Sports > November 8, 2007

By Ryan Durham | Sports editor

The game seemed too close to call before it even started with Wake Forest ranked 24th in the nation traveling to take on No. 23 Virginia Cavaliers.

The game would live up to its hype, ending with the Cavaliers barely escaping the Demon Deacons 17-16.

The Deacons had kept the Hoos close throughout the game going into the locker room down 10-6 at halftime, but retaking the lead with 2:10 left in the third quarter.

The Wake Forest defense broke down on Virginia’s final drive of the game.

The Cavaliers had a short field and took full advantage of it, driving 56 plays in 10 minutes while eating up 3:57 of the clock.

This touchdown would prove to be the clincher as redshirt junior Sam Swank missed a 47-yard field goal attempt in the final two seconds of the game. Swank, usually a consistent field goal kicker, missed two field goals on the day, including the one in the game’s waning seconds, but he was also responsible for keeping the Deacs in the game.

Swank hit field goals from 27, 25 and 31 yards and made a point after attempt to score 10 of the Deacs’ 16 points.

“Missing the last field goal was a very small part of the game,” Head Coach Jim Grobe said in the post game press conference. “We had opportunities in the first half and the second half that we didn’t take advantage of both offensively and defensively. It’s really a team loss.”

The Cavaliers did a good job of keeping the ball away from the Deacons’ threat players throughout the game.

Redshirt senior Kevin Marion, who is the nation’s leading kick-off returner, was kicked to only once in the game, taking his ability to gain Wake Forest good field position totally out of the game. Virginia did a good job of limiting the Deacon attack, holding the Deacs to 315 yards and not allowing Wake Forest into the endzone on the ground.

“Virginia’s a really good football team,” Head Coach Jim Grobe said in his weekly press conference. “I don’t think we’ll play a better defensive player than Chris Long. Their whole front was very athletic, a really good football team.”

“Clemson’s the same way. They’re very athletic, got some big guys up front. They play pretty good defense against everybody this year,” Grobe said.

The loss has not dampened the Deacons’ spirit though.

“I think (overcoming the loss) is difficult,” sophomore Brandon Ghee said. “But like coach said, you gotta be a man and take the next step. Our goal is to be the ACC champs and we just need to win the last three games.”

That might not be so easy for the Deacs as they play two of their last three games on the road, traveling to Clemson Nov. 10 and then to Nashville, Tenn., over the Thanksgiving holiday to face Vanderbilt Nov. 24.

In order to return to the Championship game, the Deacs must win-out and Boston College must lose two of their last three games.