Noting Wake Forest's win over Clemson

With a 12-7 victory over Clemson on Thursday night, No. 21 Wake Forest has started 2-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1987. 

The Demon Deacons (4-1, 2-0) prevailed in ugly fashion, though how they won mattered less to fans than the fact that before a national television audience on ESPN they lived up to their billing as the favored team. With boisterous pompon waving and applause, those black-and-gold clad fans showed their appreciation to coach Jim Grobe and his team as they headed to the locker room.

A season-high 33,988 spectators attended the game, the 11th largest crowd in school history. And though they scored the fewest points at home since 1994, the Deacs solidified their status as a front-runner in the Atlantic Division race for a berth in the conference championship. A reason to clap.

“It was great for our players, great for our program, great exposure and an opportunity for people to take a look at Wake Forest,” Grobe said.

Wake Forest, a school historically with the third lowest overall winning percentage among the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, now has 24 wins since the start of the 2006 season.

Grobe assessed his team successful points and problem spots as they edged Clemson:

•The Deacs held the Tigers to 21 rushing yards on 23 attempts. A Clemson team averaging 6.3 yards per carry, managed only 0.9 against a Wake Forest defense that has been solid this season – ranked fourth in the ACC in total defense.

“We played with attitude,” Wake linebacker Aaron Curry said. “We played in a bad mood, but we were having fun.”

With a persistent push from their front four – Matt Robinson, Boo Robinson, John Russell and Anthony Davis – the Deacs held Clemson running backs James Davis (12 for 25 yards) and C.J. Spiller (2 for 10) in tact and disrupted quarterback Cullen Harper (15 of 35 for 177 yards, 1 TD).

Wake senior Alphonso Smith tied the school’s career interception record with his third this season and 17th overall, while Russell registered a career-high two sacks.

Grobe said the defense refused to pout when the offense struggled to score and placed a tougher burden on them. Instead, he said the group communicated, recognizing formations and players better than in previous games.

“I’m not only proud about the way we’re playing defense,” Grobe said. “but just the attitude that those guys have right now.” 

•As the Deacs’ offense fixed some problems that ailed it– an anemic run game and ineffective offensive line play – they were still unable to score. For the first time in Grobe’s eight seasons, the Deacs were held to less than 20 points in three straight games.

They amassed 342 yards of total offense, yet failed to score a touchdown just once in five redzone chances.

•To help the running game, Grobe said the plan was to use quarterback Riley Skinner, who usually beats teams with his arm, though used his feet on Thursday, rushing for a career-high 73 yards on 11 carries. 

Skinner mostly took keepers up the middle. His longest run was 21 yards. 

“If we’re going to split guys out, we’re going to have to run the ball up the middle so that they can’t just hone in on to what we’re doing,” he said.

So is he now a running quarterback?

“No,” he said. “Definitely not. I was out of breath out there.”

• Skinner used his arm in the fourth quarter to find senior receiver D.J. Boldin, who arguably made two of Wake’s biggest catches thus far this season. 

On the Deacs’ game-winning 78-yard drive, Boldin caught a 28-yard pass on third-and-24. Later, he caught a 7-yard pass and ran for his first career touchdown.

"We worked on that play all week in practice,” he said. “Coach always told us the under route [gets] robbed and I was going to be open.”

• Wake senior kicker Sam Swank missed his first career game, snapping a team-record 42 consecutive starts. Early in the week he strained his right quadriceps and was listed as questionable for the game. Soreness in the morning and during pregame warm-up prevented his full range of motion and coaches decided redshirt Shane Popham would replace him the lineup for his first career start.

Popham, who converted two of four field goal attempts, was the first Wake player to kick or punt other than Swank since 2005. 

" I think he was a little nervous in kicking field goals but I think he did a nice job of punting the ball," Grobe said. 

Popham's longest punt was 42 yards and placed the ball inside the 20 four times. 

"I just wanted to do the best I could to prove myself because I had a challenge thrown at me," said Popham, who made field goals from 22 and 32 yards.