The Good, Bad, and Ugly from Wake Forest's Win Over North Carolina
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons handled business this past Saturday with a 28-12 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. Head coach Jake Dickert's squad moved to 7-3 on the season and 4-3 in ACC conference play.
For the first time in seemingly a few weeks, the Demon Deacons put together a complete game from start to finish. The Wake Forest defense played with a bend-but-don't-break mentality, allowing just 12 points on four field goals. For the third time this season the Deacons defense kept their opponent from finding their way into the endzone.
As always, there were good, bad, and ugly takeaways from Wake Forest's win over North Carolina.
The Good- Consistency on Offense
The Wake Forest offense showed something it hadn't all season. Consistency. The Deacons scored in all four quarters against the Tar Heels, leading to the two-touchdown win. Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford completed 15 of 25 passes for nearly 200 yards (191) and a touchdown. The quarterback also rushed for 52 yards on the ground, which included a touchdown.
While it wasn't his best game, the thing that really allowed the Deacons to succeed was the senior playing a relatively clean game. Ashford fumbled once, but North Carolina couldn't capitalize and failed to recover the football.
The Bad- Turnovers Have Plagued the Deacons
As previously mentioned, Ashford fumbled once and was lucky that the Deacons were able to fall on it. The quarterback wasn't the only one who struggled with possession of the football. Early in the second quarter, Claiborne fumbled in Wake Forest territory, leading to a turnover.
While the running back has produced at a high level for offensive coordinator Rob Ezell's offense, the fumbles have been an issue for Claiborne this season. Across 12 games last year, the Wake Forest running back only fumbled on three occasions. In 2025, the senior has totaled five fumbles through 10 games.
With Wake Forest's quarterback play being shaky this season, the last thing that the Deacons' offense needs is for their running back to have trouble holding on to the football.
The Ugly- A Postgame Handshake?
After the final whistle, both of the head coaches made their way to midfield for what should have been your typical postgame handshake. What should have been your typical interaction between ACC head coaches turned into a talking point online.
This is an awful look for Bill Belichick.
— Josh Graham (@JoshGrahamShow) November 16, 2025
When you occupy the space Bill does, you should recognize what these games mean to opposing coaches.
Jake Dickert even removed his hat as he approached to shake hands. pic.twitter.com/Ce3iitpM1G
While Belichick has never been the most personable head coach, it seemed as though he was in a hurry to exit the field, whether Coach Dickert wanted to shake hands or not. This isn't saying that the two should be best buddies, but it seems dismissive from the longtime NFL head coach.
The awkward handshake just adds another layer on top of an already ugly season for North Carolina. What was expected to be the dawning of a new era in Chapel Hill has quickly become something that many want to forget.
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Carson, a 2025 TCU graduate, is a sports journalist who covers college athletics for several On SI sites. While most of his experience is with TCU On SI, he also writes with Wake Forest On SI and Houston On SI. He also has a passion for the college baseball scene, most notably being a fan of TCU Baseball. In 2023, Carson was in Omaha and reported on the Men’s College World Series, where TCU finished 4th in the nation. His past work not only consists of major sports like football, basketball, and baseball, but with others like track and field and cross country as well.