Keep Climbing - What Did We Learn From The Wake Forest Win Over SMU

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons continue their climb, and have planted their first flag of the summit

Oct 11, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons running back Demond Claiborne (1) runs the ball during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-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.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons continue to impress week in and week out, this time with a 13-12 win over the SMU Mustangs, thanks to a last-second field goal from freshman Connor Calvert. What marks the first, potentially many, signature wins for Jake Dickert is the culmination of what he is doing in his first season at the helm.

Now, with their biggest win of the season so far out of the way, what did we learn from this result that we can take for the rest of the season?

Train is Ready to go

Sep 27, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jake Dickert during the third quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

When Dickert was hired on as the new head coach for the Demon Deacons, expectations weren't high; there was no reason for them to be. He was taking over a program that, minus two good seasons in the last decade, was no more than conference fodder for everyone else.

Now it would be irresponsible to say those expectations have skyrocketed to building the Deacs into a powerhouse, but he is doing something that is perhaps even harder to do. He's providing hope and confidence, something that the fans have become unaccustomed to in Winston-Salem.

The mantra 'built in the dark' that shapes the locker room, mindset, and culture of his team is real. This team isn't the most talented, and their transfer portal class was ranked in the top 30, but they beat a team that was in the college football playoffs last year and dominated them defensively.

“Built in the Dark is not just a mantra — it’s who we are. Success doesn’t happen on gameday. It happens in the early mornings, in the film room, in the weight room, in the classroom — in the hours when no one else is watching. We want players who embrace that mentality, who thrive in discomfort and adversity and are committed to sacrificing for one another."

That was the quote delivered about his team's new era, and since then, they have embraced it and become every bit of what that saying is. This team has no quit; they have no desire to play for themselves. Everything is done for the good of the team and what they can accomplish as a unit, rather than individually.

That's what Wake Forest football is, and that's why they are playing better than anyone thought they would. Count them out, look past them, but the Deacs are here, they've been forged in darkness, and they are ready to keep climbing.