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Bowl season is underway, and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will compete for postseason bragging rights in the Taxslayer Bowl at TIAA Bank Field at 11 a.m. ET on Friday. Neither team wants a repeat from their last game since each was dealt a considerable loss.
The Demon Deacons' and the Pittsburgh Panthers' matchup four weeks ago was up for grabs at halftime, but Wake Forest was thoroughly outmatched 21 to nothing in the second half. Wake Forest has to be aching after a bruising 45-21 defeat to Pitt. QB Sam Hartman had a memorable game, but not in the way you want to be remembered: despite three touchdowns, he threw four interceptions with a passing completion percentage of only 45.65%.
Meanwhile, RU suffered a grim 40-16 defeat to the Maryland Terrapins five weeks ago. It was supposed to be a close game, and RU was supposed to come out on top, but neither of those things ended up happening. No one had a standout game offensively for the Scarlet Knights, but they got one touchdown from RB Aaron Young.
This next contest looks promising for the Demon Deacons, who are favored by a full 15 points. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (6-2), so they might be worth a quick bet.
A couple defensive stats to keep an eye on: Wake Forest is 220th worst in the nation in touchdowns allowed, with 48 on the season. The Scarlet Knights have experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the game with the 197th most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 22 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
