Winston leads Florida State to rout of Wake Forest

Jameis Winston threw for 297 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, and No. 1 Florida State overcame another slow start before rolling to a 43-3 victory over Wake Forest at Doak Campbell Stadium.

After rallying from a 17-point first-quarter deficit to topple North Carolina State a week ago, the Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 ACC) ripped off 40 unanswered points to turn a game that was tied at 3-3 late in the opening half into an all-out rout.

Florida State got contributions from all phases in its 21st consecutive win. Winston threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Travis Rudolph and ran for a score, Roberto Aguayo tied a school record by drilling five field goals and a stifling defense forced three turnovers while limiting the Demon Deacons to 126 total yards.

Winston made good on 23-of-39 throws with an interception, while Mario Pender rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on just five carries.

John Wolford mustered a mere 58 passing yards on a 9-of-15 completion rate and was intercepted once for Wake Forest (2-4, 0-2) before being removed in the second half. Dezmond Wortham ran for 68 yards on 12 attempts in the loss.

The Seminoles turned the ball over on their initial two possessions and managed just a field goal through their first four, but were finally able to reach the end zone near the end of the opening half.

After getting the ball back at midfield following a Wake Forest punt, Winston completed two straight passes and Pender broke off a 12-yard run to put Florida State at the opposing 9-yard line. Three plays later, Winston rolled out and faked a throw before diving across the goal line from two yards out to give the Seminoles a 10-3 lead with 1:03 left in the half.

Wake Forest could only take 31 seconds off the clock before punting it away again, and Rashad Greene returned the kick 16 yards to the Deacons' 40. Two Winston connections to Jesus Wilson put Aguayo in range to knock through a 40- yard field goal that pushed the Seminoles' advantage to 10 points at intermission.

Winston then began the second half by hitting on three straight attempts, including an 18-yard strike to Nick O'Leary, to position Aguayo for a successful 52-yard try that increased the margin to 16-3.

The Seminoles' defense continued to impose its will from there.

Wolford was picked off by P.J. Williams while under heavy pressure midway through the third quarter, with the 23-yard return deep into Wake territory leading to Pender's 3-yard touchdown scamper.

Florida State needed just 15 seconds to produce its next touchdown, as Reggie Northup dislodged Isaiah Robinson of the ball on the Deacons' ensuing drive and returned the fumble 31 yards to stake the Seminoles to a commanding 30-3 advantage with just under five minutes left in the third.

Aguayo's fourth make of the day, a 42-yarder less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, came after Winston found Ermon Lane down the sideline for a 59-yard gain.

After the defense induced yet another Wake Forest punt, Randolph blew past the secondary to haul in Winston's on-target deep ball for a 59-yard score and a 40-3 lead.

A 56-yard run from Pender enabled Aguayo to hit field goal No. 5, a 32-yarder with 4:53 to play.

The Demon Deacons were held to a paltry 27 yards of offense over the first two quarters, 22 of which came on Brandon Terry's catch-and-run on 3rd-and-11 that set up Mike Weaver's 36-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead late in the first.

Wake Forest began that drive in FSU territory after Karlos Williams had the ball knocked free by Josh Banks and the Deacons' recovered.

Winston was intercepted by Merrill Noel on a deflected ball on the Seminoles' opening series, and Wake Forest got inside the Florida State 20 before Wolford was sacked by Mario Edwards Jr. and lost a fumble.

The Seminoles pulled even by stringing together an 11-play, 49-yard sequence that ended in Aguayo's 43-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Winston and Greene hooked up for three catches totaling 33 yards on the trek.