Inside the ACC · preview
Virginia is 0-3 away from home going into Wake Forest
The Breakdown Media Team
Published
Virginia has played three games away from Scott Stadium this season and lost all three: 38-27 to West Virginia in Charlotte, 38-7 at Florida State and 23-13 at SMU. That is 47 points in three games.
On Saturday it goes to Wake Forest, which is 6-1 and ranked 14th in this week's AP poll and 15th in the coaches' poll.
Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons' only loss was 33-20 at home to Miami on September 18. They have won four straight since, all of them by double figures except the first.
They have scored 136 points and allowed 24 in the last three. Wake Forest is 4-0 on the road this season and 4-1 in the ACC, and it was off last Saturday.
Gio Lopez has thrown for 1,947 yards, 17 touchdowns and one interception in seven games. In the last two he is 42 of 56 for 570 yards and seven touchdowns. Wake Forest has turned the ball over three times all season.
Virginia's last four
Virginia is 4-4 and 2-3 in the ACC, and it has lost three of its last four.
Against Duke last Friday it ran 53 times for 195 yards, held the ball for 38:47 and outgained Duke. It reached the Duke 15 four times, scored one touchdown, and lost 19-16 on a touchdown pass thrown by Duke's running back with 1:14 left.
Beau Pribula has not thrown a touchdown pass in Virginia's last two games.
The last two meetings
Wake Forest won 16-9 at Scott Stadium last November. Virginia won 31-30 at Wake Forest in 2024.
Virginia lost that game to Wake Forest last season and still played in the ACC Championship Game.
What decides it
Whether Virginia can finish drives. Against Duke it settled for field goals from the 4, the 14 and the 13. Wake Forest has allowed 24 points in its last three games.
Whether Virginia can run it again. It ran for 195 against Duke. In its three games away from Scott Stadium it ran for 157, 37 and 121. Wake Forest held NC State to 15 rushing yards and Stanford to 49.
The ball. Wake Forest has turned it over three times in seven games. Virginia has turned it over five times in eight, three of them in its last two games.
So what happens Saturday
Wake Forest is ranked, coming off a bye, unbeaten on the road and has won its last three by an average of 37 points. Virginia has not won away from home this season.
We think Wake Forest wins.
Kickoff is 3:45pm Saturday at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, on ESPN2.