Was it survival or victory? To anyone who stayed for the duration of the game at Truist Field in Winston Salem, it was likely more former than latter. But at 3-0 for Wake Forest, it is what it is, with tons of work to do going into Clemson week. But as The Demon Deacons survive Liberty 37-36, in a last-minute thriller, the list of things that need to be fixed is seemingly longer than it was a week ago. At the end, it was two defensive stands that made the difference between squeaking by and coming out with a crushing loss.
The Wake defense gave up a stunning 437 total yards to a team that has a quarterback whose own coach said he couldn’t handle the game film from last week. Kaidon Salter wound up 19 of 34 for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also ran for another 100 yards and a touchdown.
It did not help that Wake returned to its undisciplined style with eight penalties for 70 yards. The Demon Deacons committed three on defense on the first drive of the game.
Ironically though, it was the defense…a defense that underwent a complete overhaul in the off-season..that saved the day in the closing moments of the game.
Wake had what seemed like a sufficient enough lead at 37-30 with 3:39 left in the game. But Salter drove Liberty downfield. On fourth and four from the Wake 18-yard line, he threw a pass into a crowd in the left side of the end zone. It looked like Malik Mustapha had the interception that would have secured the game. But Liberty receiver Demario Douglas came from behind him and over him and took the ball away for the touchdown. It closed the deficit to one point. There was no question Liberty would go for the two-point conversion and the win on the road.
The Flames ran a double reverse to the right side. Jacorey Johns forced the play to the outside and Chase Jones got the push on CJ Yarborough to the sidelines to stop the conversion two yards shy. From there it was just about running out the clock to remain undefeated.
There was little that was pretty about Wake’s execution or the production. The offense only turned in 24 yards rushing and 349 in total yards. Hartman was a rather pedestrian 26 of 44 throwing for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. While the yardage and touchdowns may look good on a stat line, the performance was uneven at best. The two interceptions were less from spectacular defensive play than poor execution on the reads by Hartman. There were enough missed throws and receiver drops to go around.
After the game, Hartman gave himself a “D” grade for the game. “I know that tape’s not going to lie. If I grade myself with a “D” I probably got a “D,” he said. He called the game a reality check.
It was a sloppy first quarter by both sides with only Wake managing a 33-yard field goal by Matthew Dennis.
The Demon Deacons outscored Liberty 17-8 in the second quarter. Hartman threw a jump ball pass to the left side of the end zone that allowed Jahmal Banks to use his athleticism over the defensive back and come down with the 16-yard touchdown completion.
Wake added a 27-yard field goal by Dennis to extend the lead to 13-3. But more sloppiness set in. Backed up inside their own 10-yard line, Wake had an Ivan Mora punt blocked that went for a safety to make the score 13-5. Liberty added its own field goal by Nick Brown to make it 13-8.
At the end of the half, with :52 left, Hartman rolled to his right, then threw across his body to the left to Blake Whiteheart in the flat. The tight end carried a defender the last six yards into the end zone.
Even at 20-5 at the half, there was a sense that Liberty was not going to go away quietly. Salter would make his presence known, and this week’s game tape a little more watchable for Freeze.
On Liberty’s first drive of the second half, he took off up the middle, surely aware that his coach said he ran too much last week, and outraced the Wake defense for a 43-yard touchdown scamper to make it 20-15.
On its next drive, Liberty got another 43-yard touchdown run by running back Dae Dae Hunter. A successful two-point conversion gave Liberty a 23-20 lead and all of a sudden there was some real tension in the Wake Forest crowd. The Demon Deacons had been outscored 15-0 in the third quarter and the wake offense had fallen flat.
Wake tied the game early in the fourth with a 46-yard Dennis field goal. It was the longest of his career and he is now seven for seven on the season.
Liberty was at its own 30 when Salter was walloped by Mustapha and fumbled the ball. Linebacker Ryan Smenda picked it up and returned it to the Liberty four-yard line. Two plays later Hartman threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Banks in the back of the end zone for the 30-23 lead.
Still, Liberty was hanging around. Salter led an eight-play drive that ended with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Douglas who had far too much room in the Wake defensive backfield. The score was tied at 30-30.
Hartman answered with a five-play drive that included two passes good for 75 yards. He connected with Ke’Shawn Williams along the right side for 41 yards. And then again to Williams along the left side for 34 yards down to the Liberty one-yard line. From there Justice Ellison bulled his way up the middle for the touchdown 37-30 lead.
That got us to Liberty’s miraculous touchdown at the end and the failed two-point conversion for the nail-biter of a Wake win.
Clawson acknowledged after the game what could have been. “There’s about four or five plays there that if we don’t make one of them, we don’t win the game,” he said. He was pragmatic about what it took to pull out the win. “I would really give Liberty a lot of credit,” Clawson said. “I think in some ways, in a lot of ways, they outplayed us.”
Early in the third quarter, Hartman became the all-time leading passer in Wake Forest history. A five-yard completion to Williams gave him the school record. At night’s end, he had 9,891 career passing yards. That mark also puts him top ten in conference history.
But he wasn’t happy with his performance and Clawson said his starting quarterback was clearly not himself Saturday night. “We were off,” Clawson said in reference to an offense that lacked rhythm. “Sam was not on. He missed throws he can usually make in his sleep.”
He called the return of the undisciplined penalties, “Brutal. Absolutely brutal. The amount of holds we had. Sometimes we can’t get out of our own way. Obviously, that’s on me.”
At the end of the night, Clawson said, there was time to enjoy it before the work sets in early Sunday. “I’ve learned, when you win, you enjoy it. We’ll have time to fix the problems tomorrow (Sunday). I’m not going to not enjoy this, but, we did not play well.” He said he felt the team would benefit from the tight and learn nothing is to be assumed or taken for granted.
The work starts quickly because with Clemson coming to town for a noon game on Saturday, this type of performance will not have the same ending it did Saturday night.
Main Image courtesy Andy Mead/YCJ
