The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the sport of American football. The Demon Deacons compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Division of the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

(ACC). Wake Forest plays its home football games at Truist Field at Wake Forest and is coached by Dave Clawson. Wake Forest struggled in football for much of the second half of the 20th century. The university is the sixth-smallest school in FBS in terms of undergraduate enrollment (behind only Rice, Tulsa and the three FBS United States service academies). It is also the smallest school playing in a

Power Five conference The Power Five conferences are the five most prominent and highest-earning athletic conferences in college football in the United States. They are part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of NCAA Division I, the highest level of collegiate ...

. However, since the start of the 21st century, the Deacons have been mostly competitive, having made ten bowl games in the first two decades.

History

Early history (1888–1972)

Wake Forest first fielded a football team in 1888. The team was coached by

W. C. Dowd William Carey Dowd Sr. (March 21, 1865 – September 23, 1927) was an American football player and coach, politician, and publisher. He served as the first head football coach at Wake Forest University, coaching the team for one game in 1888. ...

and W. C. Riddick. That team played only one game, and went 1–0, a victory against North Carolina in the first-ever collegiate football game played in the state of North Carolina. From 1891 to 1893, under head coach E. Walter Sikes, Wake Forest posted a 6–2–1 record. Harry Rabenhorst coached Wake Forest for two seasons, posting a 3–8 record. Hank Garrity served as head football coach from 1923–1924. He compiled a 19–7–1 record in those two seasons. His .704 winning percentage is the highest in Wake Forest football history. F. S. Miller served as Wake Forest's head football coach for four seasons, posting a record of 18–15–4. His first two seasons were winning seasons, 6–5–1 and 5–3–1, respectively. Jim Weaver, who would become the ACC's first commissioner, coached the Demon Deacons football team for four seasons. His final record is 10–23–1. Peahead Walker came to the Demon Deacons from

Elon Elon commonly refers to Elon Musk. Elon may also refer to: People * Elon (name), a given name and surname Places in the United States * Elon, Iowa, an unincorporated community * Elon, North Carolina, a town * Elon, Virginia, an unincorporated ...

and was Wake Forest's head football coach for 14 seasons, compiling a record of 77–51–6. He is tied with Jim Grobe as the winningest head football coach in Demon Deacon football history. Walker led the Deacons to two bowl games, a win over South Carolina in the inaugural

Gator Bowl The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...

in 1946 and a loss to Baylor in the

1949 Dixie Bowl The 1949 Dixie Bowl, part of the 1948 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1949, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The competing teams were the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, representing the Southern Conference (SoCon), and the Baylor B ...

. He resigned after the 1950 season and was inducted into the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971. Tom Rogers led the Demon Deacons from 1951–1955, succeeding Walker. Rogers yearly records at Wake Forest were 6–4, 5–4–1, 3–6–1, 4–7–1 and 5–4–1. In 1951, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–4 record and finished in a tie for seventh place in the Southern Conference. End Jack Lewis and linebacker Bill George were selected by the Associated Press as first-team players on the 1951 All-Southern Conference football team. In their second season under Rogers, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–4–1 record and finished in a tie for second place in the Southern Conference with a 5–1 record against conference opponents. End Jack Lewis was selected by the United Press as a first-team player on the 1952 All-Southern Conference football team. This was followed by a 3–6–1 campaign in 1953 that saw Wake Forest finish in a three-way tie for third place in the

with a 2–3 record against conference opponents. In 1954, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–6–1 record and finished in sixth place in the

with a 1–4–1 record against conference opponents. End Ed Stowers and tackle Bob Bartholomew were selected by the Associated Press as first-team players on the

1954 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team The 1954 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press (UP) as the best players at each position from the players on teams participating in the Atlantic Co ...

. Bartholomew was the only unanimous selection by all 43 voters. In 1955, their fifth season under Rogers, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–4–1 record and finished in fourth place in the

with a 3–3–1 record against conference opponents. Tackle Bob Bartholomew was selected by both the Associated Press and the United Press International as a first-team player on the 1955 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. Rogers was replaced as Wake Forest head coach after five seasons. Paul Amen, who succeeded Rogers, came to Wake Forest from his post as an assistant at Army and also struggled but managed to go 6–4 in his final season, his only winning record. He coached the Demon Deacons from 1956–1959. Amen was hired over another former assistant to Red Blaik, then-

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

offensive assistant Vince Lombardi. In their first season under Amen, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–5–3 record and finished in seventh place in the

with a 1–5–1 record against conference opponents. Halfback

Billy Ray Barnes Billy Ray Barnes (born May 14, 1935) is an American former professional football player who was a halfback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was a three-time Pro Bowl select ...

rushed for over 1,000 yards and was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the

1956 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team The 1956 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. Selectors in 1956 i ...

. Amen's 1957 team posted a winless 0–10 record. This was followed by a 3–7 season in 1958. In 1958, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–4 record and finished in a tie for fourth place in the

. Quarterback Norm Snead and end Pete Manning were selected by the Associated Press and United Press International as first-team players on the

1959 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team The 1959 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. Selectors in 1959 i ...

. Snead later played 16 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time All-Pro selection. Guard Nick Patella was selected to the All-ACC team by the UPI. Amen was selected in 1956 and 1959 as ACC Coach of the Year, however, Amen retired after four seasons.

Bill Hildebrand Charles William Hildebrand (August 26, 1924 – May 3, 1992) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Whitworth College, now Whitworth University, in 1951 and at Wake Forest University from 1960 to 1963 ...

was promoted from defensive line coach to head coach following Amen's retirement. Hildebrand, like his predecessors, struggled to find much success. His best season came in 1961 in which the Demon Deacons posted a 4–6 record. In its first season under Hildebrand, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–8 record and finished in seventh place in the

(ACC). Quarterback Norm Snead was selected by the United Press International as a first-team player on the

1960 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team The 1960 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1960 NCAA University Division football season. Selectors in 1960 in ...

. Snead later played 16 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time All-Pro selection. In 1961, its second season under head coach Hildebrand, the team compiled a 4–6 record and finished in seventh place in the

(ACC). Halfback Alan White was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team player on the 1961 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team. In 1962, the team compiled a 0–10 record and finished in last place in the

(ACC). This was followed by a 1–9 campaign in 1963 that saw Wake Forest finish in seventh place in the

(ACC). After four seasons and a 7–33 overall record, Hildebrand was fired. Bill Tate was hired as the Demon Deacons head football coach in January 1964. Tate coached the Demon Deacons for five seasons. In its first season under Tate, the team compiled a 5–5 record and finished in a three-way tie for third place in the

(ACC). Three players received first-team All-ACC honors from the Associated Press: fullback Brian Piccolo, quarterback John Mackovic, and end Richard Cameron. Piccolo was a unanimous selection for the all-conference team, and was also selected as a first-team All-American by ''Football News''. He set three ACC records in 1964 with 1,044 rushing yards, 111 points scored, and 17 touchdowns. Piccolo also led the nation in 1964 in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and points scored. He was named the

(ACC) Player of the Year, yet went unselected in both the AFL and NFL drafts. Mackovic led the Demon Deacons with 1,340 passing yards while completing 89 of 195 passes. Cameron caught 29 passes for 410 yards. From 1964–1968, Wake Forest posted a 17–32–1 record and steadily declined year-by-year, going from 5–5 in Tate's first year worsening each year to 2–7–1 in his last. Tate won ACC Coach of the Year honors in 1964 but was fired after failing to post a winning record in any of his five seasons. Cal Stoll was hired as Wake Forest's head coach away from Michigan State, where he served as an assistant. Stoll was able to have success with the Deacons, posting a 3–7 record his first year then back-to-back 6–5 records in his last two. In 1969, their first season under Stoll, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–7 record and finished in seventh place in the

. In 1970, the team compiled a 6–5 record, finished in first place in the

with a 5–1 record against conference opponents. In their third season under Stoll, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–5 record and finished in a tie for fifth place in the

. Stoll left Wake Forest after the 1971 season to take the head coach position at his alma mater Minnesota after initially declining the job. His final record was 15–17 and included Wake Forest's first ACC championship in 1970. Stoll won ACC Coach of the Year honors in 1970. Tom Harper was promoted from assistant coach to head coach following Stoll's departure. In their first and only season under Harper, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–9 record and finished in a tie for last place in the

. Harper was replaced as Wake Forest's head football coach after the 1972 season.

Chuck Mills era (1973–1977)

Chuck Mills was hired away from

Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...

and served as the Demon Deacons head football coach for five seasons, compiling an 11–43–1 record before he was fired due to the team's continued lackluster on-the-field performance. In 1973, Mills' first season, the Demon Deacons compiled a 1–9–1 record and finished in last place in the

. This was followed by a 1–10 record and last place finish in the

in 1974. Mills' third season in 1975 saw the Demon Deacons go 3–8 record and finish in fourth place in the

. In 1976, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–6 record and finished in third place in the

. In their fifth and final season under Mills in 1977, the Demon Deacons compiled a 1–10 record and finished in last place in the

John Mackovic era (1978–1980)

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

offensive coordinator and associate head coach John Mackovic took over as head coach of his alma mater in 1978 and re-energized the Wake Forest football program, turning the program around from 1–10 to 8–4 in one year, for which Mackovic won ACC Coach of the Year honors. His teams were aggressive and fast. In 1979, its second season under head coach John Mackovic, the team compiled an 8–4 record, finished in fourth place in the

, and lost to LSU in the

1979 Tangerine Bowl The 1979 Tangerine Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 22, 1979 at Orlando Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The game matched the LSU Tigers against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. It was the final contest ...

. Mackovic won the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award in 1979. In its third season under head coach John Mackovic, the team compiled a 5–6 record and finished in a three-way tie for fourth place in the

. Following the 1980 season, Mackovic left Wake Forest to take an assistant coaching position with the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

's Dallas Cowboys. Mackovic's final record at Wake Forest is 14–20.

Al Groh era (1981–1986)

Under head coach Al Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 26–40 record. In 1981, their first season under Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in sixth place in the

. In their second season under Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in last place in the

. In their third season under Groh, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in a tie for last place in the

. Groh's best season was a 6–5 1984 season. and Groh resigned after the 1986 season, a 5–6 campaign, to take an assistant coaching position with the National Football League's

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

Bill Dooley era (1987–1992)

Bill Dooley came to Wake Forest after a brief retirement from coaching. He had previously been head football coach at Virginia Tech and North Carolina. In Dooley's first season, the team compiled a 7–4 record and finished in a tie for third place in the

. The next year, Wake Forest compiled a 6–4–1 record and finished in a tie for fourth place in the

. In 1989, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–8–1 record and finished in seventh place in the

. The following season, Wake Forest finished with a 3–8 record and finished in last place in the

. In 1991, Wake Forest again finished last in the ACC with a 3–8 record. Dooley led the Demon Deacons to one bowl game, the 1992 Independence Bowl, which Wake Forest won, capping off an 8–4 season in which they finished ranked No. 25 in both the AP and Coaches Polls, respectively. Dooley re-retired after that game. Dooley retired after the 1992 season. His six seasons in Winston-Salem are tied for fourth for longest tenure and his 29 wins are third in most wins in Wake Forest history. He had three winning seasons at Wake Forest, 7–4 in 1987, 6–4–1 in 1988, and the 8–4 1992 team. Dooley's final record is 29–36–2.

Jim Caldwell era (1993–2000)

Jim Caldwell came to Wake Forest from his post as quarterbacks coach at

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

. Caldwell was the first African American head football coach in Wake Forest football history. Caldwell's Demon Deacons were known to pass the ball well, setting dozens of school passing records. However, they frequently struggled to run the ball; in one year, the leading rusher only ran for a total of 300 yards. Caldwell's first season was 1993, during which the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–9 record and finished in last place in the

. In 1994, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in eighth place in the

. That was followed by a 1–10 record and last place finish in the

for the fourth time in five years. 1996 was another season of struggle, as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the

, their best such finish in the ACC in over a decade. In 1997, the Demon Deacons compiled a 5–6 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the

. The highlight of the season came on opening weekend, when the Demon Deacons upset then No. 21 Northwestern by a score of 27–20, their first win over a ranked opponent in over a decade. In 1998, the Demon Deacons compiled a 3–8 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the

. That was followed by the only winning season of Caldwell's tenure, a 7–5 season capped with a win in the

1999 Aloha Bowl The 1999 Aloha Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 25, 1999, in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was part of the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who finished 5th in the ACC, and the Arizona ...

. In 2000, the Demon Deacons compiled a 2–9 record and finished in eighth place in the

. Wake Forest struggled in Caldwell's eight-year tenure, posting only one winning season. Caldwell was fired after the 2000 season. His final record at Wake Forest was 26–63.

Jim Grobe era (2001–2013)

Coach Jim Grobe came to Wake Forest from Ohio. He brought with him an aggressive defensive scheme and a philosophy of discipline and accountability for his players both on the field and off. In their first season under Grobe, the Demon Deacons compiled a 6–5 record and finished in a tie for seventh place in the

. In 2002, the Demon Deacons compiled a 7–6 record and finished in a tie for seventh place in the

. This was followed by a 5–7 campaign and seventh-place finish in the

. In 2004, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in a tie for last place in the

. That year, Wake Forest lost a close game on homecoming to then No. 5 Florida State on a field goal with one minute remaining in the contest by a score of 20–17. In their fifth season under Jim Grobe, the Demon Deacons compiled a 4–7 record and finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division of the

. Grobe's best season was 2006, when the Demon Deacons posted an 11–2 record, won their first ACC championship in 36 years, and played in the Orange Bowl, a game they lost to Louisville. For the team's success in 2006, Grobe was awarded the ACC coach of the Year, Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award and AP Coach of the Year Award. Grobe's 77 wins are tied with Peahead Walker for most in Wake Forest football history. After that 2006 season, Grobe's teams weren't able to match that level of success, winning six or more games just three times in the next seven years. Following the most successful season in team history in 2006, the 2007 team was not widely predicted to win the ACC despite returning many offensive starters from 2006. Some sports writers stated that they believed 2006 to have been a fluke and that Wake Forest was not going to win as many games in 2007, especially because of the losses on defense, including the loss of linebacker Jon Abbate to the National Football League. Wake Forest was picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic Division of the ACC in the annual preseason poll conducted by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Lindy's was the only major preseason magazine to pick Wake Forest as a Top-25 team. The team began its season with an

(ACC) game on Saturday, September 1, 2007 against

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

. Wake Forest played its first season since winning the 2006

ACC championship The ACC Championship was a cancelled two-day cricket tournament run by the Asian Cricket Council that is contested between its members nations. The first tournament was scheduled to be held in December 2014. It was canceled due to the busy prep ...

, their first in 36 years. Wake Forest would finish the season with a 9–4 (5–3 ACC) record. A win in the

2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl The 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl, one of 27 non- BCS bowl games played after the 2007 NCAA football regular season, took place on Saturday, December 29, 2007, with a 1:00PM EST kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wake F ...

against UConn gave the Deacons twenty wins over the last two seasons. In 2008, Wake Forest's 56th season as a member of the ACC the Demon Deacons began their season on August 28 at Baylor. The team finished 8–5 overall and 4–4 in ACC play, and beat Navy in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl on December 20, 2008. The 2009 season saw the Demon Deacons finish the season with a record of 5–7 and 3–5 in ACC play. The Deacons missed out on a bowl game for the first time since the 2005 season. In 2010, the Demon Deacons had another year of struggles, finishing 3–9, 1–7 in ACC play. This was followed by a 2011 season in which the Demon Deacons finished 6–7 and 5–3 in ACC play to finish in a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division. They were invited to the Music City Bowl where they were defeated by Mississippi State by a score of 23–17. The 2012 season saw Wake Forest finish 5–7 with a 3–5 record in ACC play. Grobe resigned as head coach after the 2013 season, a 4–8 campaign, with a 77–82 overall record.

Dave Clawson era (2014–present)

Football Coach Dave Clawson Wake Forest University

Dave Clawson was hired away from Bowling Green as the Demon Deacons head football coach, his hiring made official at a press conference on December 10, 2013. Clawson brought with him a coaching style that utilizes the team's available talent to maximize success. His offensive philosophy focuses on getting individual playmakers more touches rather than sticking to a rigidly-defined system. After posting 3–9 (1–7 ACC) seasons in 2014 and 2015, Clawson's 2016 team started the season by winning five of its first six games including road victories at Duke and Indiana. He led Wake Forest to its first bowl win in eight years, beating then No. 23 Temple 34–26 in the Military Bowl. Clawson has re-built the Deacons using a philosophy of strong recruiting classes, redshirting as many freshmen as possible, and having a strong strength and conditioning program. After the 2016 season, Wake Forest signed Clawson to a contract extension. The Demon Deacons finished 8–5 in 2017. The Demon Deacons kicked off the season on August 31 with a 51–7 victory over FCS Presbyterian. In the season's second game, Wake defeated

by a margin of 34–10. After a 46–10 drubbing of

, Clawson's squad picked up their fourth win of the season in their fourth game by virtue of a 20–19 nail biter over

Appalachian State Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...

. Then the Demon Deacons embarked upon a three-game losing streak, beginning with a 26–19 loss to Florida State. On October 7, Wake Forest lost to No. 2 Clemson by a score of 28–14. After a 38–24 loss to Georgia Tech, Wake posted its fifth victory of the season with a 42–32 win over Louisville with wide receiver Greg Dortch hauling in a school-record 4 TD receptions. After a 48–37 loss to No. 5

Notre Dame Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to: * Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France * University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States ** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...

, the Demon Deacons ran all over

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

in an offensive shootout, prevailing by a margin of 64–43. After a 30–24 victory over archrival No. 25 NC State, Clawson's squad lost to rival Duke by a score of 31–23 in the regular season finale. Wake Forest was offered and accepted a berth in the

2017 Belk Bowl The 2017 Belk Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on December 29, 2017. The game was the 16th edition of the Belk Bowl and featured the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the At ...

, a game they won over Texas A&M by a score of 55–52. The following year, they were offered and accepted a berth to the

2018 Birmingham Bowl The 2018 Birmingham Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 22, 2018. It was the 13th edition of the Birmingham Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Jared brand of ...

, in which they beat Memphis 37–34. In 2019 they finished the season 8-5 after losing to Michigan State in the

2019 Pinstripe Bowl The 2019 Pinstripe Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2019, with kickoff at 3:20 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 10th edition of the Pinstripe Bowl, and one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS footbal ...

. In 2020 they finished the season 4-5 after losing to Wisconsin in the 2020 Duke’s Mayo Bowl. In 2021 they became bowl eligible for the 6th straight season when they started the season 8-0 for the first time in program history.

Conference affiliations

Wake Forest has been independent and affiliated with two conferences. * Independent (1888–1935) * Southern Conference (1936–1952) *

(1953–present)

Championships

Conference championships

Wake Forest has two conference championships.

Division championships

Head coaches

List of Wake Forest head coaches.

Bowl games

Wake Forest has played in 16 bowls in its history and owns a 10-6 record in those games. For the 2006 season, the school earned a bid to its first ever BCS game, with an Orange Bowl match-up against Louisville. Wake also had played in the 1982

Mirage Bowl The Coca-Cola Classic was a regular season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college football game played in Tokyo, Japan, from 1977 to 1993. It was originally sponsored by Mitsubishi and known as the Mirage Bowl, and late ...

in Tokyo, Japan against Clemson. However, because this game was played during the regular season, the NCAA does not recognize it as an official bowl game. Wake also competed in the 1951, 1953, 1954 Tobacco Bowl in Richmond, Virginia. According to the NCAA, it doesn't count as an official bowl game since this game isn't a postseason bowl.

Rivalries

Wake Forest is referred to as being a part of "

Tobacco Road Tobacco Road may refer to: Prose * ''Tobacco Road'' (novel) (1932), by Erskine Caldwell ** ''Tobacco Road'' (play) (1933), by Jack Kirkland ** ''Tobacco Road'' (film) (1941), directed by John Ford Music * "Tobacco Road" (song) (1960s), by John D. ...

" or the Big Four, terms that refer to the four North Carolina schools that compete heatedly against each other within the ACC. Wake Forest swept the series with its Tobacco Road rivals in 1924, 1951, 1970, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2007, and 2019.

North Carolina

Wake Forest defeated North Carolina 6–4 on October 18, 1888 during the first intercollegiate football game played in the state of North Carolina. Wake's all-time record against UNC is 36–68–2.

North Carolina State

Being in the same division of the ACC, Wake Forest and in-state rival NC State face each other every year. The rivalry is also the longest continuous rivalry between two ACC schools, having been played every year since 1910, as well as being the fourth longest continuous rivalry in NCAA history. Although the series has been interrupted since its inception, it has been uninterrupted since 1910, tying it with Oklahoma/Oklahoma St. for the second-longest continuous rivalry in FBS Division I college football, after only Minnesota/Wisconsin (uninterrupted since 1907). The Lafayette/Lehigh game in the FCS college football subdivision has been played, uninterrupted, since 1897. Wake Forest trails in the series 42–68–6 through the 2022 season.

Retired jerseys

Individual award winners

Player

*First Team All-American Selections :1976 – Bill Armstrong (consensus) :2005 – Ryan Plackimeier (unanimous) :2007 – Steve Justice (consensus) :2008 – Alphonso Smith (consensus) *ACC 25th Anniversary Football Team :Billy Ray Barnes : Bill Armstrong *ACC 50th Anniversary Football Team : Bill Armstrong :Brian Piccolo :Norm Snead *ACC All Decade Football Teams :(2000–2009) Chris Barclay, Steve Justice, Ryan Plackemeier, Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith *All SoCon selections :1936 – Raleigh Daniel :1938 – Louis Trunzo, Marshall Edwards :1939 – Rupert Pate, John Polanski :1940 – Tony Gallovich :1941 – Carl Givler :1942 –

Pat Preston Paddison Wade "Pat" Preston (June 15, 1921 – June 23, 2002) was an American football player and coach and college athletics administrator. He played professionally as a guard for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chi ...

, Red Cochran, Buck Jones :1943 – Nick Sacrinty, Elmer Barbour, Bill Starford :1944 – Nick Sacrinty, Elmer Barbour, Dick Foreman, John Kerns, George Owens, Dave Harris :1945 – Nick Sacrinty, Dave Harris, Dick Foreman, Buck Garrison, Rock Brinkley, Pride Ratterree :1946 – Nick Sacrinty, Bob Leonetti, Nick Ognovich :1947 – Jim Duncan, Tom Fetzer, Harry Clark, Ed Royston, :1948 – Jim Duncan, Tom Fetzer, Bill George, Red O'Quinn, Bill Gregus :1949 – Jim Duncan, Bill Miller, Bill George, Red O'Quinn, Bill Gregus, Ray Cicia, Carroll Blackerby :1950 – Jack Lewis, Bill Miller, Guido Scarton, Jim Staton, Bob Auffarth, Ed Listopad :1951 – Jack Lewis, Bill Finnance, Dickie Davis, Bill Link, Bill George, Jim Zarkas, Guido Scarton :1952 – Jack Lewis, Bill Finnance, Joe Koch, Sonny George, Ken Bridges, Bob Gaona *All ACC selections :1953 – Bob Bartholomew, Gerald Huth :1954 – Bob Bartholomew, Ed Stowers, Gerald Huth :1955 – Bob Bartholomew, Billy Ray Barnes :1956 – Billy Ray Barnes, Eddie Moore :1958 – Norm Snead, Pte Manning :1959 – Norm Snead, Pete Manning, Nick Patella :1960 – Norm Snead, Wayne Wolff :1961 – Alan White, Bill Hull, Bill Ruby :1964 – Brian Piccolo, John Mackovic :1965 – Joe Carazo :1966 – Bob Oplinger, Robert Grant :1967 – Rick Decker, Freddie Summers :1968 – Digit Laughride :1969 – Joe Dobner, John Mazalewski :1970 – Bill Bobbora, Larry Hopkins, Larry Russel, Ed Stetz, Tracy Lounsbury, Win Headley :1971 – Bill Bobbora, Larry Hopkins, Larry Russel, Ed Stetz, Steve Bowden :1972 – Chuck Ramsey, Nick Arcaro :1973 – Chuck Ramsey :1975 – Bill Armstrong, Clark Gaines :1976 – Bill Armstrong, Steve Young (TE), James McDougald, Don Cervi :1977 – Steve Young (TE), Larry Tearry, James McDougald :1979 – Wayne Baumgardner, Jay Venuto, James McDougald, James Parker :1980 – Bill Ard, Jay Venuto, Carlos Bradley :1981 – Phil Denfeld :1982 – Phil Denfeld, Tim Ryan, Harry Newsome :1983 – Harry Newsome :1984 – Gary Baldinger, Ronnie Burgess :1985 – Gary Baldinger, James Brim :1986 – James Brim, Tim Morrison, Paul Kiser :1987 – Mark Young, Jimmie Simmons, A.J. Green (DB) :1988 – A.J. Green (DB), Martin Bailey :1989 – Ricky Proehl :1990 – John Henry Mills :1991 – John Henry Mills, George Coghill :1992 – John Henry Mills, George Coghill, Todd Dixon, Ben Coleman :1993 – Dred Booe :1995 – Tucker Grace :1998 – Desmond Clark :1999 – Dustin Lyman, Morgan Kane, Bryan Ray, Fred Robbins :2001 – Michael Collins, Tarence Williams, Nate Bolling, Calvin Pace, John Stone, Vince Azzolina, Ray Thomas :2002 – Blake Henry, Calvin Pace, Fabian Davis, Tarence Williams, Mark Moroz, Tyson Clabo, Eric King, Quintin Williams, Montique Sharpe, Ray Thomas :2003 – Tyson Clabo, Eric King, Ryan Packemeier, Chris Barclay, Mark Moroz :2004 – Chris Barclay, Ryan Plackemeier, Steve Vallos, Eric King, Jon Abbate :2005 – Chris Barclay, Ryan Plackemeier,

Josh Gattis Josh Gattis (born January 15, 1984) is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland. Playing career Gattis was born in Durham, North Carolina. He played college football at Wake Fo ...

, Steve Vallos, Jon Abbate :2006 – Steve Justice, Steve Vallos, Jon Abbate, Josh Gattis, Sam Swank, Riley Skinner, Jyles Tucker, Patrick Ghee, Sam Swank, Chip Vaughn :2007 – Steve Justice, Kenneth Moore, Alphonso Smith, Josh Adams, Aaron Curry, Sam Swank, Kevin Marrion, Chip Vaughn :2008 – D.J. Boldin, Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith, Boo Robinson, Riley Skinner :2009 – John Russell, Riley Skinner, Marshall Williams, Chris DeGeare, Kenny Okoro :2011 – Chris Givens, Josh Bush, Joe Looney, Nikita Whitlock, Merrill Noel :2012 – Michael Campanaro, Nikita Whitlock, Kevin Johnson, A.J. Marshall :2013 – Nikita Whitlock, Michael Campanaro, Kevin Johnson, Ryan Janvion 2014 - Tylor Harris 2015 - Brandon Chubb, Alex Kinal 2016 - Mike Weaver, Jessie Bates, Marquel Lee 2017 - Cam Serigne, Ryan Anderson, John Wolford, Greg Dortch, Mike Weaver, Duke Ejiofor 2018 - Greg Dortch, Phil Haynes, Essang Bassey, Cameron Glenn 2019 - Sage Surratt, Boogie Basham, Nick Sciba, Dom Maggio The ACC and SoCon All Decade, and the all–conference lists aren't complete. The all–conference lists include selections for 1st team, 2nd team, and honorable mention. *ACC Male Athlete of the Year :Brian Piccolo – 1965 *ACC Player of the Year :Billy Ray Barnes – 1956 : Brian Piccolo – 1964 :Jay Venuto – 1979 :Chris Barclay – 2005 *ACC Offensive Player of the Year : Chris Barclay – 2005 * Ray Guy Award : Ryan Plackemeier –

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

*ACC Rookie of the Year :James McDougald – 1976 :Michael Ramseur – 1982 :

Riley Skinner Riley Skinner (born October 21, 1986) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Wake Forest University. College career Skinner played high sch ...

– 2006 :Josh Adams – 2007 *ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year :Josh Adams – 2007 *ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year :Merrill Noel – 2011 *ACC Brian Piccolo Award :Kenny Duckett – 1982 :John Piedmonte – 1983 :John Lewis – 1996 :Matt Robinson – 2007 * Butkus Award : Aaron Curry – 2008 *

Jacobs Blocking Award The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of William P. Jacobs, founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 ...

:James Ringgold (SoCon) – 1939 : Elmer Barbour (SoCon) – 1943 :Nick Ognovich (SoCon) – 1945, 1946, 1947 :Paul Kiser (ACC) – 1986 :Ben Coleman (ACC) – 1992 :Steve Justice (ACC) – 2007 * Pro Football Hall of Fame :Bill George – 1974 *

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...

: Red O’Quinn - 1981 :

Ed George Edward Gary George (born August 10, 1946) is a former offensive lineman and star player in the Canadian Football League (CFL). CFL Ed George was drafted in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers after playing at Wak ...

- 2005

Coaches

*ACC Coach of the Year : Paul Amen – 1956, 1959 : Bill Tate – 1964 : Cal Stoll – 1970 : John Mackovic – 1979 : Bill Dooley –

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

: Jim Grobe –

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

: Dave Clawson -

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

*Walter Camp Coach of the Year : John Mackovic –

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

*Associated Press Coach of the Year : Jim Grobe –

*Bobby Dodd Award : Jim Grobe –

Other notable players

* Jon Abbate – Former

linebacker; the central figure in ''

The 5th Quarter ''The 5th Quarter'' is a 2011 American drama film written, directed and produced by Rick Bieber and starring Aidan Quinn, Andie MacDowell, and Ryan Merriman. The option of the film was an interest to Ryan Johnston, a co-producer of the film, who ...

'', a 2011 feature film on Wake's 2006 season after his brother (Luke Abbate) died in a car accident. * Richard Burr – Current Republican Senator of North Carolina * Jim Clack – Former

center who won

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...

rings with the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and also played for the New York Giants * George Coghill – Former

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

who won back–to–back

rings with the Denver Broncos in 1998 and 1999. *

Charlie Crist Charles Joseph Crist Jr. (; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the U.S. representative for from 2017 to 2022. Crist has been a member of the Democratic ...

– Former Governor of Florida * Aaron Curry – Former first round pick of the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...

Clark Gaines Clark Daniel Gaines (born February 1, 1954) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was also a coach in the United States Football League (USFL). He played for the New York Jets and the Kansas City Ch ...

– Former

running back, holds NFL record for most receptions in a game by a running back (3rd most receptions in a game among all players), and was the first undrafted rookie to rush for over 500 yards in a rookie season; serves as Assistant Executive Director of the NFL Players Association. * Gerry Huth – Former

offensive guard who won 2 NFL championships (1 with the NY Giants in 1956, and the other with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1960) *

Brian Kuklick Brian Kuklick (born May 23, 1976) is an American former quarterback for the Orlando Rage of the XFL. Early life and education A star top-ranked football player in Pennsylvania, Kuklick became a two-sport athlete at Wake Forest University. In a ...

– Former

quarterback * Rusty LaRue – Still owns several NCAA passing records * James MacPherson – Quarterback *

Bob McCreary Bobby Joe McCreary (born June 20, 1939) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played c ...

– Former

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

* Brian Piccolo – Former

running back, basis for the movie '' Brian's Song'' * Ricky Proehl – Former

wide receiver who won

rings with St. Louis and Indianapolis * Norm Snead – Four time Pro Bowl quarterback. *

Freddie Summers Freddie S. Summers (born February 16, 1947) was a former American football defensive back who played three seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1 ...

– Former

Kevin Johnson Kevin Johnson may refer to: Entertainment *Kevin Johnson (singer) (born 1942), Australian singer * Kevin Johnson (ventriloquist) (born 1970), ventriloquist on ''America's Got Talent'' * Kevin Royal Johnson (born 1961), American singer-songwriter a ...

– Current NFL defensive back, former first round pick in 2015

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules

References

External links

* {{Atlantic Coast Conference football navbox American football teams established in 1888 1888 establishments in North Carolina