Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Duke Blue Devils Box Score on Oct 22, 2011

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 22, 2011

Chris Givens’ 66-yard touchdown reception was Wake Forest’s only big play of the second half, but it was enough to hold off Duke, 24-23, on Saturday afternoon in Durham.

After Duke turned a 17-3 halftime deficit into a 23-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Tanner Price hit a streaking Givens down the sideline to reclaim the lead. Before that play, Duke (3-4, 1-2 ACC) had outgained Wake 240-1 in yardage and ran 39 more plays in the second half. The win keeps Wake (5-2, 4-1 ACC) in prime position in the Atlantic Division, which could be decided when it travels to No. 7 Clemson next month.

A win over Wake was almost imperative for Duke’s dreams of its first bowl bid since 1994. The crushing loss, its 12th straight to Wake, now means Duke will likely have to upset either ranked Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech to reach the postseason.

Those contests might be a bit more competitive if Anthony Boone finds himself under center for the Blue Devils. The freshman replaced starter Sean Renfree, who suffered a leg injury in the third quarter, and ignited the ACC’s worst red-zone offense with two consecutive rushing touchdowns. In fact, Duke scored on each of its first four possessions of the second half to take a six-point lead with 7:14 left.

A Duke defense that gambled and won most of the day, though, was burned by Givens just moments later. The ACC’s leading receiver also found the end zone on a 26-yard reception to open the scoring in the first quarter.