American college football season
The 2023 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Demon Deacons were led by Dave Clawson in his tenth year as head coach. They played their home games at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina .
Offseason
Players drafted into the NFL
Transfers
Outgoing
[2]
Incoming
Schedule
Wake Forest and the ACC announced the 2023 football schedule on January 30, 2023.[3] [4] The 2023 season will be the conference's first season since 2004 , that its scheduling format just includes one division. The new format sets Wake Forest with three set conference opponents, while playing the remaining ten teams twice (home and away) in a four–year cycle. The Demon Deacons three set conference opponents for the next four years is; Duke , Georgia Tech , and Virginia Tech .[5] [6]
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance 7:00 p.m. Elon * ACCN W 37–1730,028
September 9 11:00 a.m. Vanderbilt * Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC ACCN W 36–2028,363
September 16 12:00 p.m. at Old Dominion * ESPN2 W 27–2418,276
September 23 6:30 p.m. Georgia Tech Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC The CW L 16–3032,528
October 7 3:30 p.m. at Clemson ACCN L 12–1780,810
October 14 3:30 p.m. at Virginia Tech ACCN L 13–3065,632
October 21 3:30 p.m. Pittsburgh Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC ACCN W 21–1731,855
October 28 12:00 p.m. No. 4 Florida State Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC ABC L 16–4131,288
7:30 p.m. at Duke ESPN L 21–2418,277
November 11 2:00 p.m. NC State Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium Winston-Salem, NC (rivalry ) The CW L 6–2629,591
November 18 3:30 p.m. at No. 19 Notre Dame * NBC L 7–4577,622
November 25 2:00 p.m. at Syracuse The CW L 31–3535,018
[7]
Game summaries
Elon
Elon Phoenix at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Phoenix
0
0
14 3 17
Demon Deacons
10
14
6 7 37
at Truist Field , Winston-Salem, NC
Date : August 31, 2023Game time : 7:00 p.m. EST Game attendance : 30,028TV : ACCN
Game information
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Win Probability
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
ELON
WAKE
First downs
13
22
Total yards
251
427
Rushing yards
104
98
Passing yards
149
327
Turnovers
2
1
Time of possession
31:50
28:10
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Elon
Passing
Justin Allen
18/29, 130 yards, 2 INT
Rushing
Jalen Hampton
15 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Jordan Bonner
7 catches, 58 yards
Wake Forest
Passing
Mitch Griffis
19/30, 329, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Demond Claiborne
13 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Jahmal Banks
6 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Commodores
0
14
0 6 20
Demon Deacons
3
21
3 9 36
at Truist Field , Winston-Salem, NC
Date : September 9, 2023Game time : 11:00 a.m. EST Game attendance : 28,363TV : ACCN
Game information
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Win Probability
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
VAN
WAKE
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Vanderbilt
Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Wake Forest
Passing
Rushing
Receiving
at Old Dominion
Georgia Tech
at Clemson
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Clemson Tigers − Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Wake Forest
3
0
3 6 12
Clemson
0
7
3 7 17
at Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC
Date : October 7, 2023Game time : 3:30 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: NW @ 10 mph (16 km/h) • Weather: SunnyGame attendance : 80,810Referee : Jerry MagallanesTV announcers (ACCN ) : Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (color), Sherree Burruss (sideline)Sources :
Game information
First quarter
(2:25) Wake Forest – Matthew Dennis 35 yard field goal, (Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 3:15; Wake Forest 3–0 )
Second quarter
(10:18) Clemson – Cade Klubnik 7 yard rush, Jonathan Weitz kick, (Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:07; Clemson 7–3 )
Third quarter
(7:15) Clemson – Weitz 25 yard field goal, (Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 7:45; Clemson 10–3 )
(2:20) Wake Forest – Dennis 22 yard field goal, (Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 4:55; Clemson 10–6 )
Fourth quarter
(5:49) Clemson – Will Shipley 1 yard rush, Weitz kick, (Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:45; Clemson 17–6 )
(1:34) Wake Forest – Demond Claiborne 3 yard rush, 2 point attempt failed (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:15; Clemson 17–12 )
Statistics
WAKE
CLEM
First downs
18
19
Total yards
239
338
Rushing yards
102
207
Passing yards
137
131
Turnovers
1
2
Time of possession
28:39
31:21
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Wake Forest
Passing
Mitch Griffis
15/25, 137 yards
Rushing
Demond Claiborne
19 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Jahmal Banks
8 receptions, 55 yards
Clemson
Passing
Cade Klubnik
18/28, 131 yards
Rushing
Will Shipley
19 rushes, 97 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Beaux Collins
5 receptions, 50 yards
at Virginia Tech
Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Virginia Tech Hokies − Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Wake Forest
0
10
0 3 13
Virginia Tech
0
17
3 10 30
at Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA
Date : October 14, 2023Game time : 3:30 p.m. EDT Game weather : sunny • Temperature : 66 °F (19 °C)Game attendance : 65,632Referee : Stuart MullinsTV : ACCN
Game information
Second Quarter
(10:42) VT – Bhayshul Tuten 3 yd Rush (John Love Kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 51 yards, 1:48; VT 7–0 )
(4:23) VT - John Love 37 yd Field Goal (Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 4:31; VT 10-0 )
(4:10) WF - Demond Claiborne 96 yd Kickoff Return (Matthew Dennis Kick) (VT 10-7 )
(3:59) VT - Jaylin Lane 75 yd Pass From Kyron Drones (John Love Kick) (Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11; VT 17-7 )
(0:20) WF - Matthew Dennis 28 yd Field Goal (Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:39; VT 17-10 )
Third Quarter
(0:49) VT - John Love 26 yd Field Goal (Drive: 13 plays, 45 yards, 6:26; VT 20-10 )
Fourth Quarter
(12:37) WF – Matthew Dennis 34 yd Field Goal (Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:12; VT 20–13 )
(8:06) VT - John Love 36 yd Field Goal (Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:31; VT 23-13 )
(2:47) VT - Jaylin Lane 12 yd Pass From Kyron Drones (John Love Kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:07; VT 30-13 )
Statistics
WF
VT
First downs
20
21
Total yards
262
462
Rush yards
35
141
Passing yards
227
321
Turnovers
3
1
Time of possession
27:08
32:52
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Wake Forest
Passing
Michael Kern
14/22, 166 yards
Rushing
Justice Ellison
11 carries, 35 yards
Receiving
Taylor Morin
7 receptions, 86 yards
Virginia Tech
Passing
Kyron Drones
20/29, 321 yards, 2 TD
Rushing
Kyron Drones
15 carries, 59 yards
Receiving
Jaylin Lane
3 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD
Pittsburgh
No. 4 Florida State
at Duke
NC State
Pregame line
Over/under
WAKE –0.5
42.5
NC State Wolfpack at Wake Forest Demon Deacons − Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Wolfpack
7
14
0 5 26
Demon Deacons
0
0
0 6 6
at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium , Winston-Salem, NC
Date : November 11, 2023Game time : 2:00 p.m EST Game attendance : 29,591TV announcers (CW ) : Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), and Treavor Scales (sideline)
Game information
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Win Probability
Line
Over/Under
Statistics
NCSU
WAKE
First downs
19
8
Total yards
379
163
Rushing yards
268
7
Passing yards
111
156
Turnovers
1
2
Time of possession
40:16
19:44
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
NC State
Passing
Brennan Armstrong
12–17, 113 yards, 1 TD
Rushing
Brennan Armstrong
15 rushes, 96 yards, 1 TD
Receiving
Dacari Collins
2 receptions, 40 yards
Wake Forest
Passing
Michael Kern
14–26, 137 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing
Demond Claiborne
8 rushes, 12 yards
Receiving
Horatio Fields
3 receptions, 31 yards
at No. 19 Notre Dame
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4–6) vs. No. 19 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7–3) – Game summary
Period
1
2
3 4 Total
Wake Forest
0
7
0 0 7
No. 19 Notre Dame
7
10
14 14 45
at Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN
Date : November 18, 2023Game time : 3:30 p.m.Game weather : Sunny, 50 °F (10 °C)Game attendance : 77,622Referee : Tim HedgepethTV announcers (NBC ) : Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), and Zora Stephenson (reporter)
Game information
First quarter
(0:54) ND – Devyn Ford 12-yard pass from Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:41; Notre Dame 7–0 )
Second quarter
(11:41) WF – Tate Carney 9-yard run, Matthew Dennis kick (Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 4:07; Tied 7–7 )
(7:06) ND – Tobias Merriweather 35-yard pass from Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:28; Notre Dame 14–7 )
(0:05) ND – Spencer Shrader 37-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 1:30; Notre Dame 17–7 )
Third quarter
(14:09) ND – Eli Raridon 19-yard pass from Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 1 play, 19 yards, 0:07; Notre Dame 24–0 )
(5:22) ND – Audric Estimé 2-yard run, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:07; Notre Dame 31-7 )
Fourth quarter
(13:24) ND – Jaden Greathouse 48-yard pass from Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 1 play, 54 yards, 2:07; Notre Dame 38–0 )
(3:56) ND – Jordan Faison 17-yard pass from Steve Angeli , Marcello Diomede kick (Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:49; Notre Dame 45–7 )
Statistics
WAKE
ND
First downs
14
25
Total yards
232
450
Rushes/yards
36–134
30–137
Passing yards
98
313
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
12–21–0
24–34–0
Time of possession
31:27
28:33
Team
Category
Player
Statistics
Wake Forest
Passing
Michael Kern
11/20, 81 yards
Rushing
Ellison Justice
15 carries, 63 yards
Receiving
Jahmal Banks
5 receptions, 35 yards
Notre Dame
Passing
Sam Hartman
21/29, 277 yards, 4 TD
Rushing
Audric Estimé
22 carries, 115 yards, TD
Receiving
Rico Flores Jr.
8 receptions, 102 yards
at Syracuse
Players drafted into the NFL
References
^ Markowski, Jack (October 19, 2023). "Pitt Panthers Preparing For Wake Forest's RPO-Heavy Offense" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved October 26, 2023 .
^ "2023 College Football Transfer Portal" . 247Sports . Retrieved December 27, 2022 .
^ "Wake Forest will play three of its first four football games this fall at home" . News & Record. January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023 .
^ Bergin, Mark (January 30, 2023). "Here are the 2023 football schedules for NC State, North Carolina and Duke" . WRAL. Retrieved February 3, 2023 .
^ "ACC Announces Football Schedule Model for 2023–26" (Press release). Atlantic Coast Conference. June 28, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023 .
^ Murphy, Brian (June 28, 2022). "ACC eliminates football divisions, adopts new schedule model in 2023" . WRAL. Retrieved February 3, 2023 .
^ "2023 Wake Forest Football Schedule" . FBSchedules.com . Retrieved December 23, 2022 .
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons