WF RECORD: 4-1 (3-0 ACC) (W 35-30 against #23 Florida State)
VT RECORD: 5-1 (1-1 ACC) (W 38-35 against Miami)
SCORE: (19) VT 38 – WF 17
GAME SUMMARY: Hot off the heels of upsetting a ranked Florida State squad, Wake Forest came out fast and jumped to a 10-0 lead, with WR Chris Givens burning Jayron Hosley on a 79-yard scoring grab. Hosley came up lame during the play, clutching his hamstring. Although the Demon Deacons held a 122-2 yard advantage, the Hokies remained calm and proceeded to score the next 28 points of the contest. Tech was able to get cheap points before the half when Tariq Edwards picked off Tanner Price with 30 seconds remaining. Logan Thomas led the team on a 26-yard drive, capping it with his second touchdown run of the first half. Although Wake was able to cut the lead to 11 in the third quarter, the outcome was never in doubt as the Hokies controlled the clock much of the fourth quarter.
LOCK IT IN THE LUNCHPAIL: This was an interesting matchup for many reasons. For Tech, would they be able to build off the wild finish against Miami? Would Logan Thomas continue his season-long inconsistency, or remain playing at the high level he exhibited the previous week? And, how good was Wake Forest, a team that easily could have been undefeated? Although they trailed early, the Hokies displayed the moxie that fans grew accustomed to seeing during the 2010 season…and it was Thomas, not David Wilson, who orchestrated the comeback, accounting for four total touchdowns. The injury to Hosley, a preseason All-American, was worrisome, but the defense managed to hold its own against a talented passing attack (ranked 36th in the NCAA). The D bent but did not break – giving up 320 yards – and made plays when necessary, holding Wake Forest to only one third-down conversion for the game. Instead of a letdown, the Hokies gave their fans a replay of 2006, then they marched into Winston Salem and thoroughly dominated a Demon Deacon squad that would eventually claim the ACC title 27-6.
WF SEASON RECORD: 6-6 (5-3 ACC), 2nd ACC Atlantic.
SEASON SUMMARY: As stated before, Wake Forest had the chance to be sitting on an undefeated record when the Hokies came calling. But after QB Tanner Price was injured in the fourth quarter of the season opener, Syracuse reallied from 15 points down to tie, then won in overtime 36-29. Jim Grobe was able to right the ship, leading the Demon Deacons on a four game winning streak that included three conference victories and was capped by Wake’s first win against Florida State since 2007. Although Wake rebounded with an entirely too-close-for-comfort win over Duke, a three game stretch against in-state rival UNC, a primetime matchup against the Fighting Irish, and a winner-take-all slobber knocker against division leader Clemson yielded zero victories. Jim Grobe had an opportunity to each the 7-win plateau for the first time since 2008, but his Demon Deacons were rocked 41-7 by a Vanderbilt team playing for bowl eligibility.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Chris Givens. 74 REC – 1276 YD – 9 TD.
The junior from Texas was Wake’s most consistent playmaker, reeling in seven 100+ yard games during the season. He had two touchdowns against both Syracuse and Duke, and in Wake Forest’s 31-10 win over Maryland caught 8 passes for 191 yards. Givens was selected 1st team All-ACC opposite Clemson’s Sammy Watkins.
DEFENSIVE MVP: S Josh Bush. 56 TK – 2 TFL – 6 INT.
Bush’s six interceptions ranks 6th in the nation. Selected to the AP’s third All-America team, he picked off Tommy Rees twice in Wake’s loss to Notre Dame.
POSTSEASON: Music City Bowl vs. Mississippi State 6-6 (2-6 SEC).
