1945 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1945

| team = Wake Forest Demon Deacons

| sport = football

| image =

| image_size =

| conference = Southern Conference

| short_conf = SoCon

| APRank = 19

| record = 5–3–1

| conf_record = 4–1–1

| head_coach = Peahead Walker

| hc_year = 9th

| captain = Nick Sacrinty

| stadium = Groves Stadium

| bowl = Gator Bowl

| bowl_result = W 26–14 vs. South Carolina

}}

The 1945 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team was an American football team that represented Wake Forest University during the 1945 college football season. In its ninth season under head coach Peahead Walker, the team compiled a 5–3–1 record, finished in second place in the Southern Conference, defeated South Carolina in the first Gator Bowl game, and was ranked No. 19 in the final AP Poll.{{cite web|title=1945 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=December 24, 2015|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/wake-forest/1945-schedule.html}}

The team defeated No. 16 Clemson in the final game of the regular season, and its three losses were to teams that were ranked in the final AP Poll: No. 1 Army, No. 13 Duke, and No. 14 Tennessee.

Five Wake Forest players were recognized the Associated Press on the 1946 All-Southern Conference football team: backs Nick Sacrinty (first team), Richard Brinkley (second team), and Nick Ognivich (third team); end John O'Quinn (third team); and guard Robert Leonetti (third team).{{cite news|title=All-Southern Conference|newspaper=Daily Press|location=Newport News, Virginia|date=December 1, 1946|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100750275/all-southern-conference/|via=Newspapers.com}}

The team played its home games at Groves Stadium in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| rankyear = 1945

| poll = AP

| rank = y

| attend = y

| source = y

| September 29 |at| Tennessee||Shields–Watkins Field|Knoxville, TN|L 6–7|15,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98734676/deacs-look-good-in-knoxville-tilt/|work=The News and Observer|title=Deacs look good in Knoxville tilt|date=September 30, 1945|accessdate=March 30, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}

| October 6 |at| Army||Michie Stadium|West Point, NY|L 0–54|10,000|{{cite news|title=Army Eleven Levels Wake Forest by 54-0|newspaper=New York Daily News|author=Dick Young|date=October 7, 1945|page=25C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98969837/army-eleven-levels-wake-forest-by-54-0/|via=Newspapers.com}}

| October 13 || No. 13 Duke||Groves Stadium| Wake Forest, NC (rivalry)|L 19–26|20,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-duke-beats-deacs/137248764/|work=The News and Observer|title=Duke beats Deacs, 26–19|date=October 14, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|October 20|at|NC State||Riddick Stadium|Raleigh, NC (rivalry)|W 19–18|17,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-nc-state-bow/137249129/|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|title=N.C. State bows to Wake Forest|date=October 21, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 3||{{cfb link|year=1945|team=Presbyterian Blue Hose|title=Presbyterian}}||Groves Stadium|Wake Forest, NC|W 53–0|1,500|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-sun-wake-forest-scores-easily/137249237/|work=Durham Morning Herald|title=Wake Forest scores easily to top Presyterian, 53–0|date=November 4, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 17|at|North Carolina||Kenan Memorial Stadium|Chapel Hill, NC (rivalry)|W 14–13|20,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-knoxville-news-sentinel-wake-forest/137249340/|work=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|title=Wake Forest edges out North Carolina in 14–13 thriller|date=November 18, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|November 22||South Carolina||American Legion Memorial Stadium|Charlotte, NC|T 13–13|16,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer-wake-forest-held-t/137249455/|work=The News and Observer|title=Wake Forest held to 13–13 tie by inspired Gamecock eleven|date=November 23, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|December 1|at|No. 18 Clemson||Memorial Stadium|Clemson, SC|W 13–6|15,000|{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-journal-wake-forest-rally-fl/137249552/|work=The Courier-Journal|title=Wake Forest rally flips Clemson 13–6|date=December 2, 1945|accessdate=December 22, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}

|January 1, 1946||South Carolina|19|Fairfield Stadium|Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)|W 26–14|12,000|{{cite news|title=Wake Forest In 26-14 Victory In Gator Bowl: 12,000 See Deacons Win Over Gamecocks|newspaper=Tampa Morning Tribune|date=January 2, 1946|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29236406/wake_forest_in_2614_victory_in_gator/|via=Newspapers.com}}

}}