Oct. 9, 2008

11:10 p.m. Postgame
Coach Grobe is about to take the stand for his postgame interview. I have to go attend to my postgame duties for a bit. Remember to check out WakeForestSports.com for Chad Crunk's game recap and postgame quotes and notes.

11:06 p.m. Quick Postgame Notes
-- This is the first time Wake has started 2-0 in the conference since 1987.
-- Wake held the potent Clemson rushing attack to just 21 yards on 23 carries.
-- Skinner was Wake's top rusher with a career-high 73 yards on a career-high tying 11 attempts.
-- Wake Forest was 10-of-21 on third down conversion while Clemson was just 2-for-14.
-- Skinner was 22-of-34 for 186 yards and one touchdown. Harper was 15-of-35 for 177 yards and one TD.

10:55 p.m. - Final -- Wake Forest 12, Clemson 7
What a big win for the Deacs. As the fireworks are popping over head, the team is gathering by the band and the student section for the alma mater. What a great scene.

10:52 p.m.
FIRST DOWN! Adams ran for three yards to the 18 giving Wake a 1st down. With just 1:52 to go, Wake has lined up in victory formation for a couple of knee's to run out the clock.

10:51 p.m.
Adams gained nine yards on first down and then lost a yard on second down setting Wake up with a 3rd and 2 with 2:02 to go on the Clemson 21.

10:48 p.m.
As is has all game, the defense comes through again. Harper's pass down the middle was broken up by Arnoux on 3rd down and faced with another 4th and long, Harper dropped back and looked over the middle again but Arnoux was waiting to knock the pass down once again. Deacs take over on the Clemson 29 yard line with 3:37 to play.

10:46 p.m.
An incomplete pass on 1st down and a holding penalty on the next play sets up a 2nd and 20 for Clemson on the 29 with 3:53 left.

10:44 p.m.
After a sack by John Russell on second down set up a 3rd and 17, Harper's pass fell incomplete. Looking at 4th and 17 from its own 20 with just 4:26 to play and no timeouts, Clemson goes for it. Harper's pass was complete to Xavier Dye who then slipped a pair of tackle and lunged forward for a remarkable 1st down. It was Dye's first catch of the game. 1st and 10 Clemson at the 39 with 4:03 to go.

10:40 p.m.
Clemson takes over on its own 27 yard line with 5:28 to go in the game. Clemson is also without any timeouts.

10:39 p.m.- Wake Forest 12, Clemson 7
After a fifth first down, Skinner hit Boldin on a screen pass at the Wake 8 yard line and Boldin slipped a tackle and walked in the endzone for his first career touchdown grab. The Deacon's two-point attempt failed as they take a 12-7 lead. The scoring drive lasted 15 plays and covered 78 yards in 5:05. Skinner was 3-for-3 on 3rd down on the drive.

10:35 p.m.
The Deacs are on the move. A pair of passes to Pendergrass and a 1st down pass to Kevin Harris came the Deacs a fourth first down on the drive.

10:25 p.m.
Clemson's drive stalled after a pair of first downs and punted to the Deacs once again. Wake started at its own 22 and lost eight yards on the first two plays of the drive. But on 3rd and 18, Skinner hit Boldin across the middle for a huge 22-yard pick up and a Deacon first down. That may have been the play of the game.

Two plays later, Pendergrass scampered 13 yards for another first down out to the Wake 49 with just under nine minutes to play.

10:20 p.m. - Clemson 7, Wake Forest 6.
After a run from Adams, Wooster dropped a would-be touchdown pass and Skinner's 3rd down pass was out of Adams bringing up a fourth down. Popham then drilled a 32-yard field goal to pull Wake within one. It was Popham's second of the game.

10:16 p.m.
The timeout didn't help as Alphonso Smith stepped in front of Ford and picked off Harper's pass at the Clemson 25. He returned it to the Clemson 16. The interception was the 17th of Smith's career tying Ronnie Burgess for the most in school history.

10:12 p.m.
Facing a 3rd and 4, Clemson had personnel problems and was forced to take its final timeout. Let's see if this hurts them down the stretch.

10:08 p.m.
Skinner hit Wooster for a 12 yard completion on 1st down but three straight incomplete passes forced another Wake Forest punt. Popham hit a 31-yarder and the ball was downed on the Clemson 13 yard line.

The Tigers will start the drive with 14:23 to go in the game.

10:00 p.m. - End of the 3rd Quarter
Devon Brown returned the kickoff 38 yards out to the Wake Forest 38 where the Deacons will take over as they trail for the first time in the game.

9:58 p.m. - Clemson 7, Wake Forest 3
Harper found Jacoby Ford on a crossing route for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Ford looked to bobble the ball as he was crossing the goal line but he regained control to give Clemson its first lead of the game. The drive lasted eight plays and covered 70 yards in 3:47.

9:56 p.m.
Clemson picked up its first 3rd down conversion of the game as Harper ran for two yards on 3rd and 2. Clemson has a first and goal from the Wake seven yard line.

9:52 p.m.
On 3rd and 2, Harper's pass was incomplete to Aaron Kelly but Chip Vaughn had an arm around his back as the ball arrived and was flagged for interference giving Clemson a first down on the Wake 15 yard line with 2:38 to go in the quarter.

9:49 p.m.
Where have we seen this before? Wake picks up a pair of first downs but the drive stalls at the Clemson 29. The Deacons decided to go for it on 4th and 4 but Skinner's pass was out of the reach of freshman Andrew Parker turning the ball over to the Tigers.

9:44 p.m.
Thank goodness the defense came to play today. After a crushing pass break up from Alphonso Smith on 2nd down, Wake forced a throw away from Harper on 3rd down. Clemson is now 0-for-8 on third down in the game.

A 36 yard punt from Zimmerman gives the ball back to Wake on its own 38 yard line with 7:44 to go in the 3rd.

9:39 p.m.
The Deacs again tried a pass from wide out DJ Boldin and again it floated down the middle of the field and was broken up. The field position game continues as Popham hit another 41 yard punt down the Clemson nine yard line. Clemson takes over deep in its own territory.

9:35 p.m.
Good start for the defense. A false start backed the Tigers up again and an incomplete pass on 3rd down forced another Clemson punt. Wake takes over with a 1st and 10 on its own 44 yard line with 10:58 to go in the quarter.

9:30 p.m.
After a holding penalty on first down, Clemson picked up 10 yards on a screen pass on 1st and 19 and then took a timeout facing a 2nd and 9 at its own 18.

9:25 p.m.
Skinner rushed for a first down out to the 32 yard line but the drive stalled and Popham came on boomed a 42-yard punt, forcing a fair catch at the Clemson 17 yard line. The Tigers take over on it own 17 with 11:58 to go in the third.

9:21 p.m.
The second half has started. Wake has the ball and will start on its own 21 yard line.

9:19 p.m. - Halftime Show
After the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black put on a nice show, the fans were treated to a short firework display before the players came back out on the field.

Injury Note from the first half: Clemson's C.J. Spiller and Troy Lambert, who both went off with leg injuries in the second quarter, nether player with will return to tonight's game.

9:03 p.m. - Halftime Stats
- Total yards -- Wake Forest 179, Clemson 67
- Rushing yards -- Wake Forest 101, Clemson -6
- Skinner has rushed for 55 yards in the first half. His career-high coming into the game is 30 yards at Maryland on Nov. 25, 2006.
- Skinner was 9-of-12 for 78 yards while Harper is 8-of-13 for 73.
- Third down conversions -- Wake Forest 5-of-10, Clemson 0-of-6.

8:59 p.m. - Halftime, Wake Forest 3, Clemson 0
Harper's pass was short and went out of bounds giving the ball back to Wake with just :04 second left. The Deacs took a knee and went into the locker room with a 3-0 lead.

8:57 p.m.
Clemson takes its final timeout with just :09 seconds on the clock. It's 4th and 3 from the Wake 39.

8:55 p.m.
Clemson has picked up a pair of first downs and is facing a 2nd and 13 with 1:00 left in the half after a sack from John Russell. It was the Deacon's third sack of the ballgame.

8:52 p.m.
The drive stalled at Clemson 21 but Popham's 39 yard field goal attempt missed wide right and yet again, another Wake Forest drive ends in Clemson territory and the Deacs have just three points to show for it.

8:48 p.m.
On 4th and a short one, Clemson came out in punt formation but Michael Hamlin took the direct snap and tried to run up the middle but was stuffed by Anthony Davis as he neared the line. Wake takes over on its own 47 with 4:32 to go in the half.

8:46 p.m.
One play later, Spiller ran for another first down on up to the Clemson 44 yard line. Two plays later, Spiller limped off the field and right guard Mason Cloy also needed help getting off the field. Stay tuned and we'll let you know on the staus of Spiller.

8:42 p.m.
Wake stuffed the Tigers again on 1st down but Harper hit Tyler Grishem on a crossing route for 22 yards and the first Clemson first down of the game at 6:48 of the second quarter.

8:40 p.m.
Popham came out in punt formation and hit a 21-yard punt down the to Clemson 14 where it was downed.

8:38 p.m.
Wake took timeout facing a 4th and 9 at Clemson's 35 with 7:54 on the clock.

8:36 p.m.
After another loss on first down, Skinner turned a broken play into a first down run as he scrambled out of the pocket. He was also hit late out of bounds giving Wake another 15 yards down the Clemson 36 yard line.

On first down, Jevon Williams took a pitch and on a fake end-around and looked down the middle of the field for Skinner who was streaking to the endzone but the pass floated a bit and was broken up before he could make the catch.

8:33 p.m.
On 3rd and 12, Skinner threw a screen pass to Marshall Williams who weaved his way out of traffic and picked up 24 yards for a first down.

8:31 p.m.
Alphonso Smith made a fair catch on the 35 yard punt to set Wake up with a 1st and 10 at the Deacon 15 yard line with 12:54 to play in the half.

8:29 p.m.
The defense is playing well early on. Despite staring in Wake territory, Clemson gained just four yards on the first two plays and a bad snap on third down. Haprer picked the ball up off the ground but was sacked by Kyle Wilber back at the 50-yard line. It was the fourth straight 3-and-out for the Tigers.

8:23 p.m.
After two runs and a completion Chip Brinkman, Wake was still a yard short of the first down and Popham was forced to punt from his own endzone. He could muster just a 32-yard punt and Spiller made the fair catch on Wake's 42. Clemson will take over with its best field position of the night.

8:19 p.m.
The defense holds again as Chip Vaughn hit Durrell Berry after he had appeared to make a first down grab. Dawson Zimmerman came into punt for Clemson and hit a good punt that rolled Clemson's way and it was downed on the Wake Forest one yard line.

8:15 p.m. - End of the First Quarter
Clemson has ran just eight plays in the first quarter and finished with minus three yards. Wake ran a total of 21 plays for 120 yards. Skinner 5-of-6 for 43 yards and ran for 14 yards in the Deacs' scoring drive.

8:14 p.m.
Clemson starts its third drive at its own 42 after a 26-yard kickoff return from C.J. Spiller.

8:12 p.m.
Popham becomes the first Wake player other than Sam Swank to convert a field since Ryan Plackemeier on Nov. 13, 2004.

8:11 p.m. - Wake Forest 3, Clemson 0
Skinner found Pendergrass for another 19 yard completion down to the Clemson five setting up a first and goal. After two failed runs, Skinner was looking for Jevon Williams on a crossing in the back of the endzone but Crezdon Butler made a nice diving play to knock the ball away and for another field goal attempt.

This time, the snap and hold was perfect and Popham nailed a 22-yard field to make the score 3-0.

8:08 p.m.
On 3rd and 2, Skinner found Pendergrass out of the backfield for a gain of nine and a third first down on the drive. The Deacs are putting different players in shotgun formation and running a lot of play fakes in the first two drive.

8:06 p.m.
After a rush for loss of three on first down, Skinner ran for another eight yards and found Ben Wooster for a seven yard gain for another first down on the Wake 45.

Another nine-yard completion to Wooster on first down, Skinner ran a QB draw for six yards and a second Wake Forest first down at the Clemson 40.

8:03 p.m.
Clemson offensive lineman Troy Lambert sprained an ankle on the first series and its unknown if he will return. He was one of just two players to start all six games on the o-line for the Tigers.

8:01 p.m.
On 3rd and 10, Aaron Curry stepped up and hit wide receiver Aaron Kelly on a nice open field tackle forcing a Clemson punt. After a 47 yard punt from Jimmy Maners, the Deacs will start their second drive at its own 33 yard line.

7:58 p.m.
Clemson starts its second drive on its own 20 with just over nine minutes left in the first quarter.

7:57 p.m.
After a 3-and-out from Clemson, thanks to a sack from Stanley Arnoux on 3rd down, Wake took the punt and started at the its own 35.

On first down, DJ Boldin took the handoff from Josh Adams and scampered 19 yards for a first down.

Adams then took a handoff from Skinner and went 23 more yards to setup a first and 10 at the Clemson 23 yard line.

Two plays later, Skinner then went 21 yards on a draw play all the way down to the one yardline.

The Deacs then went three straight snaps with Boldin and Adams taking the direct snaps. They were stopped all three times setting up a 25-yard field goal attempt by Popham. The snap was mishandled by holder Ryan McManus and threw off the timing of Popham. After a promising start, the Wake drive results in no points.

7:46 p.m.
Shane Popham had the kickoff for the Deacs meaning Sam Swank will probably not play tonight with a sore quad.

7:44 p.m. - Pregame Hoopla
A nice firework show and three apache helicopters flew over just prior to kickoff.

7:43 p.m. - Coin Toss
Clemson has won the toss and elects to receive. Wake Forest will kickoff and defend the south goal.

7:40 p.m. - Here come the Deacs!!
Ricky Proehl has opened the gate and the Deacons have entered the field to a rousing welcome for the Wake Forest fans. You can feel the energy in the stands and the fans are probablly as ready as the players are to get the game going.

7:26 p.m. - Getting Ready
The teams have left the field for the last time and the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black is starting their pregame show. The fans are starting to fill the stadium. There is a good number of orange in the south end of the east stand but the Wake contingent already made themselves heard with a loud cheer of WAKE -- FOREST from one side of the stand to the other. There is just 18 minutes to kickoff.

7:05 p.m. - Who's Kicking?
As of now, I have yet to see anyone in a Wake Forest uniform kick a ball. I can tell you that Sam Swank is in uniform and he is on the sidelines but as of now he is sitting with backup kicker Shane Popham on the bench.

After some fact checking, the last time a Wake player other than Swank put a foot on the ball came in the last game of the 2005 season when Ryan Plackemeier hit a 31-yard punt against North Carolina.

6:52 p.m. - Uniform Check
Clemson players came out on the field for the pregame warm up clad in their all white uniforms with orange helmets.

Maybe in an attempt to change its luck (I know I'm not wearing the same shirt from the Navy game), Wake Forest is going to wear its black jerseys and black pants and black helmets. The Deacs wore black jerseys with gold pants in the first two games but the theme of the night is "blackout" thus the all black look.

6:24 p.m. - Pressbox Attendance
With just under an hour and a half till kickoff, the Wake players are on the field in street cloths flipping the ball around and the coaches are chatting with some of the Clemson coaches.

The Wake Forest student section has begun to start to fill up and there is a smattering of orange on the opposite side. With both teams coming off of losses, you can start to feel just how important this game is for both teams. Clemson already has an ACC loss and another would almost bury them. Wake knows this can set them up for a strong run over the next few weeks.

The anticipation is building.

6:22 p.m. - Pressbox Attendance
Members of the media and scouts from the National Football League are starting to trickle into Deacon Tower. The press box will be packed tonight as 42 NFL scouts representing 26 of the NFL's 32 teams will be in attendance, along with 57 members of the media. Included in the media contingent are Heather Dinich from ESPN.com and Steve Yanda from the Washington Post. Several bowl representatives also are slated to attend tonight's game, including personnel from the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Citrus Bowl, Gator Bowl and Sugar Bowl.

One note for you Erin Andrews fans, she was supposed to be in attendance but due to meetings in Bristol, she was unable to make it. There will be no sideline reporter in tonight's game.

6:15 p.m. - Deacon Walk
I have been in the parking lot for all three Deacon Walk's this season and I can tell you this was the most spirited yet. The fans were closer and they seemed to be larger in number. I don't know if it was because they had longer to "prepare" but the fans were loud. It should be a good atmosphere inside BB&T Field tonight. Check out the photo gallery of the Deacon Walk.

5:59 p.m. - Pregame Notes
Wake Forest Game Captains
Senior outside linebacker Aaron Curry and senior wide receiver D.J. Boldin will serve as the Demon Deacons' game captains tonight.

Blackout
Wake Forest fans are being encouraged to wear black to Thursday's game as a means of support for the Demon Deacons. The game is a sell-out.

Pre-game Flyover
Three Longbow Apache Attack helicopters will fly over BB&T Field just minutes before tonight's game. The helicopters are based out of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. The Longbow Apache helicopter is the U.S. Army's premier attack helicopter, able to engage enemy positions from extreme distances during day or night combat. The Apache is armed with Hellfire missiles, rockets and 30 mm cannon fire.

Open The Gate, Ricky Proehl
Much like the ceremonial throwing out of the first pitch at a baseball game, Wake Forest this year has started a tradition of having a celebrity/alum "open the gate." When the Deacons leave their locker room prior to coming onto the field in the moments before the opening kickoff, they assemble behind a black wrought iron gate. The "gatekeeper" then opens the gate to allow the Deacons to storm onto the field.

Former Wake wide receiver standout Ricky Proehl (1986-89) will open the gate for the Clemson game. Proehl had 188 career catches for 2,949 yards and 25 touchdowns in his Wake Forest carer. He is the school record holder for career receiving yards and touchdowns. A third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, Proehl went on to play in the NFL from 1990 to 2006 with the Cardinals, Seahawks, Bears, Rams, Panthers and Colts. He played in four Super Bowls and won two championships.

Earlier this year, Chris Paul opened the gate for the Ole Miss game, and Tim Duncan and Dave Odom combined to open the gate at the Navy game.

After an open date
Wake Forest has had one previous open date this season, Sept. 13. After the open date, the Deacons traveled to Florida State where they beat the Seminoles, 12-3. Wake Forest won the game immediately following its open date in both 2006 and 2007. Under head coach Jim Grobe, the Deacons are 4-5 in the game after an open date.

ESPN Upset Thursdays
Each of the last five ESPN Thursday night games have resulted in an upset. Wake Forest is considered a slight favorite against Clemson tonight.

2008 ESPN Thursday Night Games:
Date Result
Sept. 4 Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 17 Sept. 11 North Carolina 44, Rutgers 12 Sept. 18 Colorado 17, West Virginia 14 Sept. 25 Oregon State 27, USC 21 Oct. 2 Pittsburgh 26, South Florida 21

Wake Forest on Thursdays
Since the start of the 1995 season, when Thursday night college football games began to gain national acceptance, Wake Forest has gone 5-4 on Thursday nights. Seven of Wake's nine Thursday night games have been played at home. The Deacs are 2-2 on Thursday's under head coach Jim Grobe, including last season's 24-21 defeat of Florida State on Oct. 11 at BB&T Field.

Wake Forest's Top Attendance Figures
Wake Forest's Top 10 Crowds at BB&T Field: Year Opponent Attendance 2004 North Carolina 37,623 1980 North Carolina 37,411 2006 Virginia Tech 36,723 1982 North Carolina 36,200 2006 Clemson 35,920 2003 NC State 35,741 2003 Clemson 35,643 1987 USC 34,720 2006 Syracuse 34,141 1979 Auburn 34,060

Sam Swank A Game-Time Decision
Senior P/PK Sam Swank suffered a quad strain in practice on Monday and is listed as questionable for tonight's game. Swank's status will be a gametime decision.

If Swank is unable to kick, he will be replaced at both punter and placekicker by redshirt freshman Shane Popham. Popham has never appeared in a college game. As a senior at Covington (Ky.) Catholic, Popham set the Kentucky state record with 18 field goals, including a school record 57-yarder.

Deacs vs. Clemson As A Ranked Team
Tonight's game with Clemson marks the fourth time that Wake Forest has carried a national ranking into a game with the Tigers. The Deacons were ranked 14th before losing to Clemson 31-0 in 1979. Wake was 17th before dropping a 13-12 decision to the Tigers. The Deacs were ranked 19th in 1948 when they lost at Clemson 21-14. The only time Wake has won as a ranked team against the Tigers was in 1944 when the Deacons posted a 13-7 win at home.

Coming Off The Navy Game
In its last home game, Wake Forest lost to Navy, 24-17, on Sept. 27. The Deacons have not lost back-to-back home games in the same season since consecutive losses to Virginia Tech and Florida State in Ocober of 2004.

NFL Sends 42 Scouts To See Deacs & Tigers
A total of 42 NFL scouts representing 26 of the NFL's 32 teams were issued credentials for tonight's game.

Olympic Sport Update
Wake Forest is having an outstanding fall season across the board. A total of seven teams are nationally-ranked and the five team sports have combined for a record of 44-10. Besides the 21st-ranked Deacon football team, other fall sports in the national rankings include men's soccer (1), field hockey (3), women's golf (13), women's soccer (16), men's golf (25) and women's cross country (25).

5:10 p.m. - Welcome
Welcome to the Gameday blog for Wake Forest vs. Clemson. It's roughly two and a half hours before kickoff and I can tell you the atmosphere outside the stadium is electric. I just got back from the new Deacon Statue dedication and you can click here for a photo gallery. It was a nice ceremony and no doubt excited many fans.