Carolina travels to Winston-Salem this weekend to take on Wake Forest. The game is the first of a three-game rivalry swing for the Tar Heels, who will face Duke and NC State in the next two games. The Demon Deacons enter this weekend 6-3 overall and a 3-3 mark in ACC play, having upset Virginia in Charlottesville last Saturday.
Here’s more on Wake Forest:
Head coach: Jake Dickert is in his first season with the Demon Deacons after coming over from Washington State, where he led the Cougars to an 8-4 record in 2024. This year, Dickert could very well take home ACC Coach of the Year honors, having Wake’s win totals from 2023 and 2024. The Demon Deacons won only eight games combined across those two seasons.
Jake Dickert has engineered a remarkable turnaround in his first season as Wake Forest’s head coach. (Image via Wake Forest Athletics)
What’s the history? Historically, there is no other program against which UNC has had more success than Wake Forest. The Tar Heels’ 73 all-time wins against the Demon Deacons are its most against any opponent, and more than twice the number of Wake’s wins against Carolina (36). UNC has won its last four games in the series, though three of those came at home. Wake Forest has won two of its last three home matchups with the Tar Heels. In recent years, this game has come down to the final moments: five of the last six meetings (including all three in Winston-Salem) have been decided by one possession.
Cross-country revenge: Saturday’s game will likely be a personal one for Carolina’s contingent from Washington, including defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and linebacker Khmori House. In 2024, Dickert’s Washington State Cougars defeated Belichick, House and the Huskies 24-19 in Seattle in the annual Apple Cup game, clinching the win with a late goal-line stand. That win was part of a 4-0 start for the Cougars, and helped make Dickert a hot name on the head coaching market that offseason.
A stern test: The good news for UNC: like Stanford, Wake Forest’s offense ranks near the bottom of the ACC, as the Demon Deacons average only 23 points per game (14th out of 16 teams). The bad news: unlike the Cardinal, Wake’s defense is incredibly stingy. The Deacons rank second in the league in scoring defense, allowing only 20 points per game. In total defense, Wake ranks sixth, just behind UNC. The Deacons are coming off a sensational performance in their upset win against Virginia last weekend, holding the Cavaliers without a touchdown in a 16-9 win. Against a Carolina offense which is mediocre at best, the Wake Forest defense will be licking its chops.
A third of the game: Bill Belichick loves his special teams, and Wake Forest brings game-changing ability on that front. The Deacons are one of only two teams in the ACC to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown this season. Wake Forest also ranks fourth in the league in net yardage on kickoffs, though the Deacons’ punt unit has left much to be desired – it ranks 16th out of 17 teams in average net yardage per kick.
What are the odds? As of today, Wake Forest is a 6.5-point favorite in the game.
Featured image via Associated Press/Robert Simmons
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