Pregame Prep: Things You Should Know Before the Game
Kickoff: Noon ET
TV / Radio: ESPN / 93.9 The Ville
Uniforms: Louisville (white bird head helmet / red jersey & pants)
Last Time These Two Met:
Trailing 14-13 at halftime against #10 Wake Forest, Louisville put together one of the best quarters in program history. The Cardinals scored 35 points in the third quarter, forced six turnovers, and pulled away with a 48-21 win over the Demon Deacons. Louisville forced eight turnovers in total (including six from Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman) and 410 total yards, including 211 on the ground.
Notable Numbers:
- Louisville leads the all-time series 7-3.
- Louisville running back Keyjuan Brown posted a career-high 163 rushing yards in last week’s win over SMU. He’s now had four 100+ yard games in his last six outings, dating back to November 2025 vs. California.
- Louisville enters week four without a turnover for the second time in program history.
First Down: Meet the 2026 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2026 will mark the first time in four years that Louisville and Wake Forest face each other in football. The Demon Deacons are led by second-year head coach Jake Dickert, who took over last season after long-time head coach Dave Clawson resigned in 2024. Wake Forest had a quietly solid year in 2025, finishing with a 9-4 record that included an upset over then-No. 14 Virginia, and a Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Mississippi State.
Wake Forest is 2-1 entering Saturday’s contest, coming off a 31-20 loss at home to #5 Miami (FL).
Second Down: Wake Forest Offense
Wake Forest manifested a reunion this offseason, luring quarterback Gio Lopez from North Carolina to reunite with offensive coordinator Rob Ezell. Ezell and Lopez worked together at South Alabama during the 2024 season, where the quarterback completed 66% of his passes and scored 25 total touchdowns (18 passing and seven rushing).
After a disappointing 2025 season at UNC that saw Lopez throw for just 1,747 and ten touchdowns (including the Tar Heels averaging just 183.5 passing yards per game, 16th out of 17 ACC schools), he’s seen a resurgence in Winston-Salem. He enters this week ninth in the country in total offense (325.3 YPG) and has nine total touchdowns (seven passing / two rushing), marking Louisville’s third opposing quarterback that’s top ten in that category when facing the Cardinals.
Louisville will also see another dual threat quarterback that prefers to utilize their legs to extend the play, as Lopez can do that and delivers throws with accuracy. He also has a bevvy of playmakers at wide receiver, including Carlos Hernandez. Hernandez led the team last season in receiving (40 rec., 611 yards, three TDs), and he has a knack for getting separation in the short and intermediate passing game. Louisville will need to prevent him from getting into a rhythm and extending drives. Kam Shanks (10 rec., 111 yards, TD) has great speed on the perimeter, with Louisville transfer Antonio Meeks averaging 19.1 yards per catch this season.
Wake Forest primarily uses two running backs for their ground game, with Ty Clark III (22 carries, 144 yards, TD) leading in rushing. Clark is a strong runner that’s able to keep contact balance and push forward. 5’7″ freshman Deuce Lawrence (31 carries, 124 yards, TD) is a quick runner that can offer a change of pace out of Wake Forest’s backfield.
Players to Watch:
- QB Gio Lopez (63% completion, 325.3 YPG; nine total touchdowns)
- WR Carlos Hernandez (21 rec, 322 yards, two TDs)
- WR Antonio Meeks (seven rec., 134 yards, TD)
Third Down: Wake Forest Defense
Second year defensive coordinator Scottie Hazleton led a Demon Deacons defense that finished fourth in total defense last year, which was a huge part of their success last season.
He also got a huge boost to his scheme with Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke both returning to Wake Forest this season. Both guys are the engine to their defense, and they give Wake Forest a stout defensive line that can disrupt and cause havoc. Hardy led the team in sacks (seven) and TFLs last year (17), with Kirschke having five sacks and nine TFLs of his own. Wake Forest’s defensive line is largely undersized, but they make up for it with attitude and effort on every down.
Wake Forest has more veterans throughout the lineup, with linebacker Aiden Hall and safety Devaughn Patterson both returning also. Dayton transfer Vincent Firenze was a First Team All-Pioneer League nominee with the Flyers, he currently leads the team in tackles (26) and has a forced fumble to his name.
Wake Forest has struggled with defending the pass to start the season, though; they’re allowing an 82.6% completion rate (currently the highest among 138 FBS schools), and have just one forced turnover to start the year.
Players to Watch:
- DL Langston Hardy (3.5 TFLs, two sacks)
- DL Gabe Kirschke (3.5 TFLs, one sack)
Fourth Down: Keys to the Game
Which team can avoid costly penalties the most?
Both Louisville and Wake Forest are among the nation’s worst in penalties per game. Both teams are averaging at least nine penalties per game, with the Demon Deacons having 11 and 13 penalties against Akron and Miami (FL), respectively. Louisville is coming off a win over SMU that saw them overcome 11 penalties for 110 yards.
How does Louisville’s passing game attack the Wake Forest secondary?
Wake Forest has allowed the highest completion percentage in the country through three weeks, but one thing they have done well is prevent big plays. They’ve allowed just five pass plays of 20+ yards, and have yet to allow one for 30+ yards (one of five teams currently in the country to do so). Louisville will surely look to test their back end coverage, as they rank seventh in FBS in pass plays of 30+ yards (eight) and third in plays of 40+ yards (five).
This could lead to another big outing for Lincoln Kienholz, Tre Richardson, and / or LaWayne McCoy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the staff looks to utilize more of a quick passing game and methodically work down the field.
Can Louisville’s front four continue to build momentum?
With starters Antonio Watts and Tayon Holloway listed on this week’s injury report, Louisville could be down two key starters in containing Wake Forest’s efficient passing attack.
The Cardinals have already faced two high-powered offenses in Ole Miss and SMU, but they haven’t been able to wreak as much havoc with their front seven as many expected. Louisville has just three sacks and ten TFLs in three games so far (110th and 120th in the FBS in both categories so far), and it has to improve going forward. Wake Forest has allowed five sacks (68th nationally) and 15 TFLs (T-74th nationally), but with a run game that hasn’t taken off yet (102nd nationally at 137 YPG), Louisville should have opportunities to focus on stopping the pass game.
The key will be trying to limit the amount of big plays that Hernandez can create for Wake Forest. That could be a challenge if Watts and/or Holloway are unable to play, but Louisville’s front four has to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and force the issue with Lopez.
