Wake Forest Football: Deacons look to maintain success in 2018
By Shane Lunnen
Schedule and predictions
Week Date Opponent
1 Thu, Aug 30 @Tulane
2 Sat, Sept 8 vs Towson
3 Thu, Sept 13 vs Boston College
4 Sat, Sept 22 vs Notre Dame
5 Sat, Sept 29 vs Rice
6 Sat, Oct 6 vs Clemson
7 Sat, Oct 13 BYE
8 Sat, Oct 20 @ Florida State
9 Sat, Oct 27 @ Louisville
10 Sat, Nov 3 vs Syracuse
11 Thu, Nov 8 @ NC State
12 Sat, Nov 17 vs Pittsburgh
13 Sat, Nov 24 @ Duke
Playing in the ACC Atlantic is never easy. Clemson and Florida State are powerhouses while NC State and Louisville are no walks in the park. This season though the schedule makers have set up Wake nicely. After an opening week trip to Tulane, the Deacons have five straight home games. A team cannot ask for much better than that.
Even with quarterback Kendall Hinton out in the first three games, Wake has a very good chance of being 3-0 when Notre Dame visits. After the Irish, the Deacons get another tune-up game against Rice before hosting Clemson. After an off week, the back end of the schedule is what will make or break the Deacons this year.
With five straight home games on the front end, it means there will be a lot of traveling in the last six games. Trips to take on the Seminoles, Cardinals and the Wolfpack will be tough. To achieve the seven-win regular season mark again, the Deacons must win at least one of those games. Wake is fortunate to draw Pitt and Duke from the Coastal division, playing both in consecutive weeks to conclude the season.
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The schedule is favorable enough where the Deacons should win at least six regular season games. If they can pull an upset against Clemson, Florida State, Louisville or NC State, then seven wins would be another solid season for the program and the direction it is heading under Dave Clawson.