The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Wake Forest's Upset Win Over No.14 Virginia
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With a 16-9 win over the No.14 Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have completely shaken up the landscape of the ACC. While many believed the Cavaliers would cruise to a 9-1 record, Jack Dickert and his gritty squad had other plans.
Not only did the Demon Deacons upset a top 15 team, but they also reached bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2022-23 season. While things are looking up for Wake Forest, their win over the Cavaliers might have shaken up the ACC's chances at getting more than one team into the college football playoff.
As always, I broke down what I thought was good, bad, and ugly about Wake Forest's game this past weekend. Spoiler alert, the Wake Forest defense stole the spotlight for what seems like the 30th time this season.
The Good- A Defense that Deserves More Attention
This season, the Virginia offense has averaged over 33 points per game ranking them 5th in the ACC in scoring. The combination of a lethal rushing attack with quarterback Chandler Morris has led to the Cavaliers becoming much more explosive than in years prior. On Saturday night, that offense was held to just 327 total yards and only nine total points.
If you think that over 300 yards of offense only resulting in three field goals is a little odd, then you'd be right. In fact, Wake Forest was beaten in nearly every offensive category against Virginia. The biggest factor in the win for the Demon Deacons was the turnover game.
Recovering three fumbles, the Wake Forest defense was able to steal momentum on multiple occasions. Now with nine fumble recoveries on the season, the Demon Deacons lead the ACC in fumble recoveries while having played one game less than six other conference members.
While Wake Forest's defense has gotten small amounts of attention this season, there's an argument to be made for them being the driving force behind this team's success so far.
The Bad- A Rough Night for Wake Forest Receivers
While the defense performed well by creating turnovers, the Wake Forest offense left much to be desired. The Deacons rushing attack, led by star running back Demond Claiborne, totaled a serviceable 139 rushing yards averaging 3.4 yards per carry.
Even if the receiving game for the Deacons isn't necessarily elite, their performance against the Cavaliers was their worst of the season. Altogether, the receiving core totaled 64 yards on nine total receptions.
Sophomore running back Ty Clark led the team in receiving with one catch for 22 yards that occurred late in the first quarter.
The Ugly- The Deacs Need a Quarterback to Step Up
It's not an understatement to say that Wake Forest has had some below-average quarterback play this season. Make no mistake. There have been bright spots for the offense, but they've normally come against below average teams like Virginia Tech, Oregon State, and Western Carolina.
Against the Cavaliers Wake Forest quarterbacks completed 9 of 23 passes for just 64 yards. Even if the Deacons weren't supposed to light up the scoreboard against Virginia, you would still think the quarterback play would be a little better. If it wasn't for an 88-yard punt return touchdown by Carlos
Hernandez, Saturday's game may have had an entirely different result.
In the past few weeks, head coach Jake Dickert and his staff have recently gone with a dual-quarterback approach with both senior Robby Ashford and sophomore Deshawn Purdie. Going forward, Wake Forest can't afford quarterback play like this and still expect to win. If the Deacons want to consistently compete against better teams, they'll need more effective play under center.
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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.