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WINSTON-SALEM Wake Forest's offense looked renewed Thursday night, running and passing with a crispness that had escaped the nation's 21st-ranked team in its two previous games.
Though all the kinks were not removed, the Deacons overcame their offensive shortcomings and rallied late in the fourth quarter for a 12-7 victory against Clemson at BB&T Field.
A 7-yard touchdown pass from Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner landed softly in the hands of receiver D.J. Boldin with 5 minutes, 28 seconds left, and changed the course of a game that had turned in favor of the Tigers in the third quarter.
With his first career touchdown reception, Boldin elicited the loudest roar from this pom-pom waving home crowd of 33,988.
Trailing 7-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Deacons (4-1, 2-0 ACC) rallied to beat their Atlantic Division opponent and take the driver's seat as they pursue an ACC championship.
An interception by Wake Forest's Alphonso Smith with 13.34 remaining gave Wake Forest hope as it tried to rally. His 9-yard return put the Deacons on their own 15 and set up a drive that helped them cut Clemson's lead to a point. The Tigers led 7-6 after Wake Forest's Shane Popham made a 32-yard field goal.
This loss comes as another jolting setback for a Clemson (3-3, 1-2) team that started the season with expectations of greatness, ranked No.9 in the Associated Press preseason poll and picked by media members to finish atop the ACC's Atlantic Division.
The Tigers fell to Maryland 20-17 on Sept. 27 and appeared nicked and bruised, a team struggling to find any offensive coherence.
What's more disconcerting to the Tigers is the bind this loss places them in as they pursue a berth in the ACC championship game on Dec.6.
They suffered a setback for sure, as the Deacons now hold a head-to-head advantage as both teams enter the heart of the ACC schedule.
To make matter worse, Clemson running back C.J. Spiller went down with a leg injury in the first half and did not return for the second. Without the second half of the tandem known as “Thunder and Lightning,” the Tigers were limited on the ground. James Davis finished with 25 yards, 50 below his average.
Wake Forest outgained Clemson 342-198 to snap a two-game losing streak in the series.
The Deacons entered the game with much to prove. Ranked in the preseason for the first time in school history, they struggled in wins against Mississippi and Florida State. Against Navy on Sept.27, they were handed their first loss of the season.
Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe talked earlier in the week about how his team was “embarrassed” by Navy, falling in a game where it made poor decisions and lacked defensive discipline. Sputtering offensively from the start, the Deacons appeared out of sync, particularly as they tried to run the ball.
Facing Clemson, a team ranked seventh in the ACC in total defense and holding opponents to an average of 115.40 yards per game on the ground, the Deacons addressed their internal offensive problems, displaying a running game with some much-need punch. And speed.
Sparked by the inspired play of the offensive line, a group criticized this week for their inability to open running lanes for Josh Adams or Brandon Pendergrass, the Deacons gained 101 rushing yards in the first half, more than twice as much as the 43 yards they produced on the ground against Navy.
Skinner, who called his performance against Navy the worst of his life, responded Thursday night with a sharp first-half performance, completing 9 of 12 passes for 78 yards and rushing for 55 yards, though the Deacons struggled inside the red zone.
He finished the game 22-of-34 for 186 yards and led the decisive 15-play, 78-yard drive in the fourth quarter.
Twice in the first half, after impressive drives moved the chains, the Deacons stalled with field position at their 5-yard line.
Not able to power into the end zone, they settled for a 25-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Shane Popham to give them a 3-0 lead at 6:03 of the first quarter.
Popham replaced injured kicker Sam Swank in the lineup for all of the kicking responsibilities.
Swank strained his right quadriceps in practice earlier in the week and it was decided at game-time he would not play.
