FACTS & STATS: Site: Carter-Finley Stadium (60,000) — Raleigh, North
Carolina. Television: ACC Sports Network. Home Record: Wake Forest 2-3. NC
State 3-3. Away Record: Wake Forest 0-4, NC State 2-2. Neutral Record: Wake
Forest 0-0. NC State 0-0. Conference Record: Wake Forest 0-5. NC State 1-5.
Series Record: NC State leads, 63-38-6.
GAME NOTES: Two struggling Atlantic Coast Conference teams battle on the
gridiron Saturday afternoon when the NC State Wolfpack welcomes the Wake
Forest Demon Deacons to Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Wolfpack will try to get back on the winning track Saturday. After ending
a four-game slide with a win at Syracuse two weeks ago, NC State got back to
its losing ways last weekend, falling to Georgia Tech 56-23
Georgia Tech scored five rushing touchdowns and ran for a season-high 479
yards as the squad spoiled NC State’s Homecoming.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett paced the Wolfpack, completing 18-of-35 passes for
213 yards and a score, but was also picked off twice as NC State fell to 5-5
overall and 1-5 in the ACC. The signal caller led the way on the ground with
77 yards and a TD on nine carries as well.
Despite Saturday’s output, the Wolfpack aren’t just led by Brissett, who has
completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,195 yards with 18 touchdowns and five
picks. Matt Ayes is a dual threat. He has 256 yards receiving and 416 on the
ground with eight total touchdowns.
Bo Hines leads the receivers with 40 catches for 513 yards, Shadrach Thornton
has a team-best 557 yards rushing with seven scores.
Wake Forest comes into Saturday’s contest just looking to take something
positive out of an otherwise dreadful season. The Demon Deacons have dropped
five straight games, most recently losing to then 19th-ranked Clemson last
weekend, 34-20.
Wake Forest was tied with the Tigers early in the fourth quarter, but Clemson
scored the final two touchdowns of the game to avoid the upset. Wake Forest
quarterback John Wolford completed just 11-of-29 passes for 88 yards but threw
for two scores, both to tight end Cam Serigne, who became the first Wake
Forest freshman with two TD catches in a game since Ira Williams in 1998.
Wake Forest totaled just 119 yards but gave the Tigers a scare by taking
advantage of good field position due to several Clemson mistakes. However, the
Demon Deacons still fell to 2-7 overall and winless in five ACC games.
The Demon Deacons’ offense has been horrid at best this season. They are dead
last in the ACC in total offense, averaging just 203 yard per game and are
averaging just over 10 points per game during their current slide.
Wolford leads what offense there is for Wake Forest. He’s completed 58.8
percent of his passes for 1,465 yards with nine touchdowns and 13
interceptions. The Demon Deacons average 172 yards per game through the air.
Serigne and EJ Scott lead a lackluster receiving corps. Serigne has a team-
high 39 catches for 374 yards with four scores. Scott has 37 receptions for a
team-best 384 yards and four touchdowns.
The ground game leaves a great deal to be desired, averaging just 31 yards on
the ground per game. Orville Reynolds leads the rushing attack, if you could
even call it an attack, with 163 yards for the season.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Wake’s offense on Saturday. NC
State has trouble stopping the run, allowing 203 yards per game, and allows
405 yards per game. As a result, this will feature a team that has trouble
moving the ball against a team that has trouble stopping it.
The good thing for Wake Forest is it doesn’t have to do a lot of traveling in
the last three games. After this game, the Demon Deacons return home to face
Virginia Tech and then travel to Duke.
This game marks the 105th consecutive season that Wake Forest and NC State
have met. The home team has won seven straight meetings and 11 of the last 12.
The last road team to win in the series was Wake Forest in 2006. Don’t expect
anything different on Saturday. Even though the Wolfpack can’t stop anyone,
Wake doesn’t seem to be able to beat anyone.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: NC State 28, Wake Forest 17
