- Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest: Saturday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. ET (The CW) from Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va.
- Betting line: Virginia Tech -7
- Roster cards: Click here
- Blacksburg weather: Click here
Wake is coached by Jake Dickert, who previously did a good job by going 23-20 at a Washington State program that was underfunded relative to its competition. He seems like a sneaky good hire for a Wake Forest program that has been, and will continue to be, outspent by its competition.
The Hokies beat Wake just two years ago in Lane Stadium, but a lot has changed since then. The personnel has turned over quite a bit and both head coaches are different. Let’s take a closer look at the Deacs.
Wake Forest Offensive Numbers
The Demon Deacons beat Kennesaw State 10-9 in their season opener and things didn’t look promising on offense. They have improved since then. Here is their total yardage and yards-per-play in each game:
• Kennesaw State: 348 yards, 4.8 ypp
• Western Carolina: 542 yards, 9.5 ypp
• NC State: 311 yards, 5.5 ypp
• Georgia Tech: 443 yards, 6.2 ypp
They didn’t have a good game against a sub-par NC State defense, though they rallied after their open week and played well against Georgia Tech. Inconsistent quarterback play usually leads to inconsistent offenses, which has been an issue for Wake Forest. It’s had quarterback questions all year and faces even more questions this week against the Hokies.
The efficiency numbers paint a similar picture:
• OF+: No. 91
• Available Yards: No. 99
Outside of Wofford, this is the worst offense the Hokies have faced thus far, though the Deacs aren’t as far behind South Carolina as you might think.
The Wake Forest Quarterback Situation
Robby Ashford (6-2, 220, r-Sr.) transferred to Wake Forest in the offseason after previously playing for Oregon, Auburn and South Carolina in that order, though he only took snaps for the Tigers and Gamecocks. Throughout his career, he has proven to be a very ineffective passer and a very good runner.
Here are his career numbers:
• Passing: 227-of-442 (53.8%) for 2,998 yards, 7.1 YPA, 12 TDs, 12 INTs, 117.2 rating
• Rushing: 284 carries for 1,365 yards, 4.8 ypc, 18 touchdowns
Ashford is perhaps the worst passing quarterback the Hokies will face in 2025. However, he’s also one of the best rushers.
His ability to run the football might take a hit this week, though. He exited last week’s game against Georgia Tech with an injured right knee. Though he returned to the game later, he was wearing a brace on that knee, and the sideline reporter indicated that he had a heavy tape job under the brace. What is Ashford’s status for Saturday? We don’t know at this point. We’ll get our first availability report tonight. If he does play, he likely won’t be 100%.
If he can’t go, then Deshawn Purdie (6-4, 228, So.) will most likely be the starting quarterback. He got starting experience at Charlotte last season. Here are his career numbers…
• Passing: 104-of-207 (50.2%) for 1,858 yards, 9.0 YPA, 11 TDs, 6 INTs
• Rushing: 43 carries for -133 yards, -3.1 ypc, 1 TD
Like Ashford, he appears to be a low-percentage passer, though he hasn’t been quite as turnover prone and he’s generated more big plays down the field. However, he does not appear to have Ashford’s rushing ability.
No matter how you slice it, Wake Forest’s quarterback situation isn’t nearly as good as that of South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Old Dominion or NC State. Playing at home, this should give the Virginia Tech defense a major advantage.
Running Back Demond Claiborne
Demond Claiborne was a four-star recruit from Virginia a few years back. A native of Aylett, just northeast of Richmond, he won a state championship at King William High School in 2021 and was the Metro Player of the Year by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Wake Forest was smart enough to lock up his commitment before the other schools in the region realized how good he was.He’s had a solid career in Winston-Salem despite not having a ton of talent around him. Here are his numbers:
• Rushing: 425 carries for 2,058 yards, 4.8 ypc, 22 TDs
• Receiving: 39 catches, 324 yards, 8.3 avg, 2 TDs
Claiborne had a 1,000-yard season in 2024 that included 100-yard games against North Carolina A&T, NC State, Stanford and Cal. He’s averaging a whopping eight yards per carry this year and had a 119-yard performance against Georgia Tech last week.
Though he has not been featured as a kickoff returner this year, Claiborne has taken two kicks back for touchdowns in his career. One of those was against Miami last season while the other came against the Hokies in Lane Stadium in 2023.
You’ve got to wrap up Claiborne. He forced eight missed tackles last week against Georgia Tech and a further eight against NC State (four of which came after he caught passes). That’s been an issue for the Hokies at times this year.
Overall, Claiborne is one of the most dangerous backs Tech will face in 2025. This is a similar matchup to the Hokies’ game last week against Hollywood Smothers, except Wake doesn’t have a quarterback like CJ Bailey to turn to if the running game gets shut down.
Note: Claiborne left the game in overtime against Georgia Tech, holding his arm. We won't know anything about his status until the injury report is released tonight. If he's out or limited, that's another advantage for the Hokies.
Lack Of Big Plays
Filtering out the game against FCS Western Carolina, Wake Forest has struggled to create big plays on offense this year. Here are its rankings:
• 10-plus yard plays: No. 110
• 20-plus yard plays: No. 80
• 30-plus yard plays: No. 76
The Hokies must make sure the Demon Deacons continue to struggle with making big plays. If they can’t hit big plays against Tech, it will be difficult for them to drive the length of the field with an inconsistent quarterback. The Deacs also have an offensive line that lacks depth and struggles in run blocking. The Hokies need to dominate the line of scrimmage and force the offense into long-yardage situations.
Wake Forest Defensive Numbers
Here’s how Wake Forest’s defense has stacked up in the three FBS games it’s played:
• Rushing: 175.33 ypg, No. 91 out of 136
• Yards per carry: 4.08, No. 56
• Passing: 199.3 ypg, No. 43
• Passer rating: 117.99, No. 32
• Total: 374.7, No. 64
Those numbers show a defense that is basically in the middle of the pack. The Deacs have been strong against the pass but have struggled a bit against the run.
The advanced metrics agree:
• DF+: No. 62
• Available Yards: No. 67
Overall, this is a decent defense under defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton, who served in the same role at Michigan State, Kansas State, Wyoming and Nevada. However, it’s not a dominant defense, and it has shown enough weaknesses against the run that a 100 percent Terion Stewart should be able to find some running room.
A Familiar Face
Former Virginia Tech defensive back Braylon Johnson (6-1, 185, r-So.) has stepped into the starting free safety position over the last two weeks when regular starter Rushaun Tongue was lost for the season with an injury. He was on the field for 73 of Wake’s 87 defensive snaps in last week’s one-point overtime loss to Georgia Tech and played well in the process.He played in a deep safety role in that contest while the rest of the defense aligned in what was basically an eight-man front against a run-heavy Yellow Jackets offense. That’s the best role for Johnson, in my opinion. It keeps him deep, lets him see the entire field and allows him to use his head. He’s got a strong football IQ. It also keeps him away from the line of scrimmage and out of one-on-one tackling situations with running backs, which is a major weakness.
Johnson was still in Blacksburg during the spring. One of the very few highlights that came out of spring ball was of Marcellous Hawkins absolutely trucking Johnson in the open field. Johnson enrolled in college pretty skinny and won’t hit his peak size for another year or two. He’s always struggled tackling big, powerful running backs, and that will probably continue to be the case until later in his college career.
You can probably tell where I’m headed with this. Virginia Tech has a big, strong running back in Stewart (not to mention Hawkins, who ran him over in the spring). He’d be a nightmare matchup for a guy like Johnson in the open field. I feel like Johnson will be a very good overall player later in his career. I was always high on him. But because of his body type, it was always going to take a little while for his physicals to match up with his mentals. It’s going to be very important for the Hokies to get Stewart past the linebackers in this one because he can do some serious damage.
Wake Forest Defenders To Watch
Defensive end Hardy Langston (6-4, 250, r-Jr.) leads the team with five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. However, it should be noted that all of his sacks and three of his tackles for loss came against FCS Western Carolina in Week 2. He is a transfer from UConn. He’s a solid player, though six of his 10 pressures on the season came in that Western Carolina game, with only two total against NC State and Georgia Tech (one each).
Safety Nick Anderson (5-11, 197, Sr.) is from Centreville, Va., and has perhaps been Wake’s most consistent defender this year. He leads the team in tackles by a fairly wide margin, with his 34 outpacing the 25 of linebacker Dylan Hazen. He was a third-team All-ACC player last year and has over 2,605 career snaps with eight career interceptions. He’s historically a very good run stopper, though he’ll miss some tackles at times (hello, Terion Stewart). He has nearly 400 career tackles under his belt. He’s active and always around the ball.
Portsmouth native Karon Prunty (6-2, 192, r-Sr.) began his career at Kansas, where he was an honorable mention All-Big 12 player as a true freshman. After redshirting in his second season, he transferred to North Carolina A&T and started for three years, overlapping with former Virginia Tech running back Bhayshul Tuten in 2022. He moved back up a level to Wake Forest this offseason and has been the team’s best cover corner so far this year.
Like many teams these days, Wake Forest rotates its defensive tackles so much that it can be difficult to tell who are the starters, with four players playing between 141 and 185 snaps so far this year. Jayden Loving (6-2, 317, r-Jr.) is technically a backup, but he’s the higher grader on PFF and has four tackles for loss and two sacks. It should be noted that both sacks and 75 percent of the TFLs came against Kennesaw State and Western Carolina. (Did you know that Kennesaw State is in the FBS now? I didn’t until I did research for this article). Georgetown transfer Mateen Ibirogba (6-3, 296, r-Jr.) has been solid as well.
More Terion Stewart, Please
We talked earlier about how Johnson could potentially struggle tackling Stewart in the open field, and when I was scrolling through PFF, I thought it seemed like the Demon Deacons had a number of defenders with a high number of missed tackles. I did a little bit of research and it turned out to be true.
Nine ACC teams have had a bye so far this year and have only played four games as a result. Wake Forest is one such team and outpaces the other eight by a wide margin in terms of the number of missed tackles.
• Wake Forest: 50
• Boston College: 40
• Florida State: 40
• SMU: 39
• Miami: 37
• North Carolina: 37
• Louisville: 35
• Pitt: 35
• Clemson: 27
The Demon Deacons’ overall tackling grade is middle of the pack, so perhaps they have been on the field for more defensive plays than the other units. Still, if the Hokies can get Stewart to linebacker and safety depth as they did last week, he’ll have an opportunity to do some damage in the open field against this defense.
Special Teams
Like NC State, Wake Forest has had some kicking issues this year. Connor Calvert is 5-of-8, with all five of his makes coming within 30 yards. He’s missed between 30 and 39 and another from beyond 50. He’s a redshirt freshman. If this one happens to turn into a field goal duel between Calvert and John Love, Virginia Tech will likely win.
The Demon Deacons rank No. 108 in the country in net punting with an average of 36.9. Opponents have only returned four punts, partly because Wake doesn’t punt it very far, but they’ve averaged 10.25 yards per return.
Washington State transfer Chris Barnes (5-7, 168, r-Fr.) is a very dangerous player. He’s caught 15 passes for 287 yards so far this year and also had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against NC State. The Hokies should be able to negate him, though, as opponents have returned just one kickoff against Tech in five games for a measly 11 yards. Kyle Lowe has done a fantastic job with his kickoffs, with 20 touchbacks in 22 attempts. Can you vote on kickoff guys for All-ACC teams? If so, the Hokies might have two All-ACC kickers this year.
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest Prediction Poll
Before our staff makes their picks, tell us what you think will happen Saturday.Final Thoughts
“We won a game yesterday. We win today, that’s two in a row. If we win tomorrow, that’s called a winning streak. It has happened before.”Those are the wise words of the immortal Lou Brown.
Virginia Tech won a game two weeks ago and also won last week. If it wins on Saturday, it’ll have a winning streak on its hands. Believe it or not, it has happened before. The Hokies managed to win three in a row last year before the wheels fell off. Before that, you have to go all the way back to the end of the 2020 season (Virginia) and the beginning of 2021 (North Carolina and Middle Tennessee) to find the last three-game winning streak.
I believe the Hokies hold the advantage this week. Wake Forest seems pretty well-coached, but the Demon Deacons have a major quarterback problem. Not only that, but their top quarterback probably isn’t 100 percent. The Hokies should have plenty of confidence coming off last week’s win, and confidence is an important thing in football.
I certainly don’t expect it to be a walk in the park by any stretch, but I’ve got the Hokies winning.
Chris’ Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Wake Forest 20
Will Stewart (Founder): Funny what a road win over a decent team will do for your mindset. I was impressed with the Hokies’ aggressiveness and fire against NC State last week, and I’m suddenly feeling like this is a team that could win some games, especially against a beatable opponent like Wake Forest.
Normally, I would exercise caution when making my pick, but…
What I like: I like Terion Stewart’s shifty, physical nature against Wake Forest’s poor-tackling defense. Stewart is a tackle-breaker, sure, but his ability to change direction quickly makes it hard to get a clean hit on him, making him seem even more physical. I like Virginia Tech’s pass defense against a Wake Forest team that struggles through the air. I like the kicking game mismatch and Wake’s general inability to generate big plays offensively.
What I don’t like: Demond Claiborne. I’d like him if he ran for Virginia Tech, but I don’t like his 8.0 yards per carry and six touchdowns in just four games. I don’t like Wake Forest’s relatively strong pass defense against an inconsistent Hokies passing game.
Last week, in our Buy or Sell picks, I anticipated an offensive battle that never materialized. This week, I “sold” that Virginia Tech would score six or more times. I’m going to stand by that and predict three TDs and two FGs, with a decent defensive performance.
Will’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Wake Forest 17
David Cunningham (Managing Editor): I feel like this one will be close. In my eyes, a lot of it comes down to Robby Ashford’s health. Wake Forest needs him to play to have a good chance. It should’ve beaten Georgia Tech last week with a banged-up Ashford and a healthy Demond Claiborne, which shows you the caliber of the team.
This is the first road test for the Demon Deacons, though, and they haven’t been great on the road in recent years. On top of that, Virginia Tech has some juice (and neat helmets) headed into this one. I think the Hokies are the better and more-balanced team and it shows over the course of four quarters.
David’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 30, Wake Forest 21
Andy Bitter (Senior Staff Writer): This would have been a game before the season that you'd peg as a comfortable Hokies win, and though circumstances have obviously changed, it still feels like they could still handle the Deacons at home. Tech seems to have found some things in the trenches, stifling the run against NC State and churning out yards on the ground offensively. Those are two pretty big things a team can lean on. Wake's feistier than I would have thought this year, but injury questions around Claiborne and Ashford gives me pause when thinking about any upset potential. I like Tech by the largest one-score margin possible.
Andy’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Wake Forest 19
Nick Brown (Director of Media): Last week was some of the most fun I’ve had at a Virginia Tech football game in quite some time. The Hokies’ section was boisterous and jovial, and with a win in the mix, it was pure bliss for everyone in orange and maroon.
This week, Wake Forest enters with a “dynamic” dual-threat quarterback. I agree that he’s a dual-threat, but I’m not buying the dynamic part. Ashford has accounted for only five total touchdowns, three interceptions and a completion rate under 60 percent. He isn’t even fully healthy!
I do think that Wake’s defense has some dudes, including the G.O.A.T., Nick Anderson, but I think Montgomery has gotten a true feel as to what he has on offense and will have no problem scoring enough points. Also, publisher of Deacons Illustrated, Conor O’Neill (who we interviewed and you should totally watch here), warned that Wake Forest has historically played poorly in front of crowds of 50,000 or more.
The Hokies will get their third straight win with a tremendous (Coach Montgomery’s favorite word) opportunity down in Atlanta next week.
Nick’s Prediction: Virginia Tech 30, Wake Forest 17
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24-11 |
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44-20 |
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 45-26 |
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38-6 |
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23-21 |
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 30-23 |
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35-20 |
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42-34 (2 OT) |
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28-16 |
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34-14 |
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34-17 |
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| Fan Poll | Score | ||
| Gamecocks Win by 11+ (39%) |  |
Gamecocks 24, Hokies 11 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (50%) |  |
Vanderbilt 44, Hokies 20 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (36%) | |
ODU 45, VT 26 | |
| Hokies Win by 11+ (62%) | |
Hokies 38, Terriers 6 | |
| Wolfpack Wins by 11+ (59%) | |
Hokies 23, Wolfpack 21 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (58%) | |
Deacs 30, Hokies 23 | |
| Jackets Win by 11+ (63%) | |
Jackets 35, Hokies 20 | |
| Hokies Win by 1-10 (52%) | |
Hokies 42, Golden Bears 34 (2 OT) | |
| Cardinals Win by 11+ (64%) | |
Cardinals 28, Hokies 16 | |
| Seminoles Win by 11+ (49%) | |
Seminoles 34, Hokies 14 | |
| Canes Win by 11+ (79%) | |
Hurricanes 34, Hokies 17 | |
| Hokies Win by 11+ (46%) | |
Hokies 37, Hoos 17 | |
| Gophers by 11+ (45%) | |
Gophers 24, Hokies 10 | |