It was not easy…especially with Wake Forest committing so many self-inflicted wounds. But with the 27-24 win at Stanford Saturday, Wake gets to play meaningful games in the last third of the season. Wake has now won back-to-back road games to get to 4-4 on the season with four games left. Split the four and the Deacs will go to a bowl game.
The Demon Deacons controlled many of the stat lines, including the most egregious. Wake committed 10 penalties for 95 yards, keeping Stanford in the game more than was necessary.
A Change in Tone and Tenor
The biggest difference now is that where Wake was losing the close, one-score games earlier in the season, (Virginia and Louisiana), they have now won three of their last four games, with all three wins being by one score, (North Carolina State, Connecticut, and Stanford).
Clawson was unfazed by what could have been a more decisive win. “It’s going to sound a lot like last week’s press conference. A really good team win on the road,” he said after the game.
Wake came into the game short-handed in an already vulnerable spot. Jamare Glasker had a fever and was held out of the game. And Capone Blue was still out from last week’s injury.
It Started Out One Way
Wake jumped out in the first quarter. On Stanford’s second drive of the game, Kevin Pointer and Jasheen Davis put pressure on Cardinal quarterback Elijah Brown. His pass up the middle was intended for Sam Roush but was intercepted by Davaughn Patterson at the Stanford 35-yard line.
It took just two plays for Wake to score. Hank Bachmeier found Micah Mays behind two defensive backs in the middle of the end zone for the 30-yard touchdown and the 7-0 lead. It was Mays’ first touchdown at Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons scored again on their next possession. Tate Carney had come in at running back for Demond Claiborne who took a helmet to his lower back and had to leave for a few series. Carney picked up 15 yards on two carries on the drive.
And then on fourth and four, Bachmeier had Carney in the flat for a short pass but didn’t make the throw. Instead, Carney sprinted down the right sideline and was two full yards behind the defender, when Bachmeier hit him with the pass for the 39-yard touchdown and the 14-0 lead.
It looked like Wake was in cruise mode. In the middle of the next Stanford drive, the Cardinal made a change at quarterback. Brown was struggling at five for nine passing for only 24 yards and the interception. Ashton Daniels replaced him and the results were profound.
Then It Went A Different Way
Daniels led a scoring drive that went 69 yards in eight plays with Justin Lamson running a keeper up the middle for the final yard to cut the Wake lead to 14-7 in the second quarter.
Stanford tied the game when on second and eight at midfield, Bachmeier was hit from the blind side and fumbled. Tevarua Tafiti picked it up and ran 44 yards for the touchdown to make it 14-14.
Matthew Dennis kicked a 35-yard field goal to make it 17-14 Stanford.
Wake’s defense had its turn at causing a turnover. Stanford running back Chris Davis, Jr. rushed up the middle for 11 yards. But he was hit by defensive back Rushaun Tongue and fumbled. Nick Anderson recovered the ball at the Stanford 36-yard line with four minutes left in the half.
Bachmeier needed just half of that time to lead a five-play, 36-yard scoring drive. On second and two at the 18-yard line, he got the ball in the front of the end zone on the right side to Taylor Morin for the 18-yard touchdown pass. The Wake lead was up to 24-14. With his four catches on the night, Morin passes the 200 reception mark in his Wake Forest career.
Stanford had enough time for one more drive. But after getting all the way down to the Wake 12-yard line, Daniels was sacked by Branson Combs and Pointer for a 12-yard loss with just six seconds on the clock. The Cardinal settled for a 40-yard field goal by Emmet Kenney to close the gap to 24-17 at the half.
From a Lot to a Little
If you are noticing how close that is to the final score, you are not alone. The third quarter was a huge lack of production for both offenses. Wake Forest did put up 108 yards of offense in the quarter but with three penalties that killed drives, the Deacs got zero points out of it. Stanford on the other hand managed all of 22 yards of offense to go with its zero point in the quarter.
But near the end of the third quarter, the Deacs had it fourth and 1 on the Stanford one-yard line. Clawson wanted the two-touchdown lead going into the fourth quarter. Bachmeier was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, and Stanford took over on downs.
After the game, Clawson explained the decision. “With the ball on the one-yard line, you should get it in. I take responsibility for the call,” he said. “They got a lot of penetration and their linebacker plugged.” He added, “If we end up not winning this game, then that’s the dumb-ass decision of the week that cost us the game.
Clawson also said by pinning Stanford back on its one-yard line, he had confidence in the defense. That didn’t go as planned either.
Coming Down to the End…Again
Over the rest of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter Daniels put together a 99-yard scoring drive in 15 plays and burned 7:48 off the game clock. From the Wake 16-yard line, Daniels hit Roush, who broke five Deacs tackles on his way into the end zone for the game-tying score.
Morin proved to be the game changer, but not with his pass-catching. He took an Aidan Flintoft punt at the Wake Forest 14-yard line and returned it 36 yards to midfield with 5:15 on the clock.
Wake used nearly four minutes of the clock before getting a Dennis 23-yard field goal for the final score.
Stanford had one more drive in it and Daniels was working with receiver Elic Ayomanor to pick up big chunks against the Wake defense that was playing not to get beat deep. From the Wake 36-yard line and needing about 10 more yards to get into game-tying field goal range, Daniels threw deep down the left side and it was intercepted by Anderson to secure the game.
Bachmeier finished the game 20 of 31 for 245 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Claiborne came back in after the blow to the back but left later with an apparent shoulder injury. Still, he had 23 carries for 127 yards.
What A Difference A Month Makes
Clawson said the identity of this team is coming into focus. “To start out at 1-3 and kind of be left for dead. And then in the last four weeks, we’re 3-1 with three road wins in the fourth quarter in one-score games. That is not easy to do.”
Wake has its second bye week of the season before returning home for a Friday night game against Cal on November 8th.
Last Word will have complete coverage with player comments after the game on Sunday afternoon.
