Despite keeping it close through the first three quarters, the Demon Deacons couldn't keep up with #19 ranked Clemson in a 34-20 loss on Thursday, Nov. 6.
First Quarter
The Demon Deacons got on the board first in their matchup against the Tigers when freshman quarterback John Wolford hit redshirt freshman tight end Cam Serigne for a four-yard touchdown pass with just over one minute left in the first quarter. Mike Weaver's extra point kick was good, and the Deacs found themselves with a 7-0 lead over #19 ranked Clemson at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Over halfway through the second quarter, Clemson finally got on the board when Ammon Lakip hit a 28-yard field goal to make it 7-3. Two minutes later, Cole Stoudt found Artavis Scott with a 4-yard touchdown pass to give Clemson the first lead of the day at 10-7.
Quickly becoming Wolford's favorite target, Serigne caught a 14-yard pass, his second touchdown pass of the day, to give Wake the lead once again at 14-10.
With under a minute left in the first half, Clemson went up 17-14 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Stoudt to Scott. It looked as if the Deacs would go into the half down 3 points but in the dying seconds of the first half, Weaver nailed a 50-yard field goal, a career-long FG for the kicker, to tie things up at 17 for each team.
Third Quarter
A fantastic punt from Kinal forced the Tigers to start from deep within their own territory and limited Clemson to a field goal to make it 20-17 to end the third quarter, with Wake still within reach of an upset.
Fourth Quarter
After that, it was all Clemson, with Wake barely challenging for the remainder of the game. Stoudt hit Scott for a 68-yard touchdown with a little over 10 minutes to play, making it 27-20. Wake couldn't do much of anything with their chance on offense, and when Clemson got the ball back again, Wayne Gallman rushed for 30 yards for a final score of 34-20.
While the scoreboard might have made it look like an even competition for most of the game, Clemson showed just why they're ranked higher - much higher than Wake, and why Wake has a serious uphill battle to go in order to become a competitive program again. Wake finished the game with 112 receiving yards but only 7 rushing yards, showing that there's a long road ahead for the Demon Deacons.
