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Data updatedOct 30, 2026
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Wake Forest football stats, 2026

6–1 (4–1 ACC). 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.

SP+ rating12.226th of 138
SP+ offense33.129th of 138
SP+ defense21.335th of 138
PRIME18.310th of 138
Elo176620th of 138

Wake Forest football rankings: how good is Wake Forest?

SP+ (26th) and Elo (20th) see a top-25 team. PRIME has it 10th. PRIME grades each possession, so it's higher on how Wake Forest's drives have gone than the others. The AP poll has it No. 14, higher than SP+ does.

What is Wake Forest good at, and what is it bad at?

Good at

  • Wake Forest doesn't give up big plays: 6.8% of the plays against it go for big gains, 4th in FBS.
  • Wake Forest hits big plays: 17.2% of its plays are explosive (runs of 12+ yards, passes of 16+), 4th in FBS.
  • Wake Forest converts on 3rd down: a 54.4% conversion rate, 5th in FBS.
  • Wake Forest takes care of the ball: 0.4 giveaways a game (1 interception and 2 lost fumbles), 5th in FBS.

Bad at

  • Wake Forest doesn't force turnovers: 0.6 takeaways a game, 133rd of 138.
  • Wake Forest doesn't get home: a sack on 4.9% of dropbacks, 98th of 138.

Good at means top 25 in FBS; bad at means 91st or worse. Turnovers swing a lot from week to week.

Week 9

Virginia at Wake Forest

Sat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET. SP+ projection: Wake Forest 30, Virginia 21. The numbers' pick: Wake Forest (83%).

Full head to head

Wake Forest football schedule, 2026

Next: vs. Virginia, Sat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET on ESPN2.

WeekDateOpponentResult or kickoff (ET), TV
1Thu, Sep 3vs. AkronW 38–16
2Sat, Sep 12at PurdueW 38–36
3Fri, Sep 18vs. MiamiL 20–33
4Sat, Sep 26at LouisvilleW 30–27
5Sat, Oct 3vs. StanfordW 57–3
6Sat, Oct 10at NC StateW 38–14
7Sat, Oct 17at CaliforniaW 41–7
9Sat, Oct 31vs. Virginia3:45 PM ET, ESPN2
10Sat, Nov 7vs. MerrimackTBA, ACC Network
11Sat, Nov 14at SMUTBA
12Sat, Nov 21at Georgia TechTBA
13Sat, Nov 28vs. DukeTBA

Kickoff times are Eastern. TV from CollegeFootballData.com; networks are set a week or two ahead.

Wake Forest's 2026 record: the wins and losses

Record6–1
Strength of record+2.514th of 138
Schedule so far−0.247th of 138
Average margin+18.0
In wins+23.2
In losses−13.0
Best win
at Louisville (4–3, SP+ 25th), 30–27, Week 4
Worst loss
vs. Miami (7–0, SP+ 5th, AP No. 1), 20–33, Week 3
Biggest win
vs. Stanford (4–4, SP+ 112th), 57–3, Week 5
Closest win
at Purdue (3–4, SP+ 69th), 38–36, Week 2

Wins (6)

  1. at Louisville 4–3, SP+ 25th 30–27
  2. at Purdue 3–4, SP+ 69th 38–36
  3. at NC State 3–4, SP+ 74th 38–14
  4. at California 3–5, SP+ 101st 41–7
  5. vs. Stanford 4–4, SP+ 112th 57–3
  6. vs. Akron 1–7, SP+ 135th 38–16

Losses (1)

  1. vs. Miami 7–0, SP+ 5th, AP No. 1 20–33
Record
Against the AP Top 250–1
Against the SP+ top 251–1
Against the SP+ top 501–1
Against Power 4 teams and Notre Dame5–1
Against teams with winning records1–1
In one-score games (8 points or fewer)2–0
At home2–1
Away4–0

Opponents are judged by where they stand now: their record, their SP+ rank out of 138 and the latest AP poll. Wins and losses are listed best opponent first. Strength of record and schedule are PRIME's, on its points scale, where higher is better.

How many championships has Wake Forest won?

Wake Forest hasn't won a major-college national championship.

Wake Forest has won 2 conference championships, most recently the ACC in 2006.

ACC
2: 1970, 2006

Through the 2025 season. National titles are the ones the school claims; conference titles include shared ones. From each program's records as collected on Wikipedia.

Wake Forest offense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points per game37.416th
Yards per play7.804th
Success rate54.0%1st
Explosive play rate17.2%4th
Yards per carry5.0377th
Yards per pass attempt11.721st
Sack rate allowed5.4%71st
3rd down conversion54.4%5th

Wake Forest defense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points allowed19.430th
Yards per play allowed4.626th
Success rate allowed39.4%52nd
Explosive plays allowed6.8%4th
Yards per carry allowed3.8913th
Yards per attempt allowed5.347th
Sack rate4.9%98th
3rd downs allowed39.8%80th

How good is Wake Forest's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has Wake Forest at 53.0, 47th of 138 (50 is average). It's 55th in adjusted line yards per carry (2.99), gets stuffed on 14.8% of runs (29th fewest) and converts 67.7% of short-yardage runs (98th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: offensive line53.047th
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.9955th
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)14.8%29th
Power success (short yardage)67.7%98th
Sack rate allowed5.4%71st
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.0593rd

How good is Wake Forest's defensive line?

Big Uglies has Wake Forest's defensive front at 58.0, 16th of 138. It gives up 2.82 adjusted line yards per carry (31st), stuffs 27.5% of runs (5th) and gets a sack on 4.9% of dropbacks (98th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: defensive front58.016th
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.8231st
Stuff rate (defense)27.5%5th
Power success allowed56.5%10th
Sack rate4.9%98th
Front-seven havoc10.6%45th

Are Wake Forest's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

Wake Forest's line is 55th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (2.99), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 93rd in adjusted open-field yards (1.05), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the line: the backs aren't adding much once they're past it.

Wake Forest football players: the stat leaders

Antonio Meeks (), Braylon Johnson (DB), Carlos Hernandez (WR), D.J. Johnson (DL), Dallas Afalava (DL), Deuce Lawrence (RB), Drayden Dickmann (), Gabe Kirschke (DL), Giovanni Lopez (QB), Jack Foley (WR), Jamar Searcy (RB), Kadear Dembele (DL), Kameran Shanks (WR), Kamrean Johnson (TE), Langston Hardy (DL), Rushuan Tongue (DB), Somad Eaddy (DB), Ty Clark III (RB), Vincent Firenze (LB), Zach Lohavichan (DL).

Wake Forest football results, 2026

WeekOpponentResult
1vs. AkronW 38–16
2at PurdueW 38–36
3vs. MiamiL 20–33
4at LouisvilleW 30–27
5vs. StanfordW 57–3
6at NC StateW 38–14
7at CaliforniaW 41–7

Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams. Stats from play-by-play; scoring counts FBS opponents only. Compare Wake Forest with any team.

Questions about Wake Forest

What is Wake Forest's record?

Wake Forest is 6–1, 4–1 in the ACC, with games through Oct 24, 2026.

Is Wake Forest good this year?

Wake Forest is 26th of 138 in SP+, Bill Connelly's rating (above average), 10th in PRIME and 20th in Elo. The AP poll has them No. 14.

Who does Wake Forest play this week?

Wake Forest hosts Virginia, Sat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET. The numbers' pick: Wake Forest.

What is Wake Forest's best win?

Louisville, 30–27 in Week 4. Louisville is 4–3 and 25th in SP+.

What is Wake Forest's 2026 football schedule?

Week 1: vs. Akron (W 38–16); Week 2: at Purdue (W 38–36); Week 3: vs. Miami (L 20–33); Week 4: at Louisville (W 30–27); Week 5: vs. Stanford (W 57–3); Week 6: at NC State (W 38–14); Week 7: at California (W 41–7); Week 9: vs. Virginia; Week 10: vs. Merrimack; Week 11: at SMU; Week 12: at Georgia Tech; Week 13: vs. Duke.

When does Wake Forest play next, and what channel is it on?

Against Virginia at home, Sat, Oct 31, 3:45 PM ET, at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. It's on ESPN2.

What was the score of Wake Forest's last game?

Wake Forest beat California 41–7 on Sat, Oct 17 on the road.

Who is Wake Forest's quarterback?

Giovanni Lopez has thrown the most for Wake Forest this season: 1,965 passing yards through Oct 24, 2026.

Where does Wake Forest play its home games?

Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Where is Wake Forest ranked?

No. 14 in the latest AP poll. 26th of 138 in SP+, 10th in PRIME and 20th in Elo.

How many national championships has Wake Forest won?

Wake Forest hasn't won a major-college national championship.

How many conference championships has Wake Forest won?

Wake Forest has won 2 conference championships, most recently the ACC in 2006. Wake Forest has 2 ACC titles.

How good is Wake Forest?

SP+ (26th) and Elo (20th) see a top-25 team. PRIME has it 10th. PRIME grades each possession, so it's higher on how Wake Forest's drives have gone than the others. The AP poll has it No. 14, higher than SP+ does.

What is Wake Forest good at?

Wake Forest doesn't give up big plays: 6.8% of the plays against it go for big gains, 4th in FBS. Wake Forest hits big plays: 17.2% of its plays are explosive (runs of 12+ yards, passes of 16+), 4th in FBS. Wake Forest converts on 3rd down: a 54.4% conversion rate, 5th in FBS. Wake Forest takes care of the ball: 0.4 giveaways a game (1 interception and 2 lost fumbles), 5th in FBS.

What is Wake Forest bad at?

Wake Forest doesn't force turnovers: 0.6 takeaways a game, 133rd of 138. Wake Forest doesn't get home: a sack on 4.9% of dropbacks, 98th of 138.

How much has Wake Forest spent on its roster?

The NIL Standard's preseason estimate puts Wake Forest's roster at $18.7 million, 62nd of the 70 FBS rosters it values and 13th of 17 in the ACC, where the average is $21.6 million. That's $3.1 million per win so far (6 wins). Its 2026 transfer class is 24 players, 0 of them four- or five-stars, per 247Sports.

How good is Wake Forest's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has Wake Forest at 53.0, 47th of 138 (50 is average). It's 55th in adjusted line yards per carry (2.99), gets stuffed on 14.8% of runs (29th fewest) and converts 67.7% of short-yardage runs (98th).

How good is Wake Forest's defensive line?

Big Uglies has Wake Forest's defensive front at 58.0, 16th of 138. It gives up 2.82 adjusted line yards per carry (31st), stuffs 27.5% of runs (5th) and gets a sack on 4.9% of dropbacks (98th).

Are Wake Forest's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

Wake Forest's line is 55th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (2.99), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 93rd in adjusted open-field yards (1.05), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the line: the backs aren't adding much once they're past it.

Who is Wake Forest's head coach?

Jake Dickert, since 2025.

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