Friday, September 13
Winston-Salem, N.C.
6:00
Wake Forest University
3-0
24
vs
18
North Carolina
2-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
North Carolina
0
0
3
15
18
Wake Forest
7
14
0
3
24
Deacons Top Tar Heels 24-18 in Tobacco Road Thriller
9/13/2019 10:01:00 PM | Football
Wake Forest weathers a second-half rally to stay undefeated
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest defeated in-state rival North Carolina 24-18 in front of 31,345 fans at BB&T Field on Friday night.
Friday's showdown was the first time the two teams have met with undefeated records and two or more victories in the entire 131-year rivalry.
The Demon Deacons (3-0) smothered the Tar Heel (2-1) defense in the first half, allowing just 71 yards of total offense from the visitors. Jamie Newman scored two rushing touchdowns and threw for a 51-yard touchdown to Sage Surratt in the first half as the Deacons led 21-0 at halftime. North Carolina scored two fourth quarter touchdowns and added a field goal to make it a tight game in the waning minutes.
Newman engineered an effective offensive drive in the final minutes which led to a field goal. Wake Forest then stopped the final UNC drive as time ran out.
How It Happened:
After Nasir Greer forced a UNC fumble, Newman scampered into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown as the Deacons took a 7-0 lead. At the start of the second quarter, Newman again powered his way for 6-yard score to finish off a five-play, 78-yard drive.
Newman continued his tear just minutes later with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Surratt as Wake Forest took a 21-0 lead.
North Carolina got on the scoreboard in the last minute of the third quarter with a 49-yard field goal as the Deacs held a 21-3 advantage heading into the final quarter. The Tar Heels added two touchdowns in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter while tacking on a 2-point conversion to narrow Wake Forest's lead to 21-18.
Nick Sciba converted a 32-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the game as the Deacons gained some breathing room with a 24-18 advantage. North Carolina fell short on its final drive as Wake Forest extended its winning streak to five games dating back to last season.
Key Play:
Newman scrambled for a 4-yard gain to convert a third down with just under three minutes remaining in the game. With the pocket collapsing, Newman stayed on his feet to keep the drive alive and eventually leading to a Sciba field goal.
Offensive Stat Leaders:
Newman threw for 214 yards and added 78 yards rushing including several key rushes.
Surratt tallied a career-high 169 yards receiving along with a touchdown. Running back Kenneth Walker led Wake Forest with 94 yards on 13 carries while Christian Beal-Smith added 51 yards on the ground.
Defensive Stat Leaders:
Justin Strnaud led the way with 15 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one breakup. Greer added 10 tackles and the forced fumble. Carlos Basham, Jr. recorded 2.5 sacks while the Deacons had six as a team. The swirling Wake Forest defense totaled four quarterback hurries, five breakups, and eight tackles for loss.
Next Up:
Wake Forest hosts Elon University at noon at BB&T Field on Saturday, Sept. 21 for its annual Homecoming game.
Friday's showdown was the first time the two teams have met with undefeated records and two or more victories in the entire 131-year rivalry.
The Demon Deacons (3-0) smothered the Tar Heel (2-1) defense in the first half, allowing just 71 yards of total offense from the visitors. Jamie Newman scored two rushing touchdowns and threw for a 51-yard touchdown to Sage Surratt in the first half as the Deacons led 21-0 at halftime. North Carolina scored two fourth quarter touchdowns and added a field goal to make it a tight game in the waning minutes.
Newman engineered an effective offensive drive in the final minutes which led to a field goal. Wake Forest then stopped the final UNC drive as time ran out.
How It Happened:
After Nasir Greer forced a UNC fumble, Newman scampered into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown as the Deacons took a 7-0 lead. At the start of the second quarter, Newman again powered his way for 6-yard score to finish off a five-play, 78-yard drive.
Newman continued his tear just minutes later with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Surratt as Wake Forest took a 21-0 lead.
North Carolina got on the scoreboard in the last minute of the third quarter with a 49-yard field goal as the Deacs held a 21-3 advantage heading into the final quarter. The Tar Heels added two touchdowns in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter while tacking on a 2-point conversion to narrow Wake Forest's lead to 21-18.
Nick Sciba converted a 32-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the game as the Deacons gained some breathing room with a 24-18 advantage. North Carolina fell short on its final drive as Wake Forest extended its winning streak to five games dating back to last season.
Key Play:
Newman scrambled for a 4-yard gain to convert a third down with just under three minutes remaining in the game. With the pocket collapsing, Newman stayed on his feet to keep the drive alive and eventually leading to a Sciba field goal.
Offensive Stat Leaders:
Newman threw for 214 yards and added 78 yards rushing including several key rushes.
Surratt tallied a career-high 169 yards receiving along with a touchdown. Running back Kenneth Walker led Wake Forest with 94 yards on 13 carries while Christian Beal-Smith added 51 yards on the ground.
Defensive Stat Leaders:
Justin Strnaud led the way with 15 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one breakup. Greer added 10 tackles and the forced fumble. Carlos Basham, Jr. recorded 2.5 sacks while the Deacons had six as a team. The swirling Wake Forest defense totaled four quarterback hurries, five breakups, and eight tackles for loss.
Next Up:
Wake Forest hosts Elon University at noon at BB&T Field on Saturday, Sept. 21 for its annual Homecoming game.
Team Stats
NC
WF
Total Yards
333
436
Pass Yards
189
214
Rushing Yards
144
222
Penalty Yards
43
15
1st Downs
14
21
3rd Downs
2
5
4th Downs
3
0
TOP
29:21
30:39
1st Quarter
NC 0, WF 7
WF - Newman, J 5 yd run (Sciba, N kick), 2 plays, 20 yards, TOP 0:28
2nd Quarter
NC 0, WF 14
WF - Newman, J 6 yd run (Sciba, N kick), 5 plays, 78 yards, TOP 1:44
NC 0, WF 21
WF - Surratt, S 51 yd pass from Newman, J (Sciba, N kick) 5 plays, 85 yards, TOP 1:38
3rd Quarter
NC 3, WF 21
NC - Ruggles, N 49 yd field goal 12 plays, 35 yards, TOP 5:01
4th Quarter
NC 10, WF 21
NC - Carter, M 11 yd pass from Howell, S (Ruggles, N kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:02
NC 18, WF 21
NC - Brown, D 17 yd pass from Howell, S (Walston, G pass) 5 plays, 80 yards, TOP 1:36
NC 18, WF 24
WF - Sciba, N 32 yd field goal 12 plays, 61 yards, TOP 5:00
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
14
TD
1
YDS
214
INT
1
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballQB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
WR
/ FootballWake Forest Football 2025 Week Two Trailer
Friday, September 05
Football Media Availability (9/3/25)
Wednesday, September 03
Football Media Availability (9/2/25)
Tuesday, September 02
Coach Jake Dickert Weekly Press Conference (Sept. 1, 2025)
Monday, September 01