No. 16 Louisville and Wake Forest meet Saturday at noon at L&N Stadium, and the matchup comes with nearly a decade of history behind it.
These two ACC programs first crossed paths under Bobby Petrino on Jan. 2, 2007, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. That night marked Louisville’s first major bowl victory in 15 years, and the Cardinals were dominant from start to finish.
Brian Brohm, who was the quarterback for Louisville during the 2006 season and is now the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach alongside his brother, head coach Jeff Brohm, threw for 311 yards. Anthony Allen, now retired from the Baltimore Ravens, scored two touchdowns and helped push Louisville to an 11-point win.
Over the past 10 years of meetings, Louisville has held the upper hand with a 7-3 record against Wake Forest. The Cardinals also put together a three-game run over the Demon Deacons from 2014 through 2016.
One of the most dramatic of those wins came on Nov. 12, 2016, when Louisville was ranked No. 5 in the ACC. The Cardinals trailed 12-3 at halftime before erupting for 41 points in the second half, including 34 in the fourth quarter alone. Brandon Radcliff, who is currently playing for the Miami Dolphins, ran for three touchdowns, and Lamar Jackson was quiet in the first half before finishing with 153 rushing yards on 22 carries.
The most explosive meeting came in 2019, when Louisville went to North Carolina and left with a 62-59 victory in one of the highest-scoring games in program history. Wake Forest had entered the matchup ranked 19th in the ACC, but the Cardinals still walked away with the win.
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Louisville Fans Have Every Right To Question This Jeff Brohm Loss
Louisvilles 30-27 loss to Wake Forest left plenty for fans to sort through, especially after the Cardinals had held a lead and still found a way to let the game slip away. The performance was marked by the kind of discipline issues that have a way of turning a close game into a frustrating one, with penalties and missed chances stacking up at the wrong times.
Jeff Brohms late-game management only added to the unease. After a game defined by Louisvilles inability to cash in on key opportunities, the decision-making around the final stretch became part of the larger conversation, and it is the sort of detail that can linger with a fan base already wondering how a winnable game got away. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Early-Season Ceiling Suddenly Looks Like A Real Debate
Wake Forests visit to Louisville turned into the kind of afternoon that can reshape the conversation around an early-season team. The No. 16 Cardinals came in with momentum, but Wake Forest walked out with a 30-27 win that pushed it to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, with Gio Lopez throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown and Carlos Hernandez doing the damage as a receiver.
For Louisville, the result was more than just a loss in the standings. A game that stayed tight until the closing sequence ended with the Cardinals staring at a chance to salvage it from long range, and the final moments only sharpened the debate over how high this team can climb if the margin gets thinner against ACC opponents. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces Early ACC Test With Two Huge Game-Day Concerns
Louisville heads into its ACC opener against Wake Forest with some momentum, riding a chance to win a third straight game and move to 3-1. The Cardinals have looked sharp on offense through the first three games, but the challenge gets more serious now that conference play is starting and every margin tends to tighten up.
The defense, meanwhile, has taken a hit with former All-ACC linebacker Antonio Watts out for the rest of the season because of injury, a blow that changes the look of the unit before a key early test. And on the other side, Wake Forest is trending toward having starting quarterback Gio Lopez available after a recent injury, which only adds to the intrigue of a game that already feels like an early measuring stick for Louisville. [Read more 🡒]