# Wake Forest Demon Deacons Beat NC State Wolfpack 38-14 for Third Straight Win

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/news/wake-forest-blows-open-third-quarter-rolls-past-nc-state-38-14

> Gio Lopez threw three touchdowns and ran for another as Wake Forest broke a tie game wide open in Raleigh.

By Cole Saturday · Published 2026-10-11 14:57 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

Gio Lopez torched NC State in the third quarter and Wake Forest ran away with it at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons beat [NC State Wolfpack](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/nc-state-wolfpack) 38-14 on Saturday, October 10, 2026, moving to 5-1 while the Wolfpack dropped to 3-3.

The Demon Deacons scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter alone to turn a tied game into a blowout, and NC State never found an answer after halftime.

## Box score

- Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 7 | 3 | 21 | 7 | 38
- NC State Wolfpack | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14

[**See full player stats and game details**](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/2177)

## How it turned

The first quarter was even. [Gio Lopez](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/gio-lopez) found M. Lusardi for a one-yard touchdown at 13:03, and [CJ Bailey](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/cj-bailey) answered right back with a 24-yard touchdown strike to C. Robinson at 8:17, leaving it tied 7-7 after one.

NC State grabbed its only lead of the day in the second quarter. W. Wilson hit H. Provience for a two-yard score at 9:42 to put the Wolfpack up, and Wake Forest only managed a 23-yard C. Calvert field goal with two seconds left in the half. NC State led 14-10 at the break.

Everything changed in the third quarter. Wake Forest scored three times without an answer: Lopez to C. Hernandez for six yards at 10:44, Lopez to J. Foley for ten yards at 7:29, and a Lopez one-yard scramble at 2:27. That 21-0 quarter flipped the game, and Wake Forest led 31-14 heading into the fourth.

The Demon Deacons put it away in the fourth when D. Lawrence broke off a 17-yard touchdown run at 11:24, and NC State had no response the rest of the way. Final: [Wake Forest Demon Deacons](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/wake-forest-demon-deacons) 38, NC State Wolfpack 14.

## Scoring plays

- Q1 13:03 WAKE: G. Lopez pass to M. Lusardi for 1 yd, for a TD (C. Calvert KICK)
- Q1 8:17 NCSU: CJ Bailey pass to C. Robinson for 24 yds, for a TD (K. Vinesett KICK)
- Q2 9:42 NCSU: W. Wilson pass to H. Provience for 2 yds, for a TD (K. Vinesett KICK)
- Q2 0:02 WAKE: C. Calvert 23 yd FG GOOD
- Q3 10:44 WAKE: G. Lopez pass to C. Hernandez for 6 yds, for a TD (C. Calvert KICK)
- Q3 7:29 WAKE: G. Lopez pass to J. Foley for 10 yds, for a TD (C. Calvert KICK)
- Q3 2:27 WAKE: G. Lopez run for 1 yd, for a TD (C. Calvert KICK)
- Q4 11:24 WAKE: D. Lawrence run for 17 yds, for a TD (C. Calvert KICK)

## Top performers

Gio Lopez ran the show for Wake Forest, going 26-of-33 for 303 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He spread it around, too. [Jack Foley](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/jack-foley) caught eight passes for 156 yards and a score, [Carlos Hernandez](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/carlos-hernandez) added twelve catches for 117 yards and a touchdown of his own, and [Deuce Lawrence](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/deuce-lawrence) chipped in eight carries for 46 yards and the late touchdown run. [Jamar Searcy](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/jamar-searcy) added four carries for 28 yards on the ground.

NC State had answers through the air even in the loss. CJ Bailey finished 28-of-39 for 241 yards and a touchdown with no picks, and [Chance Robinson](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/chance-robinson) caught three passes for 53 yards and a score. The run game stalled, though, with [Davion Gause](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/davion-gause) managing just 11 yards on seven carries and [Dylan McCoy](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/dylan-mccoy) adding five yards on three totes. Linebacker [Popo Aguirre](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/popo-aguirre) led all tacklers with 12 stops.

## Top performers

### Wake Forest Demon Deacons

- **Gio Lopez** (QB) — 26/33, 303 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT
- **Deuce Lawrence** (RB) — 8 car, 46 yds, 1 TD
- **Jamar Searcy** (RB) — 4 car, 28 yds, 0 TD
- **Jack Foley** (WR) — 8 rec, 156 yds, 1 TD
- **Carlos Hernandez** (WR) — 12 rec, 117 yds, 1 TD
- **Vincent Firenze** (LB) — 8 tkl, 0 sck, 0 INT

### NC State Wolfpack

- **CJ Bailey** (QB) — 28/39, 241 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT
- **Davion Gause** (RB) — 7 car, 11 yds, 0 TD
- **Dylan McCoy** (RB) — 3 car, 5 yds, 0 TD
- **Keenan Jackson** (WR) — 5 rec, 61 yds, 0 TD
- **Chance Robinson** (WR) — 3 rec, 53 yds, 1 TD
- **Popo Aguirre** (LB) — 12 tkl, 0 sck, 0 INT

## Team stats

- Stat | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | NC State Wolfpack
- Total yards | 387 | 258
- Passing | 26/33, 303 yds | 29/40, 243 yds
- Rushing | 36 att, 84 yds | 24 att, 15 yds
- Turnovers | 2 | 1
- Sacks | 4 | 1

## What's next

Wake Forest Demon Deacons hit the road to face the [California Golden Bears](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/california-golden-bears) in Week 7 on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

NC State Wolfpack travels to face the [Stanford Cardinal](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/stanford-cardinal) in Week 8 on Friday, October 23, 2026.

## What's next

- **Wake Forest Demon Deacons** (5-1) — at California Golden Bears, Saturday, October 17, 2026
- **NC State Wolfpack** (3-3) — at Stanford Cardinal, Friday, October 23, 2026

## In this story

- [Wake Forest Demon Deacons at NC State Wolfpack](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/2177)
- [Wake Forest Demon Deacons at California Golden Bears](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/2483)
- [NC State Wolfpack at Stanford Cardinal](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/2748)
- [California Golden Bears](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/california-golden-bears)
- [NC State Wolfpack](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/nc-state-wolfpack)
- [Stanford Cardinal](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/stanford-cardinal)
- [Wake Forest Demon Deacons](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/wake-forest-demon-deacons)
- [CJ Bailey](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/cj-bailey)
- [Carlos Hernandez](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/carlos-hernandez)
- [Chance Robinson](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/chance-robinson)
- [Davion Gause](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/davion-gause)
- [Deuce Lawrence](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/deuce-lawrence)
- [Dylan McCoy](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/dylan-mccoy)
- [Gio Lopez](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/gio-lopez)
- [Jack Foley](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/jack-foley)
- [Jamar Searcy](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/jamar-searcy)
- [Keenan Jackson](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/keenan-jackson)
- [Popo Aguirre](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/popo-aguirre)
- [Vincent Firenze](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/players/vincent-firenze)

*Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our [editorial standards](https://profootballnewshub.com/editorial-standards).*

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