Keys to the Bye Week Following Wake Forest's Smothering Loss to NC State

The Deacs' season is far from over, but they'll need to sand some edges before welcoming Georgia Tech to town.

Wake Forest's offense lined up on the goal line against the NC State Wolfpack, Sept. 11, 2025. | Evan Harris/Wake Forest On SI

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2–1, 0–1 ACC) suffered a rollercoaster loss on Sept. 11 against the NC State Wolfpack. The Deacs started out as hot as a team could before imploding and being shut out in the second half.

This week, Coach Dickert and company have to sit with their loss while gearing up for the newly-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets coming to town on Sept. 27. During the off week, what should be the focal points for Wake Forest? Let's find out!

It's Time to Create Offense

Chris Barnes getting away from the NC State defense, Sept. 11, 2025. | Evan Harris/Wake Forest On SI

Seconds into the game, Chris Barnes had the Demon Deacons up seven after taking the opening kickoff 98 yards to the house. On the next drive, Barnes struck again, for 70 yards, setting up Demond Claiborne for the payoff on the goal line.

Their next and last two scores were highlighted by impressive throws by Robby Ashford. After this, however, a big problem became apparent.

NC State had Wake Forest figured out in the second half. The quick and short plays were often blown up, and the offense became anemic. Over their past two games, much of the scoring came from flash-in-the-pan plays from Demond Claiborne and Chris Barnes. The Wolfpack had Claiborne neutralized from kickoff, but Barnes put up his end, scoring once and doing the legwork on another score.

In the second half, when Barnes wasn't able to out-athlete the defense, Wake Forest struggled. Here is how each Wake Forest drive ended in the second half: punt, punt, punt, punt, interception, turnover on downs.

The moral of the story: There will be times when Demond Claiborne will bust an 80-yard touchdown or two, and there will be times when Chris Barnes takes the opening kickoff the distance. However, to win games, offense needs to be created, not stumbled upon. As the Deacs prepare for Georgia Tech and the broader season ahead, it is paramount that they can manufacture points without relying on their star power to spontaneously combust into points.

Continue to Invest in Robby Ashford

Robby Ashford directing traffic late in the game against NC State, Sept. 11, 2025. | Evan Harris/Wake Forest On SI

As a Wake Forest student, I have a unique perspective on the team: I get to hear what the students think. I take this insider information with a grain of salt. After all, they are indeed students, many of whom leave at halftime or automatically equate a loss to the quarterback's doing.

Many students have asked me if I think Wake is going to bench Robby Ashford or eventually incorporate Deshawn Purdie at some point. While I, too, am a student and do not own a Magic 8 Ball, my answers are always no and no.

Robby Ashford is the quarterback, and I do not foresee Dickert deviating from that. Regardless of his play, a quarterback change at this juncture would be detrimental to the team chemistry. But, comparing Purdie and Ashford side-by-side, I still say that Ashford is the only answer. If it turns out that Ashford was a fail for Wake Forest, then they failed while playing their best cards.

The Wake Forest offense is tailored to Ashford's abilities—short plays, RPOs, QB runs, etc.—and a change at the helm would require a transformation that the Deamon Deacons lack the infrastructure for.

This is why, specifically during the bye week, Wake Forest needs to double down on their investment in Robby Ashford. He is their only option, and, frankly, has shown very bright moments through three games. Of course, his two interceptions against NC State (one of which was a pick-six) were not pretty to look at. However, many are quick to forget his impressive plays against NC State.

No More Hero Ball on Defense

Wake Forest's Jayden Loving (8) attempting to tackle NC State's Wesley Grimes (6), Sept. 11, 2025. | Evan Harris/Wake Forest On SI

Of all of the things to address, this one is the easiest to fix. In the postgame interviews following the loss, Dylan Hazen and Nick Andersen noted that the defense tried to do too much in the second half.

It quickly became apparent that the matchup between Wake Forest and NC State was going to be high scoring, but that did not prevent the Deacs' defense from making clutch plays and minimizing the Pack's scoring output in the first half. Put differently, the Wake Forest defense did their job in the first two frames.

The solution is simple: Play as a team, like they did against Kennesaw State, Western Carolina, and during the first half against NC State. Luckily, not only can Jake Dickert and defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton tackle this, but the leaders of the defense—including Hazen and Andersen—can easily pitch in to correct this mindset error.

Last night's recap of Wake Forest vs. NC State, by @BlakeARobison

Photos via @evanharrisphoto pic.twitter.com/XSCqgCwQXH

— Wake Forest On SI (@WakeForestOnSI) September 12, 2025

The temperature is only going to get hotter as the season wears on, so it is crucial that the Demon Deacons can patch their glitches in preparation for several ACC showdowns to come.

Kickoff between Wake Forest and Georgia Tech has since been set for 12:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Allegacy Stadium. The game will be streamed on either ESPN or ESPN 2.