Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Gio Lopez has been the engine of Wake Forest's 5-1 start, throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns in his debut against Akron, then running for 59 yards and two scores with the game-winning two-point conversion in double overtime at Purdue. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns against Miami and 225 yards and a score at Louisville. His reunion with offensive coordinator Rob Ezell, who coached him at South Alabama in 2024, has unlocked the version of Lopez that produced over 3,000 yards of offense and 25 touchdowns that season, rather than the erratic one from his year at North Carolina. Against Stanford he accounted for five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing) in three quarters, matching his entire 2025 rushing touchdown total. He has been at his best in the biggest moments, and that is the single biggest reason this team is 5-1.

The preseason outlook sold this unit as the strength of the team, with edge rushers Gabe Kirschke and Langston Hardy returning after combining for 12 sacks and 26 tackles for loss last season. But the back end has been picked apart since the opener. Akron managed 305 total yards and two late touchdowns after the outcome was decided. Purdue rallied from 23-13 down in the fourth quarter behind 329 passing yards from Ryan Browne and 114 rushing yards and three scores from Fame Ijeboi. Miami hung 33 points on Wake Forest at home. Louisville put up 27 in a game the Deacons won by three. The one exception was Stanford, which was held to 197 yards and three points, but that is a Cardinal team that has scored in single digits in all three of its losses. The second-half fade has shown up in nearly every game, and it remains the biggest vulnerability.

Wake Forest has won its last two games by a combined five points, and four of its five wins have come by margins of 22, two, three, and 24 points. The Deacons have committed 10 or more penalties in three games, including 13 for 137 yards against Miami and 10 for an unspecified yardage at Louisville. Against the Cardinals they fumbled on their own side of the field in the fourth quarter with the game tied, yet still found a way to win. Connor Calvert has been reliable, making three field goals in each of the Purdue and Louisville wins, including a 32-yarder with 6:20 remaining that proved to be the game-winner against the Cardinals. Gabe Kirschke blocked a 57-yard Louisville field goal attempt with 15 seconds left to seal that upset. This team does not put opponents away, but it makes the plays that decide games.

The preseason concern about replacing multiple starters up front has not been a disaster. Lopez was sacked only once in the first two games, and the Deacons ran for 105 yards on just seven carries against Akron. Miami's defensive front held Wake Forest to 22 yards on 16 carries, but the line rebounded at Louisville with 177 yards on 42 carries, including 91 yards and two touchdowns from Ty Clark III and 64 yards on 10 attempts from freshman Deuce Lawrence. Against Stanford, the Deacons produced more than 500 yards of total offense with 12 different players catching at least one pass. Clinton Richard has been a building block, and the group has survived the ACC gauntlet well enough to keep Lopez upright and the running game functional.

Wake Forest sits at 5-1 and 2-1 in the ACC, with its only loss coming to a Miami team that was ranked fifth in the country. The Deacons have already matched their win total from Jake Dickert's first season (nine) with six games still to play, and they are positioned to make a run at the Top 25. The remaining schedule includes a trip to California, which is 3-3 with a power rating well below Wake Forest's, followed by the rest of the ACC slate. The key questions are whether the defense can stop fading in the second half, whether the penalty problem can be cleaned up, and whether Lopez can stay healthy and productive. If those things happen, this team has the experience, depth, and playmaking to grind out more close wins and potentially challenge for a spot in the conference championship conversation.