Wake Forest heads into Saturday’s trip to No. 16 Louisville with plenty to sort out after last week’s loss to No.
5 Miami. The Deacons took a step forward in the second half, but the margin for error is still thin, especially in a road environment against a Louisville team that brings real firepower.
One issue keeps jumping off the page for Wake: penalties. The Deacons were flagged 13 times for 122 penalty yards against Miami, and that kind of self-inflicted damage is hard to survive against a top opponent. If they’re going to stay in the fight this week, they have to clean that up fast.
The biggest challenge on paper is Louisville’s offense. The Cardinals rank 12th nationally and are led by transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, giving Wake another major test after dealing with Miami’s No. 6-ranked attack.
Against the Hurricanes, the Deacons had trouble on both sides of their defense - the run game and the passing game both gave them fits. Jake Dickert now has to find a better answer for a second straight elite offense, especially after Darion Mensah was able to sit back and throw too comfortably against Wake.
Louisville’s side of the ball brings its own key questions. Jeff Brohm’s offense leans on the run to set up everything else, which puts a spotlight on redshirt senior Langston Hardy and his job of clogging up running lanes from the opening kickoff.
Safety Davaughn Patterson is another name Louisville has to account for, since his all-around skill set has already caused problems for opposing offenses this season. Brohm will be looking for ways to keep Patterson from taking over the game.
Then there’s the matchup that could decide the night on the perimeter. Wake Forest receiver Carlos Hernandez has been rolling early, and he’s currently second in the ACC in receiving yards. Even after going against Miami’s secondary last week, he still finished with 10 catches and a touchdown, so he’ll walk into this one with confidence.
Standing across from him is Tayon Holloway, Louisville’s top cornerback, who closed last season strongly. It’s one of the better individual battles in the ACC this week, and Wake Forest likely needs Hernandez to come out on top if it wants to leave Louisville with a win.
There’s a lot packed into this one, and it has the feel of a big early ACC measuring stick for Wake Forest. Louisville has to respect the Deacons, and Wake has a chance to land a statement win if those key matchups break its way.
In Other News...
Louisville May Catch Wake Forest Without Its Biggest Offensive Threat
Louisville is getting ready for a Wake Forest offense that may look a lot different than usual, and the uncertainty starts at quarterback. Gio Lopez has been one of the key reasons the Demon Deacons have been able to push the ball through the air, ranking near the top of the ACC in passing yards and touchdowns.
Lopez has been playing with the hip issue for a while now, which makes his status even harder to read heading into the matchup. For Louisville, that leaves one of the more important questions in the game still hanging in the balance, because Wake Forests attack is not nearly the same if its most reliable offensive threat cannot go. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Second Quarter Exposed One Problem And One Intriguing Wrinkle
Louisvilles second quarter against SMU offered a sharp look at how thin the margin can be on defense, especially when the Cardinals are asked to sort out assignments on the fly. One series ended badly after a breakdown in the secondary, while another showed how quickly the same defense can flip the field when the call and the execution match up. In between, the game also gave a glimpse of how Jeff Brohm and his staff are trying to create edges with the offense, including a designed run look for Lincoln Kienholz that fit the broader chess match of the half.
The bigger takeaway for Louisville is that the tape contained both a warning and a small reward. The warning was simple enough: one lapse in coverage can undo everything else a defense does correctly. The reward was more subtle, and maybe more important for the long haul, because the Cardinals also showed they can still manufacture confusion and force mistakes when the disguise is right. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Has A Chance To Shake Up The Rivalry On Saturday
Louisvilles weekend matchup with Wake Forest carries a little extra recruiting weight, too, with the Cardinals set to host four-star safety Tristin Hughes on campus. The Ohio prospect has already drawn more than 25 offers and is regarded as one of the top recruits in the country as well as in his home state, making him the kind of prospect who can change the look of a class quickly if a program can make the right impression.
The visit matters even more because Louisville is pushing hard to build out its 2027 class and views Hughes as a major target. Adding a player with that profile would be a significant win for the Cardinals, especially with rivalry undertones always in the background when Kentucky is involved. Now the question is whether a strong weekend in Louisville can keep the momentum moving in the Cardinals direction. [Read more 🡒]