ACC Football: Wake Forest 34, N.C. State 27
Published 12:00 am Saturday, September 10, 2011
Associated Press
WEINSTON-SALEM ó Wake Forestís players felt, well, a little embarrassed after blowing a 15-point lead in an overtime loss to Syracuse last week.
So, when North Carolina State mounted a second-half rally in Saturdayís Atlantic Coast Conference opener, the Demon Deacons knew what to do.
ěLast week, we felt like we let each other down,î said receiver Danny Dembry. ěWe knew we had to finish, and when our chance came, we did.î
Dembry had two TDs and Tanner Price threw for 297 yards and a score as Wake Forest held on 34-27 Saturday to win their fifth straight at home over the Wolfpack.
ěThis is huge,î said Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, whose Demon Deacons are coming off a 3-9 record last season. ěI sensed this summer that we were better, but I wasnít sure how much better. And after what happened at Syracuse (a 36-29 OT loss), we were a little shell shocked. … But this gets our confidence back.î
Dembry, who had six receptions for 96 yards, pulled in a 40-yard flanker option pass from Michael Campanaro in the second quarter, and added a 10-yard reverse for a TD in the third quarter.
Campanaro also caught five balls for 93 yards and a TD ó a 31-yarder from Price. Josh Harris had 96 rushing yards and a score, and Jimmy Newman hit field goals of 32 and 37 yards for the Demon Deacons (1-1), who won their second straight league opener.
Mike Glennon had a career-high 315 yards passing and three touchdowns, all coming in the second half as N.C. State (1-1) attempted to come back down 34-13 late in the third quarter.
The Wolfpack also had first-half field goals of 45 and 37 yards from Niklas Sade.
ěIt was certainly not a good effort on our part, and we have nobody to blame but ourselves,î N.C. State coach Tom OíBrien said. ěIím not into all this, ëWe fought back,í and all that. We lost the game, a game that we didnít play well in. I have to get it straightened out, and I intend to get it straightened out. . There are no positives losing, ever.î
Price, who had 289 yards and three touchdowns against Syracuse last week, picked apart the Wolfpackís secondary in the first half with 223 yards on 17 of 25 passing. That helped stake the Demon Deacons to a 20-6 halftime lead.
Price completed his first eight passes Saturday, including Campanaroís 31-yard score, and a 19-yarder to Dembry on fourth-and-8 set up Newmanís 32-yard field goal with 2:04 left in the first quarter.
ěComing off of last week, we were hoping to bounce back,î Price said. ěWe didnít get down on ourselves, because we werenít going to let one game ruin our season.î
N.C. State broke through early in the second quarter with Sadeís 45-yard field goal with 14:13 remaining. But Priceís 31-yard completion to Chris Givens on third-and-10 set up Wake Forestís next score, a 40-yard flanker option pass from Campanaro to a wide-open Dembry with 13:02 left for a 17-3 lead.
ěHonestly, it didnít work that good in practice,î said Campanaro. ěBut it looked really good out there today.î