Sports > January 17, 2008

By Ryan Durham | Sports editor

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have had the memory of the stellar 2006 season and the high expectations it brought hanging over their heads throughout the 2007 season. During the Meineke Car Care Bowl Dec. 29, they have accomplished something last year’s team could not – winning a bowl game.

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Redshirt junior Demir Boldin comes down with a completed pass from redshirt sophomore Riley Skinner. (Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

Despite being shut out in the first half by the Huskies of the University of Connecticut, Wake Forest rebounded in the second half, scoring 24 unanswered points to win 24-10.

Wake Forest’s defense stifled Connecticut for much of the first half, but the Deacon offense could not find its rhythm. Their most promising drive ended with an interception on the Huskies’ 9-yard line.

Two outstanding plays helped Connecticut jump out to an early lead and take a 10-0 advantage into the locker room.

First, returner Larry Taylor ran back a punt by redshirt junior kicker Sam Swank 74 yards to the end zone for the first points of the game. Two possessions later, Huskies’ tailback Donald Brown III broke through the Deacs’ line and ran the ball 58 yards to set up a field goal.

The second half would be a different story. Connecticut did not score again.

“Offensively (in the second half), we really just didn’t make enough plays at all to have any consistency,” Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall said.

“You have to give Wake Forest’s defense some credit for that.”

Wake Forest came out of the halftime break on fire, scoring two touchdowns in the first 12 minutes of the half.

“When we went in at half time, we just kind of challenged our kids to play better,” Head Coach Jim Grobe said.

“I was proud because we didn’t have any panic in our players at halftime. There wasn’t a lot of yelling and screaming, our coaches just did some nice things and I was pleased with the plan that we had coming out in the second half.”

The Deacs’ rally silenced many of the Connecticut fans and gave Wake Forest the momentum it needed to win the game.

The Wake Forest defense was instrumental in the Deacs’ win, holding the Huskies to 212 total yards and keeping them out of scoring range.

Redshirt junior linebacker Stanley Arnoux picked off a pass on the Huskies’ first drive of the second half that set the tone for the defense’s second half.

Twice the Deacs stopped Connecticut on fourth and inches.

Offensively, redshirt sophomore quarterback Riley Skinner had one of the best games of his career. Skinner completed 29 of 38 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown.

Senior wide receiver Kenneth Moore ended his college career with a great performance.

Playing in front of a hometown crowd that included his grandmother’s first game appearance, Moore caught 11 passes for 109 yards and earned the honor of MVP for the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

“The game was a homecoming for me. I just wanted to come out and have a great game,” Moore said.

Moore’s importance to the Deacs was made clear also by Grobe’s comments about him after the game.

“We are really going to miss this guy,” Grobe said. “He is as good a player as I have ever coached.”

The bowl win ends the Deacons’ season with a 9-4 record, giving them positive momentum going into the offseason and a total of 20 wins in the last two seasons.

“Twenty wins in two years for little ole Wake Forest ain’t that bad,” Grobe said in the post game press conference, but he also pointed out, “We have not arrived. We are trying to build a program.”