The Hope Gets You - What Did We Learn From The Wake Forest Loss to Florida State

What did we learn after the Wake Forest Demon Deacons' loss to the Florida State Seminoles?

Oct 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert questions the head referee during the third quarter of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Welcome back to What Did We Learn. With the return of the football season, my weekly article, a two-year-long tradition on other sites now, begins, where at the end of every weekend, I release my weekly "what did we learn". An opinionated editorial, detailing what Demon Deacon fans can take away from the week before, that might not show up in the box score.

After being drummed by the Florida State Seminoles 42-7, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, just one week after their biggest win of the Jake Dickert era, received the worst loss in the same time frame.

Except for programs that were expecting to compete this season and find success at the top of the ACC standings, this would be inexcusable and a magnificently horrific loss for the season. That's not what this is for the Demon Deacons, though; they weren't expecting to be atop the standings this season, but the loss still stings.

Why does the loss sting, though? Why does it feel worse than any other loss this season? Because the hope crept up, and you thought it, and it was snatched from you. So what did we learn this week from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons?

Who Cares?

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Micah Mays Jr. (7) cannot come down with the ball during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

I know you read that, and maybe clutch your pearls, thinking, "What do you mean, who cares about a loss that bad?". Well, I do, and I mean that. If I had told you, the Wake Forest fan, who had no general expectations entering the season, that they lost to Florida State, you wouldn't have been surprised and probably would have expected it to happen.

The fact that it might leave a bitter taste in your mouth, or even cause you to be upset or angry, is a great sign; it really is. It shows that this program, what Dickert is building, and what these players are doing out there on the field, is special.

They have injected a program that was on the downswing in recent years with life. They have shown that Winston-Salem is a football city, that the program can be great, and that the fans will care if you give them something worth cheering about. Sure, the loss sucks, and sure it could have been a closer game, but it doesn't take anything away from any of the other accomplishments of the season.

This season was all about growth and setting themselves up for future success, so for a loss to one of the top teams in the conference to sting? It shows they are ahead of schedule. Trust the process, and enjoy the rest of the season, because they aren't done yet.