Like Peter Woods bearing down on a hapless DB, Tigers delivered needed hammer blows

Mafah scores as Peter Woods looks for someone else to hit.

David Hood - Senior Writer - Saturday, October 12 2024

WINSTON-SALEM, NC –Wake Forest saw an opening, a brief glimpse of glory, and then that hole closed faster than Peter Woods on a hapless defensive back. And the Tigers keep rolling.

The Demon Deacons opened a 7-0 lead on No. 10 Clemson late in the first quarter Saturday afternoon, and the home crowd – maybe 60-40 or 55-45 in favor of the home team – and the players on the sidelines were jumping and dancing with joy. Maybe, just maybe, this was the day the 15-game losing streak to Clemson would end.

The Tigers were ineffective on offense in the first quarter, and the defense was giving up chunk plays here and there and gave up the 31-yard touchdown to the Demon Deacons for the lead. Social media was abuzz with questions about quarterback Cade Klubnik, the offensive line, the defense, the linebackers. Scar tissue runs deep around these parts.

But then the offense came awake, and what followed was hammer blow after hammer blow. Those hammer blows came to life in the second quarter, with the Tigers facing a fourth-and-goal at the two. The Tigers brought in defensive tackle Demonte Capehart at tight end and defensive lineman Peter Woods as the lead fullback, and when the ball was snapped, Woods hurtled his 320-pound frame at safety Nick Andersen.

Andersen checks in at 5-11, 197 pounds, and when he saw Woods boring down with bad intentions, he made a business decision and crumpled in time to avoid a crushing blow. It wasn’t over for the Demon Deacons, who had plenty more hammer blows to endure.

The Clemson defense gave up 195 yards in the first half but made adjustments once again. The defense went to more of a five-man front – slowing down the mesh play – and the Demon Deacons had minus-11 yards in the third quarter on 11 plays. In all, Wake Forest accrued just 38 yards of total offense in the second half.

The defense also created two turnovers—both of which led to touchdowns—and sacked Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier three times.

The Tigers accumulated 76 yards of offense in a scoreless first quarter but wound up with 566 yards of total offense, with 343 yards through the air and 223 on the ground. The offense was without star freshman receiver Bryant Wesco (ankle), and sophomore receiver Tyler Brown traveled but I am not sure I saw him on the field as he continues to recover from an ankle injury [Dabo Swinney said he was "week to week" postgame and might sit out next week to get healthy after the open week post-Virginia].

The 500-plus yards of total offense marks the fourth time the Tigers have eclipsed the 500-yard mark this season, the most since doing so in five games back in 2020. Oh, by the way, the offense also had 37 first downs. The 37 first downs were the third-most in school history, and held possession for a season-best 36:29.

Additionally, Antonio Williams became the first Tiger since C.J. Spiller in 2009 to throw and catch a touchdown in a game, hauling in a 22-yarder from Cade Klubnik in the second quarter and hitting tight end Jake Briningstool on a 28-yard double pass in the third quarter.

In other words, it was a complete effort, the kind of effort needed against an overmatched opponent.

Next up? Virginia and Tony Elliott.