Louisville’s football team keeps showing up in the national conversation, and the latest wave of buzz has the Cardinals as a 12.5-point favorite over Wake Forest heading into Saturday’s game at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
That line fits the way the college football world is starting to view Jeff Brohm’s team. U of L is up to No. 2 in USA Today’s weekly ACC power rankings, and the advanced numbers from the SMU game suggest the Cards and Mustangs were basically playing a coin-flip game before Louisville won the key moments. Turnovers and explosive plays swung it the Cardinals’ way.
The praise is coming from all over. On3 called Louisville its “Best Crowd” in this week’s college football superlatives, while SI’s Ian Macmillan picked the Cards to cover against Wake and The Big Lead has Louisville winning by two touchdowns.
Matt McGavic is even more aggressive, forecasting a 45-27 Cardinal win. Sports Illustrated’s latest playoff projection has Louisville as the 11-seed.
The quarterback chatter is only getting louder, too. Through three games, Lincoln Kienholz has been physical, electric and, maybe most importantly, clean in how he’s played.
CFB Kings has him No. 2 in its weekly Heisman Watch behind only Miami QB Darian Mensah, and Dennis Dodd has Kienholz at No. 8 in his own weekly rankings. The attention has gotten specific, too, with one clip being described as “This is the Lincoln Kienholz throw of throws up to this point in his (very early) career.”
Louisville’s defense is also getting a second look. Eric Crawford wrote that it’s better than the numbers suggest, and the Cardinals’ profile keeps backing that up.
The advanced stats say Louisville-SMU was nearly even, but the Cards found the edge where it mattered. The S&P Ratings now like Louisville by 12 over Wake on Saturday.
There’s plenty going on beyond football, and Louisville’s other teams are stacking up rankings and honors. The men’s soccer team stayed unbeaten with a 3-0 win over Belmont on Monday night.
Women’s soccer entered this week’s coaches poll at No. 13, which means all seven of Louisville’s currently active team sports are ranked in the nation’s top 20. The field hockey team moved up two spots to No. 10, and Emily Young was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
Louisville’s football and basketball futures are both drawing attention, too. Official practice has started for men’s basketball, and CBS’ Issaac Trotter broke down the biggest preseason position battles across the power conferences.
For Louisville, the key competition is between Karter Knox and Adrian Wooley. Knox brings floor-spacing, size and a bigger body, while Wooley offers more slashing and could help with the creation issues that still hang over the roster.
Trotter’s projected starting lineup also includes top reserves Adrian Wooley, De’Shayne Montgomery, Obinna Ekezie Jr., Boyuan Zhang, Isaac Ellis, Gabe Dynes and LJ Wells, if eligible. Flory Bidunga appears to be the first Cardinal to get the gold jersey treatment.
The preseason rankings are already rolling in for the hoops team, too. Evan Miyakawa has Louisville at No. 11 in his preseason college basketball rankings, and the Cardinals are also showing up in broader ACC conversations. The Three-Man Weave has already put out a video preview of the 2026-27 ACC, and Luke Loucks is on the list now.
A few other Cardinal notes are worth keeping in the mix. Kaleb Beasley was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, and KeyJuan Brown earned Doak Walker Award National Running Back of the Week honors, which is notable for a player who wasn’t even on the Doak Walker preseason watch list.
Former Card Wesley Bailey picked up his first career NFL sack on Monday night. Former Louisville ball carrier Duke Watson hit the fastest MPH speed of any player in college football last weekend.
And with Miller Moss elevated to the Bears’ active roster last week, he’s now in line to back up at quarterback Monday night against Philadelphia.
Around the program, the Cardinals keep collecting national and local attention. US News & World Report ranked the University of Louisville in its 2027 Best Colleges top 100 public schools and top 100 best value lists, and named U of L Kentucky’s Best Value School among national universities.
Louisville commit Ferlandes Wright talked about being back at Fairdale for his final high school season and about his future with the Cards. Class of 2028 QB Austan Cristiaan will be among the visitors in town for Saturday’s home game against Wake.
The annual Trinity-St. X rivalry game is also leading the list of this week’s best area high school football matchups.
And there’s no shortage of activity on the calendar. Thursday brings swimming and diving at the College Swimming League in Westmont, Illinois, and softball at Indiana at 6:30 p.m.
ET. Friday includes men’s tennis at the Fighting Irish Mini Duals, field hockey at California at 5 p.m.
ET, volleyball at Syracuse at 6 p.m. ET and men’s soccer at Pittsburgh at 7 p.m.
ET. Saturday features football against Wake Forest at noon, plus men’s tennis and women’s golf in South Bend.
Sunday’s slate includes women’s soccer against No. 21 Florida State at noon, volleyball at Boston College at 1 p.m.
ET, field hockey against UC Davis at 1:30 p.m. ET, lacrosse’s fall tournament and more women’s golf and men’s tennis.
Elsewhere on campus and around the fan base, there’s more content to dig into: Cards on the Table is back with Episode 2, the Card Tape is back, and Racing Louisville is hosting the San Diego Wave on Friday night at Lynn Family Stadium with Oktoberfest festivities, including authentic German food, beer, music and a stein-hoisting competition at 5:45 p.m. in the stadium beer garden.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Faces A Brutal Road Test For Gio Lopez
Louisville and Wake Forest arrive at this ACC matchup with similar early-season rsums and plenty to sort out before the league race settles in. The Cardinals are 2-1 and have leaned on a productive rushing attack while playing clean football, and the Demon Deacons are also 2-1 after showing they can hang around in competitive games. Both staffs have already spent the week talking up the challenges ahead, which is usually a sign the opener to conference play is going to demand a little more than just basic September execution.
For Wake Forest, the bigger concern is keeping Gio Lopez upright against a Louisville front that has been steady and disruptive without giving the ball away. The Cardinals have yet to put themselves in obvious trouble with turnovers, and that kind of discipline can make life uncomfortable for an offense still trying to settle in around its quarterback. How Wake Forest handles pressure will go a long way toward determining whether this turns into a manageable road test or a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Enters Week 4 With ACC Momentum And One Backfield Debate
Louisville heads into Week 4 with a little more confidence after opening ACC play by beating SMU, and the next stop brings Wake Forest into the picture. The Demon Deacons are coming off a conference loss to Miami, while the Cardinals are trying to build on a win that gave their early season a cleaner look on both sides of the ball. For a team trying to establish itself in league play, this is the kind of game that can help set the tone before the schedule gets any tougher.
The more interesting subplot inside Louisvilles own locker room is in the backfield, where the carries have not told the whole story. Isaac Brown remains the more familiar name, but Keyjuan Brown has been making his case with efficiency and production that have started to sharpen the discussion around how the Cardinals should divide their workload. With Louisville carrying momentum and the matchup tilting in its favor, the only real question is how much the ground game can keep opening doors before the conference race tightens up. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Fast Start Is Raising A Much Bigger Question
Louisvilles early-season picture has been a mix of promise and unfinished business, with the Cardinals showing enough offensive balance to keep piling up points while still leaving room for concern on the other side of the ball. Multiple running backs helped drive the attack, quarterback Kienholz added his own key moments, and the teams 2-1 start has already included a close loss to a top-ranked opponent, a reminder that the margin for error is thin even when the offense is humming.
The bigger question now is whether those fast starts can hold up once the pressure rises and the schedule keeps tightening, beginning with Wake Forest. Louisville has already lived through a game in which it gave up too much on the ground but still found ways to survive, so the next step is less about flash and more about consistency. If the Cardinals are going to turn this start into something bigger, they will need the same offensive variety and a defense that can keep making the right stops when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]