The long-awaited matchup between Wake Forest (7-3, 4-3 ACC) and North Carolina (4-6, 2-4 ACC) on Saturday ended in resounding success for the Demon Deacons. Coming into this game, all eyes were on Bill Belichick and his struggling Tar Heel squad, but the attention quickly diverted to the surging Deacons.
Following an upset victory on the road against No. 19 Virginia last week, Wake Forest took care of business back home. Wide receiver Carlos Hernandez broke the ice when he picked up a loose ball and ran it 51 yards to the house. The unorthodox touchdown swung all the momentum towards the Demon Deacons as they held this lead for the remainder of the contest.
“Sometimes in this game you see the ball bounce your way, and Carlos was there to pick that one up,” Coach Jake Dickert said following the win. “We had a couple of trick plays in the bag, just in case we needed to go out there and make an explosive play. I’m just really proud of this whole team in terms of effort plays.”
With Chris Barnes and Micah Mays Jr., both key offensive weapons for Wake Forest, injured and unavailable against the Tar Heels, Hernandez was called on to step up. After shocking the crowd with his first score, Hernandez went on to tally 100 additional yards with six catches. More than half of those yards, though, came on a designed flea-flicker that left Hernandez wide open. Senior Sawyer Racanelli was there on the scene to block several Carolina defenders and open the gates for Hernandez to score the 70-yard touchdown.
“I feel like the confidence was there from last week,” Hernandez said. “My team never drifted on me. They trusted me. I just need to go out there and be me.”
Beyond Hernandez’s explosive performance, quarterback Robby Ashford made huge strides against the Tar Heels, going 15-25 with 243 total yards and two touchdowns. Considering the stakes and circumstances, it was arguably Ashford’s best performance with the Demon Deacons.
Demond Claiborne made his presence felt in front of the sold-out Allegacy Stadium crowd as well. The senior running back rushed for 98 yards while scoring his first touchdown in three weeks. Claiborne also made a crucial block to allow Hernandez to score the touchdown off the fumble recovery.
“It is a lot of those types of efforts that make us our team,” Dickert said. “That’s our identity. Just doing the extra things so that your buddy can make the play. I think it says a lot about this football team.”
The offense, while impressive in its own right, should not overshadow the defense’s performance against North Carolina. Linebacker Aidan Hall had his best game of the season with the team, leading nine total tackles on Saturday. The defensive back duo of Davaughn Patterson and Nick Anderson dominated the backfield, while Dylan Hazen and Langston Hardy suffocated the line.
“I think we’re a really well-rounded team,” Anderson said. “One thing no one talks about is sustaining drives. That’s almost as good as putting up points. That’s something that coach Dickert emphasizes on the defensive side.”
For Wake Forest, this particular victory against North Carolina means more than just a highlighted ‘W’ on the schedule. It proves that they are here to compete against the best this country has to offer. Next week, the Demon Deacons will face Delaware in the final home match of the season as they look to keep things rolling before bowl season.
