Wake Forest shows NC State how it’s done with a lopsided victory
Everything was in front of N.C. State the last time it saw Wake Forest. After Saturday’s 44-10 loss to the Demon Deacons, that optimism feels like the distant past.
Jamie Newman had as many touchdown passes (three) in the game as N.C. State had completions in the second half. That stat, more than any other, summarizes the lopsided nature of the game and where the two programs currently are.
Wake Forest, No. 23 in the country, is 7-1 and in position to grab the ACC’s spot in the Orange Bowl. N.C. State (4-4, 1-3 ACC), a year after peaking at No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings, is left to reconcile how so much has changed in a year.
“I can’t even look at the score right now,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. “I just have to get better. We had 10 penalties. We had three turnovers. We have a lot to fix.”
There’s a lot to fix and little time. N.C. State goes from the frying pan to the furnace with No. 4 Clemson up next Saturday in Raleigh. The transitive property from the Boston College, Clemson and N.C. State scores this season is terrifying. Not that Clemson was on Doeren’s radar on Saturday. Newman and Jack Freudenthal were more than the Wolfpack could handle.
Newman, who made his bones in last year’s win in Raleigh, threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more in what was the largest margin of victory for Wake in an ACC game at BB&T Field, which opened in 1968.
What Wake did to N.C. State on Saturday is what N.C. State should have done to Wake last year in Raleigh. N.C. State had the high-powered offense last year with a shot at a major bowl and a 10-win season.
Newman spoiled all of that with an improbable fourth-quarter comeback. The only thing this year’s game had in common with last year’s was Freudenthal’s trip to the end zone. Actually, the senior tight end caught all three of Newman’s touchdowns.
Even if Clemson makes the College Football Playoff, the ACC is guaranteed a spot in the Orange Bowl. The Deacs were there in 2006 and will be going back if they play like they did Saturday.
Utah State threw for 416 yards against them in August, but the Wolfpack had 149, only 40 after halftime.
The Deacs were a focused, veteran team that didn’t mess around with a reeling, wounded opponent. With Newman at the controls, it was 21-0 before N.C. State barely blinked.
N.C. State’s defense, down four cornerbacks, was helpless to slow Newman down. New Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary (17 of 45, 149 yards) had little chance of keeping up.
Leary had a pair of interceptions in the first half and was lucky he didn’t throw more.
“We just have to get back to work and trust the game plan,” Leary said.
There’s so much work to be done and so little time. But it can change quickly. N.C. State, better than anyone else, knows that.
This story was originally published November 2, 2019 at 5:08 PM.
