Nov. 27, 2010
Box Score | Postgame Quotes | Notes | 
Joe Howell Photo Gallery | Season Stats
Caldwell, Players Press Conference | 
Joe Fisher’s Postgame Radio Show
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Josh Harris rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown and Wake Forest defeated Vanderbilt 34-13 on Saturday night in Robbie Caldwell’s last game as Vanderbilt’s head coach.
Caldwell announced he was stepping down earlier in the day, ending his short tenure at the helm.
Vanderbilt (2-10) ended the season on a seven-game losing streak, which is currently tied for the second-longest skid in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
It was the Commodores’ second straight 10-loss season. They have had at least nine losses in six of the last 10 seasons.
The Demon Deacons (3-9), who snapped a nine-game losing skid, were aided by several Vanderbilt special teams miscues. The Commodores missed two field goals (50 and 37 yards) and had two punts blocked.
Caldwell took over in mid-July for Bobby Johnson, who abruptly resigned. That gave Caldwell, who spent the previous eight seasons as Vanderbilt’s offensive line coach, just seven weeks to prepare for the season opener.
David Williams, the vice chancellor in charge of university affairs and athletics, said he spoke with Caldwell over Thanksgiving and met with him Saturday morning. He said the two reached a “mutual agreement that the university and the football program needed to go in a new direction.”
The game marked the first time since Nov. 29, 2008 — also against Vanderbilt — that Wake Forest blocked two punts in one contest.
The first blocked punt came with the Demon Deacons already up by two touchdowns late in the second quarter.
C.J. Washington raced around Vanderbilt’s blocking wall and got a hand on Richard Kent’s punt. Gelo Orange recovered it at the Commodores’ 11-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Tanner Price ran in for a touchdown from 3 yards out for a 24-3 lead with 2:28 to go in the first half.
Chris Givens blocked Kent in the third quarter, setting up a 36-yard field goal by Jimmy Newman. With the kick, Newman set a school record with 12 straight field goals.
After Vanderbilt opened the game with a 31-yard field goal by Ryan Fowler, Wake Forest responded with a scoring drive. The Demon Deacons drove 70 yards in seven plays and Harris capped it off with a 15-yard touchdown run with 9:07 left in the first quarter.
Harris set up Wake Forest’s next touchdown with a 74-yard run early in the second quarter. On the following play, Josh Adams rushed it in from 11 yards out for a 17-3 lead with 10:09 remaining in the first half.
