Wake Forest dominated Akron 38-16 in the season opener Thursday night, showcasing a dramatic improvement from the previous year when the Demon Deacons barely survived a 10-9 victory against Kennesaw State. Playing at home, Coach Jake Dickert’s second-year team established control early and never relinquished it, signaling a significant turnaround for the program.
Quarterback Gio Lopez delivered an impressive performance in his debut, completing 21 of 32 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns without turnovers. The standout moment came when Lopez connected with receiver Antonio Meeks on a 72-yard touchdown strike that gave Wake Forest a commanding 17-0 advantage. Lopez accumulated 313 yards and all three scores by halftime, demonstrating the offensive firepower at the program’s disposal this season. Running back Clark added 105 yards on seven carries as the Deacons accumulated 559 total yards of offense.
Akron struggled significantly throughout the contest, managing only 134 total yards in the first half with redshirt freshman Cibastian Broughton making his collegiate debut at quarterback. The Zips endured multiple three-and-outs early, providing Wake Forest with numerous scoring opportunities that the home team capitalized upon consistently.
Despite the lopsided victory, Coach Dickert expressed frustration about execution flaws. Wake Forest committed ten penalties for 100 yards and allowed Akron’s backup offense to score late against the second-team defense. Dickert emphasized that the team must eliminate self-inflicted mistakes and improve defensive consistency before traveling to Purdue next Saturday.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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