(BCSNN) — Wake Forest opened the 2026 season with authority Thursday night, unleashing an explosive offense and a disciplined defense in a 38–16 win over Akron at Allegacy Financial Stadium.

Quarterback Gio Lopez, making his Demon Deacon debut, delivered one of the best opening‑night performances in program history, throwing for 350 yards and three touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards.

Lopez’s efficiency and big‑play ability set the tone early. He completed 21 of 32 passes and became the first Wake Forest quarterback since Sam Hartman in 2021 to throw for 350 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His 350 yards were his most since a 432‑yard outing against North Texas in 2024, and his 78‑yard touchdown strike to Carlos Hernandez marked the longest pass of his collegiate career.

Running back Ty Clark III added balance to the offense with his first career 100‑yard game, finishing with 105 yards on seven carries, including a personal‑best 57‑yard burst. Freshman Deuce Lawrence capped the scoring with a four‑yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

The receiving corps was equally dynamic. Hernandez turned in a monster performance with 165 yards on five catches, including 148 yards after the catch. Antonio Meeks added a 72‑yard touchdown as part of a 93‑yard night, while Kam Shanks hauled in five receptions for 55 yards and a score in his Wake Forest debut.

Wake Forest piled up 559 total yards, topping 300 passing yards for the fourth straight game, the longest active streak in the nation. The output was the second‑highest of the Jake Dickert era, trailing only last season’s 577‑yard showing against Delaware.

"This time last year, we were sweating out a one-point win, but what that adversity does is show your scars — it shows you where you didn't quite succeed. I thought we were sloppy in a lot of phases of this game," said head football coach Jake Dickert. "Our offensive execution didn't run the ball to the caliber I believe we can, or with the physicality we can play with. And defensively, we just didn't finish the game. That was their twos at the end going right down the field on our twos. So there's so much to clean up from this tape. I told them we'll show them the good, we'll be excited about where we go from here, but we've got to be a better football team in nine days."

Defensively, the Demon Deacons were sharp and opportunistic. They held Akron to 305 total yards, including just 156 passing yards, and repeatedly disrupted the Zips’ rhythm. Defensive back Braylon Johnson matched his career‑high with seven tackles and recorded his first career sack. Linebackers Frank Cusano and Vincent Firenze each posted nine tackles, with Firenze adding six solo stops, a tackle‑for‑loss and a forced fumble.

Wake Forest wasted no time asserting control. Lopez opened the scoring with a 27‑yard touchdown to Shanks on the game’s first drive, then led a field‑goal march to make it 10–0. Early in the second quarter, he found Meeks on a 72‑yard strike to stretch the lead to 17–0. Moments later, Travon West forced a fumble that Rushuan Tongue recovered, setting up Lopez’s 78‑yard catch‑and‑run touchdown to Hernandez and a 28–0 advantage.

Akron managed a late second‑quarter field goal, but Wake Forest entered halftime up 28–3 and never looked back. Calvert’s third field goal of the night pushed the lead to 31–3 early in the third, and Lawrence’s touchdown run made it 38–3 with 11:49 remaining. Akron added two late touchdowns, but Wake Forest comfortably secured its first win of the season.

The victory carried historical significance. With the win, second‑year head coach Jake Dickert matched the program record for the fastest coach to reach 10 victories, doing so in just 14 games — tying Hank Garrity’s mark.

Wake Forest now turns its attention to its first road test of the season. The Demon Deacons travel to Purdue next Saturday for a nationally televised matchup on FS1, kicking off at 12 noon from Ross‑Ade Stadium.