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Final
#16 · 8-1

Wake Forest

 Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium, Winston-SalemWAKE -46.5
FINALMerrimack 0, Wake Forest 77WAKE covered -46.5CLOSED WAKE -46.5

Highlights

8 CLIPS · ESPN
Ty Clark III runs for 1-yard TDVIDEO: ESPN ↗

Win probability

EVERY PLAY · ESPN MODEL
WAKE WINNING
MRMK WINNING
KICKQ2Q3Q4FINAL

KICKOFF: WAKE 100% · BIGGEST SINGLE-PLAY SWING: 0 PTS

Scoring plays

11 SCORES
Q1
Rushing Touchdown

Ty Clark III 1 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)

8:26
0-6
Passing Touchdown

Carlos Hernandez 38 Yd pass from Steele Pizzella (Connor Calvert Kick)

5:59
0-13
Passing Touchdown

Carlos Hernandez 9 Yd pass from Steele Pizzella (Connor Calvert Kick)

0:58
0-20
Q2
Rushing Touchdown

Jamar Searcy 3 Yd Run (Charlie Wingfield Run for Two-Point Conversion)

11:06
0-28
Rushing Touchdown

Drayden Dickmann 6 Yd Run (Connor Calvert Kick)

7:57
0-35
Passing Touchdown

Kam Shanks 30 Yd pass from Steele Pizzella (Connor Calvert Kick)

5:03
0-42
Rushing Touchdown

Steele Pizzella 13 Yd Run (Connor Calvert Kick)

1:23
0-49
Q3
Pass Reception

Drayden Dickmann 87 Yd pass from Gannon Jones (Connor Calvert Kick)

4:21
0-56
Punt Return Touchdown

Kam Shanks 79 Yd Punt Return (Connor Calvert Kick)

1:23
0-63
Q4
Interception Return Touchdown

Joshua Patterson 98 Yd Interception Return (Connor Calvert Kick)

6:08
0-70
Rushing Touchdown

Ryan Henley 1 Yd Run (Connor Calvert Kick)

1:29
0-77

What happened

ESPN RECAP

No. 14 Wake Forest rolls to record-setting 77-0 rout of Merrimack behind backup QB Steele Pizzella

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- , Steele Pizzella stepped into the starter’s role and kept No. 14 Wake Forest rolling on Saturday, throwing for 432 yards and three touchdowns in the first half to lead the Demon Deacons to their sixth straight victory, a record-setting 77-0 rout of Merrimack of the Football Championship Subdivision. With Pizzella filling in for injured starter Gio Lopez , Wake Forest (8-1) scored 11 touchdowns to break the school scoring record set in a 70-58 win over Army on Oct. 23, 2021. Pizzella accounted for 495 yards while playing just the first 30 minutes. He had 63 yards rushing, including a 13-yard touchdown late in the second quarter that sent Wake into halftime leading 49-0. His performance was the first 400-yard passing day for Wake Forest since Hank Bachmaier threw for 403 yards against Virginia in 2024.

READ THE FULL STORY →

Top performers

MRMK
PASSINGAJ Hairston Jr11/27, 80 YDS, 1 INT
RUSHINGDeMarcus McElroy9 CAR, 26 YDS
RECEIVINGAustin Palmer5 REC, 48 YDS
WAKE
PASSINGSteele Pizzella23/28, 432 YDS, 3 TD
RUSHINGSteele Pizzella7 CAR, 63 YDS, 1 TD
RECEIVINGJack Foley6 REC, 162 YDS

Team stats

MRMK · WAKE
202
TOTAL YARDS
730
100
PASSING
546
102
RUSHING
184
11
1ST DOWNS
31
3-19
3RD DOWN EFFICIENCY
4-7
2
TURNOVERS
0
8-74
PENALTIES
11-115
36:40
POSSESSION
23:20

ALLEGACY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION STADIUM, WINSTON-SALEM · ATTENDANCE 28,098

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Merrimack vs Wake Forest: head-to-head history