The Demon Deacons Must Clean Up These Mistakes to Avoid an Upset

The Deacs got their first ACC win and now face another road test on the west coast

Wake Forest running back Ty Clark III in the game against Virginia Tech | Evan Harris/Wake Forest on SI

Jake Dickert came into the media room fired up after getting his first ACC win in Blacksburg. It felt like a win that was a long time in the making. Although the Deacs only lost two games before that, they had opportunities to win in both home games but could not capitalize on them. What happened against the Hokies felt like a massive weight had been lifted from this team's shoulders. Now they can go out and play with the confidence of a road ACC victory under their belt.

However, just as energetic Dickert was after the big win, he was just as focused on the opponent at hand at Monday's press conference. After all, he took his Washington State team into Corvallis last year and lost. He understands that despite the record, the Beavers will come out energized and ready to try to pull an upset in front of their home fans. If the Deacs come out sleepwalking, Oregon State could definitely take advantage.

The Deacs played a solid game in Blacksburg to secure their first ACC victory; however, there are two mistakes that Wake made frequently last week that they will have to cut back on to avoid an upset.

Cut Down on Penalties

This was probably Wake's most glaring weakness last weekend. They committed 11 penalties during the game, which cost them a whopping 85 yards. These penalties included some false starts at the beginning, illegal formations, and pass interference. As the road team in a hostile environment, it is key to play a clean game from a penalty perspective so you do not get behind the sticks early on offense. Wake was fortunate to still win despite losing the penalty battle, but they may not be able to afford losing it again.

Penalties can be a huge part of upsets, as look no further than Penn State, which lost the penalty battle to UCLA in its upset last weekend. To win a road game, Wake must first not beat themselves so they can focus on beating the Beavers. Coming out of the gates fast and not having drive-killing penalties will be key for Wake in getting a big road victory.

Crucial Turnovers

Despite only having one turnover last week, it was a big one. Ashford's pass deep in the Deacs' own territory was tipped and intercepted by the Hokies, who gave their offense the ball to start at the Wake Forest four-yard line. The Deacs' defense clutched up in a major way and made a game-winning goal-line stand, but they cannot be expected to pull that off every time. In a tough road atmosphere, Wake cannot afford to give the Beavers short fields to score points. The Deacs must protect the football, especially in their own territory, to make the Beavers work for all the points they get on offense.

On the other side, Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy has already thrown seven interceptions and been sacked eight times through their first six games of the season. Coming off the dominant performance last weekend, Wake's defense should be able to have a field day and force some mistakes from this weaker Oregon State offense.

Nothing comes easy in college football, and that certainly will be the case this weekend in Corvallis for the Deacs. They must learn from some of the mistakes they made against Virginia Tech and play a clean game against the Beavers. The team that plays the cleaner game in these situations is normally in a better position to win the football game. Might as well throw the records and conference affiliations out the window for this one. Oregon State will certainly come out and play with passion, so it is up to the Deacs to match this intensity and make a statement this weekend.