Wake Forest walked into Louisville as an underdog and walked out with a statement win.
The Demon Deacons knocked off No. 16 Louisville 30-27 on Saturday afternoon to move to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in ACC play.
For a team that had already pushed then-No. 5 Miami to the brink a week earlier, this was another reminder that Wake Forest is not backing down from anyone in the league.
Gio Lopez and Carlos Hernandez did the heavy lifting on offense. Lopez finished 12-for-19 for 225 yards and a touchdown, while Hernandez turned nine catches into 194 yards and a score.
His biggest strike came on a 77-yard touchdown in the first half. Ty Clark III also delivered a strong day on the ground, piling up 91 yards on 21 carries and scoring twice.
The numbers told the story of a game that stayed tight from start to finish. Wake Forest finished with 402 total yards, just ahead of Louisville’s 399. Each team lost one turnover, and both also spent plenty of time dealing with penalties, finishing with more than 85 penalty yards apiece.
The Deacons also got a huge assist from special teams when it mattered most. Louisville lined up for a 57-yard field goal with time winding down and a chance to force overtime, but Gabe Kirshke got a hand on it and shut the door. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Louisville had already missed a field goal wide left.
That block capped a win that gives Jake Dickert another road victory over a ranked opponent since arriving in Winston-Salem last year. His first came last season in Charlottesville, when Wake Forest beat then-No.
12 Virginia 16-9 on November 8, 2025. Another shot at a ranked team could be waiting in November, when the Deacons travel to SMU.
The Mustangs are ranked No. 22 even after losing to Louisville last week.
For Wake Forest, the bigger picture is hard to ignore. A 3-1 start feels a lot different than 2-2, and with eight games left, the Deacons need just three more wins to get back to a bowl game. Stanford, NC State, Cal, Merrimack, and Georgia Tech are all still on the schedule, which makes the conversation around this team pretty simple now: how high can it climb?
Wake Forest now turns its attention to Stanford, which comes to Winston-Salem on Saturday, October 3 at 12 p.m. ET at Allegacy Financial Stadium. The game will be shown on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Faces A Costly Problem Ahead Of Louisville Test
Wake Forest heads into its meeting with Louisville at 2-1, still carrying the sting of its loss to Miami but with enough early momentum to make this a meaningful September test. The Demon Deacons have leaned on quarterback Gio Lopez and the receiving duo of Carlos Hernandez and Jack Foley, and if this one is going to tilt their way, they will need those pieces to stay efficient while the offense keeps the kind of rhythm that can survive on the road.
The bigger concern may be what happens when Louisville starts to lean on its ground game. The Cardinals are also 2-1 after beating SMU, and their rushing attack, led by Lincoln Kienholz and Keyjuan Brown, gives Wake Forest a difficult defensive assignment on top of the usual challenge of staying disciplined and avoiding penalties. For a team still trying to settle in after the Miami loss, the margin for error feels thin. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Just Made Another ACC Statement On The Road
Wake Forest walked into Louisville and left with another ACC win, taking down the No. 16 Cardinals 30-27 in a game that had the feel of a conference measuring stick. Connor Calvert did his part with three field goals, including the decisive 32-yarder late, while Gio Lopez managed the offense with 225 passing yards and a touchdown and Ty Clark III gave the Demon Deacons a physical edge on the ground with 91 rushing yards and two scores.
Louisville had plenty of chances to flip it back. Lincoln Kienholz was sharp for most of the afternoon, finishing with 324 passing yards, a touchdown and two rushing scores, but the Cardinals could not cash in when it mattered most, and a late blocked field goal only added to the frustration. For Wake Forest, the road win keeps building the sense that this team is getting comfortable in high-leverage ACC games, even if the bigger question is how far that edge can carry it from here. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces An Early Test Fans Can Already Debate
Wake Forest is heading into one of its earliest measuring-stick games under Jake Dickert, with a road trip to face No. 16 Louisville already offering plenty for Demon Deacons fans to chew on. The matchup carries the usual ACC intrigue, but it also comes with the sort of practical details that start to matter this time of year, from past meetings between the programs to the kind of weather and kicking conditions that can shape how a tight game plays out.
Gio Lopez being listed on the official injury report only adds another layer to a week that already feels like a real test for Wake Forest. Dickerts group has to sort through the usual road-game challenges while keeping an eye on personnel, and the uncertainty around the quarterback spot gives this one an even sharper edge before the Deacons ever take the field. [Read more 🡒]