Wake Forest made a statement on Saturday, coming away with a 31-21 road win over No. 22 Florida State. Both the offense and defense got the job done against the Noles — here are the three performances that propelled the Deacs to victory.
READ: Wake Forest Bounces Back With Road Win Over Florida State
RB Justice Ellison:
Ellison had a career day on Saturday, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. It was his first ever 100-yard performance, and his average of 6.3 yards per carry was his best mark of the year so far. Ellison headlined a Wake Forest rushing attack that was effective all day, consistently moving the chains and helping the Deacs control the clock. With the best rushing performance of the season for the Deacs, the sophomore is a shoo-in for our first star.
READ: Game Summary: Wake Forest Defeats Florida State 31-21
Ellison and fellow halfback Christian Turner are very close off the field. It was this relationship that helped them find their stride when the team needed it most.
"It's a great atmosphere and we built that relationship, that one-on-one," Ellison said after the game. "Every time I come off the sideline, we're telling each other what we saw. We encourage each other to remember who we're giving the glory to."
WR A.T. Perry:
Perry was Sam Hartman’s favorite target on Saturday — the sophomore hauled in eight catches for 91 yards and a score. He was integral in getting the offense rolling early in the game, totaling 42 yards in the first quarter alone. His touchdown grab in the second quarter gave Wake their first lead of the day, putting the Deacs up 14-7. The redshirt sophomore leads the Deacs in receptions (24) and receiving yards (364) and trails only Jahmal Banks in receiving touchdowns.
It was another strong day for the Wake Forest receiving corps — they made plays from start to finish and made Sam Hartman’s job a lot easier.
“It’s what you expect from them,” Hartman said in his postgame presser. “They make me look good. Whatever accolades I get, it’s all credit to them.”
READ: Five Key Stats From Wake Forest's Win Over Florida State
LB Jaylen Hudson:
One of the keys to victory for the Demon Deacons was winning the turnover battle, which they did thanks to Hudson’s forced fumble in the second quarter. On the first play of the drive, Hudson got pressure on QB Jordan Travis and knocked the ball free, right into the lap of fellow LB Chase Jones. After the change of possession, it only took Hartman and co. five plays to reach the end zone and extend the lead to 21-7. Hudson is now up to six solo tackles on the season.
Ultimately, Lambert’s unit was successful on Saturday because they followed the game plan and remained true to their identity.
“We were able to force some turnover attempts and get them off schedule,” DT Kobie Turner said of the defense’s performance. “After that, it’s just playing ball with the guys.”
More must-reads: