Wake Forest Football: Can Demon Deacons get to next level in 2019?

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 24: The Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate their victory over the Duke Blue Devils following their football game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 24: The Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate their victory over the Duke Blue Devils following their football game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 24: The Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate their victory over the Duke Blue Devils following their football game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 24: The Wake Forest Demon Deacons celebrate their victory over the Duke Blue Devils following their football game at Wallace Wade Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)

How will the Demon Deacons fare in 2019?

  • Week 1: Utah State (Aug. 30)
  • Week 2: at Rice (Sept. 6)
  • Week 3: North Carolina (Sept. 12)
  • Week 4: Elon (Sept. 21)
  • Week 5: at Boston College (Sept. 28)
  • Week 6: BYE
  • Week 7: Louisville (Oct. 12)
  • Week 8: Florida State (Oct. 19)
  • Week 9: BYE
  • Week 10: NC State (Nov. 2)
  • Week 11: at Virginia Tech (Nov. 9)
  • Week 12: at Clemson (Nov. 16)
  • Week 13: Duke (Nov. 23)
  • Week 14: at Syracuse (Nov. 30)

The back-end of this schedule does Wake Forest no favors at all. Playing in the same division with Clemson, Florida State and Syracuse does them no favors, either.

The Demon Deacons could be heading into their October game against Florida State undefeated. Their Coastal crossover includes Duke and Virginia Tech. Not only that three of their last four games are on the road in three of the toughest places to play in the ACC and in the country.

Prediction: 6-6, 3-5 ACC

Can you go 6-6 and say you had a better season than a year ago? That’s what Dave Clawson might have to answer this season. It might be time for Clawson to find another program to build — he’s hit the ceiling with Wake Forest.