EAST HARTFORD, Ct. — Demond Claiborne was instrumental for Wake Forest, scoring two touchdowns in a close matchup against UConn, leading the Demon Deacons to a narrow 23-20 victory on Saturday.

Claiborne’s 1-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter expanded Wake Forest’s advantage to 14 points, putting them ahead 20-6. However, UConn quickly responded as quarterback Nick Evers connected with Jasaiah Gathings on a 20-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the gap to a 7-point deficit.

Despite trailing by 10 points late in the game, UConn managed to score again with a 25-yard touchdown reception from Louis Hansen with just 2:27 remaining, bringing the score to 23-20. The Huskies had a final opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead, but a fourth-down attempt resulted in an incomplete pass, marking their second loss of the season to an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

The opening touchdown for Wake Forest was set up by a notable 41-yard connection between quarterback Hank Bachmeier and Micah Mays Jr. Claiborne then took a handoff on the subsequent play, initially finding no gap but skillfully maneuvered outside for a 5-yard touchdown.

In the first half, UConn could only manage two field goals from Chris Freeman, one of which was a notable 53-yarder. Meanwhile, Wake Forest had an opportunity to increase their lead before halftime, but Cam Chadwick intercepted Bachmeier in the end zone, allowing the Demon Deacons to head into halftime with a 13-6 advantage.

Bachmeier completed 21 of 36 passes, amassing 274 yards, while Taylor Morin contributed significantly with six receptions for 104 yards.

For UConn, Evers threw for 264 yards in the loss. Looking at the overall performance, it was noted that UConn struggled with offensive efficiency, as three of their first 11 drives fell short of 20 yards. Wake Forest capitalized on this, starting two of their drives in UConn’s territory and dominating the field-position battle.

Despite achieving their third consecutive victory, Wake Forest faced challenges in the red zone, settling for field goals on three occasions and experiencing a blocked field goal on another drive.

In terms of what’s next, Wake Forest will travel to face Stanford in their upcoming game on Saturday. Meanwhile, UConn is set to host Rice for their fifth consecutive home game in East Hartford this weekend.