Wake Forest Powers Past Boston College to Secure Bowl Eligibility

Courtesy GoDeacs.com

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Wake Forest football team overpowered Boston College on a beautiful Saturday afternoon inside Truist Field, 43-15. The victory marked the Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1 ACC) sixth of the season, which extends the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-longest bowl streak to seven-consecutive seasons.

Under head coach Dave Clawson, Wake Forest has set a new standard of success as the seven-straight bowl berths extends a program record. Prior to this current streak, Wake Forest’s previous record of consecutive bowl appearances was three seasons. Additionally, Clawson led the Deacs to four bowl wins during this run, which is tied for the seventh-most bowl/college playoff playoff victories in ACC history and with one more, he would move into the top five in league history.

With that, the four bowl/college football playoff victories are also tied for the second most among active ACC coaches.

Saturday’s game against Boston College (2-5, 1-4 ACC) was highlighted by redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman 25-of-40 passes for 313 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Along with it being Hartman’s 28th-straight game with a touchdown, which is the longest active streak in the nation, the Charlotte native is now third in ACC history in career touchdown passes (93). Hartman also rushed for his first touchdown of the season with a two-yard scamper in the third quarter. 

Hartman’s go-to targets on Saturday were redshirt sophomore wideout Taylor Morin and sophomore wide receiver Jahmal Banks as they each caught a pair of touchdown passes. While it was the first time in Morin’s career he achieved this feat, Banks tallied a pair of touchdown catches against Liberty and Clemson earlier this season. Additionally, redshirt junior A.T. Perry had a 13-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. The score marked his 22nd of his career moving him into a tie for second in program history with Todd Dixon. 

Defensively, the Demon Deacons totaled nine tackles-for-loss on Saturday as a unit and redshirt junior defensive end Rondell Bothroyd made his presence known as he tallied two sacks. One of his havoc-wrecking plays was a sack-fumble that was recovered by Jasheen Davis in the second quarter. 

Also, captain Ryan Smenda, Jr. inched up on the Wake Forest all-time tackles list on Saturday, recording five tackles against Boston College. His career total now sits at 293, which now ranks inside the top 20 in program history. 

The Demon Deacons hit the road the next week at Louisville, in a matchup that is slated to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Wake Forest won the toss and deferred its choice to the second half.
• On the game’s first drive, the Demon Deacon defense forced a Boston College punt of the game as Rondell Bothroyd sacked the Eagles’ quarterback for a loss of nine yards on 3rd and 12,. 
  • The Deacs received possession of the ball at their own 35-yard line. 
• After Wake Forest punted after their first offensive drive, Boston College embarked on a 12-play, 68-yard drive that was capped off by a 29-yard field goal with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter. 
• The Deacs responded on its next possession as Sam Hartman connected with Jahmal Banks on a 15-yard pass to give Wake Forest a 7-3 lead with just over a minute remaining in the first. 
  • On Wake Forest’s first scoring drive, Hartman completed seven passes for 75 yards. 
• After forcing another Eagle punt to open the second quarter, Wake Forest extended its lead (14-3) with another Hartman touchdown pass as the redshirt junior completed a 12-yard strike to Taylor Morin. 
  • The scoring drive took just four plays as the Demon Deacons regained possession at Boston College’s own 42-yard line after a 15-yard punt. 
  • Hartman completed a 17-yard pass to Donavon Greene on the second play of the drive before a seven-yard pass to Banks pushed the ball inside Boston College’s 20. 
• With 5:51 remaining in the first half, Boston College cut Wake Forest’s lead to 14-9 with a 61-yard touchdown pass. The Demon Deacons blocked the extra point following the score. 
  • During the drive, Bothroyd knocked the ball away from Boston College’s quarterback as the ball was recovered by a Demon Deacon. During the play, the ball was fumbled and Boston College regained possession at midfield. 
• Undaunted, Wake Forest responded with a touchdown pass of their own as Hartman threw a 13-yard strike to A.T. Perry to extend its lead to 21-9 with 2:11 remaining in the first half
  • This marked Hartman’s third TD pass of the half. 
  • On the drive, Perry reeled in a trio of passes for 42 yards.
• The Demon Deacon defense held Boston College scoreless on their final two offensive drives to end the first half of play as Wake Forest continued to lead 21-9 after two quarters. 
• Wake Forest opened the second half firing on all cylinders. The Demon Deacons marched down the field on a 9-play, 47-yard scoring drive to increase its lead to 28-9 at the nine-minute mark of the third quarter. 
  • Hartman tossed his fourth touchdown pass of the game, connecting with Morin in the end zone for the second time of the day. 
  • A 33-yard pitch and catch from Hartman to Morin on 3rd and 25 kept the drive alive. 
• A seven-yard scamper from Boston College’s quarterback trimmed the Demon Deacon lead to 28-15 with 4:41 left in the third quarter. Wake Forest’s defense denied the Eagles’ two-point conversion try. 
• After Boston College got the ball back after intercepting a Wake Forest pass attempt, the Demon Deacon defense forced a three-and-out to preserve Wake Forest’s 13-point lead. 
  • After holding the Eagles to four yards on first down, Wake Forest forced back-to-back incompletions. 
• A two-yard rushing touchdown by Hartman and a successful two-point try increased Wake Forest’s lead to 36-15 with less than a minute remaining. 
• The Deacs made it a four-possession game (43-15) at the halfway point of the fourth quarter as Banks made a leaping effort in the end zone. 
  • The play capped off a 13-play, 65-yard drive and marked Hartman’s fifth touchdown pass of the day. 
• The Deacs went on to win, 43-15. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Saturday’s game against Boston College (2-5, 1-4 ACC) was highlighted by redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman 25-of-40 passes for 313 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Along with it being Hartman’s 28th-straight game with a touchdown, which is the longest active streak in the nation, the Charlotte native is now third in ACC history in career touchdown passes (93). Hartman also rushed for his first touchdown of the season with a two-yard scamper in the third quarter. 

Hartman’s go-to targets on Saturday were redshirt sophomore wideout Taylor Morin and sophomore wide receiver Jahmal Banks as they each caught a pair of touchdown passes. While it was the first time in Morin’s career he achieved this feat, Banks tallied a pair of touchdown catches against Liberty and Clemson earlier this season. Additionally, redshirt junior A.T. Perry had a 13-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. The score marked his 22nd of his career moving him into a tie for second in program history with Todd Dixon. 

STAGGERING STATISTICS
With the win, the Demon Deacons have now extended the conference’s second-longest bowl streak to seven-consecutive seasons.

Last Sunday’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll marked the eighth time the Deacons have been ranked inside the top 15 in the past calendar year. Prior to this current run, Wake Forest had only been ranked that high just three times since 1950. The Deacs latest top 15-ranking came after our third-straight win over Florida State. That victory was our first in Tallahassee since 2008 and was Wake Forest’s sixth win over a ranked opponent in the last seven years. 

Additionally the Demon Deacons have now been ranked in 20 consecutive polls which is tied for the sixth longest streak in the country and more than doubling the previous program record of eight-consecutive weeks.

Since the start of the 2016 season, the Deacs are tied for the second-most wins in the ACC not counting the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Additionally over the last five years, the Deacs have recorded the fourth-most wins in a single five-year period.

Deacon Nation can click here to register for bowl tickets. Additional ticket information will be shared at a later date. Bowl announcements will take place on Sunday, Dec. 4. Broadcast information for the selection show and more information will be shared prior to that date. 

Under Dave Clawson, Wake Forest has set a new standard of success that includes qualifying for its program record seventh-straight bowl game. He also owns the school record with four bowl victories.

FROM COACH CLAWSON
“I thought it was a really good team win. It wasn’t the cleanest game as there were a lot of sloppy things that happened. We gave up a fake punt and we had a call that was just designed to stop the punt; we were not even trying to return it. Then, we have the sack-fumble and then have it stripped. It was like we were trying to leave them in the game. I don’t know if it was our cleanest game, and sometimes that happens after a bye week. We were kind of out of rhythm a little bit, as it was just a kind of game that had a weird feel to it. However, I thought our defense played extremely hard with great effort. I thought we got pressure on the quarterback. There were a few times when they got guys open, but their quarterback really wasn’t able to set his feet. Offensively, I think we made enough explosive plays and we threw the ball really well given the nature of what they do on defense. It’s really hard to run the football against them when they play all the single-high and out-number the box. Given that, we threw it well. Our outside receivers and our slot receivers are playing extremely well. The amount of contested catches that Jamhal Banks is making and Donavon Greene made today to go along with some of the things they did after the catch. It was a good ACC win and it’s the first time we’ve ever beaten Boston College at home. I certainly give credit to Jeff Hafley and their staff. I think he’s a heck of a coach. They had a good plan and did all the things they had to do to try to stay in the game in terms of the fake punt and taking some shots and us. I don’t think it was our cleanest game or the best game we played, but it’s pretty cool to be able to say that and still win an ACC game by 28 points.”

UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons hit the road the next two weeks with contests at Louisville (Oct. 29) and NC State (Nov. 5). Wake Forest’s next home game will be on Saturday, Nov. 12 against North Carolina. Fans can purchase tickets now.