Wake Forest Returns to AP Top 25 at No. 21 After Rivalry Win at NC State

Wake Forest stands at 5-1 overall and 3-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play under coach Jake Dickert. The Demon Deacons also appear at No. 23 in the coaches poll. Their climb follows a stretch that includes road victories over Purdue, Louisville and NC State, plus a decisive home win against Stanford.

The win in Raleigh featured a dominant second-half response. Quarterback Gio Lopez threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score as Wake Forest held the Wolfpack scoreless after halftime. Lopez finished 26-for-33 for 303 passing yards. Carlos Hernandez caught 12 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, while Jack Foley contributed eight receptions for 156 yards and a score.

The defense was equally important. NC State produced only 15 rushing yards for the game, and Wake Forest limited the Wolfpack to 73 total yards after halftime, according to published game analysis. The Deacons scored the final 31 points to turn a competitive first half into a comfortable road victory.

The AP ranking places Wake Forest just ahead of LSU and behind Houston in the October 11 poll. The national recognition is a significant milestone for a program that had not appeared in the Top 25 for nearly four years. The new standing also changes the stakes of each remaining conference game.

Next up is a cross-country ACC trip to California on Saturday, October 17. Cal announced a 7:30 p.m. Pacific kickoff in Berkeley, which is 10:30 p.m. Eastern. Wake Forest now faces the challenge of protecting its momentum on the road while adjusting to the travel and late start.