Wake Forest Captures Comeback Homecoming Weekend ACC Win Over Pitt, 21-17

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Following a touchdown connection from redshirt sophomore quarterback Santino Marucci to redshirt junior Cameron Hite with just seven seconds remaining, Wake Forest football earned a comeback 21-17 victory over Pitt to earn its first ACC win of the season on Homecoming Weekend.

Trailing the Panthers 10-7 late in the fourth quarter, Wake's offense logged two touchdowns in the final 3:02 of action as sophomore tailback Demond Claiborne registered a 42-yard touchdown run to give Wake Forest a 14-10 lead.

Pitt responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive and forced a Wake Forest interception in its ensuing possession. Undaunted, the Demon Deacons defense held Pitt to a three-and-out before getting the ball back with 40 seconds remaining. The Deacs took advantage as Marucci hit Hite for his first-career touchdown pass.

In addition to Marucci – who started his first-career game at quarterback and went 12-of-21 for 151 yards – the Deacs' ground game churned out 172 yards led by Claiborne's 96-yard, two-touchdown performance inside Allegacy Stadium.

Defensively, the Deacs were led by redshirt sophomore cornerback Dashawn Jones' 10 tackles, including one for loss. As a team, the Demon Deacons tallied nine tackles-for-loss.

Saturday marked the rematch of the 2021 ACC Championship Game and the Deacs (4-3, 1-3 ACC) captured the program's first-ever win over the Panthers (2-5, 1-3 ACC) in the three-game series history between these two schools. Additionally, Wake Forest is now 23-5 (.821) at home since the start of the 2019 season. That win percentage is the second-best home mark in the conference behind Clemson.

Finally, a capacity crowd of 31,855 fans were on-hand today inside Allegacy Stadium, including 4,135 students, to witness the Demon Deacons improve to 13-3 in the month of October since the start of the 2020 season.

Wake Forest remains home next week against No. 4 Florida State on Saturday, Oct. 28. Kickoff time will be announced later tonight or tomorrow. Stay turned to GoDeacs.com and Wake Forest's social media platforms for that announcement. Fans can purchase single-game tickets now for the game a week from today or for the Demon Deacons Senior Day against NC State on Saturday, Nov. 11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wake Forest won the opening coin toss and deferred its option to the second half.
Pitt took the opening drive 75-yards on 13 plays to grab a 7-0 lead with 8:12 left in the first quarter.
The Deacs forced their 26th three-and-out of the season on the Panthers' second drive of the game, highlighted by a thumping two-yard tackle for loss by DaShawn Jones.
Midway through the second quarter, a Quincy Bryant two-yard tackle for loss on a third down play forced the Panthers into a 4th-and-7 attempt at the Deacs' 36-yard line. The Wake Forest defense forced a turnover on downs, as Pitt's pass attempt hit the Allegacy Stadium turf at the 13-yard line.
Fueled by a 22-yard pass completion to Demond Claiborne from Santino Marucci on a first down pass and an ensuing 15-yard penalty on the Panthers, Wake Forest struck with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter on an 18-yard touchdown run from Claiborne.
The two teams went into halftime deadlocked at 7-7.
The Demon Deacon defense forced its second turnover on downs of the game with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter, as a group of Wake Forest defenders led by Jacob Roberts stopped the Panthers for no gain on a 4th-and-1 rushing attempt.
Pitt took a 10-7 lead with 13:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, converting on a 41-yard field goal attempt.
The Deacs would take their first lead of the game with 3:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, driving 89 yards in just six plays as Claiborne capped the drive with a 42-yard rushing touchdown. Seventy-four of the Deacs' 89 yards on the drive came on the ground.
- It marks the first multi-rushing touchdown performance of Claiborne's collegiate career.
Pitt would respond with a touchdown of their own with 1:30 remaining, as the Panthers drove 75 yards in seven plays to take a 17-14 lead.
The Panthers forced a Wake Forest turnover with 1:03 left in regulation, however, the Deacs forced a punt and got the ball back at their own 48-yard line with 40 seconds remaining.
The Demon Deacon offense took advantage of the time given, scoring a go-ahead touchdown with just seven seconds left as Marucci found Cameron Hite for a 15-yard touchdown.
Pitt's attempt at a comeback was denied, as the Panthers tried two late pass attempts but neither was completed.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Running back Demond Claiborne rushed for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Wake Forest's win over Pittsburgh.

His 18-yard rush in the second quarter gave the sophomore at least one touchdown in the last four games, becoming the first Demon Deacon to accomplish this feat since Christian Beal-Smith did so in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl and first three games to open the 2021 season.

Additionally, his 42-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter marked the longest scamper of his career.

STAGGERING STATISTICS
With redshirt sophomore Santino Marucci recording his first-career start at quarterback on Saturday for the Demon Deacons, he became the sixth starting QB in the Dave Clawson era. The Jacksonville, Fla. native threw for 151 yards as he went 12-of-21 with one touchdown pass against Pitt inside Allegacy Stadium. Marucci is the fifth-straight to lead Wake Forest to victory in his debut under-center.

Mitch Griffis - Sept. 1, 2022 vs. VMI:
- In Week 1 of the 2022 season, Griffis went 21-of-29 for 288 yards and three touchdowns against VMI. His 72.4 percent in a first career start is the second-best in school history and the best mark since 2006. Also, Griffis' three touchdown passes against VMI were the second most by a Wake Forest quarterback in his first career start.
Jamie Newman - Nov. 8, 2018 at No. 14 NC State:
- Newman led the Deacons to come-from-behind 27-23 win with game-winning 2-minute drill at No. 14 NC State. He hit TE Jack Freudenthal with a 32-yard pass with 30 seconds left to secure the win for Wake Forest. Overall, Newman completed 22-of-33 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns and became third QB in school history to throw three TD passes in first career start, joining Keith West vs Vanderbilt (1990) and Norm Snead vs. Maryland (1958).
Sam Hartman - Aug. 30, 2018 at Tulane:
- Hartman had the best statistical debut in school history when he completed 31-of-51 passes for 378 yards (.608 completion percentage) and two touchdowns in an overtime win at Tulane in 2018 the season-opener. Hartman became the first Wake true freshman QB to win a season-opener. All his passing marks were school-bests for a true freshman in their first career start.
Kendall Hinton - Sept. 26, 2015 at Indiana:
- As a freshman, Hinton made his first career start vs. Indiana and had 245 passing yards and completed 19 passes with one touchdown. Hinton also rushed 22 times for 57 yards with two touchdowns.
John Wolford - Aug. 28, 2014 at ULM:
- Wolford became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season-opener in program history and he finished with 97 passing yards, five away from Solomon Everett's 1974 record of 102 for a true freshman in a debut. Wolford also became the first true freshman to complete better than 50 percent of his passes (12-of-22) in his first start.

FROM COACH CLAWSON
"I just think that is a win that took heart and guys were fighting. I'm so proud of our team and the coaching staff. We had a game plan that we knew we had to execute tonight. I think that we had to play good defense. We had to be really physical. We had to run the ball and try to make some explosive plays. We had to take care of it and try to get to the fourth quarter in a one-score game. Just the way that last thing played out. I don't know if we will ever recreate that. We work all different end of game scenarios and I've never even worked that one. What a great crowd with support from the students. So many football alums were back and we are glad that we could give them a win. Pittsburgh is a physical football team. I am really proud of our team. What can you say? You go through three weeks like we have and it is easy to go out there and be a no-show. But we haven't done that all year. It hasn't always been pretty and the execution hasn't always been great. But our kids fight and they play with great effort and that gives us a chance. We have had some great wins here. We have had wins to be bowl eligible or get to the ACC Championship. I am not going to say that is the greatest win we have ever had, but I don't know if I have ever been more proud of a football team. I think that game compares to NC State in 2018 in terms of being proud of a team and those are the two that stick out the most."

UP NEXT
Wake Forest remains home next week against No. 4 Florida State on Saturday, Oct. 28. Kickoff time will be announced later tonight or tomorrow. Stay turned to GoDeacs.com and Wake Forest's social media platforms for that announcement. Fans can purchase single-game tickets now for the game a week from today or for the Demon Deacons Senior Day against NC State on Saturday, Nov. 11. Limited tickets remain for both contests.

Coach Dave Clawson's squad is an astounding 23-5 inside Allegacy Stadium since the start of the 2019 season and plays two of its next three games in Winston-Salem.

Wake Forest Athletics

Wake Forest Captures Comeback Homecoming Weekend ACC Win Over Pitt, 21-17

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Players Mentioned

Quincy Bryant

Demond Claiborne

Mitch Griffis

Sam Hartman

Cameron Hite

DaShawn Jones

Santino Marucci

Jacob Roberts

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