Carlos Hernandez scored on a couple of unconventional touchdown plays as Wake Forest beat visiting North Carolina 28-12 on Saturday at Winston-Salem, N.C.
Robby Ashford threw for one touchdown and ran for another and Demond Claiborne had 98 rushing yards with a touchdown as Wake Forest (7-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its second game in a row.
Rece Verhoff kicked four field goals for North Carolina (4-6, 2-4), but he also had two attempts on field goals blocked. The Tar Heels will have to win at home against Duke and at North Carolina State to reach bowl eligibility. Gio Lopez threw for 201 yards.
Ashford handed off to Claiborne and received a pitch back, then throwing to Hernandez on a 70-yard flea flicker in the third quarter. The receiver picked up a key block and headed down the home sideline to the end zone.
Wake Forest blocked its second field goal on the last play of the third quarter, keeping the score at 21-9.
North Carolina pulled within 14-6 on Verhoff’s school-record 57-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Wake Forest reached the North Carolina 24 on its first second-half possession, then Ashford took a sack on fourth-and-2. Verhoff’s 42-yarder made it 14-9 midway through the third quarter.
Wake Forest took a 14-3 lead when Claiborne ran 12 yards up the middle with 1:47 to play in the first half.
Wake Forest had the only points in the first quarter, with those coming on a bizarre play on the game’s opening possession. Ashford picked up yards on a run, but he fumbled as he was hit. Hernandez picked up the ball — near a big pile of players trying to recover it — and ran 51 yards for a touchdown.
North Carolina used a 12-play drive to pick up its first points on Verhoff’s 40-yard field goal with 12:54 remaining in the second quarter.
The Tar Heels were gifted a fumble at the Wake Forest 31 with 10 minutes to play in the first half. After picking up a first down, Verhoff’s field goal attempt was blocked by Nick Andersen.
