Wake Forest Halftime Report: How the Deacs Are Faring Against Florida State
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After a seismic upset against SMU last week, Wake Forest Football is taking on a daunting environment- that of Doak Campbell Stadium and its hosts, the Florida State Seminoles.
With starting quarterback Robby Ashford back in the starting lineup after injury, the Demon Deacons look to improve on their 13-12 win last weekend. Here's how the first half went:
1st Quarter Highlights
After calling for a touchback on the opening kick, the Wake Forest offense's first drive proved unfruitful, as a self-recovered fumble from Ashford and some conservative playcalling stranded the Demon Deacons at midfield.
Like Ashford, Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos returned from injury as well; however, between false starts and small gains, the Seminoles' opening drive had to punt the ball away.
The ensuing drive was riddled with penalties for Wake Forest. Despite big gains on the ground from Ashford and Demond Claiborne, an unsportsmanlike conduct on Micah Mays and two penalties on offensive tackle Melvin Siani stunted their progress.
After a Cal Joseph punt, the Seminoles exerted their explosive-play ability, as Castellanos found receiver Duce Robinson streaking down the left sideline. Robinson was able to break through the secondary and rush after the catch for a 65-yard gain, placing the Seminoles in the red zone.
In the red zone, the Seminoles were able to draw an illegal substitution penalty on the Demon Deacons just before time expired for the quarter- placing them at the six-yard line after the quarter break.
End 1st quarter, score remains 0-0
2nd Quarter Highlights
On third down, Castellanos was able to punch the ball in as the second quarter started, improvising and scrambling to the right side of the field for a six-yard touchdown. It's Castellanos' sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
Thomas Castellanos 6-yard rush, Weinberg PAT good; FSU up 7-0, 13:44 remaining
Penalties and mistakes continued to plague the Demon Deacons. A 53-yard rush from Claiborne was reversed due to a holding call on receiver Micah Mays. On a 4th-and-1 opportunity, George Steih committed a false start, forcing the offense off the field.
After a penalty on FSU's Robinson and a pair of tackles behind the line of scrimmage by Demon Deacon safety Nick Andersen, the Seminoles punted the ball away to the Wake Forest 11-yard line.
Wake Forest's offensive woes continued. On a crucial third down, Ashford dropped back to pass, but short-armed the throw, landing at Mays' feet.
When the Seminole offense got the ball back, they went straight to running back Samuel Singleton Jr., who broke through the defensive line and rushed for 27 yards to put themselves in Wake Forest territory.
After the two-minute warning, the Seminoles faced a third down at the Wake Forest 48-yard line, where mistakes plagued the Demon Deacons yet again. Castellanos found a wide-open Randy Pittman Jr. for a 30-yard gain, setting up the Seminoles in their red zone.
It didn't take long to punch the ball in, as Singleton was able to earn his fourth rushing touchdown of the season by breaking through the offensive line and scampering into the end zone.
Samuel Singleton Jr. 10-yard rush, Weinberg PAT good; FSU up 14-0, 0:57 remaining
Wake Forest let the clock run after a Robby Ashford sack, being held scoreless through the first two frames. It's the first time that Wake Forest has trailed at halftime all season.
End 2nd quarter, Florida State leads 0-0
Team Stats | Wake Forest | Florida State |
|---|---|---|
First Downs | 9 | 8 |
Third Down Efficiency | 3-7 | 5-7 |
Fourth Down Efficiency | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Total Yards | 157 | 183 |
Passing Yards | 64 | 125 |
Rushing Yards | 80 | 58 |
Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
Times Sacked | 1 | 1 |
Penalties (Yards) | 6 (50) | 2 (15) |
See our staff predictions for how the game will shake out here.
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-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.
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