Demon Deacons and Cavaliers meet to start their ACC schedules Saturday
Wake Forest defensive linemen Bryce Ganious (55), Kevin Pointer (91) and Jasheen Davis (30) celebrate after sacking North Carolina A&T quarterback Kevin White in the second half of an NCAA football game on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at Allegacy Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Credit: AP/Allison Lee Isley
Virginia at Wake Forest, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Wake Forest by 2 1/2.
Series record: Virginia leads 34-17.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Both the Demon Deacons and Cavaliers got off to winning starts by beating Championship Subdivision opponents in the opener. Now they have a chance to start with a win in Atlantic Coast Conference play as teams picked to finish 15th (Wake Forest) and 16th (Virginia) in the 17-team league. The Demon Deacons have won five straight meetings.
KEY MATCHUP
Virginia's passing game against Wake Forest's defensive front. The Cavaliers started Anthony Colandrea at quarterback, and he responded by throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns to go with a rushing score. The Demon Deacons got sacks from Jasheen Davis, Kevin Pointer and Branson Combs in their opener.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Virginia: WR Malachi Fields. The senior had his first career 100-yard receiving game by grabbing five balls for 100 yards against Richmond. That marked the eighth straight game in which a Cavs player had a 100-yard receiving game dating to last season.
Wake Forest: QB Hank Bachmeier. The former Boise State and Louisiana Tech passer threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in the season-opening win against North Carolina A&T after Michael Kern got the start after a preseason-camp battle.
FACTS & FIGURES
This is the first meeting between the longtime ACC teams since 2021. Virginia hasn't beaten Wake Forest since 2007 and hasn't won in Winston-Salem since 2002. ... Davis moved past Boogie Basham for fourth place in program history with 21 sacks in the opener. ... Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne ran for 135 yards in the opener, his second career 100-yard performance. ... Virginia's 34 points against Richmond was the No. 2 total under third-year coach Tony Elliott. ... The Cavaliers have lost three straight league openers while the Demon Deacons have lost two in a row. ... Both teams surrendered 13 points in the opener. ... The first meeting between the schools came in 1889. Virginia won 46-4.
