Key Stats from Wake Forest's 30-21 loss to NC State
The Deacs lost their second consecutive game on Saturday; No. 21 NC State emerged victorious 30-21. A strong performance from the Wolfpack defense and true freshman QB MJ Morris allowed the Wolfpack to take care of business at home.
Here are some of the most important stats from Wake Forest's third loss of the season.
READ: Game Summary: NC State defeats Wake Forest 30-21
Ground Game Comparison
NC State: 41 attempts for 115 yards (2.8 YPC)
Wake Forest: 25 attempts for 17 yards (0.7 YPC) and 1 TD
Wake Forest struggled to develop a rhythm through the air on Saturday and the run game was unable to provide any support. Averaging less than a yard per carry, the halfbacks struggled to pick up yardage on early downs and Wake found themselves behind the sticks at times as a result. Sophomore running back Justice Ellison tallied 10 carries for -1 yards total, while fellow starter Christian Turner had 29 yards and a TD on 8 carries.
The inefficiency of the ground game forced the Deacs to turn to their air raid offense, as Hartman attempted nearly 48 passes in this one with varied success.
Turnovers
NC State: 0 turnovers
Wake Forest: 3 turnovers (3 interceptions)
When the Wake Forest defense is forcing turnovers, the Deacs are in a much better position to win. However, the last two weeks have been disastrous for the Deacs’ turnover ratio. In games against Louisville and NC State this season, Wake Forest has turned the ball over 11 times (7 interceptions), with just one takeaway.
Quarterback Sam Hartman struggled against the Wolfpack defense and threw three costly interceptions, while the Wake Forest defense was unable to force Morris into making any critical mistakes.
Penalties
NC State: 6 penalties for 38 yards
Wake Forest: 9 penalties for 74 yards
Wake Forest played undisciplined football in Raleigh on Saturday. Racking up nine penalties for 74 yards, the Deacs consistently shot themselves in the foot. The flags disrupted the offensive rhythm and slowed down the Demon Deacon offense that Wake Forest fans have come to know.
False-start penalties in particular were detrimental to the Deacs, as they had five on the day. On numerous third-down tries, Wake Forest jumped early, adding to an already frustrating offensive performance.
A.T. Perry’s Career Day
A.T. Perry: 12 catches, 159 yards (13.3 YPC), 1 TD
Saturday’s performance from A.T. Perry was the lone bright spot for the Deacs offensively against the Wolfpack. Perry hauled in 12 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown, marking his career best in both categories.
This outing gives Perry his third 100-yard performance of the season and the tenth of his career. He becomes just the fifth wide receiver in program history to record 10+ 100-yard receiving games.
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