Duke had the elusive first win of the season in its grasp on Saturday. The victory was just a little too slippery for the football team to hold on to, though, as Wake Forest upset Duke, 17-16.
The Blue Devils had their largest lead of the season at thirteen points with only one quarter of football left to play, and everything seemed to be going in their favor. They had momentum, having scored 16 unanswered points, and Wake hadn't scored in the second half. Penalties were called in their favor- of seven penalties in the previous quarter, only one had gone against the Blue Devils. They were rushing effectively. They were passing effectively. The Blue Devils even had the wind at their backs as they entered the fourth quarter. It looked as if Duke's eleven game losing streak, the longest in the country, would finally be broken.
Instead, Wake Forest pulled out one of its best quarters of football this year. Questionable plays were called, and Duke's defense, which had played tough all game, was slowly worn down. In the end, it all came down to a missed long field goal chance, which allowed Wake to grab the victory that was very nearly Duke's.
After missing a field goal, Duke put its first points of the day on the board near the end of the first half on an eight-yard pass from junior quarterback David Green to senior receiver Marc Wilson. In what would later prove crucial, freshman Sims Lenhardt missed the extra point attempt.
Wake had already scored a field goal, and the kickers traded missed field goals from middle distances. The Blue Devils led, 6-3.
Near the end of the first half, it looked like Duke might have made one of the fatal mistakes that have cost it so many games this year. The Blue Devils were back to receive a punt on the 11-yard line. The kick bounced off the helmet of Lamar Grant, and the only players in the vicinity to pick up the fumble were wearing black.
A Duke penalty and a few short passes later, Wake Forest was only three yards from the Duke end zone, with enough time to get off one final play. Demon Deacon quarterback Brian Kuklick kept the ball, and actually appeared to be in for the touchdown. Instead, junior free safety Tawambi Settles had one of the most devastating hits of his career, causing Kuklick to fumble only inches short of the end zone, and ending the half with Duke still in the lead 6-3.
"We felt good, coming in at halftime," Settles said. "We had just come off the goal-line stand. Usually, if something like [Grant's muff] happens, the team scores right off the bat, and that just takes away our momentum. We had momentum coming in at halftime."
The momentum apparently was enough to carry the Blue Devils through halftime for a single, glorious third quarter. Early in the third quarter, freshman standout Letavious Wilks made Duke's longest rush of the season, a 56-yarder from Duke's own four-yard line. Later that possession, Green again completed to Thomas for a second Duke touchdown. This reception, Thomas's 17th touchdown of his career, tied him for third on Duke's all-time list. With less than three minutes left to play in the quarter, Lenhardt finally found his mark with a 30-yard field goal that put Duke ahead, 16-3.
The fourth quarter spelled disaster for the Blue Devils' hopes of victory. Wake Forest's first possession went 18 plays for over six minutes, and included a demoralizing three fourth-down conversions by the Deacons. A Wake Forest touchdown and extra point brought Duke's lead down to six. Penalties went against Duke time after time, and the Deacons scored again on their next possession on a disputed call. Players, coaches and onlookers agreed that the referees missed an obvious offensive pass interference call on the final touchdown catch by Desmond Clark.
"It looked like he pushed our corner off," Settles said. "He kind of pushed him into the safety, and... he had one hand free and caught it with one hand... If you can get away with it, and don't get called, why not do it?"
Duke, refusing to give up with only 1:27 left to play, drove to the Wake 31-yard line. An incomplete pass to Marc Wilson and another to Corey Thomas left all of Duke's hopes with Lenhardt, and a long 49-yard field goal attempt. The kick came up short, and Wake downed the final play of the game.
"Our offense... had a plan, the coaches had a plan, the players had a plan," coach Fred Goldsmith said. "They were ready and took the ball right down the field. We collect for one more first down, and we have an easy field goal attempt. It just came up inches on that one [to Wilson] there. We didn't get it, so it turned out to be a more difficult field goal attempt. But even then, we thought we'd probably [make it]."
The Blue Devils have one last chance to prevent a winless season when they take on North Carolina on Saturday. UNC dropped to No. 13 in the AP poll after losing to Virginia this weekend. The Blue Devils plan to go out fighting in their final game of the season.
"They [were] number six in the country," Thomas said. "What you've got to do-you haven't won a game all year, so go out there and give it your all. If you get hurt, so what? You've got the whole off-season to get healed. Go out there, lay it on the line and just see what you're made of. So that's how we're going to approach it."
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