University of Virginia Library

Deacons Win In Last 5 Seconds

Wake Nips N.C. State, 22-21

Wake Forest came back incredibly
from a 21-7 deficit midway
through the third quarter to nip
heavily favored N.C. State 22-21
last Saturday night before some
40,000 disbelieving fans at Carter
Stadium in Raleigh.

Not until five seconds remained
on the clock did the Deacons score
the winning points. Then Steve
Bowden punched across the line
from a yard out to narrow the
margin to one. Rookie Coach Cal
Stoll, remembering his team had
told him they were "sick of losing"
last winter when he was hired from
Michigan State, called for the two
point conversion.

Wake sent two flankers wide to
the left and State put three men
out to defend against them. The
Demons' sophomore quarterback,
Larry Russell, took the snap and rolled to his left where he hit Buzz
Leavitt for two points and the
game.

There was only enough time for
a kickoff, which was not quite
enough time for the Wolfpack.

Though it is of little consolation
to State the Demon Deacons were
statistically overwhelmed. Quarterback
Darrell Moody led the rushing
attack with 96 yards. In fact the
State ground matching, which
amassed 317 yards, was so good
that Moody only needed to pass
three times. Wake managed 132
yards rushing and 98 yards passing,
but came up with two big fumble
recoveries.

State's first half touchdown
marches came on drives of 88 and
76 yards, all on the ground. Wake's
first score came on a 31 yard
Russell to Don Kobos aerial out of
the "Y," a backfield formation
adapted from the Texas Wishbone
which the Deacons were using for
the first time.

In the third period with the
score 13-7 State went 69 yards on
its first possession for their third
six-pointer. Moody scored the goal,
his third, on a 17 yard run from a
fake field goal attempt.

With the crowd moaning its
apprehension over the ease with
which State had scored, the Deacons
quickly recovered a fumble.
Then they rambled 61 yards including
32 by Russell and 18 by
Leavitt, in five plays for their
second touchdown.

State could get no further than
the Wake 46 the rest of the game,
being stopped by a costly fumble
once and a stubborn defense twice.
Wake Forest received the ball on a
punt to the State 40 with 2:52 left.
Some bull-headed running by Steve
Bowden and fourth down passing
by Russell brought the ball down to
the one, where they scored. The
true grit victory perched the Deacons
atop the ACC standings for at
least a week. The rest of the
conference teams swing into action
this weekend with Clemson at Scott
Stadium, North Carolina at State,
Duke at South Carolina and Wake
Forest at Auburn. Maryland meets
West Virginia, who ripped Cincinnati
57-11 last Saturday, at Morgantown.