WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Kendall Hinton ran for a short early touchdown and Wake Forest overcame some offensive struggles and held on for a season-opening 7-3 victory over Tulane on Thursday night.
Nothing came easy for the Demon Deacons (1-0) against a Tulane team playing its first game under new coach Willie Fritz and breaking in his run-heavy offense that produced the Bowl Subdivision's top rushing team in each of his two seasons at Georgia Southern.
Wake Forest managed just 175 total yards -- 59 yards and three first downs in the second half -- yet won a matchup of teams coming off consecutive 3-9 seasons. Tulane finished with 280 total yards for the game and held a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession.
The only touchdown came on Hinton's 1-yard run on the third play of the second quarter.
Andrew DiRocco capped Tulane's opening drive with a 41-yard field goal, but had a 43-yarder blocked early in the fourth quarter. That loomed large late because Tulane came up empty on its final two possessions: The Green Wave were stopped inside the Wake Forest red zone with 4:22 left, and got the ball back before Julian Jones stripped Glen Cuiellette on fourth down near midfield with 50 seconds left.