East Hartford, Ct. — Demond Claiborne scored two touchdowns, and the Wake Forest defense made a crucial stand late in the game, allowing the Demon Deacons to edge UConn 23-20 on Saturday.
Claiborne’s 1-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half extended Wake Forest’s lead to 14 points. UConn responded quickly, with Nick Evers connecting with Jasaiah Gathings for a 20-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the gap to seven.
Trailing by 10 points, UConn (4-3) made a late push with a 25-yard touchdown catch by Louis Hansen with just 2:27 remaining, bringing them within three. The Huskies had one final chance to either tie or take the lead, but a fourth-down pass fell incomplete, marking their second loss of the season against an ACC opponent.
UConn head coach Jim Mora expressed frustration over a potential missed call for defensive pass interference or holding on the last play, which could have allowed the Huskies to get closer for a game-tying field goal attempt from Chris Freeman, who previously kicked a 53-yarder in the first half.
Wake Forest had opportunities to extend their lead but struggled to capitalize, putting their defense in a tight spot.
“They are strong in red-zone defense,” said Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson. “Our defense initially set us up well, but we squandered opportunities that could have cost us. We’re fortunate to escape with a three-point win and prefer to address our issues after a victory.”
Claiborne’s first touchdown came after a 41-yard pass from Hank Bachmeier to Micah Mays Jr., allowing Claiborne to find the end zone with a 5-yard run.
In the first half, UConn managed only two field goals from Freeman. Wake Forest (3-4) had a chance to increase their lead before halftime, but Cam Chadwick intercepted Bachmeier in the end zone, leaving the score at 13-6 at the break.
Bachmeier finished 21 of 36 for 274 yards, while Taylor Morin had six receptions for 104 yards for Wake Forest. Evers threw for 264 yards for UConn.
Up Next:
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons hit the road to face Stanford on Saturday.
UConn: The Huskies play the fifth of six straight home games when Rice comes to East Hartford on Saturday.
