Overcast, 66°
Weather sponsored by:

FIHS Smenda, OHS Nash rock ‘The Doak’

Courtey of Wake Forest Athletics
Posted 10/5/22

The No. 21-ranked Wake Forest football team captured its third-straight win over Florida State on Saturday afternoon, 31-21. The victory over the No. 22-ranked Seminoles (4-1, 2-1 ACC) marked the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

FIHS Smenda, OHS Nash rock ‘The Doak’


Posted

The No. 21-ranked Wake Forest football team captured its third-straight win over Florida State on Saturday afternoon, 31-21. The victory over the No. 22-ranked Seminoles (4-1, 2-1 ACC) marked the Demon Deacons (4-1, 1-1 ACC) third-straight season with a win over a ranked opponent.

Two local players on the Wake Forest roster were senior middle linebacker Ryan Smenda, Jr., out of Fleming Island High School, and senior offensive tackle Je’Vionte Nash out of Oakleaf High School. Smenda led the Demon Deacon defense with 11 tackles, one for a loss.

Offensively, with Nash a starter at left tackle, Wake Forest put on a show inside Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday. Wake Forest outgained Florida State, highlighted by 171 yards on the ground. Additionally, the Deacs scored 28 unanswered points from the end of the first quarter until the halfway point of the third.

The 31 points scored in Tallahassee mark the fourth occasion in program history that the Deacs have posted 30-plus points on the Noles.

“I have a lot of respect for Florida State and a lot of respect for FSU coach Mike Norvell” said Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson. “They’re a very improved football team and we played really well. We were fortunate to win. Any team could have won that game but we made plays.”

Individually, redshirt junior Sam Hartman moved into the top five in Atlantic Coast Conference history in career passing yardage. He currently has 10,462 yards and ranks fifth in league lore following today’s game. Sophomore running back Justice Ellison recorded a career-high 114 yards on the ground today and redshirt junior wideout A.T. Perry hauled in his 20th career touchdown pass in the second quarter, which ranks tied for sixth in program history.

Defensively, the Deacs forced one turnover on Saturday while tallying six tackles for loss and just four successful third-down conversions. Over the course of the current three-game winning streak against FSU, the Wake Forest defense has forced nine turnovers.

Saturday’s win marked the Demon Deacons 10th-straight victory during the month of October as Wake Forest went a perfect 4-0 during this month each of the last two years. Prior to 2020, Wake Forest had not gone undefeated in the month of October since 2007.

The Deacs return to Truist Field a week from today on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. vs. Army. The game is sold out, which marks the first time since 2011 that Wake Forest has had three-straight home sellouts.