Deacs go Back to Drawing Board at Jake Dickert Press Conference

No part of Wake Forest's 42–7 beatdown was pretty, but onward and upward is the only option for Dickert and the Deacs.

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Micah Mays Jr. (7) runs with the ball past Florida State Seminoles linebacker Elijah Herring (31) and defensive back Shyheim Brown (1) during the first quarter at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5–3, 2–3 ACC) imploded on Saturday against the Florida State Seminoles (4–4, 1–4 ACC), but they have a crucial date with the Virginia Cavaliers to prepare for. Here are the takeaways from Jake Dickert's weekly press conference.

Where It All Went Wrong

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

"Execution, details, and catastrophics."

Jake Dickert outlined the three types of errors the Demon Deacons made over the weekend. Whether through penalties, missed blocking assignments, or more blunderous turnovers, it was ugly.

According to Dickert, a catastrophic error is "out of character". That statement is in character because the Wake Forest defense, in particular, failed to play damage control, allowing Florida State to keep striking relentlessly.

Coach Dickert said that his squad wasn't overconfident, though the game was possibly overhyped, leading to execution errors.

The Blame Game

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons quarterback Robby Ashford (2) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Dickert emphasized several times during the press conference that the blame is on him. His blame absorption seeped into several of his answers, and he only spoke about quarterbacks Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie when outright asked by a reporter.

He said they started Ashford to extend plays against Florida State's tough defensive line, and he admitted that No. 2 did make some good plays in the early goings. Ultimately, Ashford finished with two turnovers and was taken out of the game for Deshawn Purdie.

Going forward, Coach Dickert said the team will evaluate the quarterback position on a week-by-week and potentially even a series-by-series basis.

Looking Ahead To Hooville

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back J'Mari Taylor (3) celelbrates with wide receiver Jayden Thomas (8) and center Drake Metcalf (60) after scoring a touchdown in overtime at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

According to Coach Dickert, hidden under all the "sludge" of Wake Forest's performance were bright spots—particularly the offensive line, Micah Mays Jr., tight end Kam Johnson, and punter Cal Joseph.

Coach said the players came into the building with the right attitude on Monday morning, and this week will allow everyone to "really get to see who the team is now," Dickert said.

Eni Falayi missed last week after sustaining an injury against SMU. The team is hoping to get him back in action "sooner rather than later," as he is progressing faster than expected. He and Harry Lodge are on similar timeframes to return.

Dickert made it clear that the Demon Deacons are a highly capable team, and Saturday's loss was not due to a talent gap, but simply failures in execution.

Wake Forest is winless in the most important month of the season. As Jake Dickert said, "You remember November." The Demon Deacons get a chance to get another signature win in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend, with the potential of getting ranked.