Wake Forest’s trip this weekend comes with a close look at a Louisville team that’s already made plenty of noise, and the Cardinals’ offense and defense both have a few clear reasons why.
On the offensive side, the biggest surprise against SMU was running back Keyjuan Brown. He’s usually the backup, but with Isaac Brown dealing with a nagging knee injury and getting off to a slow start, Keyjuan Brown stepped in and delivered in a big way.
He carried the ball just 10 times and turned that into 163 yards and two touchdowns. The blend is what stands out: physical running, strong contact balance, and more open-field speed than you’d expect.
Against Ole Miss, and really across the season so far, the main offensive difference-maker has been quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. The Ohio State transfer has already outperformed expectations and might be a top-three quarterback in the ACC.
He’s given Louisville real value as a runner, using a hard-nosed, physical style that’s almost akin to Baker Mayfield. And as a passer, he’s been better than expected too, especially when plays break down and he has to throw on the move.
Louisville’s defense has its own edge, even if the raw sack total doesn’t jump off the page. The Cardinals have only three sacks, but that doesn’t tell the full story.
Per PFF, they’ve produced 55 total pressures, and part of the reason actual sacks haven’t piled up is that they’ve already faced two of the nation’s best dual-threat quarterbacks through the first three weeks. Still, the pressure has been there.
That same aggressive style has come with some trade-offs. Louisville is giving up 406.7 yards per game, which ranks 110th in the FBS, but it has also forced six turnovers, good for 13th nationally.
Two of those came in the fourth quarter against SMU alone. That boom-or-bust approach has been a big part of what the Cardinals are defensively.
If Louisville wants to avoid a flat outing after a big win, the fixes are pretty clear: stop the explosive plays and clean up the penalties. The Cardinals are outside the top 100 in the FBS in allowing 40-, 50-, and 60-yard plays, and a lot of that has come from coverage busts and miscommunication.
They’re also one of the most penalized teams in the country, sitting 123rd at 9.00 penalties per game. Roughly half of those flags have been 15-yard penalties like personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct, the kind that happen after the whistle and can be avoided.
One of the biggest areas of growth has come at tight end. Jaleel Skinner has finally started to put it together, and the numbers show it: eight catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns already, which puts him ahead of the pace needed to top his career-best 204 yards from last season.
There’s more room for that room to grow, too. Brody Foley has been dealing with nagging injuries, but he had 528 yards and seven scores at Tulsa last season, and once he’s fully healthy and adjusted to the power conference level, Louisville could even lean into 12 personnel.
The receivers have also given the Cardinals two major weapons in Tre Richardson and Lawayne McCoy. Richardson was one of the more dynamic wideouts in the SEC last season at Vanderbilt thanks to his open-field speed, and that has translated quickly.
Now fully healthy after a foot injury, his crisp route running and elite track speed make him a problem in the slot. McCoy brings a different kind of threat.
He’s the physical, downfield big-play receiver in this offense, with strong body control and reliable hands when battling defenders or reaching outside his catch radius. He also adds value after the catch, showing enough savvy to avoid tacklers and enough toughness to fight through contact for extra yards.
In Other News...
Louisville Faces A Real Test After That Statement Win
Louisville has spent the past couple of weeks showing both sides of its profile, with a double-digit win over SMU followed by a competitive showing against Ole Miss. Even with that momentum, the Cardinals are heading into a matchup that feels more revealing than routine, because their defense has given up plenty of points lately and now has to deal with a Wake Forest offense that has quietly improved as the season has gone on.
Gio Lopez has helped steady that side of the ball for the Demon Deacons, and Carlos Hernandez has been a reliable target as the passing game has found more rhythm. Put that together with Louisvilles recent issues on defense, and this looks like one of those games that can turn into a real test rather than just another conference date, with both sides carrying reasons to believe they can control it. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest's ACC Standing Looks Clearer Heading Into A Bigger Test
Wake Forests place in the ACC picture is getting a little easier to read after another round of conference power rankings from the editorial staff, which again sorted the league into tiered groupings based on recent play and votes from 10 writers. Miami stayed a unanimous No. 1, Louisville climbed to No. 2 after its latest win, and the Demon Deacons held steady at No. 8 even after the loss to Miami.
For Wake Forest, that kind of stability matters more than it might seem in late September. Sitting in the top half of the league keeps the Deacons in the conversation as the ACC season starts to separate into clearer layers, but the margin for moving up is still thin with a bigger test looming. The rankings suggest Wake Forest has earned enough respect to stay put for now, while still leaving plenty to prove against the teams ahead of it. [Read more 🡒]