No. 21 Wake Forest pulls away from NC State in second half for 38-14 win

Wake Forest took over after halftime Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium and beat NC State 38-14. The Demon Deacons moved to 5-1 and kept their No. 21 ranking.

In On3's postgame review, The Wolfpacker's Jacey Zembal wrote that Wake Forest showed it plays well as a unit and has enough big-play ability to control the second half. The headline puts the Wolfpack's side of it more bluntly: NC State fell apart after the break. Most of the full review sits behind a subscriber paywall, so this story covers only what On3 made public.

One of the few NC State bright spots On3 pointed out came from a freshman. Edge rusher Elijah Satchell lined up at middle linebacker, blitzed up the middle and got a sack. For a defense that couldn't contain Wake Forest's explosive plays late in the game, a young pass rusher getting home from a new spot is something the staff can work with.

The second half is what decided the game. A 24-point final margin in a rivalry game on the road shows how fully Wake Forest pulled away once the game turned. For NC State, losing control of a home conference game after halftime raises the questions On3's review was built around: why the Wolfpack couldn't keep pace once the Deacons started hitting big plays, and what changes before the next league game.

Wake Forest goes back on the road this week with a long trip west. The Deacons play Cal (3-3) on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. Late kickoffs on the West Coast can be tough for East Coast teams, but Wake Forest heads out with momentum and a ranking to defend in the second half of the season.

The market expects the Deacons to keep winning. Wake Forest is favored at -317 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game. DraftKings has the best sportsbook price on the Deacons at -360. Cal is getting 9.5 points, and the total is 53.5. Full numbers are on the Wake Forest at Cal odds page.

If Wake Forest wins in Berkeley, it would reach six wins in October and be bowl-eligible. If the Deacons play the way they did after halftime in Raleigh, they would also strengthen their spot in the ACC race. NC State, meanwhile, has to figure out why it lost its footing in the second half of a game at home.