A Big Four Primetime Matchup in Deactown - Our Staff Makes Their Picks
In this story:
It took nearly seven hours after a couple of rain delays, but the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-0, 0-0 ACC) had a decisive win last week over FCS Western Carolina. Now, their attention shifts to their first Big Four contest of the season and their first ACC conference game of the 2025 season.
The (2-0, 0-0 ACC) travels down Tobacco Road for a primetime, national TV audience for a showdown at Allegacy Stadium on Thursday night.
What does our staff think about the game? Unlike the first two games of the season in which no one on our staff selected a Wake opponent, this week we are split. Of the nine of us on the team, five have picked the Deacs to get the win, and four have picked the Wolfpack.
In Week Two, Carson was the closest with a prediction of 35-10 (actual was 42-10). Both Carson and Brett have a closest win this season, but Brett's total point differential is less than Carson's, so he remains on top of the season leaderboard.
Staff Predictions - Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State
Andrew Bauhs (2-0)- North Carolina State 34-10
Barry Lewis (2-0) - Wake Forest 30-27
Blake Robison (2-0) - Wake Forest 31-24
Brett Gibbons (2-0; one closest prediction) - North Carolina State 35-21
Carson Wersal (2-0; one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 31-28
Evan Harriis (0-0) - North Carolina State 24-10
JD Andress (2-0) - North Carolina State 27-17
Keylor Piers (2-0) - Wake Forest 21-17
Ryder Solberg (2-0) - Wake Forest 38-35
Sean Kennedy (2-0) - North Carolina State 27-21
Do you agree with our picks? Let us know what you think the final score will be.
Previewing the Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State
All week, our staff has been providing a preview of the game against the Wolfpack. In case you missed some of our earlier coverage, here are some links to those stories:
Behind Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest Has Air of Confidence Against NC State
Cautious Momentum Emerges From Jake Dickert's NC State Press Conference
What The Stats Say About Wake Forest vs. North Carolina State
How to Watch and Listen to Wake Forest vs. NC State
Weekly Depth Chart Update: Wake Forest vs NC State
Opponent Depth Chart: NC State Wolfpack
Keys to Wake Forest Taking Down the NC State Wolfpack
Wake Forest Player Profile - Week Three
The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, September11. It will be played at Allegacy Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC, and can be seen on ESPN.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of both the TCU Horned Frogs On SI and Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 15+ writers, photographers, and podcasters covering all sports at both schools. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, Big 12 Football Media Days, and Big 12 Basketball Media Days. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.