Wake Can’t Close the Deal in Second Half

The games that are the could-have/should-have ones tend to hurt the most. Wake Forest gave up a 17-point lead in the second half at home Saturday against Georgia Tech and lost 30-29 in overtime when the Deacs’ two-point conversion failed. Once again, Wake struggled to play a complete four quarters. As a result, they are now 0-2 in the ACC and 2-2 overall.

Wake’s Woes in the Second Half

Through four games, Wake Forest has failed to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter. In the last two games combined (the two ACC losses), Wake has been outscored 34-6 in the second half. The Deacs certainly had plenty of chances to beat the AP’s 16th-ranked Yellow Jackets. But the plays weren’t there when they mattered most in the closing quarter.

At the end of Saturday’s game, head coach Jake Dickert said with certainty that, given the same circumstances, he would go for the two-point conversion again and play for the win.

A Solid Start

Should it even have come to that? Starting quarterback Robby Ashford started the game very unevenly. He was missing his passes by a wide margin. After the first quarter, he had all of 11 yards passing. Down 3-0, he found his timing with his receivers and the mettle to run when needed.

He hit Chris Barnes down the right sideline for 34 yards to the Georgia Tech 24-yard line. Running back Demond Claiborne hit the middle of the line of scrimmage and then bounced out to the right for a 21-yard gain. Ashford then ran it up the middle for the touchdown and the 7-3 lead.

In the second quarter, Ashford hit Sterling Berkhalter along the left sideline for a 39-yard completion to the. Claiborne repeated his previous run, but this time to the left side, and he went all the way in from 27 yards out for the 14-3 Wake lead.

The Deacs added a 24-yard Connor Calvert field goal for the 17-3 halftime lead.

Keeping King In Check

Just as important as Ashford settling in in the first half was, the defense was coming up big against the heralded GA Tech quarterback Haynes King. Ashford was seven of 14 passing for 139 yards and a rushing touchdown at halftime. King was held to 13 of 19 passing for 50 yards. To save you the math, Ashford was averaging 19.9 yards per completion, while King was just under four yards per completion.

And then the second half hit.

Ashford

In the first series of the third quarter, the ball was snapped on the ground. Ashford fielded it like a skilled shortstop and took off running. He had picked up 29 yards to the Georgia Tech 23-yard line on the busted play. But he went down with an injured right knee. Wake settled for a 24-yard Calvert field goal for the 20-3 lead. But Ashford was in and out of the injury tent, back to the locker room, and eventually had a brace on the knee.

Deshaun Purdie replaced him but couldn’t move the offense effectively. That put more pressure on the Wake defense and left a huge void with the offense yet again. Meanwhile, the adjustments made by GA Tech head coach Brent Key at the half were paying off in a big way.

On third and 10 from the Wake 14-yard line, King found Eric Rivers in the far right corner of the end zone to cap the 78-yard scoring drive and close the gap to 20-10.

Wake, with Ashford still on the sidelines, went three and out.

Rejuvenated Yellowjackets

Georgia Tech jumped on the opportunity. King faked a pitch at the Wake five-yard line and took it up the middle himself for the touchdown. It was now 20-17, and Wake was clinging to what was left of its confidence.

Georgia Tech hit a 20-yard field goal to tie at 20-20. Wake was still head-spinning. Calvert’s 27-yard field goal attempt plastered the left upright.

As Georgia Tech took over with time winding down in the fourth quarter, Jamal Haynes carried up the middle and was hammered by Wake linebacker Dylan Hazen. The ball popped out and was recovered by Karon Prunty at the Yellow Jackets’ 24-yard line. A touchdown could have put the game away. But Wake settled for another field goal, this one a 30-yarder to go up 23-20 with just over five minutes remaining.

The two teams traded unproductive drives before GA Tech took over on its own 30-yard line with just 1:41 left. Nine plays later, including a pass interference call on Wake, the Yellow Jackets converted a 33-yard field goal from Aidan Birr with two seconds left to tie the game and force overtime.

Overtime

King scored on a two-yard run on GA Tech’s possession to make it 30-23. On Wake’s first play from scrimmage in overtime, Claiborne sprinted to the left from 25 yards and just hit the pylon before being pummeled to the ground. The beating his left side was taking (where he had injured his ribs in week one) was apparent. He couldn’t so much as lift his left arm.

The Decision

Dickert made the decision that will be debated on social media for days. He said there was no doubt he was going for two points and the win. The Deacs were now without their starting running back. Their starting quarterback was hobbling but playing. The threat of a run for the two points was gone. “I would make the same decision,” Dickert said after the game. “We talked about how tough Georgia Tech was. We’re a pretty damn tough team too.”

Ashford was looking for Eni Falayi in the end zone, but Georgia Tech had him covered. Ashford’s pass was intercepted in the end zone, ending the game and Wake’s chance at a win over a quality team. “We had an opportunity to go win the game and didn’t.” He said the decision to go for two was not about analytics. “It was my decision.” He added, “We took the chance to win the game and I’d do it again.”

Dickert

Dickert talked about the changes GA Tech made at halftime. “We knew in the second half, we’d get Georgia Tech’s best, and we did.”

Dickert put the blame on himself for Wake not closing games in the second half. “We continue to learn and teach guys how to finish and win. Look at me as a head coach. I’ll take it on me too,” he said.

Wake goes on the road for the first time this season when it plays Virginia Tech in Blacksburg next Saturday.

Last Word will have more of the post-game coverage on Sunday.