It was possibly the most consequential game of Wake Forest’s season; the Demon Deacons took care of business against the SMU Mustangs. They dominated from the start and won 49-7.
Wake Forest (9-1, 6-1ACC) entered the game with only one conference loss – to Miami on September 18. Since then, the Deacs have gone 7-0 and outscored their opponents 343-65. SMU (7-3, 5-3 ACC) now has three conference losses and is essentially eliminated from contention for the ACC Championship Game.
Winning this game did not clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game for Wake, but it certainly brought them one step closer.
First Half Domination
Wake took their opening possession of the game 53 yards in only six plays, to get on the board with 13:27 left in the quarter. Wake would go on to score six more touchdowns in the first half.
Gio Lopez threw 16 passes for 134 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown to one of his favorite receivers, Carlos Hernandez. Lopez also scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half.
On his way to the locker room, Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert told Dave Goren of the Wake radio broadcast “We’re not finished with them yet. We came for 60 minutes and they’ve got nowhere to hide.”
In the last two games, Wake Forest outscored their opponents 91-0 in the first half.
Second Half: Slower Pace But Deacs Maintain Control
SMU got on the board with 3:55 left in the 3rd quarter. Wake Forest fumbled on its second possession of the quarter. The Mustangs took over at midfield and then, after eight plays in just over three minutes, Kevin Jennings threw a 19-yard pass to Yannick Smith for the touchdown.
Steele Pizzella came in for Lopez late in the third quarter. On his first drive, he added to Wake’s score with a 25-yard run. Pizzella played last week against Merrimack and proved that Wake remains in good shape when Lopez is not playing. This made the score Wake Forest 49-7.
How Significant is the Win?
Wake has two regular season games remaining – a road trip to Georgia Tech then home against Duke. If the Deacs win both, they are assured a spot in the final ACC Championship Game on December 5 in Charlotte. Wake could actually secure a berth next week, depending on how games the rest of today and next week turn out.
The win marked Wake Forest’s fifth road win this season over a Power 4 opponent. Previous road wins were against Purdue, Louisville, NC State, and California. No other team in the nation has five P4 road wins.
This is SMU’s third season in the ACC. The Mustangs had not lost an ACC conference game at home. That streak ended today.
In this week’s College Football Playoffs, Wake moved up to No. 13. This win over a conference opponent on the road should help the Deacs when the new rankings come out, depending on how other games go throughout the weekend.
In his postgame presser, Dickert said, “At some point, people have to put respect on our players. We have good players. We have to keep getting better to get to where we want to go.”
What’s Next For Wake Forest Football
The Demon Deacons travel to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech on Saturday, November 21. The Yellow Jackets defeated Clemson today. The kickoff time for the game will be announced on Sunday. Thanks to the Miami win over Duke today, if Wake Forest beats Georgia Tech, they will have a spot in the championship game.
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