Seminoles stumble to 0-3 with sloppy loss to Deacons
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
Sam Hartman threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns, and A.T. Perry grabbed seven passes for 155 yards and a TD as Wake Forest cruised past mistake-plagued Florida State 35-14 Saturday afternoon.
Wake Forest (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) rolled up 484 yards — 332 in the first half — of total offense, including
225 on the ground. Florida State (0-3, 0-1), which juggled McKenzie Milton and Jordan Travis at quarterback, committed six turnovers, but stayed within striking range in the first half thanks to a 65-yard deep strike from Travis to a wide-open Ontaria Wilson.
Hartman hit Perry in stride with a deep strike down the right side for a 49-yard TD to start the onslaught. The Deacons scored their next two touchdowns after roughing-the-kicker and unnecessary-roughness penalties extended drives.
Leading by 21 points late in the third quarter, Wake Forest wiped out any realistic Florida State hopes by stopping Milton short of a first down on a fourth-and-2 run from the Deacons' 11.
Early in the scoreless fourth quarter, Milton fumbled the ball into the Wake Forest end zone while stretching for the goal line. The ball slipped in and out of the hands of players on both teams before it was recovered by Deacons defensive end Luiji Vilain for a touchback. Milton lost a fumble again on the next drive when hit by defenders while trying to avoid a pass rush.
THIS AND THAT
Already reeling from a loss to Jacksonville State, the Seminoles were pushed around by the Deacons, and seem headed toward a fourth consecutive losing season. Turnovers and the critical firsthalf penalties prevented them from mounting a serious threat. In the trenches, Florida State was unable to open space for running straight ahead.
Following a pair of victories over non-FBS opponents, the Deacons passed their first ACC test. Hartman was particularly impressive, not only throwing, but scrambling from pressure. The Deacons seemed content to kill clock in the fourth quarter. With Hartman at the controls of a dangerous attack, the Deacons could be the surprise team of a disappointing ACC, with no ranked opponents ahead until November games against North Carolina and Clemson.