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DURHAM Behind a commanding performance by senior quarterback Riley Skinner, Wake Forest won its 10th game in a row against Duke, again finding the offensive fortitude to pull away in the second half for a 45-34 win.
The Deacons (5-7, 3-5) led 21-17 at halftime and outscored the Blue Devils 24-17 in the second half. Skinner completed 28-of-38 pass attempts for a career-high 372 yards and a school-record five touchdowns in his final collegiate game.
Skinner, who helped his team snap a five-game losing streak, closed his career with a school-record 9,762 passing yards and 60 touchdowns. One of the ACC's most accurate passers, he finished his career with completion percentage of 66.9, just shy of the league record held by Matt Schaub (67 percent) at Virginia.
Against the Blue Devils (5-7, 3-5), Skinner appeared in full command of his passing talents, buying time in the pocket and delivering clutch passes to keep drives going. In the third quarter, he found junior Marshall Williams behind the secondary on a 49-yard pass play. Covering on the play, Duke senior Leon Wright forced Williams to fumble on the 2-yard line, though Williams recovered the ball for a touchdown.
Skinner, who picked apart Duke's secondary, was credited with the touchdown pass because the same receiver who fumbled the ball recovered it.
"We're going to miss him a lot," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "He's a pretty special guy and a guy that's special in so many ways other than being a great player. He's going to leave our business school with a degree. Obviously, he's a great player, but even better he's a great practice guy, great in the weight room, a great character guy. You go all the way down the list and check them all, he's as good as it gets."
Duke coach David Cutcliffe said the Blue Devils' defensive line, despite the return of senior defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase, failed to pressure Skinner and gave up too many deep balls to be successful. He said they didn't find a way to stop a Wake Forest offense that gained 499 yards of total offense.
Still, Cutcliffe said he was encouraged as he looks two to five years down the road, considering he allowed 20 freshmen to redshirt.
"I'm not going to let the game today ... diminish what these guys have done in their two years with us to set the program up to move forward," Cutcliffe said. "You could taste that 6-6 and taste that opportunity. I know our team could. We felt very confident at halftime. Very confident."
But he said the Blue Devils didn't have the necessary mentality to take the game from the Deacs after pulling to 35-27 with nine minutes remaining.
Though the Blue Devils produced three victories over ACC teams this season - N.C. State, Maryland, Virginia - they were unable to snatch games from tougher teams in critical moments, something players and coaches said will be the concentration in the future.
