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Florida State, Tyler Hunter pick off a road victory

By The Sports Xchange

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Florida State could have done without the late-game drama, but the No. 11 Seminoles figure they might be better off in the long run after surviving another Atlantic Coast Conference road assignment.

It took some defensive toughness in the fourth quarter to capture a 24-16 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday at BB&T Field.

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"We needed to step up and seize the moment," cornerback Jalen Ramsey said. "Tyler (Hunter) did his job. ... That's situational football and that's part of the game."

Wake Forest moved to the Florida State 20-yard line in the final minute before defensive back Tyler Hunter intercepted quarterback Kendall Hinton's pass in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining.

The Seminoles survived in a game in which running back Dalvin Cook, one of the country's top rushers, had a long touchdown run before exiting in the first quarter because of a leg injury.

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Cook left with 1:25 left in the quarter after making a reception for a first down.

Florida State (4-0, 2-0 in the ACC), which has won 26 conference games in a row, was coming off a 15-day layoff since winning at Boston College. It is 4-0 for the fourth consecutive season.

"We're 4-0, so we're happy," Ramsey said. "But we're not content at all."

The Seminoles began the second half with a touchdown drive that ended with quarterback Everett Golson's five-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Kermit Whitfield.

Florida State added kicker Roberto Aguayo's 25-yard field goal midway through the quarter before going stale on offense.

"We had an opportunity to put the game away and we didn't do that, and that's what really good football teams do," Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. "We've got to get better, but it's a key win on the road."

Wake Forest had its moments, posting more first downs (27-14) and more total offensive yards (357-329) than the Seminoles.

"I think our kids put so much into this game," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. "It came down to the ball at the 20-yard line with 20 seconds left and a timeout (left)."

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The Demon Deacons, who lost by 40 points a year ago to Florida State, saw the progress.

"It proved we're hanging in the game," Wake Forest linebacker Brandon Chubb said. "We played the Goliath of the ACC and were down by eight."

Hinton left at the end of the team's first possession of the second half because of a hip pointer. Hinton started in place of John Wolford, who has been nursing an ankle injury since the Sept. 19 game at Army.

However, Hinton was back after a brief absence and helped orchestrate a couple of field goal drives in the fourth quarter.

The Demon Deacons (2-3, 0-2) drove to the Florida State 10 early in the fourth quarter before they were pushed back and settled for Mike Weaver's 34-yard field goal with 11:26 remaining. That cut the gap to 24-13.

Wake Forest converted a fourth down and moved into Florida State territory with eight minutes to play and ended up with Weaver's 29-yard field goal with 3:34 left.

"I wanted to put some pressure on them and make it a one-score game," Clawson said of his decision to opt for the field goal. "I wanted to keep us in the game."

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Earlier, Cook's 94-yard touchdown run in the first quarter set a stadium record for longest run from scrimmage, delighting thousands of Florida State supporters who made their way north on a damp and windy day. It was the third longest run in Florida State history.

Florida State led 14-3 after running back Johnathan Vickers' nine-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Wake Forest put together a 13-play, 73-yard drive in the second quarter. It concluded with tight end Cam Serigne making a diving seven-yard reception in the end zone when Hinton zipped a pass through the Florida State defense.

By that point, the Demon Deacons had amassed 12 first downs -- more than in any of the three most recent matchups with Florida State.

Wake Forest hadn't scored a touchdown the last three seasons against Florida State. The Demon Deacons had a total of six points in the three meetings.

Wake Forest's first points on Weaver's 28-yard field goal with 2:57 to go in the first quarter ended Florida State's shutout streak at 86 minutes, 51 seconds dating to a Sept. 12 game against South Florida.

NOTES: Florida State leads the series 27-6-1, including victories in the last four meetings. ... P Alex Kinal, a Wake Forest senior, set an ACC record for career punts with his 284th boot in the first half. ... Florida State is halfway done with its ACC road games this season and has won its last 14 true road games in the conference. ... Wake Forest is 22-128-1 all time against ranked opponents. Three of the victories were against ranked Florida State teams, in 2007, 2008 and 2011. ... Wake Forest's seven rushing touchdowns this season are nearly double last year's total of four, although it didn't add to that total Saturday.

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