Wake Forest Football vs Army 2021 Flashback
In the highest scoring game of the 2021 college football season, Wake Forest traveled to West Point on Oct. 23rd and won 70-56. With this week’s rematch in Winston-Salem just days away, let’s take a look back at the amazing battle
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Wake Forest entered the game undefeated at 6-0, coming off of a bye week. It was the second 6-0 start in school history, and the first ever 4-0 start in the ACC. Ranked 16th in the nation as one of only eleven remaining undefeated teams, momentum was high for the Demon Deacons. On the other side of the field, Army was 4-2. The week before, however, Army had traveled to Madison and played a talented Wisconsin Badgers team (9-4 on the season), keeping it close but losing 20-14.
Army’s commendable road performance led oddsmakers to close the line with the Deacs as only three point favorites. The over/under sat at 53.5.
It quickly became apparent that the total was far too low. The first three drives of the game resulted in touchdowns. Christian Beal-Smith ran one in for Wake, Brandon Walters did the same for Army, and Sam Hartman connected with Jaquarii Roberson on a 41-yard pass to bring the score to 14-7. There were almost seven minutes remaining in the first quarter after this fast paced start.
Neither team scored on their next possession. Army punted, and Wake Forest failed to convert a 4th and one.
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After the brief scoring drought, the floodgates opened. In fact, the next fourteen drives (excluding an Army kneel at the end of the first half) each resulted in touchdowns! It truly felt like a video game shootout.
On the ensuing possessions, two Army rushing touchdowns capped long drives, Sam Hartman connected with A.T. Perry on a 54-yard touchdown pass, and Christian Beal-Smith ran in another score. By the end of the first half, the Deacs led 28-21.
Army began the second half with six straight run plays and ended up in the endzone. Hartman and the Deacs answered quickly, as Roberson caught a 75-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the drive.
In a record breaking day for both offenses, the play of the game was actually made by a defensive back. On a fourth and four, Wake's Traveon Redd made an incredible read to sniff out a trick-play, leaving his man to intercept the pass at the perfect moment. 83 yards later, he was in the endzone. With six minutes left in the third quarter, the score was 42-28 in favor of Wake Forest.
You may not see a more spectacular defense football play at ANY level this season. Traveon Redd, simply marvelous. @WakeFB. pic.twitter.com/gnw9tHWfpq
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) October 23, 2021
Two plays later, Army's Anthony Adkins scored on a 71-yard touchdown run. Yet once again, the Deacs responded quickly, as the very next play of the game was a 75-yard touchdown pass from Sam Hartman to Ke’Shawn Williams.
Ke'Shawn Williams : 2 catches for 93 yards & a TD pic.twitter.com/5t5lqCwQqN
— Lee Harvey (@AyeThatsLee) October 23, 2021
The team's continued to trade touchdowns, but Redd's special play was the difference. Wake led 63-49 with just under seven minutes remaining.
Finally, Army failed to keep up. After a series of strong runs brought the Black Knights into Wake Forest territory, linebacker Chase Jones forced and recovered a fumble, giving the Demon Deacons possession and a two-score lead with just under three minutes remaining.
A few plays later, Justice Ellison broke free for a 46-yard touchdown run. Army scored one last time with 39 seconds remaining, but Wake Forest recovered the onside kick and ended the game in victory formation.
While Army was on offense for 42 minutes, the Demon Deacons had the ball for just over 17 minutes! The Deacs averaged four points per minute on offense! They totalled 638 yards of total offense on just 52 plays.
READ: Three Stars in the Win vs Florida State
It was a career game for Sam Hartman, who finished the game 23/29 passing for 458 yards and five touchdowns. That's the sixth-most passing yards in a game in Wake Forest history, and at the time, tied for the most touchdowns in a game (before Hartman broke his own record this season). It’s no wonder that this was the second time ever the Deacs did not attempt a punt for an entire game.
With four touchdown passes over 40 yards, Hartman and his receivers were truly extraordinary. A.T. Perry and Jaquarii Roberson each finished with over 145 receiving yards.
On the other side, however, the Army rushing offense was almost equally impressive. More than ten different Army players registered a rush. The Black Knights finished with 416 rushing yards on a whopping 70 attempts.
AT Perry WIDE OPEN for the @WakeFB TD. pic.twitter.com/jhJfSbSbl0
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) October 23, 2021
Army recovered quite well from the craziness of this offensive eruption. They gave up no more than 22 points in a game for the rest of the season, eventually winning the Armed Forces Bowl against Missouri and finishing the year 9-4.
Revisiting this incredible game will be fun for generations. For every point scored, it felt as if another record was broken.
While Wake Forest's defense is also much improved, both teams return the majority of their key offensive players. If these teams can provide even half of the entertainment value from last October, this will be a good one.
This time, Army is 17.5 point underdogs, and the total sits at 66.5.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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Ben is a contributing writer for Deacons Daily A '22 Wake Forest graduate, Ben has also written at RedbirdRants, the St. Louis Cardinals FanSided site, for two and a half years.