Clemson Tigers vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Match Player Stats On Nov 19, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 19, 2016

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Deshaun Watson and Wayne Gallman each scored two touchdowns and No. 4 Clemson recovered from its first loss of the season, defeating Wake Forest 35-13 on Saturday night at windswept BB&T Field to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game in two weeks.

The Tigers (10-1, 7-1 ACC) completed their conference schedule by scoring the game's first 28 points in less than 18 minutes and delighting the huge turnout of Clemson fans following their team on the road.

Clemson's spot in the College Football Playoff likely depends on results next week at home against South Carolina and then in the ACC title game against Virginia Tech or North Carolina in Orlando, Fla.

The Tigers tied for the ACC's Atlantic Division title with Louisville but owned the tiebreaker based on defeating the Cardinals on Oct. 1.

Gallman, a redshirt junior, gained 161 yards on 22 carries, setting a Clemson career record at 16 games with 100 or more rushing yards.

Watson, who also tossed a touchdown pass, completed 23 of 33 throws for 202 yards.

Wake Forest (6-5, 3-4), which has lost four of its last five games, threatened with an 82-yard drive in the third quarter but settled for Mike Weaver's 23-yard field goal to pull within 28-13.

Clemson used a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter to lead to Gallman's 1-yard touchdown run with 10:50 left.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Kearns made his first career start for Wake Forest, which was without three-year starter John Wolford because of an ankle injury.

Kearns, who had thrown seven passes all season before Saturday, was 7 of 18 for 126 yards (with two completions accounting for 92 yards).

It was the fifth game this season that Wake Forest failed to score a second-half touchdown.

Clemson, apparently intent on sending a message after last week's stunning upset, led 28-10 at halftime after scoring the game's first 28 points, including three first-quarter touchdowns.

The Tigers struck first on Gallman's 42-yard run on fourth-and-1 on the Tigers' first possession.

Watson ran 3 yards untouched for the next touchdown with 6:22 left in the opening quarter.

After the second touchdown, Clemson's recovery of an onside kick was negated by an offsides penalty.

The Tigers scored soon anyway, with Watson throwing 15 yards to receiver Mike Williams.

Other than benefiting from a roughing-the-punter penalty, Wake Forest was without a first down on four first-quarter possessions.

Trailing 28-0, Wake Forest scored on Mike Weaver's 42-yard field goal after a recovered muffed punt with 10:04 to go in the second quarter.

Wake Forest's next possession resulted in running back Cade Carney's 1-yard touchdown run, but the Demon Deacons managed only 93 yards of total offense in the first half.

NOTES: Clemson has held a top-5 national ranking when meeting Wake Forest in three of the last four years. ... Clemson WR Artavis Scott extended his streak of at least one catch to 34 games with two first-quarter receptions. ... Clemson's second-quarter sack pushed the defense's string to 41 consecutive games with a sack. ... The 21 first-quarter points were the most for Clemson in an ACC game this year. ... Wake Forest was tied for ninth nationally in turnover ratio at plus-9 entering the game. ... Wake Forest, which hasn't defeated a team currently holding a winning record, closes the regular season next Saturday against visiting Boston College.