Deacons are juiced up over their next stop

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Wake Forest's defensive players huddled near the sideline, pushing and shoving, yelling and screaming, jumping and dancing.

They were trailing, 6-3, and ready to do something about it. Riley Swanson did.

Swanson intercepted a pass from Reggie Ball on the next play, sparking a comeback that gave Wake Forest its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 36 years and sent the Demon Deacons to the biggest bowl game in school history.

Riley Skinner followed Swanson's pick with long completions on consecutive drives, setting up Sam Swank's final two field goals that gave No. 16 Wake Forest a 9-6 victory over No. 23 Georgia Tech in the ACC title game yesterday.

Skinner, who grew up in Jacksonville, finished 14 of 25 for 201 yards and came up big when the Demon Deacons needed it most. He hooked up with John Tereshinski for a 39-yard gain on third and 10, setting up Swank's second field goal, a 33-yarder with 8:27 to play that tied the game at 6-6.

On the next possession, Skinner found Willie Idlette down the middle for a 45-yard gain, setting up Swank's 22-yarder that turned out to be the game-winner.

The Demon Deacons (11-2) won their second league title and first since 1970. The finale to their improable season comes in the Orange Bowl Jan. 2 -- the program's biggest bowl game since the 1946 Gator Bowl.

Georgia Tech (9-4) accepted an invitation to the Gator Bowl.