Lopez accounts for five TDs as Wake Forest beats Stanford 57-3

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Gio Lopez ran for three touchdowns and passed for two more as Wake Forest beat Stanford 57-3 in record-setting fashion on Saturday.

Lopez ran for 88 yards and threw for 265 yards in three quarters as the Demon Deacons (4-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) followed an upset victory at then-No. 16 Louisville from a week earlier. It marked their largest margin of victory in an ACC game.

“Every time I challenge this group, it’s incredible how they respond,” said Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert.

Two of Wake Forest’s September victories came by a combined margin of five points, so there was a different tone in the fourth quarter versus Stanford.

“(Dickert) really challenged us this week, saying he wanted to see us play a full four quarters,” defensive end Langston Hardy said. “He had a clear mission.”

The Cardinal (2-3, 1-3) were held to 197 yards of total offense. The result extended Stanford’s school-record road losing streak to 13 games.

“It’s on me to figure out how we can play better, period, and then how we can play better on the road,” said Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard.

Deuce Lawrence bounced off several defenders on a 12-yard touchdown run on Wake Forest’s first possession. Lopez ran for touchdowns of 5 and 12 yards in the first half. He added a 4-yard strike to Jack Foley with eight seconds to play in the half for a 29-3 edge.

Stanford scored on Emmet Kenney’s 43-yard field goal to narrow the gap to 15-3 in the second quarter.

The takeaway

Stanford: The Cardinal have scored in single digits in all three of their losses, but the inability to sustain offense wasn’t their only problem. Without leading tackler Matt Rose, a linebacker who wasn’t in uniform due to an undisclosed injury, they allowed two touchdowns in each quarter.

“He practiced all week, and then this morning we unfortunately deemed that he couldn’t go,” Pritchard said. “Of course, that’s a shock to the system. … Him not playing makes a big impact.”

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons could be primed to move closer to the Top 25. They produced more than 500 yards of total offense, with 12 players catching at least one pass.

“I think it shows we have a very versatile offense,” tight end Will Loerzel said. It marked the fourth time in two seasons the Demon Deacons cracked the 500-yard mark.

Maybe next time

Lopez’s three rushing scores matched his 2025 season total, when he played 11 games for North Carolina.

“Gio is a complete player, and you saw some of the skills,” Dickert said.

Lopez said, on some level, he felt bad that he kept finishing carries in the end zone.

“The third time, I’m telling the running backs, ‘I’m sorry, guys,’ ” Lopez said.

Up next

Stanford: Saturday at No. 3 Notre Dame

Wake Forest: Saturday at N.C. State

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