Wake Forest defeats Akron 38-16 in season opener
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 4, 2026, 3:47 AM
Last updated Sep 4, 2026
Wake Forest opened its season Thursday night with a 38-16 victory over Akron at home. Quarterback Gio Lopez led the offense by throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns while completing 21 of 32 pass attempts. The Demon Deacons built a 28-3 lead by halftime behind early scores from Kam Shanks, Antonio Meeks, and Carlos Hernandez. Akron struggled to generate offense for much of the contest, as the team combined for 305 total yards compared to 559 yards for Wake Forest. Head coach Jake Dickert expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance despite the win, specifically citing 10 penalties for 100 yards and a lack of defensive focus late in the game. Akron utilized three different quarterbacks during the game as they managed two late touchdowns.
- •Wake Forest beat Akron 38-16 in a Thursday night home game.
- •Gio Lopez threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns without committing a turnover.
- •Wake Forest recorded 559 total yards of offense while committing 10 penalties.
- •Akron used Cibastian Broughton as the starting quarterback before bringing in Brayden Roggow.
- •Head coach Jake Dickert noted the team needs to improve on penalties and finishing defensive drives.
- 3:47 AMYahoo Sports — What A Difference a Year Makes for Wake Forest; Deacs Sprint Past Akron
"What a difference a year makes for Wake Forest football. In week one last year, the Demon Deacons barely survived Kennesaw State with a 10-9 win. As year two of the Jake Dickert era opened Thursday night at home, the Deacs took command early and blew out the Akron Zips 38-16. What A Difference a …
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