Stop sleeping on Wake Forest.
No team in FBS is playing as good as the Demon Deacons, ranked No. 13 in the second week of College Football Playoff selection committee’s top 25 poll released last Tuesday, since the calendar turned to October. That trend continued on Saturday, when Wake Forest (9-1, 6-1 in ACC) traveled to Dallas and handed the SMU Mustangs (7-3, 5-3 in ACC) their first ACC home loss in decisive fashion, winning 49-7.
Over the last six games (all wins), the Demon Deacons have outscored their opponents by 45.8 points per game. Remove last Saturday’s 77-0 win over FCS Merrimack, and Wake has outscored its last five ACC opponents by 39.6 points per game.
Yet for as dominant as it’s been, respect has remained elusive. That should soon change, though, if the committee is watching.
Wake Forest continues dominant run with 49-7 blowout at SMU
The final score of Saturday’s drubbing somehow doesn’t tell the complete story of how thoroughly Wake Forest dominated. It out-gained SMU, 535-275, including 286-66 on the ground, while scoring touchdowns on six of seven first-half possessions.
The win resembled most others during the Demon Deacons’ seven-game winning streak. But with their four previous ACC victories coming against Stanford, NC State, California and Virginia, teams that are a combined 15-21, Saturday’s win over a previous two-loss SMU was their biggest statement of the span.
Quarterback Gio Lopez added to his late Heisman push with a beautiful 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Carlos Hernandez early in the second quarter, while finishing 14-of-25 for 201 yards and again showing complete command of the offense.
