Wake Forest (3-4, 0-3) struck first, but Florida State (4-3, 2-3) answered and pulled away with a 38-17 win on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee.
Playing in homecoming in a region still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Michael, Wake Forest scored first and built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter over the Seminoles. Florida State had an answer waiting for the Demon Deacons, as the Noles scored three times before halftime to build a 21-10 lead going into the half.
In the third period the Seminoles began to pull away from Wake Forest, beginning when Cam Akers broke free for a 58-yard run to make it a 28-10 game. All told Akers finished with 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead all runners. Deonde Francois went 29-for-40 with with 353 yards and two touchdowns for the Seminoles, while his counterpart at quarterback for Wake Forest, Sam Hartman, went 22-for-46 with 227 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Nyqwan Murray led all receivers with 131 yards and a touchdown grab for Florida State.
The Seminoles look to build on this homecoming win when they return to action next Saturday to host third-ranked Clemson. Kickoff from Tallahassee next weekend is scheduled for high noon.