(18) Wake Forest 12, (24) Florida State 3

1234T
#18WAKE (3-0)306312
#24FSU (2-1)00303

Final

7:00 PM ET, September 20, 2008
Doak Campbell Stadium
TALLAHASSEE, FL

Defense, kicking game help No. 18 Wake Forest clip No. 24 Florida State

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... Sam Swank hit the last of his four field goals with 2:07 left to give Wake a 12-3 lead.
Gameball goes to... Swank, who hit four field goals to score all the Demon Deacons' points.
Stat of the game... 7. Wake forced seven turnovers, including five interceptions.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs1612
Total Yards276220
Passing217118
Rushing59102
Penalties8-7012-139
3rd Down Conversions2-157-16
4th Down Conversions0-10-1
Turnovers27
Possession31:4728:13
Air/Ground Leaders
Wake Forest Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Skinner17/2921700
Boldin0/1000
Florida State Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Richardson6/186602
Ponder6/185203
Wake Forest Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Adams1866016
Boldin31106
Florida State Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Richardson846011
Ponder527018
Wake Forest Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Williams357052
Parker255033
Florida State Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Parker334016
Easterling333021
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERWAKEFSU
FG11:18Sam Swank 48 Yd 30
THIRD QUARTERWAKEFSU
FG10:29Sam Swank 29 Yd 60
FG06:40Graham Gano 37 Yd 63
FG04:31Sam Swank 49 Yd 93
FOURTH QUARTERWAKEFSU
FG02:07Sam Swank 31 Yd 123
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- For Wake Forest, beating Florida State used to big news.

Now it's almost routine.

Sam Swank kicked four field goals and No. 18 Wake Forest forced seven Florida State turnovers in running its winning streak over the 24th-ranked Seminoles to three games with a 12-3 victory Saturday night.

Fast Facts

• Wake Forest won in Tallahassee for the second straight trip, but only the third time in 19 meetings at Doak Campbell Stadium.

• In their last two games in Tallahassee against Wake Forest, Florida State has scored three points and committed 11 turnovers and 21 penalties.

• Wake Forest is just the second ACC team to beat the Seminoles in three straight games since Florida State joined the conference in 1992.

-- ESPN research

"I don't know if we've ever played a better defensive game as far as forcing turnovers, making things happen," said Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe. "Sam hit a lot of good balls out there today, we missed a couple of them but that's going to happen from time to time."

Before winning in Tallahassee in 2006, Wake had lost 14 straight to Florida State and hadn't beaten the Seminoles here since 1959. But if there were any doubts the Demon Deacons (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had passed Florida State (2-1, 0-1) in the ACC pecking order, they erased them Saturday night.

Dinich: No Beauty Contest

Following his team's 12-3 touchdown-less win over Florida State on Saturday night, Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner joked he might have to take the Demon Deacons defense out to dinner writes Heather Dinich. Blog

And in the process, they dropped Florida State coach Bobby Bowden one game behind Penn State's Joe Paterno for the most career wins in major college football. Paterno won his 376th Saturday as the Nittany Lions defeated Temple 45-3.

"We're not where I hoped we were," Bowden said. "Now [our] defense played about as good as theirs. ... If our defense hadn't been playing good tonight that score would have been awful."

Swank made field goals from 48, 29, 49 and 31 yards to increase his career total to 69 and pass Florida State's Xavier Beitia for third place in the ACC record book. Swank also missed three field goals.

"I have some things to go back and work on," Swank said. "Me messing up. That's about it. None of the other people had anything to do with it."

"But," Swank added, "It's a 'W' to put in our pocket."

The Demon Deacons squandered repeated scoring opportunities but the Seminoles (2-1, 0-1) sputtered on offense all night, losing two fumbles and throwing five interceptions.

Florida State's only points also came on a 37 yard field goal by Graham Gano. It was his first game since undergoing knee surgery on his right -- kicking -- leg Aug. 22.

Wake Forest's Riley Skinner completed 17 of 28 passes for 217 yards, but he committed a costly fumble at the Florida State 2 near the end of the first half that quashed a potential score.

"That was by far the toughest defense we've played so far," Skinner said. "They were coming out firing on all cylinders."

Christian Ponder played most of the first half at quarterback for Florida State while D'Vontrey Richardson took over for most of the second half, but neither was effective. Ponder was intercepted three times and Richardson twice.

"The offense could never get together and never really get a rhythm," Ponder said. "It's tough. It's really frustrating."

Alphonso Smith picked off Ponder's pass on Florida State's first offensive play of the game to set up Swank's 48-yard field goal. It was the only score of the first half.

Wake Forest got the ball back just minutes later when Brandon Ghee forced a fumble by Anton Smith that was recovered by Aaron Curry at Florida State's 27 yard line. An apparent Wake Forest touchdown pass was nullified by a holding penalty and then Swank missed for 27 yards wide right.

It was Swank's first missed field goal of the season and broke a string of nine straight including his first three this year.

Wake Forest drove to the Florida State 10 late in the second quarter. Swank trotted onto the field for another 27-yard attempt on fourth-and-one, but Grobe changed his mind and called his star kicker back to the sideline.

Kenny Ingram knocked Skinner's pass down in the backfield and Florida State took over. Wake Forest soon got the ball back deep in Seminole territory when Ponder was intercepted by Kevin Patterson. He returned the ball 32 yards to Florida State's 17. Two plays later, though, Skinner ran the ball 11 yards to the Florida State 2 where he fumbled with 29 seconds left in the half.

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, September 18th
21 West Virginia 14 Final
Colorado 17 OT
Saturday, September 20th
3 Georgia 27 Final
Arizona State 10
4 Florida 30 Final
Tennessee 6
Buffalo 21 Final
5 Missouri 42
6 LSU 26 Final
10 Auburn 21
Rice 10 Final
7 Texas 52
9 Alabama 49 Final
Arkansas 14
Massachusetts 14 Final
11 Texas Tech 56
12 South Florida 17 Final
FIU 9
Troy 10 Final
13 Ohio State 28
Wyoming 0 Final
14 Brigham Young 44
15 East Carolina 24 Final
North Carolina State 30 OT
Temple 3 Final
16 Penn State 45
Boise State 37 Final
17 Oregon 32
18 Wake Forest 12 Final
24 Florida State 3
Sam Houston State 14 Final
19 Kansas 38
20 Utah 30 Final
Air Force 23
South Carolina State 0 Final
23 Clemson 54
25 Fresno State 55 Final
Toledo 54 OT