No. 14 Wake Forest Routs Virginia 51-7 for Fifth Straight Win

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert was not pleased with how his team prepared for Virginia in the middle of the week. By Saturday evening, the Cavaliers had seen how much that changed. The 14th-ranked Demon Deacons beat Virginia 51-7 and extended their winning streak to five games.

Ty Clark III scored on three short runs, quarterback Gio Lopez threw a touchdown pass, and Connor Calvert kicked three field goals. Dickert said Thursday's practice went well, with a few things to clean up, and noted that it is when the team installs some of its red zone work. Friday, he said, brought "some of the most energy that I've ever seen in a Friday walk-through."

The result was lopsided by any measure. Wake Forest improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC, while Virginia fell to 4-5 and 2-4. The margin was the second largest by Wake Forest over the Cavaliers in the 54-game history of the series. Over its last four games, Wake Forest has allowed four touchdowns and scored 187 points.

Virginia has now lost three straight. The Cavaliers were headed toward their first shutout loss since a 10-0 defeat to Virginia Tech in 2017 until quarterback Beau Pribula hit De'Shawn Martin with a 47-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds left in the third quarter.

Lopez finished 13 of 21 for 229 yards. He appeared to hurt his leg late in the third quarter but limped off the field on his own. Steele Pizzella replaced him and capped a scoring drive when Jamar Searcy ran in from 7 yards out. Dickert did not immediately know Lopez's condition, though he said the first reports were good. Kyndall McCaleb added a 27-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Virginia reached Wake Forest territory twice in the first half and came away with nothing both times. Pribula threw a third-down interception from the Wake Forest 47, and the Demon Deacons turned it into a 45-yard Calvert field goal with 2:30 left in the first quarter. The second drive was costlier. Virginia moved from its own 19 to the Wake Forest 6, but on fourth-and-1, Zay Davis took a direct snap and was stopped for no gain. Calvert then kicked a 25-yard field goal with 10 seconds left before halftime. Virginia was also stopped on a fourth-and-goal at the Wake Forest 5 in the fourth quarter.

"I think it's a good football team that (has) been playing with a ton of energy," Virginia coach Tony Elliott said of Wake Forest. "And then, when we had our opportunities, we didn't make as many of the competitive plays as we needed to to really impact the momentum."

The Cavaliers managed only 16 rushing yards on 19 attempts, a sharp drop for an offense that had averaged 161 rushing yards per game coming in. That forced them to try to throw their way back into the game. Virginia has next weekend off, which gives the team extra time to address the ground game. For Wake Forest, receiver Carlos Hernandez continued his strong season with eight catches on nine targets for 136 yards and a touchdown.

Virginia returns to action on Nov. 14 at home against California. Wake Forest hosts Merrimack next Saturday.