Wake Forest vs Florida State: A History
Since the Jimbo Fisher era has came to a close, the Florida State Seminoles have taken a backseat to Clemson as the dominant program in the ACC. The Seminoles have faced the Demon Deacons 39 times all time, with the Seminoles holding a 30-8-1 advantage. Wake Forest is 2-5 against Florida State in the Dave Clawson era, and is on a two game win streak.
Let’s review the matchups over the past few years ahead of Saturday’s contest.
2014: No. 1 Florida State 43, Wake Forest 3 (in Tallahassee)
In Clawson’s first year, he was assigned with a nearly impossible task of playing the No. 1 Seminoles in Tallahassee. Florida State was an absolute juggernaut in 2014; quarterback Jameis Winston was coming off of a Heisman season where he led his team to a National Championship victory over Auburn.
In this contest, the Deacons were dominated up front, mustering a meager 126 total yards of offense. Quarterback John Wolford struggled to do anything in the passing attack, throwing for just 58 yards. The defense was unable to stop Winston, who threw for 297 yards. Future second round pick Roberto Aguayo drilled five field goals in the rout. The Noles went on to compete in the first ever College Football Playoff, losing in the semifinals to Oregon 59-20.
2015: No. 11 Florida State 24, WFU 16 (in Winston-Salem)
In Clawson’s second year, the Deacs put up a solid fight against the highly ranked Seminoles. Early in the first quarter, running back Dalvin Cook hit Wake in the mouth with a 94-yard touchdown run. However, Cook left the game with a hamstring injury, leaving it to Notre Dame transfer quarterback Everett Golson to lead the Noles to victory.
Leading in the fourth quarter, Florida State held a 24-10 lead, but the Deacs fought back. After two consecutive field goal drives, Wake Forest had a chance to send it to overtime. The Deacons made it to the FSU 20-yard line before quarterback Kendall Hinton was intercepted in the end zone, with just 20 seconds remaining.
READ: Florida State Players to Watch vs Wake Forest
2016: No. 14 Florida State 17, WFU 6 (in Tallahassee)
The Deacs had another hard fought battle in 2016, but were unable to stop the Seminoles’ electrifying skill players. Cook played the full contest this time, rushing for 115 yards on 25 carries. Quarterback Deondre Francois passed for 319 yards, with 239 of those going to stud wideout Travis Rudolph. The Deacons offense was able to convert two successful field goal drives, but that was it, as Wolford and the offense were just 5 of 16 on third down conversions.
2017: Florida State 26, WFU 19 (in Winston-Salem)
The 2017 season was a brutal year for Noles fans. The team started the season No. 3 in the AP Poll, but lost by 17 to No. 1 ranked Alabama in Week 1. The team also lost Heisman contending QB Deondre Francois for the season with a leg injury in that game.
The Deacons entered this matchup with a perfect 4-0 record, and it seemed like their best chance to beat FSU in years. Tied 19-19 with six minutes to go in the fourth, the Seminoles got a much needed stop. Then, backup QB James Blackman led a game winning touchdown drive with a 40-yard score to future NFL wideout Auden Tate.
Wake Forest wide receiver Greg Dortch had 110 yards, and Wolford threw for 271, marking his best performance against the Seminoles. The loss marked the last time Wake Forest would play Florida State in the Jimbo Fisher era.
2018: Florida State 38, WFU 17 (in Tallahassee)
The Deacons took an early 10-0 lead on a nine-yard TD reception to tight end Jack Freudenthal. In response, Francois and current Rams running back Cam Akers took matters into their own hands, with the Seminoles offense scoring 38 straight points. Akers rushed for two touchdowns, one being a remarkable 58-yarder. Francois threw for a season-high 353 yard in this one.
READ: Wake Forest vs Florida State - Odds, Preview and Predictions
2019: Wake Forest 22, Florida State 20 (in Winston-Salem)
This game was a must win situation for the Deacons, who were 5-1 coming into the matchup against a 3-3 Florida State team that was under plenty of scrutiny. The Demon Deacons struggled to find the end zone, with Cade Carney scoring the sole TD on a three yard rush.
Per usual, Akers had another incredible performance, finishing with 199 total yards (157 rushing, 42 receiving) and one touchdown. The Seminoles were unable to stop wide receiver Sage Surratt, who caught seven passes for 170 yards. Quarterback Sam Hartman also shined with 308 passing yards.
Trailing 20-19 late in the fourth, the Deacons were able to take the lead when Nick Sciba converted on a 25-yard field goal, a career-high fifth of the game. The 22-20 win gave Dave Clawson his first victory against Florida State.
2020: Game canceled due to COVID-19
The Seminoles were originally set to travel to Winston-Salem, but a slew of positive tests canceled the game due to an insufficient number of eligible players.
READ: Deacons Daily Sits Down With Wake Forest DT Kobie Turner
2021: Wake Forest 35, Florida State 14 (in Winston-Salem)
In 2021 the Seminoles entered the matchup 0-2 and were coming off an embarrassing loss at home to Jacksonville State. Meanwhile the Deacons were rolling, and were able to capitalize off the momentum with two early touchdown drives. From there, the Deacons never looked back and dominated in all facets of the game.
The running back trio of Christian Beal-Smith, Justice Ellison and Christian Turner combined for 192 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while A.T. Perry burned the Florida State corners with seven receptions for 155 yards and a score. The defense forced three turnovers, and had nine tackles for loss.
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Jack is a contributing writer for Deacons Daily