Series History: Wake Forest Football vs NC State
Throughout this college football season, we’ve taken a look at the series history between Wake Forest and their weekly opponents. This week’s matchup, however, concerns one of the most-played matchups in college football history. On Saturday, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the NC State Wolfpack for the 116th meeting between the two rivals.
The first meeting between these ACC foes was back in 1895. The two schools played to a 4-4 tie. It was the only game Wake Forest played that year. In addition, the game was technically played between the Wake Forest Baptists and North Carolina A&M Aggies.
All-time, NC State leads the series 67-42, with six ties. However, that total is bolstered by a ten-game Wolfpack winning streak from 1908-1917. In fact, of the first 24 meetings between the two programs, NC State won or tied twenty of the games. After 1930, the win-loss records are much more even, with the Wolfpack holding a narrow 48-38 lead with five ties.
READ: Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson recaps Louisville loss, breaks down NC State
Since 2000, the two schools are deadlocked at 11 wins apiece. Each school has had two three-game win streaks since the turn of the century. But overall, the Deacs and the Wolfpack have been quite the even matchup, although Wake has taken four of the last five. With the two squads set to face off and break the tie this weekend, let’s take a look at the last four games of the series:
2018
Otherwise known as “the Jamie Newman game,” this was a Thursday night that Demon Deacon fans will never forget. NC State was 6-2 and ranked No. 14 in the country as they welcomed 4-5 Wake Forest to Carter-Finley Stadium.
On a short week, Wake Forest had to play without their injured starting quarterback — freshman Sam Hartman. It took a while, however, for NC State to establish a lead. Ryan Finley and the Wolfpack offense were held to only 13 first half points, and the NC State running game was almost non-existent, finishing the game with only 47 yards.
Even so, NC State held a 23-13 lead late in the fourth quarter. That’s when the magic happened. Greg Dortch caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Newman with six minutes left to bring the Deacs within three points. NC State had a chance to put the game away, but Wake Forest stopped the Wolfpack on a short fourth down, taking control of the ball with just over a minute remaining.
A few plays later, Newman found tight end Jack Freudenthal for a 32-yard touchdown pass through the middle of the field, and the upset was complete.
The excitement on campus was palpable as students rolled the quad. The game was one of the highlights of the season, and one of Dave Clawson’s signature wins early in his tenure. Additionally, this was one of only three Wake Forest wins (1984, 2006) in Raleigh from the last forty years.
READ: Wake Forest defeats Winston-Salem State 82-69 in exhibition game
2019
This game was an absolute blowout. No. 23 Wake Forest rolled over the struggling Wolfpack 44-10. Newman finished the game 25-38 for 287 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing in two more. The Wake Forest defense forced three turnovers, including two interceptions from freshman quarterback Devin Leary.
The victory was one of the greatest margins in series history, coming in behind Wake’s 1943 win of 54-6 and NC State’s 76-0 drubbing in 1908.
2020
One of the only matchups this century between two unranked teams, this was an exhilarating game, albeit a frustrating one for Wake Forest. A back-and-forth battle went to halftime at 21-21.
The second half continued as a high-scoring affair. For the Wolfpack, the highlight came on a trick-play touchdown — running back Ricky Person found Devin Carter in the endzone. Despite a 45-yard pick-six by Ja’Sir Taylor, the Deacs didn’t have enough firepower. Person punched in a three-yard touchdown with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 45-42 lead, and NC State held on for the victory.
2021
The atmosphere at Truist Field for the matchup between No. 21 NC State and No. 13 Wake Forest was an all-time classic. Like the year before, the final score was 45-42. This time, however, the Deacs were on top.
READ: NC State head Coach Dave Doeren on Wake Forest
The game was an odd one. An evening kickoff lasted almost to midnight. Both Leary and Hartman were unusually turnover prone, combining for five interceptions. NC State was penalized 14 times for 119 yards. And the opening kick of the second half was returned 100 yards for a touchdown by Wolfpack running back Zonovan Knight.
Ultimately, the difference was a 45-yard Nick Sciba field goal to end the first half. Despite a late rally including a Leary touchdown pass with 45 seconds remaining, NC State ran out of time to pull off the upset. All that craziness culminated with the Wake Forest student body storming the field to celebrate a win that put the Deacs in pole position to win the Atlantic division.
And that brings us to the present. Never short on excitement, the battle of North Carolina’s Big Four begins again in Raleigh. Wake Forest has beaten NC State more than they’ve beaten any other school. On Saturday, the Deacs will try to add to that illustrious total, writing another chapter in the storied history of these two great programs.
Kickoff is set for 8pm ET on ACC Network.
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