2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team The 2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) college football season . It was Wake Forest ' s 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . The Demon Deacons were led by eighth - year head coach Jim Grobe . Wake Forest played its home games at BB & T Field . The Deacons began their season on August 28 at Baylor . A win in the 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl against UConn gave the Deacons twenty wins over the last two seasons . The team is finished 8 – 5 overall and 4 – 4 in ACC play , and beat Navy in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl on December 20 . Before the season . Roster changes . Quarterback Zach MacDowell enrolled Coastal Carolina University in January , and will play there starting in 2008 . < br > Running back Lucas Caparelli was dismissed from the university after an off the field incident in January . Recruiting . On National Signing Day , the Demon Deacons received letters of intent from 17 players . Roster . < br > Coaching staff . After the 2007 season , The Deacons had two assistant coaches accept other coaching positions . Defensive Coordinator Dean Hood accepted the head coaching job at Eastern Kentucky . Quarterbacks coach Jeff Mullen left the Deacons to assume the Offensive Coordinator position at West Virginia . Game notes . Baylor . In front of a national television audience , Riley Skinner threw for three touchdowns , including two to Chip Brinkman . Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass added touchdown runs in a lopsided 41 - 13 scoreline . Alphonso Smith and Alex Frye notched interceptions for the Deacons , who won their first ever game in the state of Texas . Ole Miss . Sam Swank ' s 42 yd FG with three seconds remaining gave Wake Forest a thrilling 30 - 28 win over Ole Miss . In a game with several lead changes , Ole Miss took the lead with just over one minute remaining in the fourth quarter . Wake quarterback Riley Skinner led the Deacons down the field in 53 seconds to set up Swank ' s game winning field goal . Florida State . In a game that featured no touchdowns , Sam Swank made four field goals to lead the Demon Deacons to a 12 - 3 win in Tallahassee . The win was the Deacons ' second consecutive win in Tallahassee , and the third straight overall over the Seminoles . The Wake Forest defense was stout , allowing Florida State under 250 yards of offense , and forcing seven turnovers , including five interceptions . Navy . Eric Kettani ran for a career - high 175 yards and backup quarterback Jarod Bryant scored the decisive touchdown in the fourth quarter , as Navy came into Winston - Salem and upset Wake Forest 24 - 17 . Clemson . Riley Skinner ' s 7 yard touchdown pass to DJ Boldin with 5 : 28 to go gave the Deacons a 12 - 7 win against Clemson . In a defensive battle , the Deacons ' defense managed to hold Clemson to less than one yard per carry . Wake Forest dominated the game statistically but were unable to capitalize on several scoring chances . The sole turnover in the game was a Cullen Harper pass intercepted by Alphonso Smith , who tied a school record with his 17th career interception . Riley Skinner also threw for 186 yards and a touchdown on 22 - of - 34 passing , and also added 73 yards on the ground . Maryland . Chris Turner completed 28 - of - 41 passes for 321 yards and a touchdown , and Maryland knocked off another top - 25 team with a 26 - 0 thumping of No . 21 Wake Forest . Miami . Wake Forest was not able to maintain a halftime lead in falling against Miami . The Deacons were unable to mount much offense in the second half , and a Robert Marve QB sneak in the third quarter ended up being the game - winner . Fullback Mike Rinfrette scored the lone Deacons touchdown on a one yard run on Wake ' s first offensive series . Duke . In a back and forth affair , Wake Forest held off Duke 33 - 30 in an overtime battle . Alphonso Smith blocked a punt for a safety and had two interceptions for the Deacons , including one in overtime to end the game . Riley Skinner had a touchdown pass to DJ Boldin , and also scored on a quarterback sneak . The Blue Devils had their chance to win at the end of regulation , but missed a 42 yard field goal that would have won it . Aaron Curry led the Deacons with 16 tackles . Virginia . On homecoming weekend in Winston - Salem , the Demon Deacons dazzled fans en route to a 28 - 3 halftime advantage . Riley Skinner threw two touchdown passes in the first half , including a 58 yard strike to Devon Brown . Kevin Patterson gave the Wake defense their first touchdown of the season , as e brought back a UVA pass for a 53 yard touchdown . Wake Forest turned more conservative in the second half , and allowed UVA to pick up a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns , but the lead was safe , and the Deacons claimed bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season . NC State . Russell Wilson threw the game - winning touchdown to Anthony Hill will ten minutes remaining , and NC State held off Wake Forest 21 - 17 in Raleigh . DJ Boldin had a hand in both Wake touchdowns , throwing a pass to Marshall Williams for a 64 yard touchdown , and catching a 7 yarder of his own . Williams had his first career 100 yard receiving day , grabbing 7 balls for 116 yards . Boston College . Backup quarterback Dominique Davis scored on a one yard quarterback sneak in the final minutes to send Wake Forest to their second straight close defeat . In a defensive battle , the Demon Deacon defense scored two touchdowns , and a punt block set up the third . Kevin Patterson and Kyle Wilbur returned fumbles for touchdowns , and Rich Belton caught a 1 yard touchdown pass from Riley Skinner . This game also saw the return of kicker Sam Swank , who missed several weeks with injury . Vanderbilt . Three different Deacons ran for touchdowns as Wake held off Vanderbilt 23 - 10 in each team ' s regular season finale . Brandon Pendergrass , Kevin Harris , and Rich Belton got in the endzone , and Alphonso Smith tied the ACC record for career interceptions . The win guaranteed Wake Forest their third consecutive winning season . Navy . Wake Forest scored 29 points in the last 31 minutes of action to win the inaugural EagleBank Bowl , and took revenge on Navy for a regular season defeat . Josh Adams got in the end zone twice for Wake Forest , who also got touchdowns from Ben Wooster and Rich Belton . Alphonso Smith intercepted a second quarter pass to break Dre Bly ' s ACC record for career interceptions . The Deacons outrushed the potent Navy option attack , led by a career high 136 yards from Kevin Harris , and Riley Skinner set a FBS bowl record by completing eleven passes without an incompletion .