Wake Forest heads into Saturday’s matchup with NC State carrying real momentum, but the Demon Deacons will need more than last week’s blowout energy to handle the Wolfpack in Raleigh.
The 57-3 rout of Stanford showed exactly what Wake Forest can look like when everything clicks. The offense was explosive, the defense was sharper, and the result was a statement win. NC State, meanwhile, arrives after a 31-28 victory over Louisville, so both teams come in with confidence and a conference result already in hand.
For Wake Forest, the clearest path starts on the ground. The Demon Deacons have averaged about 157 rushing yards per game through five games, and keeping that number moving against NC State would help them control the tempo and avoid becoming too one-dimensional. That also puts pressure on the offensive line, which has to open lanes for the backs and give Lopez enough time to work.
Lopez has been the engine of the offense all season. In five games, he has thrown for 1,377 yards and 10 touchdowns with just one interception, while also adding 192 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.
Against Stanford, he was at his best, piling up five touchdowns in the win. That dual-threat ability gives Wake Forest multiple ways to attack, but the challenge against NC State is keeping the same poise under tougher circumstances.
That means smart decisions matter as much as big plays. Lopez will need to stay patient, read coverages cleanly, and avoid giving the ball away on the road. Carlos Hernandez should continue to be an important target in the passing game, giving Wake Forest a reliable option when it needs to move the chains or strike downfield.
The bigger test may come on defense. NC State has been putting up 36.8 points and about 460 total yards per game, and quarterback CJ Bailey is a major reason why. Bailey has passed for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns this season, and he has helped lead the Wolfpack to consecutive wins over Appalachian State and Louisville.
Wake Forest’s best answer is pressure, but pressure has to come without opening the door for Bailey to make plays. Langston Hardy could be a key piece there after posting three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.
The Demon Deacons also have to stay disciplined against NC State’s run game, because the Wolfpack have averaged close to 200 rushing yards per game. If Wake Forest can force obvious passing situations, the defense becomes a lot easier to manage.
That battle up front will go a long way toward deciding the game’s rhythm. Control the line of scrimmage, and you can control the pace.
Penalties are another issue Wake Forest cannot ignore. The Stanford game included eight flags for 52 yards, and the season total now sits at 46 penalties for 424 yards through five games. Those mistakes didn’t derail the Deacons in a 57-3 win, but they could matter a lot more against a tougher ACC opponent.
Saturday gives Wake Forest a chance to keep building and prove the Stanford performance was more than a one-off. The formula is straightforward: run the ball, get another efficient outing from Lopez, and find ways to disrupt Bailey. If the Demon Deacons handle those three areas and keep the mistakes down, they’ll give themselves a strong shot at a meaningful road win.
In Other News...
NC State's Same Collapse Is Fueling A Bigger Frustration
NC State had the kind of first half that should have put it in position to control the afternoon, only to watch Wake Forest take over after halftime and turn the game into another frustrating collapse. The Wolfpack struggled to get much going on offense, especially on the ground, and once the second half started the pressure only grew as the game slipped away from the way it had begun.
The bigger concern is how familiar this looks for a defense that has been giving up too much through the air and too many easy gains for weeks now. When an opponent can keep stressing the secondary and the offense cannot answer, the margin for error disappears fast, and NC State is left searching for a fix to a problem that seems to be getting worse rather than better. [Read more 🡒]
NC State's Second Half Problem Just Got A Lot Harder To Ignore
NC State had enough going for it early Saturday to make the evening feel manageable, with quarterback CJ Bailey settling in and completing 16 straight passes in the first half. But as the game wore on, the rhythm disappeared, and Wake Forest began to take control behind Gio Lopez, who threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns in a performance that exposed how fragile the Wolfpacks offense can look when it starts to drift.
The result was a 38-14 loss at home, the kind that forces a hard look at what went wrong and why it keeps happening. Dave Doeren and players pointed to execution problems and injuries as part of the picture, and the concern now is less about one bad night than whether NC State can find a second-half answer before the season starts to pull away from it. [Read more 🡒]
ACC Heavyweights Already Look Like A Problem For NC State
The early ACC noise around the league already has a familiar feel for NC State, with the usual heavyweights showing the kind of depth and firepower that can make a conference race difficult in a hurry. UNC opened with an 88-70 win over USC in Greensboro, leaning on Jarin Stevensons 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Virginia rolled Richmond 96-53 with five players in double figures and Duke looked sharp in a scrimmage win over Belmont, 102-62, behind Dame Sarrs 19 points.
For the Wolfpack, the part worth watching is how quickly those contenders are already sorting themselves out before league play settles in. Michael Malone had reason to point to UNCs uneven backcourt performance, and USCs shorthanded lineup offered some context for the result, but the broader picture is clear: the teams NC State has to chase are bringing size, scoring and depth right from the start, and the gaps may not be easy to close once the ACC schedule gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]