Lopez throws four touchdowns as Wake Forest buries Cal, 41-7

Gio Lopez threw four touchdown passes, three to Dominick Barry, as No. 21 Wake Forest beat California 41-7 Saturday night in Berkeley. The Demon Deacons scored on five of their six first-half possessions and took a 34-0 lead into the locker room.

Lopez completed 16 of 23 passes for 267 yards without an interception. Barry finished with four receptions for 102 yards. Wake Forest improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC, while Cal dropped to 3-4 and 2-2.

The opening possession established how difficult the night would be for the Bears. Pinned at its own 1 after a punt, Wake Forest covered 99 yards in five plays. Barry caught a 31-yard pass before turning another Lopez completion into the 39-yard touchdown that opened the scoring.

The ACC Digital Network's clip follows Barry on that first touchdown:

A stop, then another quick score

Cal went for fourth-and-1 from its own 34 on its next possession. Jackson Brousseau's pass fell incomplete, and Wake Forest immediately made the short field count. After a Cal offside penalty, Lopez hit Jack Foley for a 29-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

The Demon Deacons then showed they could sustain a drive. Jamar Searcy finished an 11-play, 78-yard possession with a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Ty Clark III added a 31-yard scoring run on the next Wake Forest possession, stretching the lead to 27-0 after a failed two-point attempt.

Cal's best chance to interrupt the run came late in the half. Ashten Emory carried the Bears to the Wake Forest 1, but the defense pushed him back three yards and forced three consecutive incompletions. Wake Forest took over at its own 4 and traveled 96 yards, ending with Barry's 30-yard touchdown catch with nine seconds left before halftime.

Barry finishes a three-touchdown night

Barry caught his third touchdown from two yards out late in the third quarter, making it 41-0. Wake Forest finished with 509 total yards, including 220 rushing, and converted both of its fourth-down attempts. Searcy gained 61 yards on only five carries.

Cal avoided the shutout when Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele found Mason Mini for a 28-yard touchdown with 8:29 left. Sagapolutele completed 15 of 18 passes for 110 yards after replacing Brousseau, who threw for 81 yards.

Emory rushed for 56 yards, and Chase Hendricks caught eight passes for 54. Cal finished with 266 total yards and failed on three of four fourth-down tries. Wake Forest's defense kept the Bears scoreless through three quarters despite committing 11 penalties for 110 yards.