Wake Forest Athletics
Essang Bassey intercepts Ryan Finley in the end zone, 2017
Ahead of Saturday's Game, Relive Great Deacon-Wolfpack Football Contests
10/30/2019 8:03:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
Wake Forest and North Carolina State have played each other in football every season since 1910, the third-longest uninterrupted rivalry in all of college football. The Deacs and the Wolfpack will square off for the 113th time at noon Saturday in BB&T Field, where Wake has won seven of the last eight against meetings.
"These are the games that make college football special — an in-state rivalry against a team that we play every year," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said during his press conference Tuesday.
Though the Pack have a 66-40-6 edge in the all-time series, the Demon Deacons have had their share of great moments in the rivalry. Here's a recap of six of the best wins in the series by Wake Forest.
Wake Forest 38, No. 14/11 NC State 24 — September 6, 2003
The Wolfpack entered Groves Stadium nationally ranked and featured future NFL stars Phillip Rivers and Jerricho Cotchery, but was put on their heels quickly as the Deacs ran out to a 25-point first-half bulge.
With Ohio State on the Wolfpack schedule the following week, the broad assumption was that they were looking ahead instead of focused on the Deacs. Wake clearly capitalized on 10 NC State penalties and two Rivers interceptions. Then sophomore and 2018 Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Chris Barclay ran for 90 yards and one touchdown, while quarterback Cory Randolph went 8-of-10 passing for 131 yards. Wake had 202 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
While the Quad was surely rolled, attempts to tear down the goalpost after the win by the Wake Forest students went unsuccessful.
Wake Forest 22, NC State 21 — September 13, 1969
The Deacs didn't celebrate many wins in Cal Stoll's initial season at the helm but they started the season on the right foot with a shocking victory over a Wolfpack team that entered Carter Stadium that day as defending ACC champs and preseason favorites.
Sophomore Wake Forest quarterback Larry Russell led the Deacs back from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit, running it in from one-yard out to make it a one-score game then connecting with Buz Leavitt to get the ball back to the Wolfpack one-yard line in the final minutes of the game. The Deacs ran it in to bring the score to 21-10, then Russell hit Leavitt yet again on the two-point conversion for the win.
Wake Forest 30, No. 19 NC State 24 — November 18, 2017
In a Wake Forest season remembered for rewriting the program's offensive record book, it was a pair of defensive plays that made the difference in an upset home victory over the Wolfpack.
In a consummate effort play, Wake Forest linebacker Demetrius Kemp chased down Emeka Emezie right at the goal line to force a fumble and recover it to prevent the potential go-ahead score in the final minutes.
"The play that Demetrius Kemp made on the strip was an unbelievable effort play and that turned out to be a game-changing play for us," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.
The final offensive play by the Wolfpack was a Ryan Finley pass that was picked off by Essang Bassey in the end zone to seal the win. Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while slot receiver Tabari Hines had eight catches for 139 yards and three scores.
Wake Forest 30, No. 15 NC State 22 — September 13, 1975
The nationally-ranked Wolfpack hosted Wake as a three-touchdown favorite, but took the eight-point loss and never reemerged in the rankings the rest of the season.
Led by quarterback Jerry McManus, the Deacs went into the break tied, but then came away victorious in the second half for their first conference win since a 9-7 win over Duke on Nov. 11, 1972.
Wake Forest 25, NC State 23 — October 14, 2006
Sam Swank drilled three 50-plus yard field goals as the Deacs outlasted the Pack at Carter-Finely Stadium.
Swank connected from 53-yards twice in what is still in the Wake Forest record books as the longest field goals in program history. His 51-yarder in the second quarter is tied for the ninth-longest.
Riley Skinner threw for 124 yards and one touchdown while Aaron Curry led the Deacs with nine tackles. A Swank field goal gave Wake a 25-17 lead with 8:05 left in the game, but the Wolfpack scored a touchdown with a little more than five minutes left. The Deacs fended off the two point attempt and held on to win to move to 6-1 on the season. Wake Forest moved into the national rankings the following week and went on to win the ACC Championship that season.
Wake Forest 27, No. 14 NC State 23 — November 8, 2018
You'd have a hard time coming up with a more significant or emotional win in recent Wake Forest football history.
Coming off a short turnaround for a Thursday night game in front of a packed Carter-Finley Stadium and a national TV audience, Wake Forest was injury depleted and on the proverbial ropes. The loss to Syracuse just five days prior dropped Wake to 4-5 on the season and put starting quarterback Sam Hartman out for the rest of the season with an injury.
But Jamie Newman ended up going 22-for-33 for 297 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, leading the Deacs back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit. A Greg Dortch catch with six minutes remaining brought the Deacs to within three points, then a strike to tight end Jack Freudenthal over the middle ended up going for a 32-yard score in the final minute to complete the dramatic upset.
The Deacs closed the regular season with a 59-7 throttling of Duke and went on to grab a Birmingham Bowl victory over Memphis to finish 7-6 on the season.
"These are the games that make college football special — an in-state rivalry against a team that we play every year," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said during his press conference Tuesday.
Though the Pack have a 66-40-6 edge in the all-time series, the Demon Deacons have had their share of great moments in the rivalry. Here's a recap of six of the best wins in the series by Wake Forest.
Wake Forest 38, No. 14/11 NC State 24 — September 6, 2003
The Wolfpack entered Groves Stadium nationally ranked and featured future NFL stars Phillip Rivers and Jerricho Cotchery, but was put on their heels quickly as the Deacs ran out to a 25-point first-half bulge.
With Ohio State on the Wolfpack schedule the following week, the broad assumption was that they were looking ahead instead of focused on the Deacs. Wake clearly capitalized on 10 NC State penalties and two Rivers interceptions. Then sophomore and 2018 Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Chris Barclay ran for 90 yards and one touchdown, while quarterback Cory Randolph went 8-of-10 passing for 131 yards. Wake had 202 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
While the Quad was surely rolled, attempts to tear down the goalpost after the win by the Wake Forest students went unsuccessful.
Wake Forest 22, NC State 21 — September 13, 1969
The Deacs didn't celebrate many wins in Cal Stoll's initial season at the helm but they started the season on the right foot with a shocking victory over a Wolfpack team that entered Carter Stadium that day as defending ACC champs and preseason favorites.
Sophomore Wake Forest quarterback Larry Russell led the Deacs back from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit, running it in from one-yard out to make it a one-score game then connecting with Buz Leavitt to get the ball back to the Wolfpack one-yard line in the final minutes of the game. The Deacs ran it in to bring the score to 21-10, then Russell hit Leavitt yet again on the two-point conversion for the win.
Wake Forest 30, No. 19 NC State 24 — November 18, 2017
In a Wake Forest season remembered for rewriting the program's offensive record book, it was a pair of defensive plays that made the difference in an upset home victory over the Wolfpack.
In a consummate effort play, Wake Forest linebacker Demetrius Kemp chased down Emeka Emezie right at the goal line to force a fumble and recover it to prevent the potential go-ahead score in the final minutes.
"The play that Demetrius Kemp made on the strip was an unbelievable effort play and that turned out to be a game-changing play for us," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.
The final offensive play by the Wolfpack was a Ryan Finley pass that was picked off by Essang Bassey in the end zone to seal the win. Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while slot receiver Tabari Hines had eight catches for 139 yards and three scores.
Wake Forest 30, No. 15 NC State 22 — September 13, 1975
The nationally-ranked Wolfpack hosted Wake as a three-touchdown favorite, but took the eight-point loss and never reemerged in the rankings the rest of the season.
Led by quarterback Jerry McManus, the Deacs went into the break tied, but then came away victorious in the second half for their first conference win since a 9-7 win over Duke on Nov. 11, 1972.
Wake Forest 25, NC State 23 — October 14, 2006
Sam Swank drilled three 50-plus yard field goals as the Deacs outlasted the Pack at Carter-Finely Stadium.
Swank connected from 53-yards twice in what is still in the Wake Forest record books as the longest field goals in program history. His 51-yarder in the second quarter is tied for the ninth-longest.
Riley Skinner threw for 124 yards and one touchdown while Aaron Curry led the Deacs with nine tackles. A Swank field goal gave Wake a 25-17 lead with 8:05 left in the game, but the Wolfpack scored a touchdown with a little more than five minutes left. The Deacs fended off the two point attempt and held on to win to move to 6-1 on the season. Wake Forest moved into the national rankings the following week and went on to win the ACC Championship that season.
Wake Forest 27, No. 14 NC State 23 — November 8, 2018
You'd have a hard time coming up with a more significant or emotional win in recent Wake Forest football history.
Coming off a short turnaround for a Thursday night game in front of a packed Carter-Finley Stadium and a national TV audience, Wake Forest was injury depleted and on the proverbial ropes. The loss to Syracuse just five days prior dropped Wake to 4-5 on the season and put starting quarterback Sam Hartman out for the rest of the season with an injury.
But Jamie Newman ended up going 22-for-33 for 297 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, leading the Deacs back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit. A Greg Dortch catch with six minutes remaining brought the Deacs to within three points, then a strike to tight end Jack Freudenthal over the middle ended up going for a 32-yard score in the final minute to complete the dramatic upset.
The Deacs closed the regular season with a 59-7 throttling of Duke and went on to grab a Birmingham Bowl victory over Memphis to finish 7-6 on the season.
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