Way-too-early UVA 2026 opponent preview: Penultimate road trip to Wake Forest on Halloween

Wake Forest could pose a threat to Virginia's chances of returning to the ACC Championship game

Nov 8, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Daniel Kaelin (10) is sacked by Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive lineman Dallas Afalava (52) to fumble the ball for an overturn during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Three of Virginia’s four road games are in the month of October. The calendar switch to November marks a transition period for the Cavaliers — they end the season with a bye, home versus Cal and North Carolina and then a road duel at Virginia Tech.

The transition from October tests to November “must-win games” comes on Halloween, at Wake Forest. Virginia will hope to avoid a scare in Winston-Salem, N.C., and leave the Demon Deacon crowd with tricks rather than treats.

The Wake Forest file

It is difficult to project where the Demon Deacons will be by the end of October. It is difficult to project how the team will perform overall, given the stark difference between its primary units. 

On one hand, Wake Forest should feature one of the ACC’s best defenses, gushing with continuity and proven production. However, this offense does not inspire hope. Gio Lopez is quarterbacking — he was average at best last season with the Tar Heels — and he will be throwing to a collection of former backups and unproven talent. He will not be aided by an elite run game, as longtime starter Demond Claiborne is now a Minnesota Viking.

Even the Demon Deacons’ schedule is a clouded subject. They open with Akron and Purdue, but then face Miami and Louisville. Then they get Stanford, NC State, Cal and a bye week before facing the Cavaliers.

Wake Forest could be as high as 5-2 or as low as 2-5 by the time it faces Virginia. This is a situation where the season is just going to have to play out. There are certainly reasons to believe that the Demon Deacons could be a difficult opponent for Virginia.

2025 was the first season under Coach Jake Dickert, who led Wake Forest to a 9-4 record. That ties for the third-most wins by ACC teams last year. Narratives surrounding the Demon Deacons could be drastically different had they not lost to Georgia Tech by one point in overtime. 

Dickert is one of the ACC’s up-and-coming, cerebral coaches. Under Dickert, the offensive line allowed 17 sacks (top-20 nationally) after giving up 42 the year prior (125th). He also ran a balanced offense in which 11 different players caught a touchdown. Defensively, Wake Forest held opponents to two touchdowns or fewer in over half of their games.

More likely than not, the Demon Deacons will be a well-coached, feisty football team that can be capable of upsetting any opponent — but finishes in the middle of the ACC standings. 

Virginia and the Demon Deacons

In a series where Virginia leads 35-18 all-time, Wake Forest has won six of the past seven matchups. This is not a team that the Cavaliers play every year, although there is some prominent recent history.

Virginia and the Demon Deacons are set to play each other for the third year in a row. The 2024 matchup was a 31-30 Cavaliers victory in Winston-Salem, where Malcolm Greene forced a late-game fumble, and Antonio Clary recovered it as the game-sealing dagger. Virginia trailed by 13 points in the second half but ultimately snatched a win away from Wake Forest.

Then, in 2025, the Demon Deacons stole a win of their own. Virginia was ranked No. 12, the highest peak it had reached under Coach Tony Elliott. The Cavaliers were undefeated at home. Wake Forest had not beaten a top-20 opponent since 2021. The Demon Deacons were coming off a 42-7 blowout loss to Florida State just one week earlier.

They won in Charlottesville anyway.

Chandler Morris left the game early with an injury, and under backup quarterback Daniel Kaelin, Virginia failed to score a touchdown for the first time all season. Wake Forest took a 16-9 victory, handing the Cavaliers their only home loss of the 2025 campaign.

Season roadmap

Now, in 2026, Virginia has the opportunity to avenge that defeat and keep rolling ahead. This Halloween duel sandwiches when the Cavaliers play SMU and Duke — two crucial games — and when Virginia faces Cal and North Carolina. The Cavaliers will hope to win in Winston-Salem and keep pace with the upper echelon of the ACC standings.