Will the Hoos Bring Tricks or Treats? Our Staff Makes Their Picks
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Let the second half of the season begin! The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-1, 4-1 ACC) return to Allegacy Financial Stadium this weekend following a bye week. They'll host the Virginia Cavaliers (4-4, 2-3 ACC) on Saturday afternoon.
The Deacs are currently ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25. When the Hoos come to town, will they bring tricks or treats? Can Wake Forest carry its pre-bye momentum into the second half of the season? Or will Virginia get revenge after the Deacs spoiled the Cavaliers' day as the ranked team on their home field last season?
Our staff has their picks ready. Let's see who's expecting a treat — and who thinks the Hoos might have a trick up their sleeve.
Wake Forest enters the Halloween matchup with one of the nation's most impressive résumés. The Demon Deacons are the only team in the country with four Power Four road victories and one of just seven FBS teams with five Power Four wins overall.
Not only are the Deacs bowl eligible, but they're also beginning to enter the College Football Playoff conversation. A win over Virginia would only turn up the volume on that discussion.
After two weeks with a lone dissenter, our staff is back to a unanimous pick. Every voter is predicting a Wake Forest victory — and not just by a narrow margin.
Our staff predicts the Deacs will win by an average of 16.8 points, more than two touchdowns. The average projected combined score is 53.2 points, which works out to an average prediction of Wake Forest 35, Virginia 18.
Before the bye, all but one of us had the Deacs beating Cal. Brandon secured his third win of the season by predicting that Wake Forest would win 31-10 (the final score was 41-7).
Staff Leaderboard after Week Eight:
Place | Name | Wins | Losses | Closest | Cumulative Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brandon | 6 | 1 | 3 | 125 |
2 | Barry | 6 | 1 | 1 | 115 |
3 | Keylor | 6 | 1 | 1 | 130 |
4 | Alex | 6 | 1 | 1 | 138 |
5 | Justin | 6 | 1 | 1 | 147 |
6 | Seth | 6 | 1 | 1 | 149 |
7 | JD | 6 | 1 | 0 | 134 |
8 | Sean | 5 | 2 | 0 | 172 |
9 | Andrew | 5 | 2 | 0 | 176 |
10 | Blake* | 3 | 1 | 0 | 88 |
* Blake did not participate in Weeks 1-3
Staff Predictions - Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cal Golden Bears
Alex Gendron (6-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 34-20
Andrew Bauhs (5-2) - Wake Forest 34-24
Barry Lewis (6-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 34-17
Blake Robison* (3-1) - Wake Forest 31-17
Brandon Oakes (6-1, three closest predictions) - Wake Forest 41-13
JD Andress (6-1) - Wake Forest 34-20
Justin Kontul (5-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 38-13
Keylor Piers (6-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 38-14
Sean Kennedy (5-2) - Wake Forest 31-20
Seth Dowdle (6-1, one closest prediction) - Wake Forest 35-24
* Blake did not participate in Weeks 1-3
Do you agree with our picks? Let us know what you think the final score will be.
What's Next for the Demon Deacons?
The game will kick off at 3:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 31. It will be played at Allegacy Financial Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC. You can watch it on ESPN2.
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Barry is the managing editor/publisher of Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI sites. He oversees a team of 12+ writers and photographers covering all sports at Wake Forest. He writes on football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, men’s tennis, and other sports as needed. His weekly articles include ACC Power Rankings and Poll Watching during the football, basketball, and baseball seasons. Barry is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He has covered the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 College Football National Championship, the 2023 College World Series, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship, ACC Kickoff, and ACC Tipoff. He is an avid sports fan and traveler, and he loves any opportunity to see a sporting event in person. He has been to 18 of the 30 MLB ballparks, experienced game day at 25 college football stadiums, seen 21 NFL stadiums, and been to 16 bowl games.