It's a Tight One in Blacksburg, Here's How the Deacs Are Doing at the Half
In this story:
The underdog Demon Deacons have the halftime lead over Virginia Tech and have once again shown promising signs. Before we head to the second half, here is a look at the first two frames.
Both Robby Ashford and Demond Claiborne look banged up, but that hasn't hindered Wake Forest too much. However, Claiborne is clearly on a pitch count, and that should be monitored in the back half of the game.
Highlights of the First Half – Wake Forest at Virginia Tech
Dallas Afalava picked off Kyron Drones, setting the Deacs up at the Hokies' 16-yard line. Two false start penalties stalled the drive, but Connor Calvert cashed in the three-pointer from 33 yards.
3–0 Wake Forest
Following a 23-yard punt by Wake Forest, the Hokies capitalized on the short field, taking their first lead of the game.
7–3 Virginia Tech
END FIRST QUARTER
Following the touchdown by the Hokies, Wake Forest answered right back after Demond Claiborne capped off the 75-yard drive with an 11-yard score.
10–7 Wake Forest
Anchored by a 43-yard run by Terion Stewart, Kyron Drones found Takye Heath for the 9-yard score—his first career touchdown.
14–10 Virginia Tech
After the Deacs and Hokies traded punts, Wake Forest went 55 yards in 7 plays, finding the end zone on a Ty Clark 3-yard run.
17–14 Wake Forest
Late in the half and off the short punt by Virginia Tech, Robby Ashford found Eni Falayi for his first touchdown in the old gold and black.
24–14 Wake Forest
Halftime Score – Wake Forest 24 - Virginia Tech 14
Key Players of the First Half:
Dallas Afalava
The defense set the tone early after Dallas Afalava picked off Kyron Drones on the Hokies' opening drive. Despite a few big plays, the Demon Deacon defense has remained respectable through one half.
Eni Falayi
Going into the Georgia Tech game, Coach Dickert said Falayi would get more involved, and so far, so good. Eni Falayi recorded four receptions, 50 yards, and one touchdown.
Halftime Stats
In a second-quarter explosion, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have put themselves in a similar situation to that against Georgia Tech last weekend. We all know how that game went, so it will be interesting to see if the script flips in the second half or not today.
Scoring Summary | First Quarter | Second Quarter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Wake Forest | 3 | 21 | 24 |
Virginia Tech | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Team Stats | Wake Forest | Virginia Tech |
|---|---|---|
First Downs | 13 | 6 |
Third Down Efficiency | 3–8 | 3–7 |
Fourth Down Efficiency | 1–1 | 0–0 |
Total Yards | 209 | 120 |
Passing Yards | 148 | 35 |
Rushing Yards | 61 | 85 |
Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
Times Sacked | 1 | 1 |
Penalties (yards) | 6 (40) | 4 (44) |
Despite some early offensive troubles, Wake Forest also has the time of possession advantage (17:28 - 12:32).
Recommended Articles
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.
Follow BlakeARobison