Wake Forest Defense Shines in Season Opening Win vs Kennesaw State
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Head coach of the Demon Deacons, Jake Dickert, earned his first win at Wake Forest with a 10-9 win against the Kennesaw St. Owls. While it wasn't the prettiest win, Dickert and his staff have started the season off on the right foot.
But who shined for the Demon Deacons in Week 1 with such a low-scoring affair? With a lack of explosive plays on offense for both teams, the pressure fell upon the defenses to make big plays when they were needed most.
While there's an argument for Robby Ashford to get the most credit for the win, the defense held the Owls scoreless in both the 2nd and 4th quarter. For that reason, the Wake Forest defense gets the most credit from me for the win.
Week 1 Most Valuable Player: Nick Andersen
Defensively, there’s one word to describe the Demon Deacons in Friday night’s win: resilient. There aren't many players that embody that more in the Wake Forest program than linebacker Nick Andersen. The redshirt senior logged 9 total tackles in the 10-9 win which included 2 key pass deflections.
It's no secret that Andersen is a key piece of the Demon Deacons defense. With over 270 career tackles and 8 interceptions, the linebacker has become one of the more consistent players in the ACC.
Andersen's story begins in 2020 when he made the team as a walk-on. As a true freshman, the Clifton, Virginia native finished the season with 47 solo tackles and 4 interceptions. His performance on the field over 9 games earned him the following accolades.
- 2020 All-ACC Third Team by the league
- 2020 All-ACC Third Team by Phil Steele
- 2020 All-ACC Fourth Team by Coaches
- 2020 All-ACC Academic Team
- Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week by the FWAA (Oct. 27, 2020)
- Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25, 2020)
- College Sports Madness National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25, 2020)
- ACC Defensive Back and Rookie of the Week (Oct. 26, 2020)
Andersen's best year with the Deacons came last year in 2024 as the linebacker totaled over 120 tackles, 56 of them solo, along with three interceptions, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
Week 1 Honorable Mention: Robby Ashford
Started the season with a win ✅
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) August 30, 2025
Highlights ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/HHNd0C7z5A
This week's honorable mention for my player of the week goes to the starting quarterback for the Demon Deacons, Robby Ashford. The South Carolina transfer finished 20-of-28 passing for 218 yards, while adding 42 rushing yards on 18 carries. On the very first drive of the game, Ashford scored the lone touchdown for the Deacons with a 5-yard rushing touchdown.
While Ashford's stats from Week 1 won't necessarily jump off the page to many, the redshirt senior showed flashes of being the dual threat quarterback that he's been known for. With how early it is in the season, it's encouraging to remember that the Wake Forest offense has time to find more of a rhythm that can sustained throughout the game.
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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.