WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- John Wolford threw his third touchdown of the game to Tabari Hines with 8:03 remaining, and Wake Forest held on to upset No. 25 North Carolina State 30-24 on Saturday night.

Wolford finished 19 of 28 for 247 yards for the Demon Deacons (7-4, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). They have won three of four and earned their first regular-season victory over a Top 25 opponent since 2011.

Wolford hit Hines for scores covering 21 and 4 yards before they connected for the go-ahead 18-yarder, with Hines pulling in the pass while outstretched in the back corner of the end zone. B.J. Hill blocked the ensuing extra-point attempt for N.C. State to keep it a six-point game.

Ryan Finley drove the Wolfpack (7-4, 5-2) inside the Wake Forest 20 in the final minutes and hit Emeka Emezie inside the 5. Emezie made a move on Ja'Sir Taylor but was hit by Demetrius Kemp and fumbled inside the 1. The ball squirted into the end zone and Kemp recovered it with 1:51 remaining for a touchback. The call stood after a brief review by the replay official.

N.C. State got the ball back with 41 seconds left but Finley's deep throw to Harmon in the end zone was intercepted by Essang Bassey with a second left.

Finley finished 34 of 52 for 327 yards with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Emezie. Jaylen Samuels ran 11 yards for a score and Reggie Gallaspy added a 1-yard TD run for N.C. State.

Matt Colburn had an 11-yard touchdown run for Wake Forest.

THE TAKEAWAY

N.C. State: The Wolfpack seemingly had the ball all night, running 94 offensive plays to Wake Forest's 56, holding a 22-minute advantage in time of possession and outgaining the Demon Deacons 502-334. But it all came down to the two late turnovers in or near the end zone that will keep this N.C. State team from a 10-win season after coach Dave Doeren had set that as the team's top remaining goal.

Wake Forest: Call it a statement victory for the Demon Deacons, who had lost three in a row to their instate Atlantic Division rivals and hadn't beaten a ranked opponent in the regular season under fourth-year coach Dave Clawson, though they did knock off No. 23 Temple in the Military Bowl last year.

UP NEXT

N.C. State: Plays host to rival North Carolina on Saturday.

Wake Forest: Plays host to rival Duke on Saturday.