Wake Forest fails to bounce back in 30-21 loss to NC State
For the second-straight week, Wake Forest looked like a shell of the team that took Clemson to double overtime a month ago, losing to NC State 30-21.
“It definitely hurts a lot,” DL Kobie Turner said after the game. “This is a big time rivalry game, a big time environment. You get really hyped up for these types of games, because it's a huge opportunity. To not be able to come away with the W definitely hurts a little bit more.”
Wake Forest deviated from two norms that define their program in the defeat — they lost the turnover battle 3-0 and committed 74 yards of penalties compared to NC State’s 38.
Redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman was once again inconsistent, completing 29 of 48 passes for 397 yards and two touchdowns. The second of Hartman’s scores pushed him ahead of Philip Rivers’ second-place standing for career passing TD’s, but his three interceptions — none of which look good at first glance — soured the evening. Hartman did not speak to the media after the loss.
READ: Game Summary - NC State defeats Wake Forest 30-21
On the first drive of the game, Hartman failed to see a safety lurking under the receiver. On fourth down in the third quarter, he threw a desperation ball into heavy coverage. For his third and final interception, Hartman missed behind his receiver on what was either a route miscommunication or a poor pass.
It’s likely that Hartman does not deserve all the blame for the interceptions. As head coach Dave Clawson said earlier this week, not every turnover against Louisville was on the shoulders of his quarterback. Regardless, those interceptions came at key moments and dug Wake Forest into a pretty deep hole.
“He's the guy who threw it, but it's all of our faults,” Blake Whiteheart said. “You can’t put all the blame on him. He’s a great player.”
Many of Hartman’s good throws on Saturday went to A.T. Perry — the redshirt junior caught 12 passes on 19 targets for 159 yards and a touchdown. But, one of the reasons the ball was flying through the air for much of the game was Wake Forest’s anemic rushing attack — on 25 attempts, the Deacs netted 17 yards. RB Justice Ellison rushed for -1 yards on 10 carries, and Christian Turner finished with 29 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. Over the past two games, Ellison and Turner have combined for 35 carries, 87 yards and 2 TDs (2.5 ypc).
After a gutsy drive from Hartman — one of his best stretches of the night — Wake Forest found themselves only trailing by six points in the fourth quarter. The defense played well early on, forcing two sacks in the first quarter, and kept Wake Forest alive for some time. But, at a critical juncture, they allowed NC State to run for 50 yards down their throat and close out the game.
READ: Live Updates - Wake Forest vs NC State
“We made it a six-point game,” head coach Dave Clawson said. “We had a chance to get one stop and get the ball and go win the game, and we didn't get the stop.”
The game was chippy through all four quarters, but the tension came to a crescendo near the end of the game. CB Gavin Holmes, after coming to blows with QB MJ Morris, earned an unnecessary roughness penalty on the ensuing play deep in the fourth quarter. The benches then nearly cleared following a feud at midfield on the final play of the game.
“That's not who we are,” Turner said. “That's not Wake Forest. We don't get into those talking matches, that's just not what we do. So we have to do a better job of keeping our composure, keeping our cool.”
“I'm responsible for what our guys did,” Clawson added. "I’m embarrassed and we will address that tomorrow."
Even though the loss hurts for Wake Forest, the future doesn’t get any easier — North Carolina comes to Winston-Salem on Saturday. There’s no time to dwell on missed opportunities.
“We have no choice,” Clawson said of building the team back up for the Tar Heels. “That’s our rival. This loss hurts, but this is what we signed up for. Nobody feels sorry for us. The last two weeks, we haven't been up to the challenge. We still have good players, I think we're still a good football team.”
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