CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Sam Hartman threw three touchdown passes and Wake Forest scored on its first seven possessions in a 37-17 victory against Virginia on Friday night.
The Demon Deacons (4-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their fifth in a row against the Cavaliers as Hartman connected on scoring throws of 39 yards to Taylor Morin and 12 yards each to Blake Whiteheart and A.T. Perry.
The Cavaliers (2-2, 0-2) nearly failed for the second week in a row to force a punt, following a 59-39 loss to No. 21 North Carolina in which they allowed 699 yards by allowing 473 to the Demon Deacons, many coming on big plays.
Wake Forest finally kicked the ball away with a 37-17 lead and 8:36 to go.
The Demon Deacons drove 75 yards in the opening 2:41 with Hartman finding Morin all by himself for a 39-yard touchdown. Justice Ellison later burst free for a 63-yard run to start a drive and finished it with a 1-yard dive to make it 17-3.
Virginia trailed 20-3 at halftime and tried to make a game of it with a pair of third quarter touchdown drives, but Hartman and Wake Forest answered each with one of their own, sending fans streaming for the exits.
Brennan Armstrong, who threw for 554 yards last week, topped 400 yards for the third consecutive game. He hit on 33 of 59 passes for 407 yards and hit Jelani Woods on a 17-yard scoring throw and Dontayvion Wicks from 22 yards.
Nick Sciba booted three field goals for the Demon Deacons and has now made 64 of 71 attempts in his Wake Forest career. That’s better than 90%, which is what NCAA career record holder Brett Baer of Louisiana Lafayette finished with for his career.
Wake Forest is back home next Saturday to face Louisville.
