DURHAM – Duke turned in a championship defensive effort in the second half. It outgained Wake Forest on the ground and in the air. It even held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game.

And one sloppy half and one big play spoiled it all.

Despite running only 51 plays all game and gaining 81 total yards in the second half, Wake Forest escaped with 24-23 victory Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium, its 12th straight win against Duke.

“You can’t win conference football games playing two quarters,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “We were a very undisciplined ball club.”

Duke (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) fell behind 17-0 in the first half, then rallied for 23 consecutive points, eventually taking a six-point lead in the fourth quarter.

On Wake Forest’s next play, quarterback Tanner Price hit Chris Givens along the right sideline, then Givens made two tacklers miss on a 66-yard touchdown catch-and-run.

With the exception of that play, the Demon Deacons (5-2, 4-1) gained only 15 yards in the second half.

“I thought our kids hung in there and made a play when they had to,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “It’s not good for my blood pressure (Saturday), but it’s good to get a win.”

Duke possessed the ball three more times after Wake Forest regained the lead, but drives ended in a punt, a turnover on downs and a Sean Renfree interception.

“We had three chances to take back the lead and we couldn’t do it,” wide receiver Conner Vernon said. “We just couldn’t finish.”

Tanner Price (15-for-25, 215 yards) hit Givens for a touchdown to open the scoring, and Brandon Pendergrass added a two-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

“The two halves, the bottom line is we couldn’t overcome the poor job I did in the first half,” Cutcliffe said. “It was all of the areas where the head coach is responsible – we were more than poor. When you put yourself in that position, it’s very difficult to overcome.”

“The first half, we came out lolly-gagging,” wide receiver Donovan Varner said. “I feel like we could have came out with more intensity. We let them beat us in that category in the first half.”

Renfree (28-for-45) was forced to settle for short passes for the majority of the afternoon, but the Blue Devils received a jolt from Anthony Boone, Renfree’s backup. Boone rushed for two touchdowns in the second half, and the offense looked
 rejuvenated.

“They came out of the locker room and did what a good football team does,” Cutcliffe said. “It’s unfortunate when you put yourself in a position to win and it turns out the way it does.”

More often than not, Price was able to take his time in the pocket. After early adjustments, though, the Blue Devils brought Price down four times, a result of excellent down-field
 coverage.

“When our (defensive backs) were able to keep pressure on their receivers, and keep them covered, we were able to get in there,” defensive tackle Charlie Hatcher said. “We gotta do a better job as a D-line of forcing quicker throws or getting sacks when the DBs are doing that well.”

Duke completes a three-game homestand when it plays host to Virginia Tech next week.

Vernon, like Cutcliffe and Varner, echoed that the Devils can’t afford any more poor starts.

“Last week (against) Florida State, we did the same thing. They jumped out on us, then we came back in the second half,” Vernon said. “That’s something we gotta figure out. We have to play this game for four quarters, not two.”

Nick Piotorwicz can be reached at 407-9952 or npiotrowicz@rmtelegram.com.