TALLAHASSEE — It was an ugly game.
Wake Forest and No. 14 Florida State clashed Saturday afternoon. For 60 minutes, the 77,102 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium watched a game with a lot of sacks, turnovers and yards, but few points.
In the end, the Seminoles overmatched the Demon Deacons 17-6 with their defense, a good thing because the offense could not finish drives with points.
FSU's defense has displayed how well it can play the past two weeks.
Last weekend the Seminoles (5-2, 2-2 ACC) allowed 19 points against a powerful Miami offense in a win. Saturday they overwhelmed an average Wake Forest offense. The Demon Deacons arrived averaging 24.3 points per game; FSU's defense began the day allowing an average of almost 33.
But FSU's defense had very few holes, holding Wake Forest to 252 total yards of offense. The Deacons' offensive line, on the other hand, had more holes than a Connect Four board, and the Seminoles' front seven had no trouble getting through.
Wake Forest junior quarterback John Wolford was forced to run a lot but was still sacked five times. He barely had time to stand in the pocket and look down the field for open receivers.
"Our defense was outstanding," FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said. "Played the run tremendously well, pressured the quarterback, contested throws, created turnovers, created opportunities, and when they were put back against the wall, they played their tails off."
The biggest defensive series of the game occurred late in the fourth quarter with the score 17-6 when FSU quarterback Deondre Francois was sacked and fumbled on the Deacons' 41-yard line. Wake Forest defensive tackle Josh Banks returned the ball to the FSU 20, and he would have scored had running back Dalvin Cook not tackled him.
But, like they had done all game, the Seminoles didn't allow the Deacons into the end zone. On fourth down, kicker Mike Weaver doinked a 40-yard field goal off the left upright.
"We said it all week, 'They're not going to get in our end zone,' " FSU junior safety Ermon Lane said. "We were just like, 'Catch 'em.' "
The defense needed to win this game for FSU because long offensive drives stalled.
Two of FSU's three scores were set up by Wake Forest turnovers. In the first quarter, Marquez White intercepted Wolford and returned the ball to the Wake Forest 36. That set up a 29-yard field goal by Ricky Aguayo.
The first touchdown in the game, a Francois 2-yard bootleg in the second quarter, was a result of Deacons punter Dom Maggio fumbling a snap at his 35.
"I think turnovers and special teams miscues really did us in," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. "That was certainly right there, probably a 17-point swing in the game."
But Wake Forest had its chances, too. It forced FSU to turn the ball over four times. Cook fumbled twice, Francois was intercepted once, then the fumble in the fourth quarter. But FSU's defense was effective when it needed to be.
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Explore all your options"It ain't no formula to it," cornerback Tarvarus McFadden said. "We've just been doing our job, and that's what Coach has been preaching us. And we're finally starting to put the pieces together."