Wake Forest now knows exactly when it will head to Dallas.
The ACC released its Week 11 kickoff times, and the Demon Deacons’ trip to SMU is locked in for Nov. 14 at 12 Noon ET. The game will be played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium and shown on either ESPN or ESPN2.
It’s the fifth meeting between the programs. SMU won the first three, but Wake Forest took the most recent matchup last season in dramatic fashion, walking off the Mustangs at home on a game-winning field goal from freshman kicker Connor Calvert. This time, SMU will be looking to answer back, while Wake Forest is trying to keep its own ACC Championship path clear.
The Mustangs entered the year with plenty of expectations behind redshirt senior quarterback Kevin Jennings and coach Rhett Lashlee. Both were part of SMU’s College Football Playoff run two years ago, and the hope was that this group could chase that kind of success again. SMU opened with two straight wins before running into Louisville and falling to 2-1.
From there, the Mustangs caught fire. They ripped off four straight wins, climbed to No. 19 in the country and looked like a real threat to reach the ACC Championship. But last week’s loss to Syracuse, which was tied for last in the ACC at the time, knocked SMU out of the rankings.
The road ahead is still tough. SMU’s final four games are among the hardest on its schedule, and each one carries real weight.
Before Wake Forest arrives, the Mustangs host Virginia Tech this weekend in a game that matters in the ACC standings, since the two teams are currently tied. A win there would give SMU some needed momentum before facing the No. 14-ranked Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest, meanwhile, will be coming off a home game against Merrimack this weekend. The Deacons are heavy favorites in that one, and it gives them a chance to get their top players ready for the SMU matchup. The Warriors shouldn’t be overlooked, but the bigger test is clearly waiting a week later in Texas.
SMU’s schedule so far has been a roller coaster: Sept. 3 vs.
Akron (W, 38-16)
Sept. 12 at Purdue (W, 38-36, 2OT)
Sept. 18 vs. No.
5 Miami (L, 33-20)
Sept. 26 at No.
16 Louisville (W, 30-27)
Oct. 3 vs.
Stanford (W, 57-3)
Oct. 10 at NC State, (W, 38-14)
Oct. 17 at Cal, (W, 41-7)
Oct. 31 vs.
Virginia, (W, 51-7)
Nov. 7 vs.
Merrimack, 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
Nov. 14 at SMU, 12 Noon ET on ESPN or ESPN2
Nov. 21 at Georgia Tech, TBA
Nov. 28 vs. Duke, TBA
In Other News...
Wake Forests Playoff Push Now Comes Down To One Huge Unknown
Wake Forests playoff push got a real jolt this week when the first College Football Rankings of the season slotted the Demon Deacons at No. 16, their first appearance in the rankings since 2022. At 7-1, with the lone loss coming against top-ranked Miami, the Deacons have put themselves in the conversation in a way they have not been for a while, and the path ahead is clear enough: keep winning, then see what the ACC Championship Game can do for their rsum.
The problem is that the biggest variable in all of it is still sitting on the injury report, and it is hard to separate Wake Forests ceiling from the status of starting quarterback Gio Lopez. FanDuels odds reflect the stakes, with the Deacons listed for both an ACC title run and a College Football Playoff bid, but those numbers only matter if the offense can keep its footing and Lopez is available when it counts most. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Has A Real CFP Ranking Argument Fans Will Love
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season brought the usual mix of validation and frustration, and Wake Forest landed in a spot that should at least keep its fan base engaged. With Miami, Georgia and Utah filling the top three and a few other high-profile teams drawing plenty of debate, the committees opening Top 25 already has the feel of a weekly argument board, and the Demon Deacons are right in the middle of it.
Wake Forest checking in at No. 16 gives the program a real case to make as the season moves deeper into November, especially with the rankings now setting the tone for how the rest of the field is viewed. The committees logic will be picked apart from every angle, and for a team trying to climb, the next few weeks will matter a lot in deciding whether this placement looks like respect or a missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Faces An Early Road Test Fans Cant Ignore
Vanderbilt opened its season with a convincing 93-47 win over Bellarmine, and Tyler Tanner set the tone with 20 points as the Commodores looked every bit like a team still trying to sharpen its edges early in the year. Coach Mark Byington has already framed the bigger picture, stressing that the season is long and the focus has to stay on steady improvement, even after a game that never felt in doubt.
Wake Forest now gets an immediate test on the road Thursday night after handling Maryland Eastern Shore in its opener, and the trip carries a little extra weight because it is a rematch of a December meeting between the programs. For the Demon Deacons, it is the kind of early nonconference challenge that can reveal a lot about where they stand, especially with the schedule offering limited chances to prove it away from home. [Read more 🡒]