Blocked FG on final play dooms Duke in loss to Wake

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Chip Vaughn blocked Joe Surgan's

28-yard field goal attempt on the final play to help Wake Forest

hold off Duke 14-13 on Saturday.

Micah Andrews ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:28 left for

the Demon Deacons (2-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who trailed

most of the way before getting Vaughn's big play to stun the Blue

Devils (0-2, 0-1) in a game Duke had every chance to win.

Riley Skinner threw for 235 yards and a score in his first start

for the Demon Deacons, who lost starter Benjamin Mauk to a

season-ending injury last week.

Thaddeus Lewis threw for 305 yards and a touchdown for the Blue

Devils, who outplayed the Demon Deacons much of the way only to be

undone by a dizzying display of ineptitude that prevented them from

building a big first-half lead. Jomar Wright had the Blue Devils'

only touchdown, a 47-yard grab from Lewis late in the first half.

It was hard to imagine the Demon Deacons would need such

late-game heroics to beat Duke, which was coming off a humbling

13-0 home loss to Division I-AA Richmond. Wake Forest had won three

of the previous four meetings by at least 26 points, including a

44-6 road win last year in which the Demon Deacons ran for 419

yards.

The Demon Deacons had trouble getting their running game going,

finishing with 57 yards on 24 carries. But Andrews, who had 142

yards last week, found the running lane when his team needed it

most, pushing through the right side for a 2-yard touchdown and a

14-13 lead.

But the Blue Devils answered, taking advantage of two

pass-interference penalties to put together a 63-yard drive. They

appeared ready to win the game when Lewis found Wright for a

21-yard gain, setting up Surgan's kick with 6 seconds left.

But Vaughn, a redshirt sophomore and backup free safety, managed

to swat Surgan's kick, sending the Demon Deacons spilling onto the

field in celebration as the game ended.

Lewis played a strong game in his first career start, completing

21-of-32 passes. His long TD to Wright gave Duke a 10-0 halftime

lead, but the Blue Devils wasted that effort with a series of

mistakes in the first half.

The list of gaffes seemed endless. Wright dropped a perfect deep

ball from Lewis that would've gone for an easy touchdown on the

first play, and Surgan missed a 27-yard field goal to end that

drive. Lewis fumbled away an option pitch to end a drive at the

Wake Forest 15. A roughing-the-passer penalty by Michael Tauiliili

negated an interception by Chris Davis and the ensuing 46-yard

return. And Re'quan Boyette fumbled at the 1-yard line and into the

end zone for a touchback.

Duke still maintained its lead until Skinner -- who completed

22-of-29 passes and settled down after a bad first half -- directed

the late seven-play, 63-yard drive that put the Demon Deacons ahead

to stay.