This Game Needs a Name: #16 NC State (7-2) vs #12 Wake Forest (8-1) (7:30PM ET, ACCN)

#1
TrueOrange

TrueOrange

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#1
Following the game cancellations of last year’s COVID-19 season and all the previous’ realignments, this is now the 2nd longest continuous CFB played at the FBS level at 111-straight meetings (and 114 overall). And this year’s meeting likely goes a long way towards determining who will win the ACC Atlantic Division.

I actually did some research into this one during some free time and there’s actually surprisingly a lot of history here. This is only the 2nd time that both teams have been ranked going into the game. That game saw in 2002 saw Wake Forest win 42-12.

NC State leads the series 67-41-6, mostly due to a difference built up in the 80s and 90s.

NC State has gone 1-8 in Winston-Salem since 2002, and Wake Forest has gone 2-8 in Raleigh.

The last four meetings have been very competitive:

2017 - Wake Forest won 30-24 after NC State fumbled on its final drive of the game.

2018 -Wake Forest won 27-23, taking the lead in the last minute of the game after 3 TD drives, 2 straight NC State turnover on downs, and an NC State interception to end the game.

2019- Wake Forest won 44-10.

2020 - NC State won 45-42 in the highest scoring game in the series.
 
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#2
#2
Some other noteworthy aspects of the history of this series I came across:
  • The very first game between the two (then known as the Farmers and the Baptists) in 1895 ended in a 4-4 tie.
  • In 1908 - once Wake Forest’s faculty reinstated the school’s program - this matchup started the season as the first game played on Wake Forest grounds since 1893. The entire town and nearly every car in the city gathered to see what amounted to a 25-0 NC State win…but that’s not the interesting part: neither side agrees who started it, but in the last few minutes one player punched another and a full brawl broke out with players brandishing nose guards, head gear, fists, and any sort of weapon that happened to be at hand. THEN THE ENTIRE CROWD DESCENDED UPON THE FIELD, AND IN THE MADNESS A WAKE FOREST (the city) POLICEMEN HAD HIS PISTOL STOLEN.. The fight lasted nearly five minutes, resulted in the ejection of four players (3 from NC State and 1 from Wake Forest), and left a black cloud hovering over the game.

  • The largest margin of victory between the two came in 1908 when the two played a 2nd time and NC State won 76-0.
  • The game occurred as part of the North Carolina State Fair from 1916-1932.
  • NC State went 10-0-1 through the first 11 meetings (out scoring Wake Forest 276-18 and shutting them out 7 times) before Wake Forest began to even out the series following the game played amidst the Spanish Flu in 1919.
  • Wake Forest’s largest margin of victory is a 54-6 win in 1943.

  • After Wake Forest moved its campus from the town of Wake Forest to Winston-Salem in 1956, their first victory in their new home was over NC State 13-0.

  • Only one time has the loser of this game won the ACC (1964, Wake Forest)

  • (To be continued/ edited)
 
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#3
#3
Trading interceptions one after another within a 30 second period. It’s a slow game at 14-6 Wake Forest with 7:51 left in the first half.
 
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#4
#4
Wake Forest finally puts together another decent (7-play) drive but it stalls out and results in a 53 yard field goal that just misses as it doinks off the crossbar and back out to be no good.
 
#5
#5
And then NC State’s WR fumbles the very next play and returns the ball all the way to the NC State 5.

Hartman runs it in to make it 21-6 Wake Forest with 2:05 left in the half.
 
#7
#7
And NC State immediately scores on a 28 yard TD to make it 21-13 with 1:47 left in the half.
 
#8
#8
And another TD with 28 seconds left. NC State has scored 2 TDs in less than 1:30 game time to make it 21-20 right before half.

And they get the ball before halftime. Wolfpack’s about to be on the hunt.
 
#9
#9
Wake Forest gets a good return to midfield and gets within range to attempt a 45-yard field goal which is good.

It’s 24-20 Wake Forest at halftime.
 
#10
#10
The biggest tell here I think are the passing numbers.

Wake Forest’s QB is 8 for 23 going into the half. Usually with numbers like that, a QB’s gotten enough out of rhythm that it doesn’t change much in the second half.

With running an always hurry up no huddle offense, that can become a ticking clock of the short drives that gas your defense more and more as they get less rest.
 
#11
#11
And NC State IMMEDIATELY starts the half with a 100 yard kickoff return for a TD.

27-24 NC State with 14:47 left in the 3rd quarter.
 
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#12
#12
After a clutch completion on 4th and 9, Wake completes a pass on 3rd and goal for the TD to make it 31-27 Wake with 11:07 left in the 3rd.
 
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#13
#13
And dueling interceptions again.

Wake picks off NC ST at the Wake 30 and wanting to play fairly Wake responds by throwing a deep pass that’s immediately picked off at NC ST 30.
 
#14
#14
NC ST makes it all the way to the Wake Forest 16 but on 4th down misses the FG.

Still 31-27 with about 2:40 left in the 3rd
 
#15
#15
Wake tries to go for it all in a very narrow space in the endzone and the 3rd of the 3 DBs intercepts the ball in the back of the endzone for a touchback.

Still 31-27 Wake with 11 seconds left in the 3rd.
 
#17
#17
TD Wake Forest. Hartman hits the RB for a TD with 10:05 left in the game.

38-27 Wake Forest, who just lost their best defender to a targeting penalty.
 
#18
#18
TD NC State. With 8:07 not only does NC ST make the TD look easy, but a one-handed 2 or conversion makes it 38-35 Wake Forest with 8:07 left in the game.
 
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#19
#19
TD Wake Forest. After a really long drive milking the clock down from 8:07 down to 1:47, Wake’s RB gets into the endzone to make it 45-35.
 
#20
#20
TD NC ST. With 45 seconds left it’s 45-42 Wake Forest.

Onside kick coming to decide this game.
 
#21
#21
And NC ST might have recovered the onside kick at either the 9-yard point or the 10-yard mark! It’s under review
 
#22
#22
The call stands as illegal touching.

Wake Forest ball with 45 seconds left. NC ST has 2 TOs left.
 
#23
#23
Final score: 45-42. Wake Forest wins. They move to 9-1 overall and 6-0 in the ACC.

And Wake’s fans rush the field after this one.
 
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#24
#24
If I understand correctly, the ACC Atlantic Division plays out as follows now:

If Wake Forest beats Clemson OR Boston College, they win the Atlantic.

If Clemson beats Wake Forest AND Wake Forest loses to Boston College AND NC State loses to EITHER Syracuse or UNC, then Clemson wins the Atlantic.

If Wake Forest loses to Clemson AND Boston College AND NC Stare beats BOTH Syracuse AND UNC, then NC State wins the Atlantic.
 
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