The Sports Xchange
Oct 15, 2016
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- One week after an emotional win against rival Miami, No. 14 Florida State looked sluggish Saturday but still got the job done with a 17-6 home victory against Wake Forest.
The Seminoles took a slim 10-3 lead to halftime and struggled to move the ball all day, but still managed to improve to 5-2 overall and finally reach .500 in the ACC at 2-2 after an 0-2 conference start.
The win Saturday was also the Seminoles' fifth straight in the series since Wake Forest last beat Florida State in 2011.
Florida State wideout Travis Rudolph led the offense with a career-high 13 catches for 238 yards, running back Dalvin Cook added 115 yards rushing and the Seminoles' defense didn't allow a touchdown to the Wake Forest offense for the fifth straight game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Demon Deacons' offense has failed to reach the end zone in every game at Tallahassee since 2007, including falling twice in shutouts (2010, 2012).
Wake Forest (5-2, 2-2) only managed two field goals Saturday by Mike Weaver (34 and 29 yards). With Florida State ahead 17-6 with 5:03 left, Weaver missed a 40-yarder that would've made it a one-score game.
Demon Deacons quarterback John Wofford was 16 of 34 for 184 yards and two picks, and receiver Cortez Lewis led the offense with six catches for a team-high 109 yards.
Credit a turnaround by the Florida State defense for much of Saturday's win, as it held an opponent to 19 points of fewer for the second straight game -- that after giving a combined 135 points in its previous three outings.
The Seminoles were paced by eight tackles from defensive back Trey Marshall, and they also got a big game from defensive back Ermon Lane, who was moved from receiver on offense to defensive back two weeks ago. Lane finished with seven tackles while fellow defensive backs Marquez White and Tavarus McFadden both recorded interceptions in the win.
Wake's defense forced four Florida State turnovers -- three fumbles and an interception -- as defensive lineman Josh Banks and defensive backs Essang Bassey and Ryan Janvion all notched recoveries. Defensive back Jessie Banks recorded the pick of quarterback Deondre Francois, and linebacker Marquel Lee -- the reigning ACC Linebacker of the Week following 15 stops last week against Syracuse -- led the Demon Deacons with nine solo tackles Saturday, including 2 1/2 for loss.
The Seminoles scored just twice -- a 2-yard TD run by Francois in the second quarter and an 11-yard passing score from Francois to Auden Tate in the third -- and added one field goal (29 yards) from kicker Ricky Aguayo. Francois finished 22 of 37 for 319 yards with one touchdown and one pick in addition to the TD run.
The game opened at a snail's pace as Wake Forest punted on its initial two drives and Wofford was intercepted by White on its third.
The Seminoles punted after their first possession and Aguayo missed a 47-yard field goal on the second, but Florida State capitalized on White's first pick of the season when Aguayo made his second field goal attempt to open the scoring 3-0 as the first quarter drew to a close.
Wofford threw his second interception of the first half on Wake's next drive. McFadden snagged his FBS-leading fifth pick of the year, but the Seminoles gave the ball right back.
Two plays after the second Wake turnover, Cook caught a slip screen over the middle and was drilled by Demon Deacons defensive tackle Josh Banks, causing Cook to fumble -- the first of his two cough-ups Saturday. The ball was recovered by Bassey, and the Demon Deacons tied the game 3-3 a few minutes later on a 34-yard field goal by Weaver.
Turnovers were the theme of the first half as Wake Forest committed its third with 5:44 to go before intermission. Punter Dom Maggio bobbled the snap on the Demon Deacons' own 35 yard line, and Amir Rasul pounced on it.
Five plays and 26 yards later, Francois scored the game's first TD with a scamper from 2 yards out to put the Seminoles ahead 10-3 -- which is where the game stood at halftime.
Florida State lost a key member of its offense in the second quarter, however, as receiver Jesus Wilson was carted to the locker room and the Seminoles announced he would not return.
School officials said Wilson, who leads Florida State with 29 catches with 388 yards this year, suffered a "foot injury" during a routine out-route late in the second quarter. Wilson immediately fell down on the sideline before being taken to the medical tent.
A few minutes later, Wilson emerged but was loaded on a cart and taken to the locker room. Wilson had one catch for two yards before suffering the injury.
NOTES: Both Wake Forest and Florida State both have byes next week and will return to action at home Oct. 29. Florida State will host No. 3 Clemson while Wake Forest will welcome Army. ... Wake Forest is now 3-19 all-time against Florida State when the Seminoles have been ranked, and Florida State leads the all-time series 28-6-1 overall following Saturday's win. ... After upsetting Miami last week, Florida State not only avoided falling out of the Top 25, but it stretched its streak of consecutive weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 to 76 -- the second-longest active streak in the nation. ... Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson is the only current FBS coach who has a 10-win season and a conference championship at three different schools. He won titles at Fordham, Richmond and Bowling Green. ... The announced attendance for Saturday's game was a season-high 77,102.
