The Dickert Era: How a Failed Two-Point Conversion Ignited a Demon Deacon Charge

Jake Dickert's bold mentality is shaping a new and exciting era of Demon Deacon football.

Oct 11, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert on the sideline during the first quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Deacon fans know the feeling of disappointment all too well over the past few seasons. A few straight years stuck at 4-8, and Wake fans were beginning to lose hope. It looked as though NIL was becoming a major roadblock for a team that doesn't have a lot of resources. Then, in came Jake Dickert.

Dickert's confidence was contagious. From the time he arrived in Winston-Salem, his vision never wavered. Despite a few subpar showings to start the season, his mentality remained constant. When the top 15 Yellow Jackets came to town, it looked as though this team was facing a mountain impossible to climb.

Instead of backing down to score predictions, the Deacs came out and played an inspired game of football. They faced much adversity, including losing their quarterback and a blown-offside call that should have ended the game, but they continued to fight. It is safe to say that this never-say-die attitude comes straight from their head coach.

Wake had the highly ranked Georgia Tech on the ropes for the majority of the game. Some offensive and defensive lapses helped the Yellow Jackets force overtime. They came out and scored first, and it looked like they were in the driver's seat. However, Wake hit back again with a Demond Claiborne touchdown run.

Sep 27, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Micah Mays Jr. (7) takes a hit from Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Ahmari Harvey (3) during the third quarter at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The Two-Point Conversion That Ignited a Team

After this, Dickert made the bold call to try to win the game right there and go for two. This conversation ended up failing, and the Deacs lost a heartbreaker. After the game, Dickert backed his call, saying he would make the same decision to go for two.

Whether you agree with the decision or not, you have to admire the sheer confidence to risk it all to try to take down a ranked team in your building. If Wake fans were told they would have one play to beat Georgia Tech going into the week, I guarantee almost all would have taken that scenario in a heartbeat. Wake did not back down; they put up a good fight and showed they had the guts to go out and try to take the game from Tech.

This heartbreaking loss would probably crush the spirits of a lot of teams and cause a step back. Not with the Deacs, though, the next week they faced another difficult challenge on the road at Virginia Tech in front of a sold-out crowd. They went out there and played an extremely solid football game to claim their first ACC victory.

The following week, they faced more adversity without their starting quarterback. However, that did not stop them from blowing out Oregon State while playing a great game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

As it stands now at the bye week, the Deacs are 4-2 and have bowl aspirations in sight, and they are playing with a confidence that cannot be matched. All of this goes back to the confidence their head coach placed in them when he decided to go for two against the highly-ranked Yellow Jackets. Despite failing, this set off a flame that is burning brighter than ever. This team is connected and dangerous and is showing they can hang tough against any team in the country.