Jul 23, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest Head Coach Jake Dickert answers questions from the media during ACC Media days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Climb Begins - What Did We Learn From Wake Forest Football In Week One?

Originally posted on Wake Forest Demon Deacons on SI
By JD Andress | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 11:09 PM ET

Week One has come and gone for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and with the return of college football came the return of expectations, including for new head coach Jake Dickert in his first season.

After barely scraping by for a win 10-9 over the Kennesaw State Owls, one of the worst teams in all of FBS last season, brought eyebrow raises and puzzling head scratches for what that could mean for the rest of the season.

For Demon Deacons fans, this season isn't about expectations, though, or at least it shouldn't be. There will be growing pains and questionable losses in year one, especially week one, but they aren't playing for this season.

With the return of the football season, my weekly article begins. It's a two-year tradition now on other On SI sites, where at the end of every weekend, I release my weekly "what did we learn"—an opinionated editorial detailing what Demon Deacon fans can take away from the week before that might not show up in the box score.

Journey Has To Start Somewhere

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

You know the old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day." The same applies to Jake Dickert and what he hopes to build in Winston-Salem. To get to the place he wants to go, reaching heights never thought imaginable by Demon Deacons fans, it won't be easy, nor always pretty.

That's part of the beauty of college football, though, isn't it? A team like Wake Forest, with excitement around the program, facing one of the easiest schedules in the country, and starting against one of the worst teams in FBS, barely scrapes out a one-point win at home. Sure, you'd like to see them win by more, and I believe they would, had it not been for Claiborne getting injured on their third offensive play of the game, but they won, and 1-0 is better than 0-1.

Dickert discussed the message and identity of the program under his direction. Was it "Forged In Darkness"? Well, if you are building something in darkness, you don't know what the process will be, you don't know how many times you will mess up, you don't know if you even truly built the right thing until you move away from the darkness.

The 2025 season will be in darkness, and the 2026 season will be as well, replacing the talent lost after this season. 2027 will be the beginning of the transition to the golden age under Dickert, but until then, take the wins, no matter how bad they may seem. Celebrate the accomplishments. Surround the team with excitement and hope, let the work be done in darkness, but celebrate in the light.

This article first appeared on Wake Forest Demon Deacons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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