The Result
After spotting UConn a 10-0 lead, Wake Forest scored 24 unanswered points in the 2nd half to beat UConn 24-10 to win the Meineke Car Care Bowl in front of 53,126 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.
Larry Taylor’s punt return got the Huskies on the scoreboard first and they would add a Tony Ciaravino field goal in the 2nd qtr to take the lead. However after that, it was all Wake Forest in the 2nd half.
Wake’s defense shut down UConn in the 2nd half allowing just 72 yards by UConn while scoring the 24 unanswered points. It was UConn’s poor 2nd half and one coaching decision by Randy Edsall that cost the Huskies the game.
UConn and Wake Forest both finish the season with identical 9-4 records.
Scoring Plays
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Score |
| UConn | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Wake Forest | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 24 |
1st Quarter
CON – Larry Taylor 68-yard punt return – kick good – UConn 7-0
2nd Quarter
CON – Tony Ciaravino 28-yard field goal – UConn 10-0
3rd Quarter
WF – Josh Adams 38-yard run – kick good – UConn 10-7
WF – Skinner 20-yard pass to Tereshinski – WF 14-10
4th Quarter
WF – Sam Swank 43-yard field goal – WF 17-10
WF – Micah Andrews 9-yard run – kick good – WF 24-10
Offensive Players of the Game
Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner was 29-38 for 267 yards. He threw 1 touchdown and had 1 interception. Wake RB Micah Andrews had 9 carries for 64 yards, all in the 2nd half, with a touchdown to help Wake ice the game.
Defensive Player of the Game
UConn’s Robert Vaughn had 8 tackles including 1 for a loss along with an interception.
Turning Point(s) of the Game
Wake Forest coming down to score on their first possession of the 2nd half taking the momentum out of UConn.
Randy Edsall deciding to go for it on 4th and 5 at Wake’s 40 when he could have pinned Wake deep in their half of the field. Lorenzen’s pass was incomplete.
Offensive Notes
UConn went 3 and out on their first and second offensive series.
Lorenzen hits Ellis Gaulden for 10 yards for UConn’s first first down.
Lorenzen hits Jeffers fo 6-yards and first down.
Martin Bedard catches a short pass for 9 yards.
Andre Dixon breaks one for 13-yards on a good block from Donald Thomas.
Lorenzen sacked on a 3 and 10.
Donald Brown busts one for 58 yards.
Lorenzen hits Kanuch for 16 yards and 1st down at Wake 18.
Lorenzen picked off on a tipped pass.
Lorenzen sacked on goal line just avoiding a safety.
Lorenzen hits Brouse for a 8-yards and UConn’s first 1st down of 2nd half.
Lorenzen runs for 13-yards and a first down.
Lorenzen hits Kanuch for 14-yards.
Lorenzen hits Brouse on 3rd and 1 for a 18-yard gain.
Defensive Notes
Cody Brown forces a fumble by Wake QB Riley Skinner that Skinner recovers.
Tyvon Branch times it perfectly to break up a long pass to force a Wake punt.
Darius Butler called for pass interference on a questionable call.
Lawrence Wilson stops Moore for 8-yard loss on an end around.
Robert Vaughn picks off Skinner at the UConn 10.
Vaughn breaks up a pass to force 4th down.
Alex Polito sacks Skinner for a 11-yard loss.
Butler forces a Josh Adams fumble that was recovered by Danny Lansanah.
Butler and Lansanah stop Adams for a 4-yard loss.
Special Teams Notes
Terry Baltimore was called for interference on a punt return as he ran into the kick returner.
Larry Taylor takes a punt return back for 68-yards and a touchdown. Great block at the end of the run by D.J. Hernandez.
Tyvon Branch returns kickoff 65-yards
Coaching Decisions
Wake head coach Jim Grobe calls timeout on 4th and 4 at UConn’s 40 and decides to punt.
UConn head coach Randy Edsall decides to go for it on 4th and 1 at Wake’s 40. Brown was stopped short.
Edsall calls timeout to go for it on 4th and 5 at Wake 40. Lorenzen’s pass was incomplete.
Injuries
1st qtr – CON – Robert Vaughn – wind knocked out. Returned to the game
3rd qtr – CON – Tyvon Branch – leg injury. Returned to the game.
The Officials
The officiating crew came from the SEC and didn’t factor into the game as they only called 3 penalties all day. Two of them were on UConn for 30 yards.
Referee: Matt Austin; Umpire: John Meiman; Linesman: Allama Matthews; Line judge: Mickey Haddock; Back judge: George Ranager; Field judge: Mike Washington; Side judge: Blake Parks; Scorer: Robert Bradley;
Game Notes
George Foreman is a spokesperson for Meineke and was at the game today.
Members of the Carolina Panthers were at the game before leaving on their charter for Tampa.
UConn’s loss today ended the Big East’s 7-game winning streak in bowl games that dated back to 2005.
Wake Forest WR Kenneth Moore broke Torry Holt’s ACC record of 88 catches today by making 11 of them. He finished with 98 on the season.
Larry Taylor’s 68-yard punt return TD was the school-record fourth of his career.
Tony Ciaravino’s second-quarter field goal was his 22nd of the year, extending his own school record. The BIG EAST record is 23 by Boston College’s Sandro Sciortino in 2002.
UConn’s 9-4 record is the second best in school history.
UConn hadn’t lost consecutive games all season until today.
UConn is now 1-1 in bowl games in their brief FCS tenure.
UConn was 5-of-17 on third downs while Wake was 8-of-16. UConn was 0-for-2 on 4th down conversions as well.
Tyler Lorenzen was just 13-of-26 for 98 yards while Riley Skinner was 29-of-38 for 267 yards.
Donald Brown rushed for 72 yards with 58 of those coming on one run.
Wake Forest had 414 yards of total offense while holding UConn to just 212.
UConn forced two turnovers (fumble, interception) while committing one themselves (interception).
Closing Thoughts
While UConn had a successful season after being picked to finish 6th in the Big East, they will need to improve their offense production next season. They relied on their strong defense to keep them in games and sometime win them for win but they really didn’t have a deep threat. Look for them to work on that during spring practices.
Next Game
UConn will open up their 2008 season against Hofstra on Thursday, August 28th, at Rentschler Field.
