WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest redshirt senior defensive lineman Langston Hardy was named Defensive Player of the Week by the Shriners Childrens East-West Bowl on Monday after helping the Demon Deacons beat NC State 38-14 on Saturday in Raleigh.
Hardy matched linebacker Vincent Firenze for the team lead with eight tackles and four solo stops, added a team-high two tackles for loss, and recorded 1.5 sacks. The Jacksonville, Fla., native is a Wake Forest captain.
The Deacons outscored the Wolfpack 28-0 after halftime. Quarterback Gio Lopez finished with 313 total yards and four touchdowns, including three scores in the third quarter, as Wake Forest improved to 5-1 and 3-1 in the ACC. NC State fell to 3-3 and 1-2.
Wake Forests margin was its largest road win in Raleigh over NC State in 83 years. The Demon Deacons next play at California on Oct. 17 in a late national window. NC State is off until a Friday night trip to Stanford on Oct. 23.
Hardys honor caps a defensive afternoon that flipped a 14-10 halftime deficit into a runaway. Firenze forced an early fumble that set up Wake Forests first score, and the front kept pressure on NC State after the break as Lopez piled up scoring drives.
For a Wake Forest defense riding a strong start, the weekly award puts a statewide spotlight on the captain who set the tone in a Big Four rivalry win on the road in Raleigh.
Lopez completed long scoring strikes to Carlos Hernandez and Jack Foley before finishing a short quarterback run and handing Deuce Lawrence a 17-yard touchdown that sealed the 38-14 final.
