12 games puts the 2019 Deacon team among only five squads in school history to achieve that record or better through 12 games.
Wake Forest won a school-record six home games this season.
This is the first time in school history that Wake Forest has won seven or more games in four consecutive seasons.
The current Deacon senior class has ensured that it will be the first senior class since 1948 to have achieved four consecutive winning seasons.
Through 12 games, the Deacs are the third highest scoring team in school history with 393 points.
The Deacons scored 38+ points for a school record 6th time this season vs. Duke on Nov. 23.
Kicker Nick Sciba converted an NCAA record 34 straight field goal attempts between the end of the 2018 season and through the majority of the 2019 campaign.
Wide receiver Sage Surratt has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 Team, which recognizes the success of student-athletes both on and off the field.
Sage Surratt and Kendall Hinton lead the ACC in receiving yards per game. Wake Forest is the only ACC school with four players to have had 150-yard games.

Pinstripe Presence
Wake Forest alumni are not unfamiliar with Yankee Stadium…

LHP Tommy Byrne played in the Major Leagues from 1943-57 with four teams but primarily the Yankees. As a Demon Deacon from 1938-40, Byrne pitched and played the outfield, batting .452 as a sophomore in 1939 and .593 as a junior to lead the "Big Five" in average and doubles. He went 85-69 during his MLB career and was a member of the American League All-Star team in 1950 while playing on two World Championship teams with the Yankees in 1947 and 1950. Following his career, Byrne returned to Wake Forest, NC and served as mayor from 1973-87. He was a member of the third induction class into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.
RHP Mike Buddie, now the athletic director at Army West Point, played for the Yankees during the 1998 and '99 seasons. Buddie had a 4-1 record in 1998.
Danny Borrell recently left the Yankees where he had served as the organization's pitching coordinator. As a Demon Deacon, Borrell was a first team All-ACC pick in 1999. He remains the last Demon Deacon to have hit for the cycle, against Davidson in 2000. He was the winning pitcher in Wake Forest's 1998 ACC Championship final against Florida State. Hit .336 for his career and was a second round pick of the Yankees in the 2000 MLB Draft.

MLB Stadium
Wake Forest has played in Major League Baseball stadiums previously in its history.

The Demon Deacons played Boston College at Braves Field in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
Wake Forest won the 2008 EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. which had been the home of both the Washington Nationals and the Senators.
The Deacs played in the 2007 Orange Bowl at what is now Hard Rock Stadium and the former home of the Florida Marlins.
Wake Forest played Boston College at Fenway Park in 1941, 1942 and 1953.
In 1948, the Deacs played Duquesne at Forbes Field, the former home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Wake Forest played both George Washington and Georgetown at Griffith Stadium, the former home of the Senators

Wake Forest vs. Big 10

Wake Forest has a 4-10 all-time record against Big 10 opponents.
- The Demon Deacons own victories over Indiana (2016), Purdue (2002) and two wins over Northwestern (1996, 1997)

Bowl History
The Deacs are 9-4 all-time in bowl games.

1946 Gator Bowl -- January 1, 1946
Wake Forest, 26; South Carolina, 14
- Wake Forest's first-ever postseason appearance came in the inaugural Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., and Coach Peahead Walker's squad made that initial bowl trip a successful one, defeating South Carolina, 26-14. A crowd of more than 10,000 fans was on hand to witness the rematch between the two future ACC members who had played to a 13-13 tie earlier in the season. This time Wake took control at the outset, capping its opening possession with a three-yard run by Nick Sacrinty. A missed extra-point, however, resulted in the Gamecocks taking a 7-6 lead with the only score of the second quarter. The Deacs regained the lead and took control in the second half behind their bruising ground attack. Rock Brinkley finished off two time-consuming drives with short TD runs of five and four yards, then Bob Smathers clinched the verdict with a 20-yard run on a reverse. The 378 yards rushing in the game stood as a Wake Forest single game record for 22 years. The victory culminated a dramatic turnaround season that had started with three straight losses but ended at 5-3-1.
1949 Dixie Bowl -- January 1, 1949
Wake Forest, 7; Baylor, 20
- Three years after competing in the first Gator Bowl, the Demon Deacons were invited to Birmingham, Ala., to compete in the second -- and last -- Dixie Bowl. Unlike that first postseason experience, though, this venture proved unfulfilling from a won-lost standpoint as Wake Forest dropped a hard-fought 20-7 contest to Baylor in what was frequently referred to at the time as the "Battle of the Baptists." A crowd of over 20,000 was in attendance as Baylor jumped out to a 20-0 lead with three touchdowns in the first half, two coming on lengthy drives, the third following a long pass interception. The Deacs of Coach Peahead Walker refused to quit, however, and rallied to pull within striking distance on a TD by Mike Sprock in the third period after recovering a Baylor fumble. Wake went on to control most of the game and held the advantage statistically overall (six more first downs, 63 more yards in total offense), but never could reach paydirt again. The contest marked the first time that a Wake Forest football team had played in a January bowl game. The Demon Deacons finished the season with a 6-4 record.
1979 Tangerine Bowl -- December 22, 1979
Wake Forest, 10; LSU, 34
- After a 30-year absence from the bowl scene, Wake Forest completed one of the most surprising stories in college football in 1979 with a visit to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Fla. The Demon Deacons earned that trip and a pairing against an emotional LSU squad, playing its final game under veteran coach Charlie McClendon by compiling an 8-3 regular season mark and attaining a national ranking in the top 20. The Tigers seized the momentum early with touchdown drives on their first two possessions. Wake Forest, meanwhile, was struggling offensively and committed three turnovers before Phil Denfeld made the score 24-3 with a field goal as the first half ended. Coach John Mackovic's Deacs came back to play much better after intermission, taking the second half kickoff and scoring their lone TD of the night on an eight-play drive that ended with a 34-yard pass from Jay Venuto to Wayne Baumgardner. Two other drives into LSU territory were halted, though, and the SEC power eventually built its advantage with 10 more points in the final period.
1992 Independence Bowl -- December 31, 1992
Wake Forest, 39; Oregon, 35
- Wake Forest staged a stirring second half rally for a 39-35 victory over Oregon before 31,337 fans and a national television audience on ESPN, concluding a stunning year in appropriate fashion. The Deacons had been 1-3 in September until reeling off six straight wins to climb into the national polls for the first time in 13 years and capture the imagination of college football followers everywhere. Oregon held the upper hand early, taking advantage of four first-half turnovers to build a 22-10 halftime lead, then adding another TD late in the third period that left the Deacs trailing, 29-10, with less than 20 minutes remaining in the game. Ned Moultrie scored on a short run, then Todd Dixon, who was named the game's Most Outstanding Player, exploded with TD receptions of 30 and 61 yards in less than four minutes to give his team a 31-29 edge that it would never relinquish. John Leach, who ran for 116 yards, added what proved to be the deciding score later in the final quarter. Dixon finished with five receptions for 166 yards and two TDs, while veteran coach Bill Dooley completed his outstanding career with victory No. 162.
1999 Aloha Bowl -- December 25, 1999
Wake Forest, 23; Arizona State, 3
- A Wake Forest team anchored by 26 seniors earned the first winning season and first bowl bid in head coach Jim Caldwell's tenure. That veteran leadership helped the Deacs to an impressive 23-3 win over Arizona State in the nationally-televised Jeep Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day. Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, and the score was tied 3-3 at intermission. The Deacs got rolling in the second half, however, blanking ASU 20-0. After another field goal, Wake broke the game open as quarterback Ben Sankey hit Coach's son, Jimmy Caldwell, across the middle, and Caldwell scampered 56 yards into the endzone. The Sun Devils managed just 42 yards of offense after that point, as Morgan Kane's 1-yard TD leap and Matt Burdick's third field goal provided the final margin. Sankey earned Bowl MVP honors, passing for 188 yards and rushing for 56. The Deacon defense was stifling, holding the Sun Devils to just 164 yards of total offense. Adrian Duncan led the defense with eight tackles and a sack, while Fred Robbins collected three sacks.
2002 Seattle Bowl -- December 30, 2002
Wake Forest, 38; Oregon, 17
- In his last game at WFU, James MacPherson passed for a season-high 241 yards and two touchdowns as the Deacons beat Oregon 38-17 in the Seattle Bowl. MacPherson, who also ran for a score, hit Jason Anderson with TD tosses of 57 and 63 yards to earn MVP honors. Wake Forest (7-6) finished with a winning record for the second straight year. The Deacons last had consecutive winning seasons in 1987-88. The second annual Seattle Bowl marked the first meeting between the Ducks and Demon Deacons since Dec. 31, 1992 in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. Wake Forest also won that game, 39-35. Entering the game, Wake Forest was ranked eighth nationally in rushing offense, averaging 239.9 yards a game. The Deacs ran for 256 against Oregon, even with their early emphasis passing. The Ducks opened the game with a 45-yard field goal, but Wake Forest answered with a seven-play, 65-yard drive, topped by Ovie Mughelli's one-yard touchdown run. MacPherson found Anderson for a 57-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter to push Wake's lead to 14-3. MacPherson also added a one-yard touchdown dash just before halftime. MacPherson, who had just six touchdown passes going into the game, closed the third quarter with his 63-yard touchdown pass to Anderson. Chris Barclay added a 12-yard TD run late in the game for the final margin. Anderson caught three passes for a career-best 157 yards.
2007 FedEx Orange Bowl -- January 2, 2007
Wake Forest, 13; Louisville, 24
- No. 15 Wake Forest lost 24-13 to No. 5 Louisville in the Orange Bowl in the Deacons' first BCS appearance. And for a team which made its name on winning the close games, losing one to end the season was tough to take. The Deacons (11-3) entered as 10-point underdogs, and did an effective job of keeping Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in check during the first half, holding him to 7-of-13 passing for 79 yards at halftime.
2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl -- December 29, 2007
Wake Forest, 24; UConn, 10
- Behind do-it-all receiver Kenneth Moore and a swarming defense full of big plays, Wake Forest rallied to beat fellow upstart Connecticut 24-10 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Demon Deacons had to come from behind to do it, reeling off the final 24 points after falling behind 10-0 at halftime against the Huskies, who were playing in only their second bowl game. Riley Skinner completed 29 of 38 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and ACC rookie of the year Josh Adams rushed for 81 yards and a score. Linebacker Stanley Arnoux highlighted a series of big plays for Wake Forest with an interception and two fourth-down stops.

NCAA Football - Connecticut vs. Wake Forest - December 29, 2007

2008 Eaglebank Bowl -- December 20, 2008
Wake Forest, 29; Navy, 19
- Riley Skinner went 11-for-11 and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Ben Wooster with 7:52 left, leading Wake Forest to a 29-19 comeback victory over the Midshipmen in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl to open the 2008 bowl season. He finished with 166 yards passing and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. It was a rematch of a September game played at Wake Forest, when Navy took advantage of five turnovers by Skinner--four interceptions and a fumble--to pull off a 24-17 upset.

NCAA Football - Wake Forest vs. Navy - December 20, 2008

2011 Music City Bowl -- December 30, 2011
Wake Forest, 17; Mississippi State, 23
- Mississippi State withstood a late Wake Forest rally to down the Demon Deacons 23-17 in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at LP Field in Nashville. The Deacons (6-7) fell victim to Mississippi State's (7-6) potent rushing attack as Vick Ballard ran for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns to head up the Bulldogs' 255 yards on the ground. The loss overshadowed a career day for Wake Forest redshirt sophomore Michael Campanaro who caught 10 passes for 128 yards - both career highs. Wake Forest forced four turnovers, its second-highest total of the season. Two of them came on interceptions by Duran Lowe, the first of his career, and Merrill Noel, along with fumble recoveries by Nikita Whitlock and Kenny Okoro to keep the Deacons within striking distance for the entire contest.
2016 Military Bowl -- December 27, 2016
Wake Forest, 34; Temple, 26
- Wake Forest jumped out to a 31-7 lead and held on to defeat No. 23-ranked Temple, 34-26, to claim the 2016 Military Bowl inside Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 27. The victory was the Demon Deacons' first bowl win since 2008, and the first victory over a ranked team since 2011. After the Owls (10-4) cut Wake Forest's (7-6) lead to 31-26 with 3:39 remaining, John Armstrong returned a kickoff 80 yards, leading to a Mike Weaver field goal with 1:59 left. Temple returned the kickoff to its own 47-yard-line and completed a 9-yard pass, but the Deacons' defense held strong with a pass breakup by Thomas Brown and a tackle for loss by Duke Ejiofor, then an incomplete pass for a turnover on downs. Wake Forest entered victory formation and twice took a knee to seal the win. Brown was named the Military Bowl MVP for his efforts on defense. He tied for the team lead with seven tackles, also adding a sack, 2.5 TFLs and a forced fumble, helping the Deacons shut down the Owl rushing game, limited to -20 yards.

2017 Belk Bowl -- December 29, 2017
Wake Forest, 55; Texas A&M, 52
- Wake Forest and Texas A&M engaged in the most entertaining bowl game of the season as the Demon Deacons came away with a 55-52 win over the Aggies on Dec. 29 in the Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. The game was a back-and-forth affair all afternoon and wasn't settled until Wake Forest running back Matt Colburn scored on a one-yard run with just 2:18 to play. The Deacon defense then forced the Aggies into a fourth down incompletion with 28 seconds remaining to seal the win. The contest featured five lead changes and over 1,200 yards of total offense. The two teams combined to set NCAA bowl game records for total offense plays (191) and pass completions (74) by both teams. Wake Forest was led by quarterback John Wolford who, in his final college game, completed 32 of 49 passes for 400 yards and four touchdowns. Colburn had 150 yards on 21 carries including an electric 66-yard run. Wide receiver Scotty Washington caught nine passes for 138 yards and a score while tight end Cam Serigne had a touchdown reception to go with nine catches and 112 yards receiving. Linebacker Jaboree Williams led the Deacon defense with 11 tackles and an interception while safety Cam Glenn and linebacker Justin Strnad each had 10 tackles in the contest.

2018 Birmingham Bowl -- December 22, 2018
Wake Forest, 37; Memphis, 34
- Jamie Newman engineered his second last-second comeback victory in four starts as Wake Forest won its third straight bowl game with a 37-34 victory over Memphis in the Jared Birmingham Bowl. Memphis led 34-30 with 1:15 remaining in the game. The Deacons started their final drive of the day at their own 25 as Newman drove them to the one-yard line behind completions of 49 and 20 yards to senior Alex Bachman, the latter giving Wake Forest a first and goal at the Memphis one. Newman scored the final touchdown, his third of the game, on a one-yard run with 34 seconds left to play. Wake Forest had to overcome a 28-10 deficit after the Tigers returned an interception and a kickoff for touchdowns in the second quarter. The Deacons rallied, as they did all season, scoring 20 unanswered points to take a 30-28 lead late in the third quarter behind a pair of Newman touchdown runs of 1 and 17 yards. Newman earned MVP honors while Bachman finished with seven receptions for a career-high 171 yards. Freshman Nick Sciba was perfect on three field goal attempts including a career-long of 49 yards and contributed 13 of Wake Forest's 37 points. Junior Justin Strnad led the defense with 11 tackles and senior Demetrius Kemp recorded Wake Forest's lone interception.

Wake Forest Athletics

Wake Forest to Play Michigan State in 2019 New Era Pinstripe Bowl

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