Wake Forest

2-0

ACC · Jake Dickert, year 2 (11-4) · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium · 31,500 · 30,735 avg in 2026

The nationunrankedAP / Coaches
The model#77 CFB ZeitgeistSP+ #67 (+1.6) · FPI #52
The marketMiami by 21vs Miami · our model 18% Wake Forest · a number, not a pick

LastW 38–36 at Purdue · Sat Sep 12 · Giovanni Lopez 225 pass yds, 1 TD, 59 rush yds

Nextvs Miami · Fri Sep 18 · 7:30 pm ET · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium · Miami by 21 · series 3-9, lost the last 8 · Game preview

Updated Tue Sep 15 · through week 2

Key stats — 2026 — FBS rank
Points/game
38.0
Pts allowed/game
26.0
Total yards/gm#36 / 138 · 74th pct
485.0
Rush yards/gmT-#51 / 138 · 63rd pct
194.5
Pass yards/gm#39 / 138 · 72nd pct
290.5
Yards allowed/gm#99 / 138 · 29th pct
380.0
Rush yds allowed/gm#87 / 138 · 37th pct
137.5
SacksT-#38 / 138 · 65th pct
5
3rd-down convT-#49 / 138 · 64th pct
46.2%
All 83 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team
970485.0/gm7.13/play#36 / 138 · 74th pct#24 / 69 · 66th pct#5 / 17 · 74th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
760380.0/gm5.03/play#99 / 138 · 29th pct#60 / 69 · 14th pct#13 / 17 · 26th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Rush yards
Team
389194.5/gm2.86/playT-#51 / 138 · 63rd pct#27 / 69 · 62nd pct#7 / 17 · 62nd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
275137.5/gm1.82/play#87 / 138 · 37th pct#57 / 69 · 18th pct#12 / 17 · 32nd pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Rush carries
Team
7437.0/gmT-#73 / 138 · 47th pctT-#39 / 69 · 43rd pctT-#8 / 17 · 53rd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
7638.0/gmT-#101 / 138 · 26th pctT-#59 / 69 · 14th pctT-#13 / 17 · 24th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Rush TDs
Team
42.0/gmT-#51 / 138 · 54th pctT-#34 / 69 · 44th pctT-#7 / 17 · 59th pct#12 / 13 · 15th pct
Opp
31.5/gmT-#86 / 138 · 31st pctT-#57 / 69 · 15th pctT-#12 / 17 · 26th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Net pass yards
Team
581290.5/gm4.27/play#39 / 138 · 72nd pct#22 / 69 · 69th pct#7 / 17 · 62nd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
485242.5/gm3.21/play#102 / 138 · 26th pct#56 / 69 · 20th pct#12 / 17 · 32nd pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Pass attempts
Team
6231.0/gmT-#59 / 138 · 57th pctT-#33 / 69 · 51st pct#10 / 17 · 44th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
7537.5/gmT-#115 / 138 · 17th pct#59 / 69 · 15th pct#14 / 17 · 21st pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Completions
Team
3819.0/gmT-#70 / 138 · 49th pctT-#42 / 69 · 39th pct#10 / 17 · 44th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
6030.0/gm#132 / 138 · 5th pct#68 / 69 · 2nd pct#16 / 17 · 9th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Pass TDs
Team
42.0/gmT-#48 / 138 · 57th pctT-#33 / 69 · 46th pctT-#8 / 17 · 53rd pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
31.5/gmT-#75 / 138 · 36th pctT-#47 / 69 · 22nd pctT-#10 / 17 · 35th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Interceptions thrown
Team
00.0/gmT-#92 / 138 · 17th pctT-#42 / 69 · 20th pctT-#11 / 17 · 21st pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
00.0/gmT-#1 / 138 · 92nd pctT-#1 / 69 · 93rd pctT-#1 / 17 · 91st pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Sacks (def)
Team
52.5/gmT-#38 / 138 · 65th pctT-#21 / 69 · 60th pctT-#4 / 17 · 71st pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp
21.0/gmT-#33 / 138 · 67th pctT-#20 / 69 · 62nd pctT-#5 / 17 · 68th pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
Tackles for loss
Team
157.5/gmT-#22 / 138 · 82nd pctT-#14 / 69 · 78th pct#3 / 17 · 85th pct#11 / 11 · 9th pct
Opp
94.5/gmT-#55 / 138 · 57th pctT-#36 / 69 · 45th pctT-#8 / 17 · 53rd pct#1 / 11 · 100th pct
First downs
Team
4522.5/gmT-#59 / 138 · 56th pctT-#38 / 69 · 45th pct#6 / 17 · 68th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
4924.5/gmT-#125 / 138 · 9th pct#68 / 69 · 2nd pct#16 / 17 · 9th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
3rd-down conv
Team
126.0/gmT-#53 / 138 · 59th pctT-#29 / 69 · 54th pctT-#5 / 17 · 59th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
136.5/gmT-#103 / 138 · 23rd pctT-#55 / 69 · 18th pctT-#11 / 17 · 35th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
3rd-down att
Team
2613.0/gmT-#64 / 138 · 51st pctT-#28 / 69 · 57th pctT-#9 / 17 · 47th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
2713.5/gmT-#54 / 138 · 59th pctT-#28 / 69 · 58th pctT-#5 / 17 · 71st pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
4th-down conv
Team
31.5/gmT-#23 / 138 · 74th pctT-#12 / 69 · 72nd pctT-#3 / 17 · 79th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
10.5/gmT-#26 / 138 · 66th pctT-#15 / 69 · 62nd pctT-#4 / 17 · 59th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
4th-down att
Team
31.5/gmT-#66 / 138 · 41st pctT-#35 / 69 · 43rd pct#9 / 17 · 50th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
21.0/gmT-#20 / 138 · 74th pctT-#10 / 69 · 72nd pctT-#3 / 17 · 71st pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct
Time of possession
Team
57:1228:36/gm#102 / 138 · 26th pct#53 / 69 · 24th pct#11 / 17 · 38th pct#13 / 13 · 8th pct
Opp
62:4831:24/gm#92 / 138 · 34th pct#53 / 69 · 24th pct#11 / 17 · 38th pct#1 / 13 · 100th pct

FBS rankings · 2026 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs

Player stats — 2026 season
Quarterbacks
Player#GCmp/AttPctYdsY/ATDINTRateZPRQBRAdj ANY/ASack%
+0.64 EPA/play3237 / 5962.7575
#23 FBS
9.74
#36 FBS
0166.9718610.53.3
Running Backs
Player#GCarYdsAvgTDLongStuff%10+%
-0.13 EPA/play22225973.9114
Receivers
Player#GRecYdsAvgTDLong
+1.59 EPA/play8211253
#9 FBS
23178
+1.22 EPA/play142512525172
+0.51 EPA/play5289411.8127

2026 stat leaders · Wake Forest

through 2 games

Carlos Hernandez leads Wake Forest with 253 receiving yards through 2 games.

1. Carlos Hernandez WR 253 receiving yards
2. Vincent Firenze LB 20 tackles
3. Braylon Johnson DB 16 tackles
4. Giovanni Lopez QB 575 passing yards
5. Frank Cusano LB 13 tackles
How They Play · 2025

Wake Forest fields a capable explosive, big-play offense behind an elite, bend-don't-break defense.

Offense
54th pct EPA/play
Tempo
99th pct explosiveness
Defense
90th pct EPA allowed
Defensive shape
74th pct at limiting explosive plays

Percentile vs all FBS, based on this season's per-game production. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.

The Savant Card · Wake Forest · 2025

Wake Forest reads strongest in explosive plays (top 2%) and success rate allowed (top 10%); the crux lives in success rate, where Wake Forest sits at the 16th percentile.

offense · strengths lead

EPA / play +0.17
54th
Success Rate +0.38
17th
Explosive Plays +1.50
99th
Rushing EPA +0.11
51st

defense · higher bar = harder to play against

EPA Allowed +0.04
90th
Success Rate Allowed +0.36
91st
Explosive Plays Allowed +1.20
74th
Passing EPA Allowed +0.13
83rd

hidden math · special situations

Passing EPA +0.26
54th
Rushing EPA Allowed -0.00
86th
Elite · 90+Strong · 70+Average · 40-70Concern · 10-40Bottom · <10
Sources · CFBD tier-2 advanced stats · per-game production · 13 games this season · percentiles vs. up to 136 FBS peers

Home-field advantage · Wake Forest · 2018–present · FBS opponents

Wake Forest is worth +1.4 points more at home than on the road.

Bottom tenth of FBS, 8th percentile of 133 programs

55% at home, 50% away against FBS opponents since 2018 (24–20 home, 21–21 away). Interval ±4.3.

95% intervalmodel 2.3 · books ~3Weakest home edge in FBSStrongest

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge — per-team modelling was tested and did not survive scrutiny (why) — and the books use about 3. Against the closing line, Wake Forest has beaten the number by −2.4 more at home than away over 73 games — inside the ±7.2 that many games can resolve. Results here cannot tell the flat number apart from the building, and that is the honest reading of nearly every FBS stadium.

Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium seats 31,500 and has averaged 95% full (29,938, 28 games reported). Visitors cover a median 284 miles to get here since 2018 — 30th-shortest of 135 FBS venues, inside the ordinary range. 12% of the 2026 roster (12 of 98 located players) grew up inside 100 miles of the stadium.

Edge = half the gap between average home margin and average road margin, FBS opponents only, non-neutral games since 2018; the interval is 95%. Market line: closing spread, seasons with lines on file. Trip length is straight-line miles from the visiting team's campus to the venue, measured across all 52 home games since 2018.

Home24–20Away21–21Edge+1.4 ±4.3Visitor trip284 mi

More in this tab

Scheme claimsFive specific, testable claims about how this team plays.

Standard downs vs. passing downs

Does Wake Forest hold up once the down-and-distance turns against them?

56th percentile success on standard downs, 97th on passing downs — a 41-point gap between the two.

Fragile off scheduleBalanced, both workStruggles even on scheduleStandard-downs reliantWake ForestWeak on standard downsElite on standard downsFalls apart off scheduleHolds up off scheduleHawai'i18th standard · 41st passingUNLV51st standard · 7th passingStanford76th standard · 15th passingEastern Michigan52nd standard · 10th passingSan José State54th standard · 22nd passingNew Mexico State45th standard · 75th passingSacramento State23rd standard · 14th passingOklahoma State41st standard · 49th passingDuke20th standard · 29th passingFlorida State28th standard · 65th passingRutgers30th standard · 71st passingKansas70th standard · 35th passingBoston College27th standard · 56th passingNorfolk State16th standard · 9th passingLouisville96th standard · 70th passingMissouri36th standard · 85th passingMemphis69th standard · 65th passingGeorgia Southern24th standard · 45th passingOle Miss94th standard · 50th passingJacksonville State65th standard · 82nd passingNorth Dakota State86th standard · 27th passingArizona92nd standard · 86th passingUSC97th standard · 99th passingWake Forest56th standard · 97th passingTCU93rd standard · 8th passingDelaware70th standard · 31st passingUAB65th standard · 81st passingMichigan State62nd standard · 29th passingSouth Florida91st standard · 52nd passingFlorida International46th standard · 43rd passingNavy98th standard · 59th passingWisconsin13th standard · 18th passingOregon State10th standard · 38th passingSyracuse48th standard · 64th passingOhio State90th standard · 40th passingBall State12th standard · 24th passingPittsburgh30th standard · 76th passingColorado35th standard · 77th passingGeorgia Tech58th standard · 44th passingAuburn75th standard · 55th passingBaylor40th standard · 96th passingNorth Texas49th standard · 68th passingApp State44th standard · 90th passingIowa State4th standard · 23rd passingUTSA99th standard · 29th passingArkansas60th standard · 80th passingBoise State58th standard · 46th passingOregon35th standard · 33rd passingTulsa56th standard · 1st passingTulane31st standard · 2nd passingPurdue83rd standard · 88th passingMiddle Tennessee87th standard · 68th passingVanderbilt80th standard · 12th passingSan Diego State4th standard · 40th passingLSU33rd standard · 98th passingClemson1st standard · 19th passingCentral Michigan16th standard · 6th passingTexas Tech88th standard · 48th passingMichigan2nd standard · 62nd passingWestern Michigan39th standard · 20th passingOhio38th standard · 17th passingBuffalo7th standard · 14th passingTexas72nd standard · 94th passingCoastal Carolina61st standard · 52nd passingColorado State82nd standard · 91st passingWyoming65th standard · 36th passingTexas A&M85th standard · 72nd passingLiberty14th standard · 59th passingFlorida Atlantic43rd standard · 87th passingLouisiana19th standard · 92nd passingSouth Alabama50th standard · 73rd passingTroy22nd standard · 59th passingSam Houston78th standard · 61st passingNevada77th standard · 52nd passingWestern Kentucky25th standard · 34th passingWashington State8th standard · 3rd passingWashington81st standard · 4th passingCalifornia9th standard · 25th passingCharlotte73rd standard · 83rd passingTennessee65th standard · 78th passingUtah State4th standard · 93rd passing
Source CFB Zeitgeist · advanced team stats, Connelly success-rate definition
View all FBS teams as a table
TeamStandard-downs percentilePassing-downs percentile
App State44th90th
Arizona92nd86th
Arkansas60th80th
Auburn75th55th
Ball State12th24th
Baylor40th96th
Boise State58th46th
Boston College27th56th
Buffalo7th14th
California9th25th
Central Michigan16th6th
Charlotte73rd83rd
Clemson1st19th
Coastal Carolina61st52nd
Colorado35th77th
Colorado State82nd91st
Delaware70th31st
Duke20th29th
Eastern Michigan52nd10th
Florida Atlantic43rd87th
Florida International46th43rd
Florida State28th65th
Georgia Southern24th45th
Georgia Tech58th44th
Hawai'i18th41st
Iowa State4th23rd
Jacksonville State65th82nd
Kansas70th35th
LSU33rd98th
Liberty14th59th
Louisiana19th92nd
Louisville96th70th
Memphis69th65th
Michigan2nd62nd
Michigan State62nd29th
Middle Tennessee87th68th
Missouri36th85th
Navy98th59th
Nevada77th52nd
New Mexico State45th75th
Norfolk State16th9th
North Dakota State86th27th
North Texas49th68th
Ohio38th17th
Ohio State90th40th
Oklahoma State41st49th
Ole Miss94th50th
Oregon35th33rd
Oregon State10th38th
Pittsburgh30th76th
Purdue83rd88th
Rutgers30th71st
Sacramento State23rd14th
Sam Houston78th61st
San Diego State4th40th
San José State54th22nd
South Alabama50th73rd
South Florida91st52nd
Stanford76th15th
Syracuse48th64th
TCU93rd8th
Tennessee65th78th
Texas72nd94th
Texas A&M85th72nd
Texas Tech88th48th
Troy22nd59th
Tulane31st2nd
Tulsa56th1st
UAB65th81st
UNLV51st7th
USC97th99th
UTSA99th29th
Utah State4th93rd
Vanderbilt80th12th
Wake Forest56th97th
Washington81st4th
Washington State8th3rd
Western Kentucky25th34th
Western Michigan39th20th
Wisconsin13th18th
Wyoming65th36th
Tendency driftHow this coordinator's calls have drifted since arriving.

Season by season

How Wake Forest’s current staff calls plays, year over year

Offense: Rob Ezell (2025–2026)
1st-down pass rate
2025: 40% → 2026: 42% · 2-pt range · #178 of 184 · less than most
Red-zone pass rate
2025: 33% → 2026: 35% · 2-pt range · #180 of 182 · less than most
4th-down go rate
2025: 29% → 2026: 27% · 2-pt range · #172 of 172 · less than most
Defense: Scottie Hazelton (2025–2026)
1st-down pass rate
2025: 40% → 2026: 42% · 2-pt range · #198 of 203 · less than most
Red-zone pass rate
2025: 33% → 2026: 35% · 2-pt range · #200 of 200 · less than most
4th-down go rate
2025: 29% → 2026: 27% · 2-pt range · #190 of 189 · less than most
Pass defense by zoneThe part of the field opponents keep attacking.

Pass-depth identity

What this team throws, and gives up, by depth.

On short throws (≤19 air yards), Wake Forest’s defense allows a completion rate above the FBS mean (70.2% vs 65.2% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 73-play sample) — most generous, 18 of 18 qualifying defenses.

We won’t show a deep-ball (20+ air yards) leaderboard here, on either side of the ball: even a full season of charted plays gives most teams well under 30 deep attempts — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess. Same refusal for yards-after-catch allowed and where a team’s attempts land by zone: both measured and both came back statistically indistinguishable from season-to-season noise.

Screened 59 claims, 59 survived · 2025+ only, charted plays (parse_status='complete'); n=73 short-zone plays, raw rate 79.5%
RatingsWhere the public rating systems put this team.

Model Consensus

Where the Models Rank Wake Forest

CFB Zeitgeist

#77

-0.8

SP+

#67

+1.6

FPI

#52

+4.1

Elo

#65

1508

The national models put Wake Forest between 52nd and 67th nationally — CFB Zeitgeist is more skeptical, at 77th.

National rank of 138 FBS teams · 2026 season. SP+/FPI/SRS published; Elo & CFB Zeitgeist ranked by rating.

Comparable teamsPrograms built like this one — tier, prestige band, kind of fanbase, roster size. Not a stat match.

Most similar programs · Wake Forest

Reads like

Matched on how the programs are built — tier, prestige band, kind of fanbase, conference, voice and roster size — not on this season's stats. A calibration, not a prediction.

ConditionsThe weather and altitude visitors have to deal with.
Venue texture

70°F average kickoff temp; 9% of games had measurable precipitation; 6 mph average wind.

Based on 78 home games with weather data.

This page may include content derived from public news sources, social media, and fan communities. We relay these sources as-is — we are not reporting them. Sources may be summarized or quoted imperfectly; for anything that matters, go look at the original source directly. The original source may also be wrong. AI-generated content is labeled and may contain factual errors. All analysis is editorial opinion, not professional reporting. Data sources · About this site