Deacs and Wolfpack Pause Brawl for Halftime. Here's What Happened!
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Like the build-up to a major holiday, the festivities leading into Wake Forest's matchup with NC State were epic. To cap it all off, the first half of their showdown has been just as good. It looks like it will come down to the wire, so here's what's happened through the first two frames.
Highlights of the First Half – Wake Forest vs. NC State
It took just 12 seconds for the fireworks to start at Allegacy Stadium. Chris Barnes continued as the Deacs' hot hand and took the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. The redshirt sophomore was clocked at 23 MPH.
7–0 Wake Forest
Wake's defense started out sturdy as Dylan Hazen sniffed out a screen pass early in the first to get the ball back in the offense's hands.
Following the defense stonewalling the Wolfpack, Robby Ashford and Chris Barnes connected deep for 70 yards. To cap off the electric drive, the Demon Deacons' main man, Demond Claiborne, hopped into the end zone from the goal line.
14–0 Wake Forest
NC State followed up Wake Forest's 93-yard TD drive with a 75-yard TD drive of its own. CJ Bailey had confidence in the pocket, and it showed on the scoreboard.
14–7 Wake Forest
The Wolfpack flustered Ashford, forcing him to throw a pick-six to defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley. At this point, all Wake Forest momentum was neutralized.
14–14, momentum swing by the Wolfpack
Highlighted by an Ashford to Eni Falayi 42-yard strike, the Demon Deacons found the endzone again. This time, Ashford kept it on a QB option from one yard out.
21–14 Wake Forest
Despite his ugly pick-six earlier in the game, Robby Ashford found a deposit of confidence and started drilling. He found Micah Mays Jr. and Sterlind Berkhalter on back-to-back 26-yard strikes. The drive stalled, but the Deacs still managed 3 points.
24–14 Wake Forest
With just one minute left in the first half, NC State moved down the field and scored 3 points to keep themselves within 7 of the Deacs.
24–17 Wake Forest
Halftime Score – Wake Forest 24 - NC State 17.
Key Players of the First Half:
Chris Barnes
Absolutely not surprising, given his breakout performance last week and his explosion through 30 minutes tonight. On top of his 98 kick return yards and touchdown, Barnes also tacked on 2 receptions for 73 yards.
Robby Ashford
Finally, Ashford seems to be gaining confidence. Yes, his pick-six was as ugly as they come, but he followed it up with swagger and bullets from the pocket. No. 2 finished the first half 14–18 for 212 yards. On the ground, he added 21 yards and a score.
Nick Andersen
The man bleeds old gold and black, and tonight is no different. Andersen was flying around the field and had 7 total tackles. Also, shout out to Jayden Loving and Langston Hardy for bringing the heat on the defensive line.
Halftime Stats
Scoring Summary | 1st | 2nd | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Wake Forest | 14 | 10 | 24 |
NC State | 14 | 3 | 17 |
Team Stats | Wake Forest | NC State |
|---|---|---|
First Downs | 10 | 12 |
Third Down Efficiency | 6–8 | 3–8 |
Fourth Down Efficiency | 2–2 | 0–0 |
Total Yards | 229 | 267 |
Passing Yards | 122 | 212 |
Rushing Yards | 107 | 55 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Times Sacked | 0 | 0 |
Penalties | 5–39 | 2–15 |
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Blake is a Sophomore at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. When not living on campus, he resides in West Virginia, where he was born and raised. He is studying communication and is invested in all things related to sports media. In his Freshman year, he completed an internship with the National Sports Media Association, and also worked as a sports editor at Wake Forest's student-run newspaper, the Old Gold & Black. Currently, Blake does play-by-play broadcasting for Wake Forest Club Ice Hockey and holds a job at Learfield, working as a studio host. In a perfect world, he would spend his free time road tripping and attending concerts all across the United States.
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