WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — No. 16 Wake Forest rolled past Merrimack 77-0 on Saturday at Allegacy Financial Stadium, posting its highest modern-era point total against a nonconference visitor on Saturday afternoon.
Steele Pizzella made his first career start and piled up 495 yards of offense, completing 23 of 28 passes for 432 yards and three scores while running for 63 yards and another touchdown. No Deacon passer had thrown for more in a first start, and his overall yardage came within 15 of an NCAA mark for production in a single half.
Wake Forest improved to 8-1 and 5-1 in the ACC, stretching its winning streak to six. The College Football Playoff rankings list the Demon Deacons 16th. Merrimack fell to 4-6. The 77-point margin ranks among the largest in school history, behind only an older blowout, and it was Wake Forest’s first shutout since a 3-0 win over Boston College on Oct. 10, 2015.
The offense piled up 730 yards, second-most in program history, and 11 different players caught a pass. Jack Foley led the way with six receptions for 162 yards. Carlos Hernandez had four catches for 89 yards and two early scores, including a 38-yard strike that was Pizzella’s first career touchdown pass and a 9-yard follow-up before the first quarter ended.
Drayden Dickmann scored twice, once on a 6-yard jet sweep for his first touchdown as a Deacon and later on an 87-yard catch from backup Gannon Jones, the second-longest reception in school history. Kam Shanks added a 30-yard scoring catch and later ran a punt back 79 yards, the fifth-longest punt-return score in program history. Ty Clark III opened the scoring from a yard out, Jamar Searcy punched in a 3-yard run, Pizzella scrambled 13 yards just before halftime, and Ryan Henley scored the first touchdown of his career after the starters sat.
The Demon Deacons led 49-0 at the break after scoring on all but two first-half possessions. Five of Merrimack’s last seven series before halftime lasted only three plays. Pizzella’s day ended with that 13-yard run, his fourth touchdown, and Jones took over after the break.
The defense held the Warriors to 202 yards. Rushuan Tongue picked off a pass during the second period, his first of 2026, and Joshua Patterson later returned a pick 98 yards for a score, Wake Forest’s first defensive touchdown of that kind since Nov. 19, 2022, against Syracuse. Monroe Partin led the team with nine tackles.
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