We Speak College Football

Wake Forest Scores a School Record 77 Points in a Shutout Rout of Merrimack

Published

60 minutes ago

November 8, 2026

Wake Forest players spray water in the locker room after beating Merrimack 77-0

Wake Forest celebrates in the locker room after the record 77-0 win over Merrimack. Photo via Wake Forest Football.

A backup quarterback making his first career start turned a November breather into a record book afternoon. Steele Pizzella threw for 432 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone, and No. 16 Wake Forest buried Merrimack 77-0 in Winston-Salem, setting a school scoring record and posting the program’s first shutout since 2015.

Pizzella got the start with Gio Lopez out with a knee injury, and he made the most of every snap. He finished 23 of 28 for 432 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, all before halftime, and added 63 rushing yards and a 13 yard touchdown run on seven carries for 495 yards of total offense. Wake Forest led 49-0 at the break after quarters of 20 and 29 points.

The scoring came from everywhere. Ty Clark III opened it with a 1 yard touchdown run. Pizzella threw two touchdown passes to Carlos Hernandez. Jamar Searcy added a 3 yard touchdown run, and Kam Shanks caught a 30 yard touchdown pass and later returned a punt 79 yards for a score in the third quarter. Josh Patterson closed the highlight reel with a 98 yard interception return touchdown in the fourth quarter. Wake Forest finished with 730 total yards, 546 of them through the air, and 11 touchdowns.

Merrimack never had a chance. The Warriors managed 202 yards, and quarterback AJ Hairston completed 11 of 27 passes for 80 yards with an interception. Merrimack falls to 4-6 and is now 0-5 all time against FBS opponents.

Wake Forest is 8-1 with six straight wins, and while the opponent was overmatched, a school record 77 points and a shutout say plenty about how sharp the Demon Deacons were in a spot where ranked teams often sleepwalk.

Statement In Beaumont: No. 12 Lamar Knocks Off No. 2 Stephen F. Austin 45-28 In The FCS Game Of The Week

Published

19 minutes ago

November 8, 2026

Julie Isbell

Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown hands the ball off to running back Parker Jenkins against Stephen F. Austin at Provost Umphrey Stadium

Lamar quarterback Aiden McCown hands off to Parker Jenkins against Stephen F. Austin at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont. Photo by Julie Isbell.

This was the biggest game in the FCS this weekend, and it played like it. On Saturday at Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, No. 12 Lamar beat No. 2 Stephen F. Austin 45-28 in the STATS Perform FCS Game of the Week, a showdown between the top two teams in the Southland Conference. The Cardinals never trailed, answered every Lumberjacks comeback, and pulled into a tie for first place in the Southland with two weeks left in the regular season. Photographer Julie Isbell was on the sideline for We Speak Media.

The Fast Start

Lamar opened the game like a team that had been waiting for it. Andres Sandoval kicked a 27 yard field goal, Aiden McCown found Davin Driskell for a 7 yard touchdown late in the first quarter, and Parker Jenkins added a 3 yard touchdown run in the second quarter to build a 17-0 lead. Stephen F. Austin finally answered just before halftime, when Gavin Rutherford hit Clayton Wayland for a 22 yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half.

Every Answer

*Stephen F. Austin quarterback Gavin Rutherford throws against Lamar. Photo by Julie Isbell.*

The second half turned into a heavyweight exchange. Stephen F. Austin cut the Lamar lead to three points three separate times, and every time the Cardinals answered with a touchdown of their own. Jenkins capped an eight play, 75 yard drive with a 13 yard touchdown run, and McCown connected with Driskell again to push the lead back to ten. The loudest moment came late: JT Kitna found Bugs Mortimer for a 71 yard touchdown that pulled the Lumberjacks within 31-28. On the next Lamar possession, McCown hit Blake Thomas for a 62 yard touchdown strike with 4:45 remaining to make it 38-28.

The Close

The defense finished it. Alexandre Dedieu strip sacked the quarterback on Stephen F. Austin’s next play and Lamar recovered, setting up Jenkins’ third rushing touchdown of the night, a 4 yard run that sealed the 45-28 final.

By The Numbers

*The Stephen F. Austin offense huddles its ground game against Lamar. Photo by Julie Isbell.*

McCown completed 17 of 29 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns. Jenkins carried 30 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns in a career night. Lamar rolled up 488 total yards, including 181 on the ground, scored on all five of its red zone trips, and held the ball for 12 minutes longer than the Lumberjacks. Stephen F. Austin turned the ball over four times, two fumbles and two interceptions, including picks by Bryce McDonald and Mar Mar Evans, and Lamar turned those mistakes into 17 points. For the Lumberjacks, Wayland caught nine passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Quarter by quarter: Lamar led 10-0 after the first, 17-7 at the half, and the teams traded 14 points each in the third before Lamar closed the fourth quarter 14-7.

What It Means

The loss is Stephen F. Austin’s first of the season, ending a 19 game regular season winning streak that was the longest active run across the FBS and FCS. The Lumberjacks fall to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Southland. Lamar improves to 8-2 and 6-1, and now owns the head to head tiebreaker in the race for the Southland’s automatic playoff bid. The Cardinals are home again on Saturday, November 14, hosting East Texas A&M, while Stephen F. Austin travels to UT Rio Grande Valley.