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Wake Forest Makes Light Work of Rutgers, Winning the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, 38-10

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Football

The 2021 Wake Forest football team capped off its historic season on New Year's Eve, defeating Big Ten foe Rutgers in the 77th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl 38-10 inside TIAA Bank Field on Friday.

No. 17 Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1 ACC) became just the second team in program history to win double-digit games and tied the program record with 11 victories while also setting a program record with seven conference victories and finished the home season with a perfect 6-0 mark.

Head Coach Dave Clawson became the first coach in program history to win four bowl games as all four titles have come during the Deacs current six-game bowl appearance streak. This run ranks as the second-longest in the ACC, trailing just Clemson.

The Deacs forced Rutgers (5-8, 2-7 Big Ten) to turn the ball over twice as Zion Keith and Gavin Holmes snared their first interceptions of the season. The Deacs limited the Scarlet Knights to just 271 total yards in the game, including 106 yards rushing.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman ended his historic single-season campaign with Gator Bowl MVP honors. The Charlotte, N.C. native tossed three touchdown passes in the game and threw for 304 yards.

Fellow redshirt sophomore A.T. Perry collected 10 of Hartman's passes for 127 yards and pulled in his 15th touchdown reception of the season, tied for the fifth most in conference history.

Seniors Traveon Redd and Luke Masterson led Wake Forest's defense with seven tackles apiece in their final game in the Old Gold & Black.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Wake Forest jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game as Sam Hartman connected with Brandon Chapman on a four-yard touchdown through the air. The Deacs embarked on a 9-play, 84 yard drive over the first 3:27 of the game to take hold of the early lead. 
    • After Justice Ellison picked up Wake Forest's second first down of the drive on a four-yard rush, Hartman found Taylor Morin for a 26-yard gain to push the ball into Rutgers territory. 
  • Rutgers tied the game at 7 with 5:11 left in the first quarter after their 12-play drive was capped off a 12-yard rushing touchdown. 
  • Less than three minutes later, the Demon Deacons answered as Hartman tossed a 28-yard touchdown to A.T. Perry, putting Wake Forest back up by 7 points (14-7) with 5:11 remaining in the first.  
    • Hartman kept the Wake Forest drive alive with a nine-yard scamper on 3rd and 7. Two plays later, Christian Beal-Smith broke off a 16-yard rush to give Wake Forest to the Scarlet Knights' own 28-yard line. 
  • Rutgers connected on a 29-yard field goal to cut into Wake Forest's lead (14-10) with 12 minutes before halftime. 
    • Rutgers drove the ball down to Wake Forest's 10-yard line before the Demon Deacon defense made a red zone stand, highlighted by a Jasheen Davis sack for a loss of two yards and a pass breakup by Malik Mustapha. 
  • Wake Forest pushed their advantage back to 7 (17-10) with 8:21 left in the first half as Nick Sciba tacked on a 37-yard field goal following a 10-play, 65-yard drive. 
  • After teams traded their first punts of the game, the Demon Deacon defense made another red zone stop as Gavin Holmes intercepted a pass at the goal line as Rutgers was threatening in Wake Forest territory with less than two minutes left in the second quarter. 
    • The interception halted a 8-play, 47-yard drive that lasted over three minutes. 
  • Nick Sciba split the uprights on a 29-yard field goal to increase Wake Forest's lead to double digits (20-10) heading into intermission.
    • After Holmes' interception, the Wake Forest offense put together their third drive of 10 plays of the first half. Wake Forest's final drive of the half was highlighted by big plays from Ellison (18-yard rush) and Blake Whiteheart (26-yard reception from Hartman). 
  • Zion Keith produced Wake Forest's second interception of the game on the second play of the second half, giving the ball back to the Demon Deacons with 14:24 remaining in the third quarter. 
  • Wake Forest's defense kept Rutgers scoreless for the second-straight drive as Dion Bergan tallied a sack for a loss of 10 yards on 3rd and 8 to give the Demon Deacons the ball back. 
  • Sciba's third field goal of the game capped off Wake Forest's longest offensive drive of the game (13 plays) to increase the Demon Deacon lead to 23-10 with 6:37 left in the third period. 
    • The drive was extended due to a pair of crucial third-down conversions, the first to Ke'Shawn Williams for 28 yards on 3rd and 26 followed by a 21-yard reception to Perry on 3rd and 8. 
  • After Wake Forest's defense forced a turnover on downs, the Deacs increased their lead to 31-10 with 12:24 left in regulation as Hartman found Chapman for his second receiving touchdown of the game.
    • Hartman found Perry open in the end zone on the two-point conversion to push the Demon Deacon lead to three scores.
  • With Wake Forest working clock in the final minutes of the game, freshman running back Justice Ellison found the endzone with 4:15 remaining in the game. The 27-yard run was the longest of the game for any Demon Deacon running back.
  • The Deacs defense came up big one more time on the day, forcing Rutgers to turn over the ball on downs with 2:09 left on the play clock.
    • The Demon Deacons proceeded to run out the rest of the clock, capturing the 38-10 bowl victory over Rutgers.