Wake Forest walked out of Louisville with the kind of win that can flip a Saturday on its head. Connor Calvert drilled three field goals, capped by a 32-yarder with 6:20 left, and Gabe Kirschke blocked a 57-yard attempt at the horn as the Demon Deacons held on for a 30-27 upset of No. 16 Louisville on Saturday.
Gio Lopez gave Wake Forest the steady hand it needed, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-19 passing. Carlos Hernandez was the big-play engine, hauling in nine catches for 194 yards, just three yards shy of the career high he set last season against Delaware. Ty Clark III added the power element, carrying 21 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
The Deacons, now 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, picked up their first league win of the season and did it by making the most of every opening Louisville gave them. The Cardinals were missing two starting defensive backs, and Wake Forest attacked that space early and often. Lopez and Hernandez connected on a 77-yard touchdown that put the Deacons ahead 17-14 with 5:49 left in the first half.
Wake Forest then turned defense into another scoring chance. After the defense intercepted Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, the Deacons used a 31-yard pass to set up Clark’s second touchdown, a 6-yard run that pushed the lead to 10 with 1:19 left before halftime.
Louisville refused to fold, and Kienholz kept dragging the Cardinals back into the fight. Just 22 seconds after Clark’s touchdown, he found Jaleel Skinner on a 61-yard scoring pass to trim the margin to three. Carson Hilbert then tied it with 9:37 left in the third quarter on a 41-yard field goal.
Hilbert later delivered a 54-yarder late in the third to knot the game at 27, but he missed from 42 yards with 2:29 to play. That opened the door for Wake Forest to seize control again, and Calvert’s 32-yard kick with 6:20 remaining put the Demon Deacons back in front for good.
Kienholz finished 27 of 36 for 324 yards, one touchdown and his first interception of the season. He also ran for two scores.
Wake Forest’s road win came despite being a two-score underdog, and the Deacons did it by matching Louisville punch for punch while shutting down the Cardinals’ ground game. Louisville came in averaging 229 rushing yards per game, but Wake Forest held it to 75.
For Louisville, the loss carried a familiar sting. The Cardinals under Jeff Brohm have been prone to letting winnable games slip away after beating a ranked opponent, and this one unraveled with personal fouls, busted secondary coverage, an interception and the late missed field goal.
Wake Forest hosts Stanford.
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Louisvilles Early-Season Ceiling Suddenly Looks Like A Real Debate
Wake Forest walked out of Louisville with one of the leagues more eye-opening wins of the young season, beating the No. 16 Cardinals 30-27 and nudging itself to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. Gio Lopez handled the moment well, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown, while Carlos Hernandez was the games most dangerous playmaker with nine catches for 194 yards and a score.
Louisville had a chance to escape after a back-and-forth afternoon, but the finish turned on a blocked 57-yard field goal attempt in the final moments. For a Wake Forest team trying to establish itself in the conference race, it was the kind of result that can change how the rest of the schedule feels, while also leaving the Cardinals with a sudden need to sort out what this loss says about their early-season ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Faces A Costly Problem Ahead Of Louisville Test
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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 🡒]
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 🡒]