![]() Skinner was sacked three times in the first half. The kick was Clemson's longest in 10 years since David Richardson's 52-yard field goal, also against Wake Forest.Ĭlemson's defense did its share, too. When it got the ball on its 20 with 1:18 left in the half, Harper drove Clemson into field goal range and Buchholz hit a career-long 52-yarder for a 27-7 lead at the half. The Tigers wouldn't sit on the lead, either. Mark Buchholz kicked the first of his three field goals to make it 10-0.Īfter Wake Forest got its only touchdown on Josh Adams' 2-yard run, Harper connected with Tyler Grisham on a 5-yard touchdown and Aaron Kelly for a 10-yard TD. Harper, who came in with a school-record 23 touchdown throws, scored on a 7-yard keeper to finish Clemson's first possession. Clemson scored on its first four possession to lead 24-7 midway through the second quarter. This time, Harper and the Tigers didn't give Wake Forest the chance to cause trouble. Even when Clemson won, it came in nail-biting, edge-of-your seat fashion - remember Gaines Adams' blocked field goal return touchdown that turned things around in the Tigers' 27-17 victory last year? Things tightened considerably the past few seasons, and Jim Grobe's Demon Deacons have split the past four meetings. The Tigers were 45-6-1 against Wake Forest from 1950-2002, with several victories, like the 82-24 win in 1982, coming by blowout margins. That goal collapsed this year when Clemson gave much of the 81,500 at Memorial Stadium a reminder of how it used to handle the Demon Deacons. "We've been proud to win the ACC and we want to do it again." "It's not something we want to think about right now," Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner said. The Demon Deacons opened their season with a loss to Boston College. "The key is to prepare like we did this week."įor Wake Forest (6-4, 4-3), its second consecutive loss means a likely end for defending the ACC crown it won a year ago. "We have everything in front of us," Clemson linebacker Cortney Vincent said. The stadium's scoreboard flashed "C-U next week for the divisional championship." As orange-clad fans rushed the field after the game, the public address announcer reminded them that "next Saturday night is going to be huge." "We just got to stay focused and take care of business and not self-destruct," Harper said.Ĭlemson won six ACC titles from 1981-91, but none since. Much of that is due to Harper's record-setting season - one that could travel through Jacksonville, Fla., site of the league championship next month. "It's the biggest game we played in here in a while," Harper said. More importantly, Harper's play helped Clemson (8-2, 5-2) set up a Death Valley showdown with Boston College next week for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game. Harper threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in the 20th-ranked Tigers' 44-10 victory over Wake Forest. (AP) - It only took Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper a few moments to move past Saturday's big win and hone in on a game even bigger. ![]()
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