Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: State vs. Wake Forest

Stop by for live analysis and updates from today's game in Winston-Salem

NC State makes its semi-annual trip to BB&T Field today looking to change its fortunes both this season and over the past decade on Wake Forest's home field. The Wolfpack has won only once in its last eight trips to Winston-Salem dating back to 2003 and are looking to bounce back from a 45-24 trouncing at the hands of Boston College two weeks ago ...

PREGAME

First order of business, who's starting at quarterback for the Deacons. Jamie Newman was in pads warming up before the game, but Coach Dave Clawson is apparently going to wait for kickoff to show his hand. Newman leads the ACC in passing this season and beat the Wolfpack last season in his first career start. Sam Hartman, on the other hand, beat Florida State two weeks ago in a relief role. Either way, State's injury-depleted secondary has its work cut out for it today ...

Wake wins the toss and defers. State will get the ball to start the game ...

FIRST QUARTER

A little bit of promise on State's first possession. Leary came out throwing, completing 3 of 6 for 18 yards, Zonovan Knight ran the ball for a first down. But in the end, an unsuccessful trick play and a sack and an incomplete pass that wasn't going to get close to the sticks stalled out the drive at the State 42. ...

HELLO NEWMAN: Jamie Newman gets the start for the Deacons ...

Wake is wasting no time taking advantage of State's patchwork secondary. Newman has converted his first three third downs ... all for eight yards or more. On this most recent one, redshirt freshman Malik Dunlap (in only his game with a significant role) gave Deacon receiver Scotty Washington WAY too much of a cushion. 

Sack leader Larrell Muchison is helped off the field after the Washington catch. Not good news for a team that needs to put pressure on the quarterback. This could be a long day for the Wolfpack defense. ...

Just like that, the Deacons are on the board. Newman goes 22 yards virtually untouched around left end on a read option keeper and its ... Wake 7, State 0

And then it goes from bad to worse as Keyon Lesane tries to run back the ensuing kickoff  and fumbles the football after a big hit from Deandre Delaney. Wake's Kenneth Dicks III recovers on the State 3-yard line. Two plays later, the Deacs are in the end zone again on a pass from Newman to tight end Jack Freudenthal (the guy who caught the game-winner in Raleigh last year) ... 14-0 Wake 

This time Lesane wisely calls a fair catch. Wolfpack has a big hole from which to dig itself out ...

And the hole gets even deeper. One play after Knight converts a third-and-one off a direct snap, Leary underthrows Emezie deep and it's intercepted by Wake's Amari Henderson at the Deacons 26 ...

Jamie Newman is a big kid. He just put his head down, moved the pile two yards and ended up in the end zone for Wake's third touchdown of the first quarter. It's now 21-0 Deacons and counting ...

Total yardage to this point: Wake 138 yards, State 30. And now it's 138-26 after a false start, a 4-yard Jordan Houston loss and a poorly thrown incompletion.

Here's a sobering thought ... State plays Clemson next week ...

As if things couldn't get any worse. Word coming from down on the field that Knight was injured on the direct snap play and has been taken for x-rays. We'll keep you updated as we get more info ...

End of 1: Wake Forest 21, State 0

Hold the phone. Because of a holding penalty on the punt by Cecil Powell, there will be one untimed down before the first quarter is officially over. Now ... they'll switch ends of the field after a 1-yard loss by Trent Pennix that puts the Wolfpack at its own 1, second and 11.

SECOND QUARTER

Clawson already taking it easy on the Wolfpack. First he punts on fourth and short from near midfield. Now he runs the ball twice before attempting a 25-yard field goal that Nick Sciba converts to make it Wake Forest 24, State 0

Sciba has now made 24 consecutive field goals, three short of the ACC record

State changed up its playcalling philosophy on that drive and it paid off. Instead of trying to throw the ball downfield, it switched to a short passing game -- mixing in a couple of bubble screens to Devin Carter with a jet sweep that Lesane nearly took to the house with a couple of nice Jordan Houston runs thrown to keep the Deacs honest. Wake also helped out by roughing Leary on a third-and-seven incompletion. Ten plays, 75 yards in 3:07. Leary hits a wide open tight end Cary Angeline in the end zone go tet the Wolfpack on the board ... Wake 24, State 7, 9:19 left first half

The Wolfpack's defense is literally defenseless against this really good Wake offense. Not only is Newman one helluva quarterback, but man, he's got some really good receivers. Kendall Hinton, a converted QB, with a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab on a perfectly delivered pass gets the Deacs close before Newman connects with Freudenthal again make it Wake 31, State 7

Leary and the offense finally appear to have settled in and found a rhythm -- albeit way too late to make a difference today. On the strength of couple of nice runs by Houston and Trent Pennix, State goes 55 yards on eight plays before a near interception stalls the drive. The Wolfpack settles for a 40-yard Christopher Dunn field goal that narrows the margin to Wake Forest 31, State 10

Kishawn Miller just got nailed in the back by an official's flag as he threw it to call pass interference on the Wolfpack, giving the Deacs yet another third down conversion. Miller was startled, but immediately calmed down when he realized what hit him. ...

Make it 25 straight field goals for Wake's Sciba. This one is good from 34 yards out to increase the Deacons' lead to 34-10

Doeren opts for a Hail Mary on the final play of the half instead of a 56-yard field goal attempt. It's knocked down in the end zone and the half ends with Wake up 34-10

THIRD QUARTER

Newman continues to take advantage of State's replacement corners. This time he hits an open Scotty Washington for a 59-yard gain inside the Wolfpack 5. Dunlap and safety Jarius Morehead burned on this one. Newman is 23 of 33 for 277 yards and two touchdowns so far. 

Washington was hurt on the play. Looked like he might have come down on the ball and gotten the wind knocked out of him.

State is trying its best to make Deacon tight end Jack Freudenthal an All-American ... or at least ACC tight end of the week. Newman hits him in the end zone for his third touchdown today and fourth against the Wolfpack in the last two years ... Wake Forest 40, State 10 very early in the third quarter

And Devin Leary is trying to make Amari Henderson the ACC Defensive Back of the Week. ... Henderson jumps the route and this time holds onto the ball. His second interception of the day puts Wake back in business deep in State territory.

Leary is now 14 of 27 for 109 yards a touchdown and those two picks. He's the third QB the Wolfpack has used this season. Doeren is about out of options there.

Wake's Clawson doing his part to keep the score down by running on third-and-goal from the 13 and scoring only three rather than seven more. Sciba's third field goal of the afternoon makes it Wake 44, State 10 with 9:59 left in the third quarter

More bad news on the injury front. Linebacker Isaiah Moore is injured and won't return to the game today ...

Newman's day is done. With backup Sam Hartman still having a two-game cushion to redshirt, Wake goes with tue freshman Michael Kern to mop this up. Newman went 25 of 38 for 287 yards and three TDs.

End of three: Wake Forest 44, State 10

FOURTH QUARTER

There's still 11 1/2 minutes left in this one. It's been a long afternoon for the Wolfpack.

As bad as this is for State it could be worse. Syracuse has given up 58 points to Boston College and there's still 14 minutes left in that one ...

Not many starters left out on the field for State's defense. Louis Acceus is at linebacker, but in the middle now in place of the injured Isaiah Moore. Nickel Jarius Morehead is still out there. But that's about it ...

Maggio's punt bounces out of bounds at the 2-yard line. Been that kind of day for the Wolfpack ...

Wake is on pace for its most lopsided ACC win ever at BB&T Field, which opened in 1968. The previous record was a 31-point win against UNC in 2002. Deacons are up by 34 with 6 minutes left today ...

And now Trent Pennix is headed to the locker room. What was once a deep running back room is quickly being depleted ...

Tabari Hines finally gets his moment in the spotlight against his former team with a long punt return. But it's nullified by an illegal block penalty by teammate Stephen Griffin.

Wake takes a knee and that will do it ... State falls to 4-4 on the season (1-3) ACC 

Final, Deacons 44, Wolfpack 10