No. 14 Wake Forest extended its winning streak to five games with a 51-7 rout of Virginia in Atlantic Coast Conference action on Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C.
It’s the longest winning streak for the Demon Deacons (7-1, 5-1 ACC) since an 8-0 start in 2021. They scored on their first nine possessions against the Cavaliers (4-5, 2-4) and have now outscored their last four opponents by a 187-31 margin.
Gio Lopez completed 13 of 21 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 64 yards. Ty Clark III set a career high with three rushing TDs and Carlos Hernandez had eight catches for 136 yards and a score. Connor Calvert kicked three field goals.
Lopez limped off the field with 2:29 left in the third quarter after taking a hit to his lower right leg. With the win already assured, he did not return.
Beau Pribula passed for 212 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Virginia, which dropped its third straight game and now must win two of its last three contests to become bowl eligible.
The Demon Deacons outgained the Cavaliers 538-330, including 309-16 on the ground. Wake Forest converted nine of 14 third downs, compared to one of 12 for Virginia.
Wake Forest built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on Clark’s 2-yard TD run and Calvert’s 45-yard field goal. It repeated the pattern and doubled the advantage in the second quarter on Clark’s 4-yard run and Calvert’s 25-yard kick.
The lead ballooned to 44-0 in the third quarter with Calvert’s 44-yarder, Lopez’s 10-yard scoring strike to Hernandez and a 2-yard touchdown run by Clark. After Lopez exited the game, Jamar Searcy (team-high 78 rushing yards) joined the points parade with a 7-yard TD run.
Virginia avoided the shutout on Pribula’s 47-yard TD pass to Da’Shawn Martin with 50 seconds left in the third quarter.
Wake Forest tacked on a 27-yard touchdown run by Kyndall McCaleb with nine minutes left.
