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Deacons Daily

Wake Forest Smacks Merrimack, Securing Eighth Win of the Season

Wake Forest took care of business to get to 8-1 and a huge test awaits against SMU
Justin Kontul|
Nov 7, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Joshua Patterson (25) runs back a pick six against the Merrimack Warriors during the second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Nov 7, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons defensive back Joshua Patterson (25) runs back a pick six against the Merrimack Warriors during the second half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Wake Forest Demon DeaconsMerrimack Warriors

It was a dominant performance from start to finish by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons as they crossed the 70-point mark and beat Merrimack on Homecoming. The Deacs put 49 points on the board after the first half of play, due in large part to the masterful performance of Steele Pizzella.

Perfection from Pizzella

Steele Pizzella started his first career game and was absolutely flawless. He only played one half in this one due to the score, but managed to accumulate 495 yards of offense. He threw for 432 yards on 23-of-28 passes, along with three touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 63 yards on seven attempts and one rushing touchdown.

Pizzella sure made the most of his opportunity and also managed to distribute the ball pretty well. He hit eight receiving targets. His top four guys accumulated a bunch of yards. Jack Foley had six catches for 162 yards; Antonio Meeks had five catches for 80 yards; Carlos Hernandez had four catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns; and Kam Shanks had three catches for 49 yards and a score. This was a great night for Wake's top four receivers and should carry well into next week.

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Big Plays

Cam Shanks did not just make big plays on offense; he also had several big punt returns, but many were called back due to special teams penalties, an area where Coach Dickert says he still wants to see improvement from his team. He was able to break one open in the second half, though, returning a punt 79 yards for a Wake Forest touchdown. He has really added some energy to this special teams unit.

A Patterson made a big defensive play, but it may not have been the one you would expect. Davaughn Patterson's brother, Joshua Patterson, came up with a 98-yard pick-six to cap off a remarkable defensive performance. Rushaun Tongue also came away with an interception.

This was easily Wake Forest football's highest-scoring game of the season, and it was also the program's highest margin of victory in the modern era. Jake Dickert continues to get his team ready to play, and a great test awaits them next week against SMU.

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Justin Kontul
JUSTIN KONTUL

Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.

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