Wake Forest Dominates Second Half to Beat NC State 38-14 in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake Forest turned a four-point halftime deficit into a commanding ACC road victory Saturday, defeating NC State 38-14 after scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half.

The Demon Deacons trailed 14-10 at intermission but controlled the final two quarters, outscoring the Wolfpack 21-0 in the third and 7-0 in the fourth. Wake improved to 5-1 overall, while NC State fell to 3-3. The result gave Winston-Salem's ACC program a decisive win against an in-state conference opponent.

Quarterback Gio Lopez powered the Wake Forest offense with 303 passing yards. Receiver Jack Foley was the game's leading receiver with 156 yards, providing a major downfield threat. Deuce Lawrence led Wake rushers with 46 yards as the Demon Deacons combined for 387 yards of total offense.

NC State's CJ Bailey threw for 241 yards, but the Wolfpack struggled to establish a ground game. The official game statistics credited NC State with only 15 rushing yards. That imbalance made it difficult for the home team to sustain possessions or keep Wake's offense off the field as the second half unfolded.

The first two quarters were competitive. NC State scored seven points in each quarter, while Wake put up seven in the first and three in the second. After halftime, however, the Demon Deacons seized control with three third-quarter touchdowns, turning a 14-10 deficit into a 31-14 advantage before adding another touchdown in the fourth.

Wake finished with 22 first downs to NC State's 16 and held the ball for 31 minutes, 57 seconds. The Demon Deacons converted seven of 13 third-down opportunities and both of their fourth-down attempts. NC State converted six of 14 third downs and just one of three fourth-down tries. Wake's ability to sustain drives helped keep the pressure on a Wolfpack team that failed to score after halftime.

The statistical contrast was clear: Wake gained 303 passing yards and 84 rushing yards, compared with NC State's 243 passing and 15 rushing. The Wolfpack ran 64 plays for 258 total yards, while Wake ran 69 plays for 387. Wake also finished with fewer offensive penalties by yardage, 55 to NC State's 29, though neither team was defined primarily by penalty problems.

For Wake Forest, the victory adds momentum to an already strong start and provides a notable result in the ACC race. For NC State, the second-half shutout will be a central issue to address as the conference schedule continues. The official box score confirms the final result and key team statistics; additional postgame comments and injury details should be reported only when independently verified.