WINSTON-SALEM – A three-point deficit turned into an insurmountable hole after a few key plays, sending Wake Forest to a four-score loss to No. 4 Florida State.

Florida State cruised to a 41-16 win over Wake Forest on Saturday, taking an unblemished record into November as Wake Forest enters the final month in need of two wins for bowl eligibility.

This one was lopsided after FSU (8-0, 6-0 ACC) scored 24 points in the last 10½ minutes of the first half.

“That’s the most-complete football team that we’ve played all season,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “They made explosive plays, they’re very stout on defense, they’re really good in the kicking game. And, you know, that’s kind of where they are right now.

“And this is where we are right now. So, they’re clearly ahead of us. Obviously that’s disappointing to me because I thought that was a program that we had caught.”

Mitch Griffis started at quarterback and was 1-for-8 for 19 yards in the first half. He was 5-for-8 for 63 yards in the second half, replaced by Santino Marucci on Wake’s first possession of the fourth quarter when FSU’s lead was four scores.

Clawson’s assessment of his offense sounded similar to that of Wake’s other four losses, all of which have seen the Deacons score under 20 points (Wake Forest is 4-0 when scoring over 20).

“I mean, we didn’t get open. We didn’t block them,” Clawson said. “Any time we got a 3-yard play, that was a good play.

“They’re better than us. If we went out and played them a week from now, it’d be uphill again.”

Marucci, the winner last weekend against Pitt, didn’t attempt a pass on his first drive, which had six plays. He was sacked once and scrambled once.

Wake Forest (4-4, 1-4) had one first down until the last play of the first quarter, when Justice Ellison broke loose for a 51-yard run. The Deacons didn’t complete a pass in the first quarter, as Griffis was 0-for-4 and was sacked once.

FSU had a hold of Wake’s offense for most of the game.

“Our offense is a well-balanced offense, we need the explosives in the pass game to help with the run game and we need explosives in the run game to help with the pass game,” Ellison said. “When you don’t have that, it can be a little difficult.

“Because Florida State was calling out our run plays while we were in there. That’s due to the lack of explosive passes.”

Ellison elaborated that FSU was calling out both directions of plays and types of run. FSU outgained Wake Forest 508-210 and had 300 more passing yards than the Deacons (382-82).

The Deacons got a field goal and touchdown in the third quarter, settling for the field goal on the first possession of the half and scoring on Tate Carney’s 2-yard plunge in the quarter’s final minute that made it 34-16.

FSU removed any doubt from the outcome with Trey Benson’s 18-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal on the next possession.

FSU went 75 yards on nine plays to start the game and to the naked eye, that’s about what you would’ve expected from the team atop the ACC.

The Seminoles didn’t get there without help, though.

Caelen Carson dropped an interception on the third play of the game; Keon Coleman tripped at the top of his route and Carson was alone in the middle of the field. FSU botched an exchange, but Travis pounced on the fumble. And then Travis’ 13-yard touchdown run was a broken play, with the snap coming before he was ready for it.

Ryan Fitzgerald’s 46-yard field goal toward the end of the first quarter gave FSU a 10-0 lead. That was a “drive” that only netted 20 yards, in part because Wake Forest had to punt from its 1-yard line on the previous possession.

Wake’s response came quickly and temporarily made this an interesting game. Ellison’s 51-yard run was followed by a 19-yard pass from Griffis to Taylor Morin — Wake’s only completion of the first half — and Ke’Shawn Williams scored on a 2-yard jet sweep on third down.

FSU’s Deuce Spann ran the opening kickoff out of the end zone to the Seminoles’ 43, and three plays later their double-digit lead was restored. Coleman scored on a 29-yard screen in which in grown-ass-man’d a couple of Deacons defenders.

Coleman’s other first-half touchdown elicited the same reaction, as he fought off Carson with his left arm and cradled in a 14-yard touchdown catch with the right.

FSU added a 34-yard field goal with two seconds left in the first half.

Extra points: FSU scored at least 30 points for the 14th straight game. … At halftime, Travis had 273 yards and three touchdowns through the air, along with 33 rushing yards and a touchdown. … The 51-yard run by Ellison and 19-yard catch by Morin accounted for 70 yards; Wake Forest finished the first half with 5 yards. … Wake Forest had beaten FSU in three straight meetings; it still hasn’t won four straight games in the series.