With a capacity of 31,500, Truist Field has been the home of Wake Forest football since 1968.
This is a list of seasons completed by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team . Representing Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina , the Demon Deacons are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I FBS . They play their home games out of Truist Field , and are currently led by head coach Dave Clawson .
The Demon Deacons began playing football in 1888 , competing as an independent for several decades until joining the Southern Conference in 1936. After 17 years in the SoCon, the Deacons joined the ACC as a charter member in 1953, and have competed in the league ever since. Wake Forest won their first ACC championship in 1970 , and captured their first Atlantic Division title in 2006 , culminating with a victory over Georgia Tech in the 2006 ACC Championship Game . The Demon Deacons have competed in 16 bowl games as of 2021, having won ten, and have currently made a bowl game in six consecutive seasons, which is the longest streak in program history. Wake Forest has finished the season ranked in the AP Poll on five occasions, most recently in the 2021 campaign which was one of the most successful seasons in school history, as Wake posted an 11–3 mark and was the ACC runner-up.
Seasons
Legend
† National Champions
† Conference champions
‡ Division champions
^Bowl game berth/Playoff Result
List of Wake Forest Demon Deacons football seasons[ 1]
Season
Team
Head coach
Conference
Division
Regular season results
Postseason results
Final ranking[ 2]
Overall
Conference[ 3]
Bowl game/Playoff result
AP Poll
Coaches' Poll
Win
Loss
Tie
Win
Loss
Tie
Finish
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
1888
1888
W. C. Dowd
Independent
—
1
0
0
—
—
—
—
1889
1889
W. C. Riddick
3
3
0
—
—
—
—
1890
1890
No team
No team
1891
1891
E. Walter Sikes
1
0
0
—
—
—
—
1892
1892
4
0
1
—
—
—
—
1893
1893
1
2
0
—
—
—
—
1894
1894
No team
No team
1895
1895
Unknown
0
0
1
—
—
—
—
1908
1908
A. P. Hall Jr.
1
4
0
—
—
—
—
1909
1909
A. T. Myers
2
4
0
—
—
—
—
1910
1910
Reddy Rowe
2
7
0
—
—
—
—
1911
1911
Frank Thompson
3
5
0
—
—
—
—
1912
1912
2
6
0
—
—
—
—
1913
1913
0
8
0
—
—
—
—
1914
1914
Wilbur C. Smith
3
6
0
—
—
—
—
1915
1915
3
4
0
—
—
—
—
1916
1916
G. M. Billings
3
3
0
—
—
—
—
1917
1917
E. T. MacDonnell
1
6
1
—
—
—
—
1918
1918
Harry Rabenhorst
1
3
0
—
—
—
—
1919
1919
2
6
0
—
—
—
—
1920
1920
James L. White
2
7
0
—
—
—
—
1921
1921
2
8
0
—
—
—
—
1922
1922
George Levene
3
5
2
—
—
—
—
1923
1923
Hank Garrity
6
3
0
—
—
—
—
1924
1924
7
2
0
—
—
—
—
1925
1925
6
2
1
—
—
—
—
1926
1926
James A. Baldwin
5
4
1
—
—
—
—
1927
1927
2
6
2
—
—
—
—
1928
1928
Stan Cofall
2
6
2
—
—
—
—
1929
1929
Pat Miller
6
5
1
—
—
—
—
1930
1930
5
3
1
—
—
—
—
1931
1931
4
4
0
—
—
—
—
1932
1932
3
3
2
—
—
—
—
1933
1933
Jim Weaver
0
5
1
—
—
—
—
1934
1934
3
7
0
—
—
—
—
1935
1935
2
7
0
—
—
—
—
1936
1936
Southern
5
4
0
2
3
0
10th
—
—
—
1937
1937
D. C. Walker
3
6
0
1
4
0
T-13th
—
—
—
1938
1938
4
5
1
3
4
1
9th
—
—
—
1939
1939
7
3
0
3
3
0
T-7th
—
—
—
1940
1940
7
3
0
4
2
0
3rd
—
—
—
1941
1941
5
5
1
4
2
1
7th
—
—
—
1942
1942
6
2
1
6
1
1
3rd
—
—
—
1943
1943
4
5
0
3
2
0
4th
—
—
—
1944
1944
8
1
0
6
1
0
2nd
—
—
—
1945
1945
5
3
1
4
1
1
2nd
Won 1946 Gator Bowl against South Carolina , 26–14 ^
19
—
1946
1946
6
3
0
2
3
0
T-11th
—
—
—
1947
1947
6
4
0
3
4
0
10th
—
—
—
1948
1948
6
4
0
5
2
0
5th
Lost 1949 Dixie Bowl against Baylor , 7–20 ^
20
—
1949
1949
4
6
0
3
3
0
T-9th
—
—
—
1950
1950
6
1
2
6
1
1
4th
—
—
—
1951
1951
Tom Rogers
6
4
0
5
3
0
T-7th
—
—
—
1952
1952
5
4
1
5
1
0
T-2nd
—
—
—
1953
1953
ACC
3
6
1
2
3
0
T-3rd
—
—
—
1954
1954
2
7
1
1
4
1
6th
—
—
—
1955
1955
5
4
1
3
3
1
T-4th
—
—
—
1956
1956
Paul Amen
2
5
3
1
5
1
7th
—
—
—
1957
1957
0
10
0
0
7
0
8th
—
—
—
1958
1958
3
7
0
2
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1959
1959
6
4
0
4
3
0
T-4th
—
—
—
1960
1960
Billy Hildebrand
2
8
0
2
5
0
T-6th
—
—
—
1961
1961
4
6
0
3
4
0
T-5th
—
—
—
1962
1962
0
10
0
0
7
0
8th
—
—
—
1963
1963
1
9
0
1
5
0
7th
—
—
—
1964
1964
Bill Tate
5
5
0
4
3
0
T-3rd
—
—
—
1965
1965
3
7
0
1
5
0
8th
—
—
—
1966
1966
3
7
0
2
4
0
6th
—
—
—
1967
1967
4
6
0
3
4
0
5th
—
—
—
1968
1968
2
7
1
2
3
1
6th
—
—
—
1969
1969
Cal Stoll
3
7
0
2
5
0
7th
—
—
—
1970
1970 †
6
5
0
5
1
0
1st †
—
—
—
1971
1971
6
5
0
2
3
0
T-3rd
—
—
—
1972
1972
Tom Harper
2
9
0
1
5
0
T-6th
—
—
—
1973
1973
Chuck Mills
1
9
1
0
5
1
7th
—
—
—
1974
1974
1
10
0
0
6
0
7th
—
—
—
1975
1975
3
8
0
3
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1976
1976
5
6
0
3
3
0
3rd
—
—
—
1977
1977
1
10
0
0
6
0
7th
—
—
—
1978
1978
John Mackovic
1
10
0
1
5
0
6th
—
—
—
1979
1979
8
4
0
4
2
0
T-2nd
Lost 1979 Tangerine Bowl against LSU , 10–34 ^
—
—
1980
1980
5
6
0
2
4
0
T-4th
—
—
—
1981
1981
Al Groh
4
7
0
1
5
0
6th
—
—
—
1982
1982
3
8
0
0
6
0
7th
—
—
—
1983
1983
4
7
0
1
5
0
T-6th
—
—
—
1984
1984
6
5
0
3
3
0
4th
—
—
—
1985
1985
4
7
0
1
6
0
8th
—
—
—
1986
1986
5
6
0
2
5
0
8th
—
—
—
1987
1987
Bill Dooley
7
4
0
4
3
0
T-3rd
—
—
—
1988
1988
6
4
1
4
3
0
T-4th
—
—
—
1989
1989
2
8
1
1
6
0
7th
—
—
—
1990
1990
3
8
0
0
7
0
8th
—
—
—
1991
1991
3
8
0
1
6
0
T-7th
—
—
—
1992
1992
8
4
0
4
4
0
T-4th
Won 1992 Independence Bowl against Oregon , 39–35 ^
25
25
1993
1993
Jim Caldwell
2
9
0
1
7
0
9th
—
—
—
1994
1994
3
8
0
1
7
0
8th
—
—
—
1995
1995
1
10
0
0
8
0
9th
—
—
—
1996 [ a]
1996
3
8
1
7
8th
—
—
—
1997
1997
5
6
3
5
7th
—
—
—
1998
1998
3
8
2
6
7th
—
—
—
1999
1999
7
5
3
5
T-5th
Won 1999 Aloha Bowl against Arizona State , 23–3 ^
—
—
2000
2000
2
9
1
7
8th
—
—
—
2001
2001
Jim Grobe
6
5
3
5
7th
—
—
—
2002
2002
7
6
3
5
7th
Won 2002 Seattle Bowl against Oregon , 38–17 ^
—
—
2003
2003
5
7
3
5
7th
—
—
—
2004
2004
4
7
1
7
T-10th
—
—
—
2005
2005
Atlantic
4
7
3
5
T-4th
—
—
—
2006
2006 ‡
11
3
6
2
1st ‡
Lost 2007 Orange Bowl against Louisville , 13–24 ^
18
17
2007
2007
9
4
5
3
T-2nd
Won 2007 Meineke Car Care Bowl against Connecticut , 24–10 ^
—
—
2008
2008
8
5
4
4
T-3rd
Won 2008 EagleBank Bowl against Navy , 29–19 ^
—
—
2009
2009
5
7
3
5
4th
—
—
—
2010
2010
3
9
1
7
6th
—
—
—
2011
2011
6
7
5
3
T-2nd
Lost 2011 Music City Bowl against Mississippi State , 17–23 ^
—
—
2012
2012
5
7
3
5
4th
—
—
—
2013
2013
4
8
2
6
6th
—
—
—
2014
2014
Dave Clawson
3
9
1
7
T-6th
—
—
—
2015
2015
3
9
1
7
6th
—
—
—
2016
2016
7
6
3
5
T–4th
Won 2016 Military Bowl against Temple , 34–26 ^
—
—
2017
2017
8
5
4
4
T-3rd
Won 2017 Belk Bowl against Texas A&M , 55–52 ^
—
—
2018
2018
7
6
3
5
T-5th
Won 2018 Birmingham Bowl against Memphis , 37–34 ^
—
—
2019
2019
8
5
4
4
T-3rd
Lost 2019 Pinstripe Bowl against Michigan State , 21–27 ^
—
—
2020
2020
4
5
3
4
10th
Lost 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl against Wisconsin , 28-42 ^
—
—
2021
2021 ‡
11
3
7
1
1st ‡
Won 2021 Gator Bowl against Rutgers , 38-10 ^
15
14
2022
2022
8
5
3
5
6th
Won 2022 Gasparilla Bowl against Missouri , 27–17 ^
—
—
2023
2023
–
4
8
1
7
14th
—
—
—
Totals
All-time: 492–685–33 (.420)
Conference: 225–375–10 (.377)
—
Postseason: 11–6 (.647)
—
—
Notes
^ Overtime rules were added to college football in 1996, thereby eliminating ties.
References
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons