The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Wake Forest's Upset Win Over SMU
This past weekend, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons secured a massive 13-12 win over the SMU Mustangs to move to 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in ACC conference play. With one of the weirder games that head coach Jake Dickert's squad has been a part of this season, there's a lot to talk about in this week's "Good, Bad, and Ugly" article.
With the win over the Mustangs, Wake Forest has officially caught the attention of many in the ACC. While there are still questions about their efficiency, the Demon Deacons' defense has become something that many fear within the conference.
It's an understatement to say that Wake Forest has exceeded expectations for the program in 2025. In Coach Dickert's first season as head coach, the Deacons are now knocking on the door of being bowl eligible. Without delaying any further, here are the good, the bad, and the ugly takeaways from Saturday's win.
The Good - A Stout Defense
One of the defining features of this Wake Forest team is their stingy defense. The Deacons have had a run defense that's been middle of the pack in the ACC, but have excelled at defending the pass through their first seven games. The Wake Forest secondary currently leads the conference in opposing completion percentage (55.4%) and opposing passing yards (1,259).
Wake Forest's defense continued their dominance against the Mustangs by allowing less than 250 yards of total offense. On Saturday, the Deacons allowed just 2.7 yards on the ground on 28 rushing attempts.
The Bad - A Carousel at Quarterback
Earlier this week, Coach Dickert addressed the quarterback situation for the Demon Deacons this season. After quarterback Robby Ashford went down with an injury earlier this season, sophomore Deshawn Purdie spent time at quarterback and has made a decent impression on the coaching staff despite his two-interception performance against SMU.
So far this season, Ashford has 1,205 passing yards with three passing touchdowns and four interceptions. Purdie, on the other hand, has totaled 509 passing yards along with five touchdowns and two interceptions. In his midweek press conference, Coach Dickert told the media that the coaching staff was focused on making the best decision for the team going forward, but didn't specify who would be the starter going forward.
If the Deacons wish to continue their winning ways, a more consistent option could help Wake Forest be more consistent in the future.
The Ugly - Losing the Turnover Battle
Star running back Demond Claiborne had a rather rough day for the Wake Forest offense on Saturday against the Mustangs. On 23 carries, the senior totaled only 73 yards on the ground while fumbling on two occasions.
Claiborne wasn't the only one turning the ball over, though. As previously mentioned, Purdie threw two interceptions and fumbled once, accounting for three of Wake Forest's five turnovers. It isn't up for debate that the Demon Deacons are going to have to play cleaner football if they wish to topple teams like Florida State and No.15 Virginia.
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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.