Quick hitter: No. 23 FSU falls to No. 22 Wake Forest, 31-21

Oct 1, 2022 - 11:07 PM

The last time Wake Forest had a three-game winning streak over Florida State in football was 2008 — also the same year that the two teams met for the first time as ranked opponents.

The second iteration of a top 25 game ended up just as unpleasant for FSU, with the No. 23 Seminoles failing to overcome a poor first half and falling to No. 23 Wake Forest 31-21.

FSU was a six-point favorite.

FSU mustered just 7 points in the first two quarters of the game, sputtering on offense after an 83-yard touchdown drive to start the contest. Its inability to stay on the field was coupled by an inability on the defense’s part to get off it — at halftime, the Demon Deacons were seven-of-12 on third, a large reason behind its 21-7 lead.

Florida State came out firing in the second half, managing to cut the lead to a touchdown early in the fourth, but Wake Forest managed to drive 75 yards to more or less put the game away with just under four minutes left. The Demon Deacons had four drives of 70+ yards, scoring points on all of them.

It was obvious early on that FSU was sincerely missing the talents of defensive lineman Fabien Lovett and offensive lineman Robert Scott, both of whom would have made a major difference in attacking and defending a Wake line that came to play on both sides of the ball.

Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who has struggled this season, was zero-for-two on the day.

The loss is Florida State’s fourth straight as a ranked team (2018 Virginia Tech, 2017 NC State, 2017 Alabama) and likely will push the Seminoles out of the poll once more.

Up next for the Seminoles is a road matchup vs. No. 10 NC State, who take on the No. 5 Clemson Tigers tonight.