Gio Lopez threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth as Wake Forest rode a second-half surge for a 38-14 ACC rout of North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.
Wake Forest (5-1, 3-1 ACC) scored 28 unanswered second-half points to turn a 4-point halftime deficit into a blowout. The Demon Deacons racked up 255 of their 387 total yards in the second half.
Lopez completed 26 of 33 attempts for 303 passing yards. Carlos Hernandez caught 12 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown while Jack Foley added eight receptions for 144 yards and a score.
The Wolfpack offense stalled after halftime. Showered with boos and rain, quarterback CJ Bailey and NC State (3-3, 1-2) managed just 86 total yards in the second half yards while converting just three of nine third downs. Bailey finished 28 of 39 for 241 passing yards and a touchdown.
Wake Forest ended NC State’s first drive early when Vincent Firenze stripped Bailey. Braylon Johnson returned the fumble 28 yards to NC State’s 2. Lopez found tight end Matthew Lusardi with a 1-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring.
Bailey quickly responded by hitting wideout Chance Robinson with a 24-yard strike to tie the game. The Wolfpack took a 14-7 lead with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter when Hunter Provience hauled in backup quarterback Will Wilson’s 2-yard throw with one hand.
The Demon Deacons had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Connor Calvert after marching from their own 5-yard line to the edge of the end zone before halftime.
Lopez accounted for three touchdowns during the third quarter: two through the air and one on the ground. Hernandez caught Lopez’s 6-yard touchdown toss in Wake Forest’s first drive of the second half after he had a 26-yard touchdown catch changed to an 18-yard gain by a video review.
Lopez connected with Foley on a 10-yard touchdown pass the next drive to put Wake Forest up 24-14 with 7:29 remaining in the third quarter. The Wake Forest offense then marched 68 yards on its next drive, wrapped up by a 1-yard Lopez sneak.
Deuce Lawrence ran for a 17-yard touchdown with 11:24 left to cap the scoring.