Overview
- Wake Forest opened a dominant first half at Gerald J. Ford Stadium that left the Demon Deacons leading SMU 42-0 at halftime on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026.
- Quarterback Gio Lopez and receiver Carlos Hernandez catalyzed the scoring surge, with coach Jake Dickert praising Lopez’s competitive character after the team’s fast start.
- Pre-game markets and analysts had narrowly favored SMU at home, making the halftime margin a sharp reversal of expectations and a major upset relative to betting lines.
- National broadcasters Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit publicly apologized at halftime for picking SMU after Wake Forest’s unexpectedly lopsided performance.
- The result strengthens Wake Forest’s ACC and College Football Playoff case by keeping them on track for a conference title run and likely eliminates SMU from realistic playoff contention.