Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert wants to see the same kind of effort week to week that’s led to the Demon Deacons’ stellar start, no matter who the opponent is.
Dickert welcomes a test of his team’s consistency Saturday afternoon when Merrimack comes to Winston-Salem, N.C.
This will be the first ever meeting between the Demon Deacons (7-1), No. 16 in the first College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night, and the Warriors (4-5), an FCS independent.
“When you play nameless, faceless opponents, it’s just about the standard of what you want to do,” Dickert said during his weekly press conference Monday. “It’s a big standard week. Our guys have got to rise to the standard of preparation, which they’ve done in every challenge, and I’m excited about the opportunity once again.”
Thirty years after starting their football program, the Warriors are 0-6 all-time against FBS opponents.
But the difficulty level could be higher than expected for the Deacons if they are without starting quarterback Gio Lopez, who is day-to-day according to Dickert. Lopez took a hit to his lower right leg and limped off the field last week in Wake Forest’s 51-7 blowout win over Virginia. Lopez exited with 2:29 left in the third quarter and did not return after completing 13 of 21 passes for 229 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He also ran for 64 yards on 13 carries.
Lopez is averaging 272.0 passing yards per game and has 18 touchdown passes, each of which ranks third in the Atlantic Coast Conference behind Miami’s Darian Mensah and SMU’s Kevin Jennings. Lopez is also one of four quarterbacks in the ACC who have played in at least five games and thrown one interception or fewer.
Dickert did not elaborate on how long it would be until Lopez, linebacker Aiden Hall and offensive lineman Tolu Olajide all returned from injury.
“All three will be back on the field when I feel like they can play to the capability they’ve shown throughout the season,” Dickert said. “So we’ll take it day by day. These guys are pressing to get back, and all three will be back when the time is right.”
Merrimack is coming off a 19-14 win at home over Wagner. Quarterback AJ Hairston ran for two touchdowns, including the eventual game-winner on a 4-yard run with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter.
Hairston, a sophomore who transferred from UMass, is 114 of 206 for 1,362 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions, and has been sacked 11 times. He has also run for 295 yards and five touchdowns on 79 carries and is Merrimack’s second-leading rusher behind running back Matthias Latham (122 carries, 626 yards, 3 TDs).
Second-year Warriors coach Mike Gennetti recently expressed his pride in a team which has already matched last year’s win total and has strung together back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
“I think the biggest thing our players have embraced is the importance of finishing what we’ve started,” Gennetti said. “We’ve talked all year about building something here at Merrimack that goes far beyond wins and losses. It’s about establishing a culture of toughness, accountability, and playing for one another. Everyone playing football right now wants to finish the season strong, and our team is no different.”
–Field Level Media
