Wake Forest to Play Texas A&M in 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Wake Forest Bowl Central

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest University has accepted an invitation to play Southeastern Conference representative Texas A&M in the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on New Year's Eve at 11 a.m. in Jacksonville at TIAA Bank Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Demon Deacons and Aggies are both ranked in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings at No. 17 and No. 25, respectively. This marks just the second time in program history Wake Forest will compete in a ranked vs. ranked bowl game, the only other coming against Louisville in the 2006 Orange Bowl.

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. Additionally, Jacksonville and TIAA Bank Field was the site of Wake Forest's 2006 ACC Championship win over Georgia Tech.

The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl has been held continuously since that inaugural game in 1946, making it the sixth-oldest college bowl as well as the first one ever televised nationally.

The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl will serve as Wake Forest's fourth bowl game against an SEC opponent. The Deacons defeated Texas A&M in the 2017 Belk Bowl, and previously fell to LSU in the 1979 Tangerine Bowl and to Mississippi State in the 2011 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

Wake Forest's matchup with the Aggies will mark the second in program history as the two teams squared off in an epic postseason contest four years ago. The 2017 season concluded with a 55-52 victory over Texas A&M in a Belk Bowl as the game featured over 100 total points and 1,200 yards of total offense.

Belk Bowl MVP John Wolford threw for 400 yards, his second career 400-yard passing game, and four touchdowns in his final game as a Demon Deacon. Matt Colburn II had 150 rushing yards, his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Scotty Washington and Cam Serigne each had nine catches, for 138 and 112 yards, respectively, to lead the passing attack.

Purchase Your Tickets Now
Tickets are on sale now for the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Fans can click here to purchase tickets and can contact the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1 to place their order. The Ticket Office is open 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. Children two years and older will need a ticket to enter the stadium.

The priority deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. Fans will be able to purchase tickets within a ticket price level and have seats assigned following the priority deadline. Exact price levels and sections are subject to availability. If the initial allotment of Wake Forest tickets sell out, Wake Forest may need to purchase additional tickets outside of its first block.

Purchasing by Wednesday's priority deadline will help fans receive the best possible seats for the Deacs' trip to the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Tickets will be assigned following the deadline with priority given to Deacon Club rank and Football Season Ticket Holder status.

Ticket Price Levels (subject to availability; priority limits apply):
Club Level: $135
Lower Sideline (100 and 200 level): $85
Please click here for a seating chart.

Priority Limits:
14 Tickets: Moricle, Backcourt Club, Locker Room, International Leadership Circle Diamond, ILC Platinum, ILC Gold, ILC Silver, ILC Bronze
12 Tickets: Deacon Legend-Deacon Booster
10 Tickets: Football Season Ticket Holders, General Public

If you are not a current Deacon Club member and wish to join for an opportunity to improve your ticket assignment, please call the Deacon Club at 336-758-5626.

All tickets will be sent via mobile delivery. There are no printed tickets available for TIAA Bank Field.

Details regarding student ticketing and tailgate options are being finalized and more information will be available soon and communicated to all Wake Forest students.

Parking Passes
Please click here to purchase parking passes from the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl website directly.

Quotes:
Head Coach Dave Clawson:
"I'm excited for our student-athletes who deserve to play in a Tier I bowl and the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl is a perfect fit for this team and our fans. The opportunity to play a tradition-rich SEC opponent like Texas A&M in a city where our program won an ACC Championship and played in the inaugural game for this historic bowl in 1946 will be outstanding. That week and game will cap this memorable season for our program."

Athletic Director John Currie:
"On behalf of President Susan R. Wente, Ph.D., 2021 ACC Coach of the Year Dave Clawson and our student-athletes, I am honored to accept this invitation to the historic TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. The Gator Bowl is the sixth-oldest bowl game and is among the most prestigious of all the Atlantic Coast Conference affiliations. It's exciting to return to the site of both our 2006 ACC Championship and where we played our first postseason game in program history in 1946. With an ACC Atlantic Division Championship, multiple sellouts inside Truist Field, 10 wins, a national ranking, and an incredible 30,000-plus Wake Forest fans in attendance for Saturday's conference title game in Charlotte, we are enjoying one of the most memorable seasons in Demon Deacons history. The Taxslayer Gator Bowl is a great location for our fans and player families alike and all eyes will be on Wake Forest University and our football program with the game broadcast on ESPN ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinals that afternoon. I can't wait to see Jacksonville painted in Old Gold & Black on New Year's Eve!"

Pregame Events & Travel Information
Wake Forest is currently finalizing details on official events for the 2021 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Details on the pregame events, including registration and pricing, will be released in the coming days.

Travel information, including bus transportation from Winston-Salem, and fan hotel block details, are also being finalized and will be released later this week. If you are interested in receiving updated information about the official events or travel options please click here to fill out a brief survey to ensure you are the first to receive this information once it is finalized.

Most importantly, if you are planning to join the Deacs in Jacksonville, buy your tickets now! Pregame events and travel packages will not include a game ticket.

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2021 Game Recaps

Week 1: Deacons Down Old Dominion in Season Opener, 42-10
- Wake Forest put up six touchdowns en route to a 32-point victory over the Monarchs on Opening Night.
Week 2: Wake Forest Defeats Norfolk State at Truist Field, 41-16
- The Demon Deacons relied on a balanced offensive attack to control the non-conference matchup with the Spartans, notching 252 yards through the air and 161 yards on the ground.
Week 3: Wake Forest Tops Florida State in ACC Opener, 35-14
- The Demon Deacons opened the 2021 conference slate in front of an electric atmosphere inside Truist Field that included the largest student crowd since 2006 while forcing a Clawson era record six turnovers.
Week 4: Wake Forest Earned Road Victory at Virginia, 37-17
- The Demon Deacons offense proved again to be one of the most potent in the country as they scored on their first seven possessions of the game before Wake Forest registered its first punt of the game with 8:30 left in the fourth quarter and a 20-point lead.
Week 5: Wake Forest Captured Thrilling ACC Victory Over Louisville, 37-34
- Nick Sciba's fourth quarter field goal proved to be the difference for the Demon Deacons in a back-and-forth contest between ACC Atlantic Division rivals.
Week 6: Resilience, Team Effort Lead Deacs to Road Overtime Win at Syracuse, 40–37
- Redshirt sophomore wide receiver A.T. Perry secured the sixth victory for the Demon Deacons this season with an overtime touchdown catch.
Week 8: Explosive Offensive Performance Leads Deacs to Road Win at Army, 70-56
- Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman finished the day with a program record tying five touchdown passes and a career-best 458 yards on 23-of-29 passing.
Week 9: Wake Forest Defeats Duke Behind Complete Team Performance in Front of Sellout Crowd at Truist Field
- Record crowd and an exciting atmosphere surrounded a great performance by the Demon Deacons in all three phases of the game.
Week 10: Wake Forest Falls in Non-Conference Contest at North Carolina
- In the 109th meeting between the teams, Wake Forest was led by Sam Hartman as the redshirt sophomore quarterback went 25-of-51 for 398 yards and five passing and two rushing touchdowns, respectively.
Week 11: Deacon Nation Enjoys Postgame Celebration on Field Following Hard-Fought Big Four Victory Over NC State
- In front of the 11th-largest crowd in program lore (34,503) and the highest student attendance in Wake Forest history (4,584), the No. 12 Demon Deacons earned a hard-fought victory on Saturday night over No. 16 NC State inside Truist Field, 45-42.
Week 12: Wake Forest Drops Road Contest at Clemson
- With Nick Sciba's third quarter field goal, Wake Forest broke its all-time scoring record for a single season from 2017.
Week 13: Wake Forest defeated Boston College to earn the 2021 Atlantic Division title.
- Turnovers, stifling defense and excellent offensive execution led No. 18 Wake Forest to its fourth road win, seventh Atlantic Coast Conference victory and 10th overall victory this season. Boston College was limited to just 19 passing yards, converted just 1-of-10 third downs and the Demon Deacon defense forced three turnovers.
Week 14: Wake Forest Falls to Pittsburgh in ACC Championship
- Deacon Nation brought incredible energy to Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night in Wake Forest's first ACC Championship Game appearance since 2006.

Team/Individual Stats of Note:

Wake Forest's 10-3 record this season marks the second time in program history that it has won double-digit games
- Dave Clawson is the only active Power 5 head coach in the country to win double-digit games in a single season at four different Division I institutions.
Wake Forest is 15-2 at home since the start of the 2019 season. Additionally with a perfect 6-0 mark this season, the Deacs recorded their first undefeated home record for the first time since 1979 and just the third time since Wake Forest's 1970 ACC Championship team.
- Meanwhile, six home wins ties the program record that was set in 2019.
- Wake Forest has won nine-straight games inside Truist Field which marks the longest home winning streak in program history. The streak dates back to the win over Campbell on Oct. 2, 2020.
Wake Forest is tied for 10th in the country to play at least nine bowl eligible teams entering the Championship Weekend of the season.
The Demon Deacons were also the first school in the conference to become bowl eligible with a perfect mark of 6-0. The Deacs 8-0 start to the season was the best in school history in addition to having the longest winning streak in school history.
The Demon Deacons seven league victories are the most in program history.
With Nick Sciba's third quarter field goal against Clemson two weeks ago, Wake Forest broke its all-time scoring record for a single season (2017: 459).
- The Demon Deacons are now up to 536 combined points this season. They became the first Wake Forest team to cross over the 500-point mark in school history against Boston College.
  - The Atlantic Coast conference record is 723 points by Florida State in 2013 (14 games, 51.6 average).
Wake Forest became just the third ACC member institution to score 500 or more points in a single season (Florida State and Clemson) and just the second in the College Football Playoff Era (Clemson). Later this season, Pitt became the four member institution to do so:
- 723 - Florida State (2013)
- 664 - Clemson (2018)
- 563 - Florida State (1995)
- 559 - Pitt (2021)
- 536- Wake Forest (2021), Florida State (1993)
- 522 - Clemson (2020)
- 513 - Florida State (1992)
- 511 - Florida State (2000)
  - Additionally, Wake Forest became just the 82nd team in the college football modern era (Post-WWII) to cross over the milestone of 500 points scored in a single season against Boston College.
Wake Forest is currently averaging 41.2 points per game, which would be another school-record setting season.
- Coach Dave Clawson and Warren Ruggiero averaged 36.0 ppg. in 2020, 35.3 ppg. in 2017, 32.8 ppg. in 2018 and 31.8 ppg. in 2019.
- Wake Forest and Clemson are the only schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference to average over 30 ppg. over the past four years. The Demon Deacons are well on pace to achieve this mark again.
Nick Sciba, who broke the program record for career points in Week 4 at Virginia, increased his career point total to 421 with three extra points tonight against Pitt.
- Sciba continues to rise on the ACC all-time scoring list as well, moving closer to Ross Martin who sits in third:
  - 1. Travis Etienne 468 2017 2020 Clemson
  - 2. Dustin Hopkins 466 2009 2012 Florida State
  - 3. Ross Martin 430 2012 2015 Duke
  - 4. Nick Sciba* 421 2018 2021 Wake Forest
  - 5. Roberto Aguayo 405 2013 2015 Florida State
  - 6. Chandler Catanzaro 404 2010 2013 Clemson
  - 7. Michael Badgley 403 2014 2017 Miami
  - Joey Slye 403 2014 2017 Virginia Tech
  - 8. Nick Novak* 393 2001 2004 Maryland
Sam Hartman finished Saturday's contest 22-of-46 for 213 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score.
Over the past 10 games, Hartman has thrown the ball for 3,233 yards, 30 touchdowns while completing his passes at a 56.9 clip.
He continues to inch closer to the all-time passing yardage list as Hartman has now thrown the second-most yards in program history.
- Career Passing Yardage List
  1. Riley Skinner (2006-09)                     9,762
  2. Sam Hartman (2018-present)           8,962
  3. Tanner Price (2010-13)                      8,899
  4. John Wolford (2014-17)                     8,794
  5. Brian Kuklick (1994-98)                    8,017
  6. Mike Elkins (1985-88)                       7,304
  7. Gary Schofield (1981-83)                   7,205
Hartman scored the Demon Deacons second score of the game with an 11-yard scamper into the endzone.
- The TD run marked his 11th scoring jaunt of the 2021 season, which ranks second in program history for touchdown rushes by a QB in program history.
  - 1. Larry Russell (1971) -- 15
  - 2. Sam Hartman (2021) -- 11
  - 3. John Wolford (2017) -- 10
  - Larry Russell (1970) -- 10
  - Freddie Summers (1967) -- 10
  - 6. Kendall Hinton (2015) -- 7
  - Freddie Summers (1968) -- 7
  - 8. John Wolford (2016) -- 6
  - Jamie Newman (2019) -- 6
Hartman's first touchdown pass to A.T. Perry in the first quarter against NC State marked the 61st touchdown pass of his career. He added to his total with two touchdown passes on Saturday:
- 1. Sam Hartman (2018-Pres.), 69
  2. Riley Skinner (2006-09), 60
  3. John Wolford (2014-17), 59
  4. Tanner Price (2010-13), 52
  5. Gary Schofield (1981-83), 44
  Brian Kulklick (1994-98), 44
  7. Mike Elkins (1985-88), 43
  8. Jay Venuto (1979-80), 37
Additionally, Hartman is now tied for the ninth-most career touchdown passes in ACC history, joining Lamar Jackson and Brad Kaaya.
- 1. Tajh Boyd, Clemson 2010-13 -- 107
- 2. Philip Rivers, NC State 2000-03 -- 95
- 3. Deshaun Watson, Clemson 2014-16 -- 90
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson 2018-20 -- 90
- Sam Howell, North Carolina 2019-present --91
- 6. Chris Weinke, Florida State 1997-00 -- 79
- 7. Russell Wilson, NC State 2008-10 -- 76
- 8. Jacory Harris, Miami 2008-11 -- 70
- 9. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest, 2018-pres. - 69
  Brad Kaaya, Miami 2014-16 -- 69
  Lamar Jackson, Louisville 2015-17 -- 69
Hartman is also rising the ranks in ACC single season history as the Charlotte, N.C. native moved into 11th on the all-time list 17th and could become just the 10th 4,000-yard passer in conference history with 76 yards:
- ALL-TIME ACC SEASON PASSING YARDS
  1.         Deshaun Watson (2016)            4,593    Clemson
  2.         Matt Ryan (2007)                      4,507    Boston College
  3.         Philip Rivers (2003)                  4,491    NC State
  4.         Brennan Armstrong (2021)        4,444    Virginia
  5.         Kenny Pickett (2021)                 4,319    Pitt
  6.         Chris Weinke (2000)                 4,167    Florida State
  7.         Deshaun Watson (2015)            4,109    Clemson
  8.         Jameis Winston (2013)              4,057    Florida State
  9.         Mike Glennon (2012)                4,031    NC State
  10.       Ryan Finley (2018)                   3,928    NC State
  11.       Sam Hartman (2021)               3,924    Wake Forest
  12.       Jameis Winston (2014)              3,907    Florida State
  13.       Tajh Boyd (2012)                      3,896    Clemson
  14.       Tajh Boyd (2013)                      3,851    Clemson
  15.       Tajh Boyd (2011)                      3,828    Clemson
  16.       Anthony Dilweg (1988)             3,824    Duke
  17.       Mitch Trubisky (2016)               3,748    North Carolina
With three touchdown passes against Boston College, he became the 9th player in ACC history with at least 34 touchdown passes in a season on Saturday. He broke the school record with his final touchdown pass against NC State and continues to add to his program record:

SEASON PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
1. Sam Hartman (2021) -- 36
2. John Wolford (2017) -- 29
3. Riley Skinner (2009) -- 26
Jamie Newman (2019) -- 26

With his one rushing touchdown and two touchdown passes against Pitt, Hartman is now responsible for 47 touchdowns this season which is the highest total in the conference entering Saturday's slate of games. Only five other players in ACC history have been responsible for at least 44 touchdowns in a season:
- Lamar Jackson (51 TDs)
- Deshaun Watson (50 TDs)
- Deshaun Watson, Sam Hartman, Kenny Pickett (47 TDs)
- Tajh Boyd (46 TDs)
- Lamar Jackson, Trevor Lawerence (45 TDs)
- Tajh Boyd, Jameis Winston (44 TDs)
After reeling in a five-yard touchdown reception for Wake Forest's first score of the game on Saturday, A.T. Perry has 14 touchdown catches this season and Jaquarii Roberson has eight.
- Perry and Roberson have the chance to be the first pair of Wake Forest teammates to each catch double-digit touchdowns in a single season in program history. Additionally, they have the chance to be the first wide receiver duo in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accomplish the feat.

After reeling in a five-yard touchdown reception for Wake Forest's first score of the game on Saturday, A.T. Perry caught his 14th TD of the season to add to his single-season touchdown reception record:.
- 1. A.T. Perry (2021) -- 14
  2. Kenny Duckett (1980) -- 12
  3. Sage Surratt (2019) -- 11
  Ricky Proehl (1989) -- 11
  5. Greg Dortch (2017) -- 9
  Cam Serigne (2017) -- 9
  Marlon Estes (1995) -- 9
  Chris Givens (2011) -- 9
  9. Jaquarii Roberson (2021) -- 8
  Jaquarii Roberson (2020) -- 8
  Greg Dortch (2018) -- 8
  Chris Givens (2009) -- 8
  Ricky Proehl (1988) -- 8
  Desmond Clark (1998) -- 8
  Wayne Baumgardner (1979) -- 8
  John Zeglinski (1975) -- 8
With his touchdown reception on Saturday bringing him to 14 on the season, A.T. Perry is now tied for seventh all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
- 1. Deandre Hopkins -- 18 (2012, Clemson)
- 2. Jordan Addison -- 17 (2021, Pitt)
- Clarkston Hines -- 17 (1989, Duke)
- 3. Torry Holt -- 16 (1997, NC State)
- 4. Kelvin Benjamin -- 15 (2013, Florida State)
- Calvin Johnson -- 15 (2006, Georgia Tech)
- Andre Cooper -- 15 (1995, Florida State)
- 7. Amba Etta-Tawo -- 14 (2016, Syracuse)
- A.T. Perry -- 14 (2021, Wake Forest)
Additionally, Perry and Roberson and the eighth and ninth Demon Deacon wide receivers to go over the 1,000-yard mark in single-season receiving yards. They are the second pair of Wake Forest receivers to accomplish this feat in the same season (2019: Sage Surratt, Kendall Hinton).
Wake Forest is believed to be the only school in Atlantic Coast Conference history to accomplish this feat twice. With that, Wake Forest is the only program in the conference to accomplish this benchmark twice since at least 1996.
- Wake Forest Single Season 1,000 Yard Receivers
- 1. Chris Givens (2011) -- 1,330
- 2. A.T. Perry (2021) -- 1,166
- 3. Jaquarii Roberson (2021) -- 1,078
- Greg Dortch (2018) -- 1.078
- 5. Ricky Proehl (1989) -- 1,053
- 6. Kenneth Moore (2007) -- 1,011
- 7. Sage Surratt (2019) -- 1,001
- Kendall Hinton (2019) -- 1,001
- 9. Wayne Baumgardner (1979) -- 1,000

Last Time in Jacksonville

The last time the Demon Deacons were in Jacksonville and TIAA Bank Field Wake Forest captured its second Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in program history, winning the second ever ACC Championship game in 2006, 9-6.
Sam Swank earned MVP honors at the 2006 ACC Championship after connecting on three field goals in the Deacs 9-6 victory. He also served as the Demon Deacons' punter, accounting for 298 yards on seven punts.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Riley Skinner, who won the 2006 ACC Rookie of the Year award, threw for 201 yards on 14-of-25 pass attempts. This included a 45-yard completion to Willie Idlette on the game winning drive. The completion brought the ball to the Georgia Tech 12-yard line and set up Swank for the eventual game-winning field goal from 22 yards out at the 2:55 mark of the fourth quarter.
The Wake Forest defense limited Georgia Tech to just 272 total yards and just 9-of-29 passing on the day. The Demon Deacons' also intercepted two passes including one that was returned by Wake Forest great and future first-round pick Aaron Curry. Fellow linebacker John Abbate ended the afternoon with a game-high 15 tackles and had the Deacs lone sack of the game.

Bowl History
The Deacs are 9-6 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.

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.

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.

2019 Pinstripe Bowl -- December 27, 2019

Wake Forest, 21; Michigan State, 27
- Wake Forest's record-setting offense started off the New Era Pinstripe Bowl like it started many games in 2019, by scoring on its opening drive. The Deacs scored on a Kendall Hinton 29-yard touchdown reception to grab the early 7-0 lead. Michigan State answered and went ahead 10-7 on a field goal and a tipped-pass interception returned for a touchdown. The Deacons regained the lead in the second quarter when breakout freshman wide receiver Donavon Greene gave Wake Forest a 14-10 lead when he made an acrobatic, one-handed catch in the end zone, a catch that was the No. 7 play of the day on that night's SportsCenter. After MSU went up 17-14 midway through the second quarter, Wake Forest regained the lead when Jack Freudenthal scored on a 44-yard touchdown reception. A late Spartan field goal left the Deacs with a 21-20 halftime advantage. Michigan State regained the lead with a short pass that gave the Spartans a 27-21 advantage early in the third quarter, which would prove to be the final tally of the game. Following a Michigan State missed field goal with three minutes left in the fourth quarter that would have iced the game, there wasn't a soul in Yankee Stadium that didn't believe the Wake Forest offense would engineer another game-winning, last-second drive, just as it did in the 2017 Belk Bowl and 2018 Birmingham Bowl. But the drive stalled and the Deacons' hopes were dashed.

2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl -- Dec. 30, 2020

Wake Forest 28; Wisconsin 42
- The Wake Forest football team fell to Wisconsin, 42-28, in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Wednesday afternoon. The Deacs are now 15-12 all-time in neutral site games played in Charlotte. It snapped a three-game winning streak in the Queen City that included 2017 Belk Bowl and 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl wins. A four-game winning streak in October highlighted the Demon Deacons' run to a program record fifth-straight bowl appearance. The streak is the third longest in the ACC, trailing just Clemson and Miami (FL). Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaquarii Roberson continued to cement his season as one of the best in Wake Forest history. The Murfreesboro, N.C. native caught a touchdown on his first three targets in the game, setting a new career best.With 131 yards in the game, he became just the third player in program history to have four consecutive 100-yard receiving games, which also tied a program record. He joined Chris Givens in 2011 and Wayne Baumgardner in 1979 who each had streaks of four in their respective seasons. Despite playing in just nine games this season, Roberson jumped into the top-10 in single season receiving yards. His 926 receiving yards in 2020 is 10th in Wake Forest history. He became the fourth receiver in the last three seasons to crack into the top 10, joining Sage Surratt, Greg Dortch and Kendall Hinton.

Wake Forest Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Jack Freudenthal

Donavon Greene

Sam Hartman

Sam Hartman

Kendall Hinton

Jamie Newman

A.T. Perry

A.T. Perry

Jaquarii Roberson

Nick Sciba

Justin Strnad

Sage Surratt

Scotty Washington

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