NC State's Questions Answered on Wake Forest

The Wolfpack has a huge opportunity against Wake Forest. Let’s find out more about the Deacs prior to Saturday’s kickoff.

Oct 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons mascot leads the team onto the field along with Tracy Piccolo-Dolby during the first half against the Stanford Cardinal at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

An NC State win against Wake Forest will propel the Wolfpack forward in the ACC race. The Demon Deacons are a formidable opponent.  

Wake is 4-1 and travels to Raleigh coming off an impressive 57 to 3 victory over Stanford. 

“They’re playing well. They're playing with confidence. And I look forward to the opportunity to battle with them,” NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren said.

NC State beat Wake Forest 34-24 last season and is 2-1 in the last three matchups, but lost the last meeting at home.

For fans wanting to learn more about this Wake Forest team, we reached out to On SI Wake Forest writer Justin Kontul to answer our burning questions. 

Game planning for Wake and NC State 

How will the Deacs’ defense game plan against CJ Bailey? 

CJ Bailey is certainly a special passer and can slice up opposing defenses when given time to throw the ball, as seen against Louisville. That’s why I think the Deacs will use their front to get pressure on Bailey and make him uncomfortable early. 

Against Lincoln Kienholz and Louisville, the Wake defense recorded nine tackles for loss and four sacks. 

This past week against Stanford, Wake recorded the same nine tackles for loss and four sacks. 

Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke have been great off the edge, with three sacks each so far this season. Look for them to try to wreak havoc in the backfield. 

Sep 19, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) runs down the sideline against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Who is one Wake player (other than Gio Lopez) that NC State should be most concerned about on Saturday? 

This may seem like a cop-out answer, but Carlos Hernandez is by far the biggest weapon outside of Lopez who should concern NC State. 

He is second in total receiving yards in the ACC (only behind Malachi Toney) and fifth nationally. He has been a problem for opposing defenses in just about every game the Deacs have played thus far, and Gio is on the same page with him. 

What presents the biggest problem for opposing defenses is that Hernandez is so hard to bring down after the catch. He is quick and shifty, allowing him to rip off big plays, as seen in his 16.3 average yards per reception. 

Gio will look to find him early in the passing game, and this is something that NC State will certainly have to limit if they want to slow down this offense. 

Room for Improvement 

What is one area of opportunity/improvement for Wake Forest? 

 Carlos Hernandez has been phenomenal at the wide receiver position, but there is still a question of what other weapons can establish themselves consistently for Lopez if Hernandez is blanketed. 

Other receivers have had good games, but developing another consistent target behind Carlos and seeing some more growth from the receiving core in general would be huge. 

Jack Foley is a guy who stepped up last week with 3 catches for 54 yards and a TD, and he also had a good game against Miami. Maybe he could be that go-to second option. 

Transfers Antonio Meeks and Kam Shanks have also looked solid at times and shown big flashes. We’ll see if they can get going even more on a week-by-week basis. 

This receiving room has been good for the most part, but some of these guys are taking the next step in terms of consistent production, which would be massive, especially as teams will start to try to lock down on Hernandez. 

What does beating State mean to Wake Forest this season? 

This team has taken a very professional approach to how they attack each week. I don’t think NC State carries a lot of added meaning, per se, other than trying to get a road victory and advance to 5-1. 

However, there could certainly be some extra motivation there after losing at home to NC State last season. 

Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert mentioned that it is really the first time in his tenure at Wake that they get to play an opponent for the second time, so it will be interesting to see what adjustments are made. 

I think the players would like to come out and reverse the bad fortunes from a year ago against the Wolfpack and get a major road win. The crowd will play a big factor, and this team will need to bring their best in order to get a Big Four victory.