Wake Forest Pulls Off a Top 15 Upset Against Virginia to Clinch Bowl Eligibility
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The Demon Deacons get their signature win as they come out with a huge victory in Charlottesville. Defense and special teams came in clutch for the Deacs in victory, and the offense showed some bright spots at the end. It wasn't pretty, but it was a statement win nonetheless.
First Half Balancing Act
The first half was largely a story of missed opportunities for Wake's offense and clutch moments from their defense. Wake was able to get a long, sustained drive down to the UVA one, then fumbled a run pitch on fourth down. The offense also had a virtually non-existent pass game in the first half, completing only three passes.
The defense stepped up in a major way despite offensive struggles. They forced two field goals from the Cavaliers deep in Wake territory. Then, Dallas Afalava came up with a huge forced fumble, which led to a field goal from Wake before the half.
The big play of the first half came from Carlos Hernandez, who returned a UVA punt 88 yards to the house. This was the only touchdown scored by either team in the first half and a huge point of momentum for the Deacs.
Second Half Stronghold
Virginia came out of the second half and got a field goal on their first drive. The Deacs' defense then woke up, and Nuer Gatkuoth had a huge forced fumble that was recovered by Dylan Hazen, who was all over the field all night.
Despite being silent for the majority of the game, the Deacs' offense woke up in the fourth quarter for a long drive that burned over 10 minutes off the clock. Robby Ashford had a few huge third-down conversions on the ground and through the air. The drive ended in a Connor Calvert field goal.
Dylan Hazen stepped up huge again for the Wake defense. He forced a key fumble that gave Wake the ball back and kept Virginia off the board. The Deacs' offense forced Virginia to burn timeouts. The Deacs' defense forced three turnovers and gave up none to the Cavaliers. This is quite a flipped script from the last game.
Wake Forest's defense stepped up huge on Virginia's final possession. The Cavaliers worked it all the way down to the Wake 5-yard line before a huge stop on fourth down. Braylon Johnson, who had a few missed tackles earlier in the game, came up with a huge pass deflection.
This is a statement win for the Deacs. They are now bowl eligible and have beaten an AP top 12 opponent on the road. This team just keeps surging, and I'm excited to see what else they can do!
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.