The Daily Nole

Wake Forest at FSU: Gameday Primer

Wake Forest at FSU wlpearce.com/FSU athletics

What a difference a week can make. The mood around No. 14 Florida State has certainly changed following a thrilling 20-19 victory over rival and then No. 10 Miami. The opponent for homecoming at Doak Campbell Stadium is one of the ACC’s pleasant surprises, 5-1 Wake Forest.

The Demon Deacons have been led, largely by a stout defense that includes end Duke Ejiofor, linebacker Marquel Lee and redshirt freshman safety Jessie Bates. Wake Forest is allowing just 18 points per game this season while proving to be an opportunistic bunch. On offense, tight end Cam Serigne and running back Matt Colburn are the guys to watch around quarterback John Wolford.

For Florida State, the strength has been the offense. As expected, running back Dalvin Cook is one of the nation’s best players, with 785 yards on the ground and more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Redshirt freshman Deondre Francois has been impressive as the team’s signal-caller with senior Jesus Wilson his top receiver. Defensively, senior end DeMarcus Walker has been the heart and soul of the unit, leading the team with 6.5 sacks. It was Walker’s blocked extra point last week that preserved the victory.

Quick Hits

  • Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is 5-1 in his career against Wake Forest. The lone loss came in Winston-Salem in 2011 by a 35-30 score. His five wins in the series have come by an average margin of 37.4 points.
  • Wake Forest will be looking to score in its first touchdown in Tallahassee since shutting out FSU 30-0 in 2006. In five games since then, the Demon Deacons have been shut out twice at Doak Campbell Stadium. They won the 2008, 12-3, thanks to four Sam Swank field goals.
  • Wake Forest has not defeated a ranked opponent since taking down No. 23 Florida State in 2011. Wake Forest hasn’t beat a ranked team on the road since topping FSU in 2008.
  • Florida State will look to avoid losing back-to-back home games for the first time under Fisher. The Seminoles haven’t lost multiple home games since 2011 and haven’t lost multiple ACC home games since 2009. Under Fisher, the Seminoles have not lost a home game to an ACC Atlantic division opponent.
  • The only tie between the teams took place in the first-ever meeting in 1956. Florida State beat Wake Forest 44-7 in 1996 in Orlando — the only times the teams have played at a venue outside of Tallahassee or Winston-Salem.
  • Since 1996, three different Florida State quarterbacks have made their first career start against Wake Forest and all three won. In 1996, Dan Kendra made his first start in a 44-7 victory in Orlando; in 1998, it was Marcus Outzen at the helm in a 24-7 win in Winston-Salem and in 2009, it was E.J. Manuel who made his first career start on the road against the Demon Deacons in a 41-28 win.

Good Times, Bad Times

All-Time Series: Florida State leads 27-6-1.
Good Times: All-time against Wake Forest, Florida State has pitched six shutouts with a 52-0 win in 2012 being the most recent. The Seminoles shut out the Demon Deacons in three straight meetings from 1963-1966.

Against Wake Forest in 1998, cornerback Mario Edwards set a Florida State record with four interceptions in a 24-7 victory over the Demon Deacons.

After shutting out Wake Forest 31-0 in Tallahassee in 2010 to get head coach Jimbo Fisher his first ACC win as head coach, the Seminoles blanked the Demon Deacons 52-0 in their next trip to Doak Campbell Stadium in 2012. Chris Thompson rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries.

Bad Times: Wake Forest’s first victory in the series came in Tallahassee in 1959 as the Deacons scored 13 points in the final 5:19 to escape with a 22-20 victory. Bobby Robinson’s 5-yard touchdown with less than two minutes to play served as the game-winner.

Three of Wake Forest’s six wins in the series came consecutively as the Demon Deacons beat FSU in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The 30-0 victory in 2006 was the most notable as it marked the first time the Seminoles had been shut out since 1988 and the first time at home since 1973. FSU was held to just 139 yards of offense in the loss while committing four turnovers. Wake won over the Seminoles on a Thursday night in Winston-Salem in 2007, 24-21 and then again by a 12-3 margin in Tallahassee in 2008.

Self-inflicted wounds were the dagger in the last Wake Forest victory in the series as the Seminoles fell 35-30 in Winston-Salem in 2011. In the loss, FSU committed 109 yards in penalties to go with five turnovers.

For Your Reading Pleasure

Here are all The Daily Nole articles regarding the match-up between No. 14 FSU and Wake Forest:

FSU Football: A First Look at Wake Forest
Preview: Rejuvenated FSU Hosts Wake Forest for Homecoming
Staff Predictions for FSU-Wake Forest
FSU-Wake Forest: Five Things to Watch

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson

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