Wake Forest needed this win.

After September included a blowout and two heartbreaking, one-score losses, Wake Forest football needed to turn over a new leaf — and they did, coming back to beat rival N.C. State, 34-30.

“It’s about freaking time,” Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson said of winning a one-score game. “That’s one of the best wins we’ve ever had, because of what has led up to this point.” 

The first defensive drive was all sorts of bittersweet for the Demon Deacons, who had a rough start with defensive back Devaughn Patterson being called for targeting early on. A few plays later, Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall attempted to scramble for a first down on third and 11, was met by three defenders and suffered visible concussion symptoms after being tackled. (McCall was hospitalized and released later Saturday night, according to a post on the N.C. State Football X/Twitter account.)

“That is one of the worst things you can see in college sports,” Clawson said of the play. “Certainly, our hopes and prayers are with him, the McCall family and all of N.C. State.”

During the play, McCall let go of the ball, falling right into the hand of Wake Forest safety Evan Slocum, who continued to run the ball cross-field, with the play not blown dead. Slocum returned the ball 88 yards to the N.C. State two yard line.

“One of our goals this week was to start fast,” Demon Deacon safety Nick Andersen said. “We started off pretty slowly against [Louisiana-Lafayette], so to start quickly was one of our goals- and we did that.”

After Slocum returned the ball across the field, the offense took no time converting for a touchdown, with Bachmeier rolling out right of the pocket and finding Claiborne for his first career receiving touchdown.

With McCall sidelined, the Wolfpack turned to C.J. Bailey, who had started in the two previous games. That experience paid off for the freshman, who led them to an unanswered 13 point run, including two field goals and a touchdown pass to wide receiver Keenan Jackson.

With under three minutes in the first half, Bachmeier’s offense then charged down the field on a minute-and-a-half drive that found receiver Horatio Fields snagging the ball out of the air in the endzone.

In the third quarter, offensive play started rough on both sides. For the Wolfpack, they started with a three-and-out, however got the ball right back after Bachmeier suffered a strip sack from N.C. State linebacker Sean Brown. 

The next drive, Bachmeier launched an overthrown ball to Wolfpack safety Bishop Fitzgerald, rather than tight end Harry Lodge.

“We had a miscommunication on the route there, and you got to protect the ball,” Bachmeier said.

The next few minutes of play shifted the momentum of the game. A roughing the passer call allowed Bailey and running back Kendrick Raphael to take advantage, and the latter rushed in for a touchdown a few plays later, putting the Wolfpack up three.

The Wolfpack didn’t stop there. After a Wake Forest three-and-out, Bailey found wideout Kevin Concepcion multiple times and found tight end Justin Joly for another 22-yard touchdown, putting the Demon Deacons down ten in the fourth quarter.

Wake Forest then needed confidence and guts — they got both. It came via a risky fourth-and-9 down scramble by Bachmeier, who rushed across the first down line. Claiborne then turned on the jets himself, too, and bursted towards the pylon for six points.

When they had the chance to put the game away, the Wolfpack offense ground to a halt. A three-and-out came at one of the most inopportune times for N.C. State, allowing Wake Forest a chance to score again — to either tie or take the lead.

On a fourth-and-5 with under four minutes left in the game, Bachmeier released the ball quickly after N.C. State rushed seven defenders, each breaking towards the quarterback. The ball found the hands of Alexander, who gained 17 yards, and more importantly, a first down.

The Demon Deacons found themselves in another high-stakes decision when they ran up against a fourth-and-3 at the N.C. State 26 yard line. Instead of opting for a field goal attempt from Dennis, the Wake Forest offense stayed on the field. 

With time on their side and near-red zone field position, Bachmeier found redshirt freshman Micah Mays, Jr. for his fourth reception of the day, pushing for an 18-yard gain. Knocking on the door at the three-yard line, Claiborne rushed into the endzone, putting the Demon Deacons up by four.

“With [Alexander], [Fields], and [Mays, Jr.], those guys really stepped up today,” Claiborne said. “They allowed me to see pictures that were clear and allowed me to get in those holes and hit those runs.”

With about a minute remaining to score a touchdown, N.C. State needed a large gain. Instead, Bailey tried to force a pass in the direction of Raphael — a pass that sailed out wide and into the hands of linebacker Branson Combs, solidifying Wake Forest’s comeback win, 34-30.

“The ball just kind of came to me,” Combs said. “[Jasheen Davis] got a lot of pressure on [Bailey], so props to him.”

As for Combs, Claiborne and the rest of the Demon Deacons, they see this as a launching point.

“Since I’ve been here, that’s probably the first time we’ve come together and all had the same vision,” Claiborne said postgame. “We did not want to leave that field today without the [win] and it showed in everything we did.”