"It was fun to be on those sidelines for a while."That is how Duke football coach Carl Franks described the feeling after the team's latest loss, a 42-35 defeat at the hands of Wake Forest Saturday.
And with the score tied at 35-35 and 11:30 remaining, things were fun for the third-year coach. But a Demon Deacon touchdown run by running back Fred Staton with just over seven minutes remaining halted Duke's best chance yet for a victory.
Though the game turned out to be a thriller, it did not look as if it would be any contest after the first half of play. On the game's fourth possession, Wake commenced its offensive output when it returned Duke punter Trey McDonald's kick all the way to the Duke 35. It took only one play and nine seconds for the Deacons to draw first blood, as they struck with a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver John Stone.
"We just weren't prepared in the first half," quarterback D Bryant said. "They made adjustments, and got big plays."
The next Duke drive was again a short one, as it held the ball for under two minutes and gained minus-1 yard in three plays. Wake answered with another score, making the score 14-0 and initiating a sense of urgency once again for the Blue Devils. However, Duke did not answer the Deacons' score, giving the ball back to Wake Forest with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
After the Deacons drove 64 yards in six plays to make the score 21-0 at the close of the first quarter, many people were left saying that, one more time, the blowout was on. An already tiny crowd began to thin further, and the mood in the stadium was anything but optimistic.
"We had a horrible first half," defensive end Charles Porter said. "It was a tough one. I'm speechless; I can't find the words to describe that
The bloodshed was slowed slightly in the second quarter, as Duke held Wake Forest to only one touchdown, a two-yard score by tailback Tarence Williams just before the eight-minute mark, but Duke still entered the locker room at the half staring down the barrel of a four-touchdown deficit.
"We didn't say many words at halftime," Bryant said. "We knew we didn't play our game in the first half, and it was just a gut check to get ready and play the second half like we knew we could."
Coming out for the second half, the Blue Devils seemed to have new life. They stopped Wake Forest cold in its first drive of the half, relegating the Deacons to minus-five yards on three plays. Duke finally found the endzone with 11:31 remaining in the third on a one-yard Bryant rush. The score stood at 28-7, but the Blue Devils had broken through.
On the next drive, though, Wake halted Duke's momentum, putting together a 57-yard drive that resulted in yet another touchdown, their fifth of the day. However, that was the last time the Demon Deacons scored for nearly an entire quarter.
The Duke defense gained steam throughout the third quarter, and the offense continued to make plays. Senior wide receiver Ben Erdeljac emerged as Duke's go-to receiver, connecting with Bryant for nine catches and 102 yards on the day. His play was supplemented by another solid day by Chris Douglas, who rushed for 74 yards on 20 carries.
"We really took the first half to heart, and then things started rolling," Erdeljac said. "The first half was very frustrating, but we knew that we just had to expect better play."
Erdeljac caught a touchdown pass at 4:26 in the third, and Douglas found the endzone on an 11-yard run with under a minute to go in the quarter.
Sophomore Anthony Roberts stepped in front of a Wake Forest pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. With that play, the Blue Devils were back within two touchdowns, and for the first time in recent memory, the crowd was into the game in the second half, contributing chants of "Let's go Duke."
"I just got chills when that happened," senior linebacker Nate Krill said. "It was such a great feeling to have the crowd into things, even on fall break. We can't control who shows up, but when they get involved, it's a real boost."
At the onset of the fourth quarter, Wake Forest still led, 35-28, but the Blue Devils were within striking distance, something that had seemed impossible. However, three and a half minutes into the quarter, something even more improbable occurred--Duke tied the game. Bryant scored on another one-yard run, and the crowd actually began to entertain thoughts of a win.
The defense had held tight for a whole quarter, but this time the tide of Wake Forest's tailback tandem of Tarence Williams and Fred Staton could not be stemmed.
Staton scored with just over seven minutes remaining. Duke had the ball for one final push with just over two minutes to go, but Bryant's second pass of the drive was intercepted, and Duke's fate was sealed.
Though the Blue Devils lost again, the team pointed out a number of positives and things to build on from Saturday's game.
"We have to use this second half. That was our most points all year, and the offense and defense were making plays," Bryant said. "But that's the story of our season, playing only one half. We have to figure out how to play them both. Right now, we have nothing to lose."
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