#5


RIVALRY GAME
November Snow Makes for Memorable Contest
Normally when it snows North Carolina drivers tend to either shut themselves in or drive like maniacs and wrap themselves around telephone polls while pulling out of a parking lot -- every car loaded down with a month's supply of milk and bread. But for today Wallace-Wade Stadium was packed. Maybe it was because in the hours before game time the snow is pretty on the grass but the roads are mostly unaffected. The brunt of the snowstorm is supposed to come later tonight.
With #5 Wake Forest coming to town, Duke had the perfect opportunity to redeem itself of its recent slide and thrust itself back into the national spotlight. And the fans that "braved" the weather or stayed indoors to watch the game on ABC were in for another classic in this longstanding, if unheralded, rivalry.

Suggs has been outstanding all season, but it was clear early that both teams were feeling the pressure of having to perform -- especially with the nation watching and the snow coming down. Both teams made mistakes in coverage early, but also blew blocking assignments that killed promising drives. And worse for Wake Forest, HB Patrick Mitchell got his ankle rolled on while trying to run for a touchdown from the 5 yard line. Fortunately the injury was not serious, but Travis Lewis would get substantial playing time to carry the load.
The Deacons may have drawn first blood with a Lewis touchdown, but it was the Blue Devils that seized control of the game early. With Suggs brushing off his early game miscue, he proceeded to slice through the Wake Forest defense like he has everyone else this year. Big plays happened early and often.
Just like last year, Suggs was on target early and his receivers made plays down the field.
"We had the right call," Shapiro said at the half, "we knew they would be running to the right. That's where their line strength is, and we called the blitz perfectly. We just didn't get it done on the ground." No, instead, the Wake linebackers run blitzing allowed Domenic Davis, the forgotten man in the potent Blue Devil offense, to blast forward for 17 yards. But what had to embarrass the Deacons further was the next play. Suggs dropped back to pass, found no open receivers, and ran. And ran. And ran some more with no one around it. It was almost as if the Deacon defense could not believe Suggs was actually running. But when a defender finally shoved him out of bounds, Suggs had rumbled 45 yards down the field.
Talk about a sucker punch. A QB known far more for his arm than legs runs nearly half the length of the football field. And worse for the Deacons? The Blue Devils would manage to drive 98 yards in a mere 4 plays.

Huggins would have picked up the fumble and almost took it all the way for a score. "I was just gassed. I should have had it," said Huggins on the sideline.

But the Blue Devils were not done. With each coach making halftime adjustments, the game became far more defensive in the second half. No one was able to make any ground on the other until the 4th quarter, where Suggs did what he does best -- at least earlier in the season: work the clutch and will the Blue Devils to victory. Wake Forest was getting everything it could handle, and Duke's early 4th quarter touchdown pass to Jamie Humphrey got the home crowd back into the game.
But it was the 2nd drive that was key. Once again Suggs was slicing through the defense with both his arm and his feet. The Blue Devils laughed at 3rd down and managed to work the no huddle both out of the run and pass. The Deacon defense was baffled, and soon Duke soon found itself in the red zone and poised to take the lead.
But all that ended with one transcendent play from Senior CB Aaron Hall.
Hall's long interception put Wake Forest in fantastic field position. And Mitchell's final touchdown run put the game out of reach of the Blue Devils for good. In the end, Wake Forest pushes ahead to avenge last year's shocking defeat in Durham by a final score of 31-21.
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Coach's Take: The good teams find ways to win. Today we were a good team. The right kind of good team. I've said it before and I'll say it again: we're going to get everyone's best shot. Duke is outstanding, but our defensive Seniors stepped up all day to make plays. I couldn't imagine a better day for football than today, and we're all very happy to come out of here on top.
What's Next: Duke (6-4) will have to wonder what is happening to them as their season unravels. Next week they host the Clemson Tigers. As for Wake Forest (10-0), their 3 game road trip is finished and they return to BB&T Field to face NC State.
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