Halloween is a time for spooks and scares. Virginia is hoping to deliver one at No. 14 Wake Forest Saturday afternoon. The Cavaliers are not expected to win, especially after a collapse against Duke. However, anything is possible.

The Demon Deacons shocked No. 12 Virginia at Scott Stadium last year. Maybe these Cavaliers return the favor.

Ahead of the game, Virginia On SI is joined by Justin Kontul, a beat writer from Wake Forest On SI, to preview Saturday's matchup.

What are the keys to stopping quarterback Gio Lopez and receiver Carlos Hernandez?

"These two are certainly tough guys to stop. They have been on the same page all season, and that has led to one of the most efficient offenses in the ACC. If Virginia wants to slow them down, the best way to do it is to get pressure on Lopez and limit his ability as a runner. Hernandez is a speedster and finds ways to beat opposing defenses, and Lopez can find other weapons in the passing game as well, as seen in the Cal game when Hernandez was battling injury and played just a couple of snaps."

"However, Lopez likes to evade the pocket when things break down and use his legs to extend plays. He has over 250 yards rushing this season, and it is a huge reason this offense is so efficient. To stop Gio, UVA will need to keep him bottled up in the pocket and get pressure on him, so he doesn’t have an escape route to extend plays. That will make him uncomfortable and make it harder to complete obvious passing downs."

Wake Forest has become the second-best team in the ACC. How did it get there?

"The biggest difference is a dramatically improved offense to pair alongside Wake’s already solid defense. The game last year between these two teams was a defensive battle, and that is how Wake won many of their games last season, by leaning on their defense. This year, the passing game is not only more efficient but has become one of the best in the ACC, fourth in passing yards per game right now in the conference."

"Offensive coordinator Rob Ezell finally has his quarterback from his South Alabama days (Lopez) and those two have been on the same page since day one. People doubted what Lopez could do at Wake Forest due to a disappointing season at North Carolina, but the comfort with Ezell’s system has allowed Lopez, and in turn the offense, to blossom this season."

What is Coach Jake Dickert's mindset? What are this team's core values, and how do they want to beat their opponents?

"Dickert’s core mindset since he came to Wake has been centered around the slogan 'Built in the Dark.' It basically means that the team is thoroughly formed outside of the environment of pressure and expectations. This has become even more important this season with the national spotlight on Wake recently. Dickert has challenged his guys to 'stay in the dark' and not focus on all the external hype, but to stay true to their process."

"As for in-game, Wake is best when they can control the line of scrimmage, getting after the quarterback and running the ball effectively to complement their passing game. They have still been able to put up good numbers offensively even with a stagnant run game at times, but Dickert and the staff certainly will want to establish the line of scrimmage and the run game in this one."

What does UVA need to do to snag the upset?

"If UVA wants to be in this game and pull off a Top-15 upset, it will need its offense to come alive more than in recent performances. In its past two games, it scored just 16 and 13 points, and that won't be enough to keep up with Wake. Even if the Cavaliers play well defensively, I expect Lopez and company will still find ways to score. The challenge for the Cavaliers will be matching them offensively to put pressure on the ranked Demon Deacons. This Wake defense is coming into this game with a lot of confidence after recent performances, so the Virginia offense will need to be ready to go from the start."

These two teams have had two wild games recently (2024 shootout and 2025 special teams duel). What do you think will happen this time around?

"These two teams have had very intense matchups over the last few occasions. The interesting thing is that the underdog has come away successful in the past two matchups. UVA beat Wake in a 2024 shootout late in the game when Wake was the favorite, and Tony Elliott had not established himself yet. Then, with UVA ranked inside the top 20 last season, Wake went into Scott Stadium and got a program-building road victory to clinch bowl eligibility."

"I expect this one to be more high-scoring than last year’s game, but I do think special teams still plays a big role in determining the outcome of the game. I also expect a lot of this game will be decided from the start. Will Wake start fast coming off a bye week? Will UVA’s defense string together a couple of stops? Will they be able to get the Wake defense on their heels? All of this is critical in shaping the outcome."