The Library Media — Sports · Sports Desk
No. 13 Wake Forest Dominates SMU 49-7 in Dallas
By Hollis Brandt
No. 13 Wake Forest took control early and never relinquished it Saturday, defeating SMU 49-7 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas, behind a 42-point first half and a balanced offensive performance.
Wake Forest improved to 9-1, while SMU fell to 7-3. The Demon Deacons remained second in the ACC standings and entered the game ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and No. 13 by the College Football Playoff committee.
The game was effectively decided before halftime.
Wake Forest scored 14 points in the first quarter and added 28 more in the second, taking a 42-0 lead into the break. SMU did not score until the third quarter, when Kevin Jennings connected with Yannick Smith on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 3:55 remaining in the period.
That touchdown accounted for the Mustangs’ only points of the afternoon.
Wake Forest finished with a 535-275 advantage in total offense and forced three turnovers while controlling the game on both sides of the ball.
The scoring began with a significant conversion on the ground. Ty Clark III broke free for a 27-yard touchdown run on third-and-18, opening the scoring and helping establish the tone for Wake Forest’s dominant first half. Clark finished with 77 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Quarterback Gio Lopez contributed both through the air and on the ground. Lopez completed 14 of 25 passes for 201 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He also carried the ball eight times for 34 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Lopez’s touchdown pass went to Carlos Hernandez, who caught a 44-yard scoring pass. Wake Forest continued to build its advantage with additional rushing touchdowns from Jamar Searcy and Deuce Lawrence.
Searcy scored on a 6-yard touchdown run, while Lawrence found the end zone from 1 yard out as Wake Forest piled up its 42 first-half points.
After SMU’s lone touchdown in the third quarter, Wake Forest added one final score in the fourth. Steele Pizzella broke loose for a 25-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to its final margin of 42 points.
The quarter-by-quarter scoring reflected Wake Forest’s command of the game: 14 points in the first quarter, 28 in the second, none in the third and seven in the fourth. SMU was held scoreless in the first half, scored seven points in the third quarter and did not score again.
The victory gave Wake Forest its ninth win in 10 games and preserved its position near the top of the ACC standings. With the Demon Deacons ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and No. 13 by the College Football Playoff committee, the result added another decisive victory to their 9-1 record.
SMU, meanwhile, was unable to recover after falling behind 42-0 by halftime. The Mustangs’ lone scoring drive narrowed the margin only temporarily as Wake Forest closed the game with Pizzella’s fourth-quarter touchdown.
Hollis Brandt
College Football, The Library Media
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