CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Wake Forest earned its highest-ranked road victory in more than four decades Saturday, relying on defense and special teams to defeat No. 12 Virginia 16-9 at Scott Stadium.
Junior Carlos Hernandez broke open a defensive battle late in the second quarter with an 88-yard punt return touchdown, the second-longest in program history and the only touchdown of the night. Redshirt freshman kicker Connor Calvert added field goals from 39, 50, and 49 yards as Wake Forest improved to 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the ACC, clinching bowl eligibility in head coach Jake Dickert’s first season.
Early defensive stands and a special teams spark
Virginia struck first after blocking a Wake Forest punt on the opening series and converting a short field into a 34-yard field goal by Will Bettridge. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 6-0 midway through the second quarter following a 91-yard drive that stalled at the Wake Forest 4-yard line.
Wake Forest’s offense moved inside the Virginia 10 on its next possession but turned the ball over on downs at the 5 after four straight running plays. The Deacon defense held, and Hernandez’s return flipped the game moments later. Fielding a punt near his own 12, Hernandez weaved through traffic down the left sideline for Wake’s first punt return touchdown since 2023, giving the visitors a 7-6 lead with 1:33 remaining in the half.
Less than a minute later, Wake Forest’s defense forced a fumble when defensive lineman Dallas Afalava sacked Virginia quarterback Daniel Kaelin and Langston Hardy recovered at the Cavalier 31. Calvert converted the takeaway into a 39-yard field goal to send the Deacs into halftime ahead 10-6.
Defense preserves the lead
Virginia opened the third quarter with its third field goal of the game, trimming the deficit to 10-9. The Cavaliers had success moving the ball, finishing with 327 total yards to Wake’s 203, but turnovers and red-zone stops proved decisive.
On Virginia’s next series, defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth stripped Kaelin, and linebacker Dylan Hazen recovered at midfield. Calvert’s 50-yard field goal extended the lead to 13-9. Wake’s offense managed only 139 rushing yards and 64 through the air, but its defense forced three fumbles, recovered all of them, and recorded two sacks.
The Deacs used their longest drive of the night, a 16-play, 48-yard march that consumed more than nine minutes, to add Calvert’s final 49-yard kick with 3:53 left in the fourth quarter.
Virginia’s last two possessions ended with turnovers on downs, the final one coming at the Wake Forest 5-yard line in the closing seconds.
Numbers tell the story
Wake Forest converted five of 17 third downs but was 4-for-6 after halftime, keeping the ball for nearly 11 minutes in the fourth quarter. Hazen led the defense with seven tackles, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Afalava and Gatkuoth each added sacks and forced fumbles.
Virginia outgained Wake Forest 327-203, led by running back J’Mari Taylor’s 98 rushing yards and 30 receiving yards. Kaelin completed 18 of 28 passes for 145 yards before finishing with two lost fumbles. Trell Harris caught six passes for 60 yards.
For Wake Forest, running back Demond Claiborne carried 25 times for 75 yards and added two receptions. Quarterback Robby Ashford completed 7 of 16 passes for 46 yards and rushed for 57 more.
The win marked Wake Forest’s sixth over Virginia in the last seven meetings and its third straight victory in Charlottesville. It also marked the first time since 1964 that the Deacs have beaten both Virginia and Virginia Tech on the road in the same season.
Top performers:
- Carlos Hernandez: 3 punt returns, 124 yards, 1 TD
- Connor Calvert: 3-for-3 FGs (long of 50)
- Dylan Hazen: 7 tackles, 2 FR, 1 FF
- Demond Claiborne: 25 rushes, 75 yards
- J’Mari Taylor (UVA): 19 carries, 98 yards; 7 catches, 30 yards
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