Debut of Year 2: The Deacs continue to be "Built in the Dark" and come to light with a 38-16 win on Opening Night
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Preview (Akron Zips vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons)
It's Labor Day Weekend and it's more than just a holiday weekend.
It's the start of college football and on September 3, 2026 (7pm EST kickoff at Allegacy Financial Stadium), the Akron Zips (Mid-American Conference) visit the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Atlantic Coast Conference) as their seasons commence.
Coming off a 5-7 overall record (4-4 in conference), the Zips look to get back into bowl game contention along with making a move in the upper levels of their conference. Incoming quarterback (after stops at Albany, Miami, and the University of North Texas) Reese Poffenbarger may be the frontrunner to take charge of the offense which scored 22.3 points per game last season. In his last season as a starter (2023 at Albany), he throws for 3,614 passing yards along with 36 touchdowns/13 interceptions (58.6 completion percentage). He'll look to lock in on top returning wideout Marcel Williams (641 receiving yards/14.2 yards per catch/2 touchdowns) and top returning running back Jordan Gant (1,032 rushing yards/4.8 yards per carry/6 rushing touchdowns) to lead the offense. Defensively, they'll look to defensive end Cyrus Durham (3 sacks) to lead the defensive charge (which allowed 25.9 points per game).
As for Wake, their first year of operating under their "Built in the Dark" mantra under head coach Jake Dickert yields major dividends; the Deacs finish 9-4 overall including their bowl game win in the Duke's Mayo Bowl (click HERE for our coverage) for their return to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Incoming quarterback Gio Lopez reunites with his offensive coordinator at his first college stop (South Alabama), so his familiarity with the style of play should be a good reunion of sorts (as Wake averaged 30.5 points per game). Leading receiver Carlos Hernandez (611 receiving yards/15.3 yards per catch/3 receiving touchdowns) is also a presence on special teams (including punt returns) and Ty Clark (323 rushing yards/4.3 yards per carry/3 rushing touchdowns). On defense, Langston Hardy (7 sacks) and Davaughn Patterson (80 tackles) set the tone for the defense (which allowed 22.1 points per game).
Game recap: Sound execution by the Deacs delivers a season opening win.
After a pregame moment for the late Alphonso Smith, Wake starts the game off on offense and wastes little time in going to work.
Gio Lopez connects with Kam Shanks for a 27-yard touchdown for an early 7-0 lead (11:32 in the 1st quarter). They would add a field goal later in the quarter take a 10-0 lead (25-yard field goal by Connor Calvert at the 2:44 mark of the 1st quarter).
Once the 2nd quarter comes, the Deacs continue to deliver.
Antonio Meeks outruns the Zips secondary for an explosive 72-yard touchdown reception to give Wake a 17-0 lead at the 11:39 mark. After another Connor Calvert field goal from 29-yards (6:53 in the 2nd period) to make it a 20-0 lead, they would add another score nearly 2 minutes later (4:57 in the 2nd quarter) as Carlos Hernandez slips and slides away for a 78-yard touchdown reception, making it a 26-0 lead. After adding a 2-point conversion, the Deacs have a solid 28-0 lead.
Despite a missed field goal by Wake and Akron getting in the scoring column with a 28-yard field goal by Matthew Schramm at the 1:35 mark of the 2nd quarter, Wake goes into halftime with a 28-3 lead.
After a highly engaging halftime performance with the Red Sea of Sound (Winston-Salem State University) and the Spirit of the Old Gold and Black (Wake Forest University), Akron opens the 2nd half with the ball, but after a sound effort by the Wake defense, Connor Calvert adds another field goal to expand the lead to 31-3 (10:16 mark of the 3rd quarter).
Deuce Lawrence adds a 4-yard touchdown run to make it a 38-3 game (11:49 in the 4th quarter). The Zips would generate 2 late scores inside the last 7 minutes of the game, but Wake's fast start and ability to sustain results in a 38-16 opening night win.
Post-game: A win is a win, but there's always areas to improve.
Clearly, the Deacs did what they needed to do to get the win.
Gio Lopez' familiarity with the offensive system is clearly evident. Wake outgains Akron (559 to 305 total yards of offense); in the passing game, his performance (21/32 for 350 passing yards/3 touchdowns/0 interceptions) shows an outstanding command for their season opener. Ty Clark (7 carries for 105 yards) and the efforts of Carlos Hernandez (5 receptions/165 yards/1 touchdown), Kam Shanks (5 catches/55 yards/1 touchdown), and Antonio Meeks (3 receptions/93 yards/1 touchdown) are integral for the team's success. On defense, Frank Cusano and Vincent Firenze contribute 9 tackles (Firenze has a sack), and Braylon Johnson adds 7 tackles and a sack (as the team also forces a turnover).
Akron is led by Cibastian Broughton as he takes the majority of snaps for the offense. His overall effort (21/26 for 11 passing yards along with 14 carries for 82 yards) leads the way for the Zips. Luke Sivon (5 receptions for 30 yards) and Gentz Hilburn (5 receptions for 21 yards) contribute in the passing game as Jordan Gant is contained in the ground game (10 carries for 15 yards). Donelius Johnson (11 tackles) is a presence for the team's defense.
For post-game, Wake's Jake Dickert (Head Coach), Ty Clark, Braylon Johnson, and Gio Lopez speak with the media (including responding to our questions). All speak to positives to build upon, but understanding not to be complacent as college football truly is a week-to-week league, and next week, the Deacs hit the road to take on the Purdue Boilermakers (September 12, 2026 at 12pm) in facing a foe from the Big 10 (you may watch their remarks below):
NOTES: You may watch all of our 2026 coverage on our season playlist (click HERE to view). As noted, Wake travels to Purdue for their next game (September 12, 2026 at 12pm) while Akron returns home for their home opener against Robert Morris (September 12, 2026 at 3:30pm).
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