Explosive Start puts Deacs ahead at Half against Oregon State
In this story:
Wake Forest Football came into its matchup against the Oregon State Beavers with plenty of questions. How would they acclimate to the travel out west? How would they handle the absence of starting quarterback Robby Ashford?
Well, through two quarters, the Demon Deacons have plenty of answers. The first half has gone entirely the way of Wake Forest, with explosive plays, defensive stops, and two-point conversions putting them up 25-0 at the halftime whistle.
1st Quarter Highlights
After starting quarterback Robby Ashford was sidelined due to injury (thumb), backup quarterback Deshawn Purdie's first drive as a Demon Deacons starter could not be any better.
On the opening kickoff, returner Chris Barnes continued his explosive ways, returning the ball 32 yards to the Oregon State 40-yard line. After a pair of Demond Claiborne rushes and a 15-yard penalty on the Beavers' Jacob Schuster for roughing the passer, the Demon Deacons found their first score of the day.
Purdie dropped back to pass and immediately found a hole in the Beavers' coverage, as a wide-open Barnes was found in the back of the endzone. Purdie rocketed the ball to the receiver for his first touchdown pass as a Demon Deacon.
Deshawn Purdie 36-yard pass to Chris Barnes, Clark 2PT good; WF up 8-0, 13:38 remaining
Meanwhile, the Demon Deacon defense and special teams were just as strong. After holding Beavers kicker Caleb Ojeda to a 47-yard field goal attempt, Wake Forest's BJ Williams was able to tip the ball in the air, landing right into the arms of fellow Deac Zamari Stevenson. While Stevenson was able to return the ball to the endzone for a supposed touchdown, fellow special teams player Nick Andersen committed a holding penalty, negating the return back to where the return started.
It didn't hinder the Demon Deacons much, though. Starting at their own 48-yard line, it took just two plays for Purdie to unleash his cannon of an arm again- finding wideout Micah Mays deep for a 52-yard touchdown.
Deshawn Purdie 52-yard pass to Micah Mays, Calvert PAT good; WF up 15-0, 3:56 remaining
A few unsuccessful drives would result on both ends before the end of the quarter.
2nd Quarter Highlights
It didn't take long for the Demon Deacon defense to make itself known yet again. After a punt from the Deacs' Cal Joseph, it took two plays to get the ball back.
After handing the ball off to Beavers' running back Cornell Hatcher Jr., Wake Forest's Mateen Ibirogba knocked the ball out of Hatcher's grasp- recovered by fellow Deac Jayden Loving at the Beavers' 29-yard line.
With great field position comes fruitful drives, ending with yet another passing touchdown for Purdie. Barnes went on a simple slant route, and the Beavers' secondary couldn't stop him, with Purdie connecting with the receiver for an 11-yard touchdown.
Deshawn Purdie 11-yard pass to Chris Barnes, Calvert PAT good; WF up 22-0, 11:33 remaining
On the ensuing drive, the Demon Deacons proved their worth yet again. Forcing the Beavers to a 4th and 9 on Wake Forest's 34 yard line, Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy tried to force a ball downfield, which was met and caught by the Demon Deacons' Nuer Gatkouth.
On the concluding drive of the quarter, the Demon Deacons were able to piece together a drive for yet another score, with Oregon native Connor Calvert kicking his first field goal of the day from 43 yards.
Connor Calvert 43-yard FG good; WF up 25-0, 0:00 remaining
Team Stats | Wake Forest | Oregon State |
|---|---|---|
First Downs | 12 | 9 |
Third Down Efficiency | 0-6 | 2-9 |
Fourth Down Efficiency | 0-1 | 0-1 |
Total Yards | 258 | 128 |
Passing Yards | 181 | 97 |
Rushing Yards | 77 | 31 |
Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
Times Sacked | 0 | 2 |
Penalties (yards) | 4 (40) | 6 (50) |
The Demon Deacons will look to continue their dominant ways as they finish out the second half at Reser Stadium in Corvallis.
Recommended Articles
-b2b3204fafefe7b6e203a1c43238f099.jpeg "Sean Kennedy")
Sean is a recent graduate of Wake Forest University, where he served as lead sports editor of the school’s student-run publication, the Old Gold & Black. Outside of covering Wake Forest’s sports programs, he served as president of the school’s Sports Analytics Club. A native of Long Island, New York, he enjoys watching all forms of racing in his spare time.
Follow SKennedySports