Wake Forest climbs to No. 17, carries momentum into bye

WINSTON-SALEM — Optimism is steadily growing in Winston-Salem, where Wake Forest’s football team has played its way into conference contention as the second half of the 2026 season takes shape.

The Demon Deacons (6-1, 4-1 ACC) have entered their bye week with bowl eligibility secured, a four-game winning streak and a spot in the ACC championship race.

Over the weekend, a 41-7 victory at California moved the Deacs from No. 21 to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll released Sunday, the program’s highest ranking since the 2022 campaign.

Picked to finish 13th in the ACC before the season, Wake is now sitting in second place behind undefeated Miami (6-0, 4-0 ACC) and will return home Oct. 31 for a matchup against Virginia at Allegacy Financial Stadium.

For second-year coach Jake Dickert, the results reflect a roster with a collective mindset that has kept pace with rising expectations.

“I’m really proud of our football team, our whole program and the intensity with which we took the field and with which we prepared,” Dickert said. “We felt like caged animals out here waiting for this football game. Our guys executed the plan offensively.”

Wake Forest’s fourth victory away from home against a Power Four opponent also made the program bowl eligible for a second consecutive season, as the Deacons are positioned for their ninth bowl appearance since 2016.

With five regular-season games remaining, Wake now has a chance to build on its postseason qualification while staying in the conference title race. The team’s only loss this season was a 33-20 home defeat against Miami back on Sept. 18.

Standout transfer Gio Lopez is continuing to lead that push as he blows past the level of performance he showed with UNC last season.

Against Cal, the redshirt junior quarterback completed 16 of 23 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 51 yards, offering another example of the passing accuracy and mobility that have helped drive Wake Forest’s offense.

“Gio Lopez is an absolute stud and continues to play at a really big-time level, which has given us a chance in every single game,” Dickert said.

Lopez has accounted for 23 touchdowns through the air and on the ground this season, and his latest performance demonstrated the Deacons’ options beyond leading receiver Carlos Hernandez.

With Hernandez limited by an undisclosed injury, freshman tight end Dominick Barry emerged as another productive target. The 18-year-old caught four passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns — covering 39, 30 and 2 yards — for the first scoring receptions of his college career.

He became the first Wake Forest tight end to reach 100 receiving yards in a game since 2017, providing another potential threat for defenses to consider when the Deacons resume their schedule.

“It was a great feeling,” Barry said after the game. “I’ve been working my butt off, blocking every day basically. I’ve been working in practice, catching the ball a lot and translating to the field in a game.”

Freshman wideout Jack Foley also caught a touchdown pass, while running backs Ty Clark III and Jamar Searcy contributed rushing touchdowns. Those contributions helped Wake Forest score touchdowns on five of its six first-half possessions.

Even starting at their own 1-yard line did little to slow the Deacons, who opened their scoring with a five-play, 99-yard touchdown drive.

By halftime, Wake led 34-0 and had outgained Cal 394-142, averaging 12.3 yards per play. The performance marked a third consecutive lopsided victory during the team’s winning streak.

Defense supplied the other half of that success. Wake Forest kept the Golden Bears scoreless until the fourth quarter, when the Deacons already held a 41-point advantage.

Defensive back Myles Turpin led the effort with 10 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and two pass breakups. Defensive lineman Langston Hardy added two tackles for loss, including a sack.

“We’ve got something going on here,” Dickert said. “I do believe our guys understand what’s at stake week in and week out. They’ve played themselves into a scenario where we control our destiny. One and zero, one and zero, one and zero. They believe in our process. Our guys prepare better than probably any team I’ve ever been a part of.”

The open date gives Wake Forest additional time to get ready for a Virginia team that has gone 2-2 in league play coming off a 23-13 loss at SMU.

Through seven games, the Demon Deacons rank 32nd nationally in offense and 35th in defense.