# College Football Week 7: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1) vs. California Golden Bears (3-3) Game Preview and Predictions

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/news/college-football-week-7-wake-forest-demon-deacons-5-1-vs-california-golden-bears-3-3-game

> Wake Forest's three-game run meets California's one-game surge Saturday night at California Memorial Stadium.

By Cole Saturday · Published 2026-10-17 02:31 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

Wake Forest Demon Deacons ride a three-game winning streak into Berkeley looking to keep [California Golden Bears](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/california-golden-bears)' turnaround in check.

Wake Forest sits at 5-1 and has won three straight, while California is 3-3 and has won one in a row. Both teams kick off Saturday, October 17, 2026 at California Memorial Stadium, with ESPN2 carrying the broadcast.

## Game details

- When | Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 10:30 PM ET
- Where | California Memorial Stadium
- TV | ESPN2
- Line | Wake Forest Demon Deacons -10 | O/U 53.5 (market view)
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons record | 5-1
- California Golden Bears record | 3-3

## The matchup

Wake Forest Demon Deacons have been rolling. Their last three results read a 38-14 win over NC State Wolfpack, a 57-3 blowout of Stanford Cardinal, and a tight 30-27 escape against Louisville Cardinals. Before that stretch, Wake Forest did drop a 20-33 decision to Miami Hurricanes, and they opened with a 38-36 win over Purdue Boilermakers, so this is a team that can score in bunches but has shown it can be had.

California Golden Bears have had a bumpier ride to their current one-game streak. They beat Virginia Tech Hokies 25-20 most recently, but that followed a 31-39 loss to UNLV Rebels and a 10-24 loss to Clemson Tigers. Sandwiched in there were lopsided wins over Wagner Seahawks, 49-7, and Syracuse Orange, 21-18. California has flashed capability in short bursts but hasn't strung together the kind of run Wake Forest is currently on.

## Key matchups

This one comes down to whether California's defense, which has allowed 153 points this season, can slow down a Wake Forest offense that has put up 221. Wake Forest's scoring surges this year, including that 57-point output against Stanford, suggest they can pull away if given room to operate.

On the other side, California's offense has managed 160 points against a Wake Forest defense that has given up 129. If California wants to keep pace, its offense needs to find the same rhythm that produced 49 points against Wagner and 25 against Virginia Tech, rather than the version that managed just 10 against Clemson.

## The pick

The market has Wake Forest as the favorite by 10.0 points with a total of 53.5, and the market's own score projection has Wake Forest at 32 and California at 22. Wake Forest's scoring differential and current three-game streak back that lean, even with the Miami loss on the resume as a reminder they can be knocked off track.

California's one-game streak and its ability to win close games, like the 25-20 result over Virginia Tech, make a backdoor cover plausible, but matching Wake Forest's offensive output over four quarters is the bigger question mark heading into Saturday night.

## Recent results

- Team | Last games
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Wk6 W 38-14 vs NC State Wolfpack, Wk5 W 57-3 vs Stanford Cardinal, Wk4 W 30-27 vs Louisville Cardinals
- California Golden Bears | Wk6 W 25-20 vs Virginia Tech Hokies, Wk5 L 31-39 vs UNLV Rebels, Wk4 L 10-24 vs Clemson Tigers

[**Game page**](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/2483)

## In this story

- [Wake Forest Demon Deacons at California Golden Bears](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/2483)
- [California Golden Bears](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/california-golden-bears)
- [Wake Forest Demon Deacons](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/wake-forest-demon-deacons)

*Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our [editorial standards](https://profootballnewshub.com/editorial-standards).*

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