By By Associated Press
WINSTON-SALEM — Wake Forest needs a win to improve its standing in the topsy-turvy Atlantic Coast Conference’s bowl-game pecking order.
The Demon Deacons were up three weeks ago, tied for the Atlantic Division lead and looking at playing for the league championship for the second time in three years. But after back-to-back losses, Wake Forest (6-5, 4-4) desperately needs to beat Vanderbilt Saturday to avoid a possible early holiday vacation.
Currently, the ACC has nine ‘‘bowl-eligible’’ teams, each having six or more wins, with two more teams — N.C. State and Virginia, each at 5-6 — on the bubble.
The league has eight bowl-game tie-ins — not counting its berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series games — and winning Saturday would virtually assure Wake Forest its third consecutive postseason berth.
It’s not a must-win situation Wake Forest envisioned three weeks ago when winning its last two league contests would have given the Demon Deacons a chance to play in the ACC championship game.
However, in-state rival N.C. State and Boston College spoiled those plans with close wins over the Demon Deacons to shove them out of the division lead and down the postseason order.
The loss to the Eagles last week was especially galling to Wake Forest, which fell behind in the first half only to rally and take a 21-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. But Dominique Davis’ 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:12 remaining gave Boston College a 24-21 victory.
Grobe has been using last week’s loss to Boston College as a motivational tool during practice this week — not that the Demon Deacons needed it.