Nov. 14, 2009

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Jermaine Thomas rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown, E.J. Manuel was effective in his first career start, and Florida State kept its bowl hopes alive with a 41-28 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday.

Manuel was 15 of 20 for 220 yards. He threw for a touchdown and ran for another replacing the injured Christian Ponder for the Seminoles (5-5, 3-4), who will qualify for a bowl for a record 28th straight year with a win next week against Maryland.

Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5) lost its fifth straight and was eliminated from bowl contention in a sour final home game for Riley Skinner. Looking to become the first quarterback to start in four wins over Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden, Skinner struggled as the Demon Deacons fell behind 31-7 in the second quarter.

Wake Forest got within 31-21 early in the third quarter on Kevin Harris' 12-yard touchdown run from the wildcat formation. But the Demon Deacons could get no closer as their banged-up defense struggled to contain Florida State's running game.

Relying on Thomas with a young quarterback, he had runs of 21 and 13 yards to set up the second of Dustin Hopkins' two field goals. Then Manuel's 7-yard touchdown pass to Jarmon Fortson--who also had the game's biggest hit on Manuel's lone interception--made it 41-21 early in the fourth quarter.

It allowed the embattled Bowden to celebrate a key victory in his first game since his 80th birthday, thanks in part to his 19-year-old fill-in.

Manuel, the highly recruited redshirt freshman from Virginia Beach, Va., took over after Ponder's season-ending shoulder injury a week ago. The 6-foot-4 Manuel looked poised in the pocket and was effective running the ball, leading the Seminoles to three touchdowns and a field goal on their first four possessions.

His lone first-half miscue led to a tone-setting vicious hit.

Manuel was picked off near the goal line by Cyhl Quarles, who was then leveled on a shoulder-to-helmet hit by Fortson. Quarles' helmet flew off and as he lay on the turf, a brief skirmish broke out. A woozy Quarles was helped off the field and didn't return, while Fortson was congratulated by his teammates.

By then Manuel, Ty Jones and Thomas each had touchdown runs and Greg Reid a 68-yard punt return for a score to give Florida State a 31-14 halftime lead.

Skinner was off most for the day, overthrowing receivers despite facing the ACC's worst defense that had given up 40 or more points in three of the past four games. Kendall Smith picked him off in the first half, setting up a short field and a Florida State's third touchdown.

Skinner was intercepted again in the end zone by Ochuko Jenije midway through the fourth quarter. The record-setting QB finished 25 of 40 for 227 yards, including a 4-yard TD pass to Chris Givens late in the fourth quarter. It was Skinner's 21st TD of the season, tying the school record.

Josh Adams rushed for two first-half TDs as Wake Forest saw its school-record streak of three straight bowl bids snapped.

Wake Forest had beaten Florida State three straight times by allowing 24 combined points, a number the Seminoles eclipsed Saturday with 3:40 left in the second quarter.