There has been a lot of talk recently among Wake Forest fans that Wake blows an excessive amount of leads in the 4th quarter. I believe that it is more "prisoner of the moment" disease, and have gone through the trouble of looking up all games that Wake Forest won or lost by 7 points or less in the past 10 years.
It took a fair amount of work, and I haven't really dug through the numbers to break them down as much as I could have, but I did get a basic summary of the numbers and the bottom line. I have listed the margin that Wake was either winning or losing by entering the 4th quarter, followed by the result. Of course these numbers don't take into consideration the status of the game at the point of the 4th quarter beginning (for example, a team might have been at the 1 and down 14 entering the 4th, and then scored on the first play, that is much different than being up 14 and driving with the ball at the end of the 3rd quarter).
I hope you will take time to look through the jump and what the numbers really show.
Since 2002, Wake Forest has done the following in games decided by a possession or less
Overall: 25-28 (53 games)
Led after 3 (lost): 12 times (23% overall) (46%)
Led after 3 (won): 14 times (26% overall) (54%)
Led after 3: 14-12 (49% overall) (54% winning percentage)
Trailed after 3 (lost): 15 times (28% overall) (60%)
Trailed after 3 (won): 10 times (19% overall) (40%)
Trailed after 3: 10-15 (47% overall) (40% winning percentage)
Tied after 3 (won): 1 time (2% overall) (50%)
Tied after 3 (lost):1 time (2% overall) (50%)
Tied after 3: 1-1 (4% overall) (50% winning percentage)
Season-by-Season Record
2002 (4-2)
1.NIU +11 (L 42-41) Led after 3 (lost)
2.ECU +4 (W 27-22) Led after 3 (won)
3.Purdue +3 (W 24-21) Led after 3 (won)
4.UVA +10 (L 38-34) Led after 3 (lost)
5.GT -1 (W 24-21) Trailed after 3 (won)
6.Navy -1 (W 30-27) Trailed after 3 (won)
2003 (1-2)
7.BC -8 (W 32-38) Trailed after 3 (won)
8.Purdue -3 (L 16-10) Trailed after 3 (lost)
9.UVA +8 (L 27-24) Led after 3 (lost)
2004 (2-6)
10.Clemson +1 (L 37-30 2OT) Led after 3 (lost)
11.BC +3 (W 17-14) Led after 3 (won)
12.NCSU -7 (L 27-21) Trailed after 3 (lost)
13.VT -3 (L 17-10) Trailed after 3 (lost)
14.FSU +4 (L 20-17) Led after 3 (lost)
15.Wake +9 (W 24-22) Led after 3 (won)
16.UNC -14 (L 31-24) Trailed after 3 (lost)
17.Maryland -6 (L 13-7) Trailed after 3 (lost)
2005 (1-2)
18.Vandy -4 (L 24-20) Trailed after 3 (lost)
19.Clemson -8 (W 31-27) Trailed after 3 (won)
20.BC -1 (L 35-30) Trailed after 3 (lost)
2006 (5-0)
21.Duke -6 (W 14-13) Trailed after 3 (won)
22.NCSU +8 (W 25-23) Led after 3 (won)
23.UNC -3 (W 24-17) Trailed after 3 (won)
24.BC +7 (W 21-14) Led after 3 (won)
25.GT -3 (W 9-6) Trailed after 3 (won)
2007 (3-2)
26.Nebraska -3 (L 20-17) Trailed after 3 (lost)
27.Maryland -14 (W 31-24 OT) Trailed after 3 (won)
28.Duke +11 (W 41-36) Led after 3 (won)
29.FSU Tied (W 24-21) Tied after 3 (won)
30.UVA +3 (L 17-16) Led after 3 (lost)
2008 (3-4)
31.Ole Miss +7 (W 30-28) Led after 3 (won)
32.Navy -7 (L 24-17) Trailed after 3 (lost)
33.Clemson -9 (W 12-7) Trailed after 3 (won)
34.Miami -3 (L 16-10) Trailed after 3 (lost)
35.Duke +2 (W 33-30) Led after 3 (won)
36.NCSU +3 (L 21-17) Led after 3 (lost)
37.BC -2 (L 24-21) Trailed after 3 (lost)
2009 (2-5)
38.Baylor -10 (L 24-21) Trailed after 3 (lost)
39.Stanford -7 (W 24-17) Trailed after 3 (won)
40.BC -7 (L 27-24 OT) Trailed after 3 (lost)
41.NCSU +3 (W 30-24) Led after 3 (won)
42.Navy -10 (L 13-10) Trailed after 3 (lost)
43.Miami +13 (L 28-27) Led after 3 (lost)
44.GT Tied (L 30-27 OT) Tied after 3 (lost)
2010 (1-2)
45.Duke +3 (W 54-48) Led after 3 (won)
46.GT +11 (L 24-20) Led after 3 (lost)
47.Navy +3 (L 28-27) Led after 3 (lost)
2011 (3-3)
48.Syracuse +12 (L 36-29 OT) Led after 3 (lost)
49.NCSU +7 (W 34-27) Led after 3 (won)
50.FSU +8 (W 35-30) Led after 3 (won)
51.Duke +4 (W 24-21) Led after 3 (won)
52.ND -7 (L 24-17) Trailed after 3 (lost)
53.Clemson +7 (L 31-28) Led after 3 (lost)