Sep 26, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Carlos Hernandez (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Carter-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Deacs Clip the Cardinals' Wings

Originally posted on Wake Forest Demon Deacons on SI
By Barry Lewis | Last updated Sep 26, 2026 4:53 PM ET

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Don't look now, but the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 3-1 (1-1 ACC) after beating No. 16 Louisville (2-2, 0-1 ACC) 30-27 on Saturday afternoon.

Last week, the Deacs hosted then-No. 5 Miami and, thanks to a second-half surge, had the Hurricanes on the ropes. Had Wake Forest not had two holding calls on punt returns, we may have been looking at a different outcome. But that game detailed some of the grit and resilience this year's Wake team has.

After the Miami game, Wake showed it can go head-to-head with any ACC team without worrying about being the underdog. They showed that again on Saturday afternoon when they faced a ranked team for the second straight week. There was no giving up. Gio Lopez and Carlos Hernandez had a great day. They may have entered a hostile environment as underdogs, but they didn't play like it.

Offensive Explosion in Louisville

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lopez went 12-for-19 for 225 yards and one touchdown. Hernandez had nine catches for 194 yards and a touchdown, including a 77-yarder in the first half. Running back Ty Clark III nearly broke the century mark, rushing for 91 yards on 21 carries, including two touchdowns.

SEVENTY. SEVEN. YARD. TOUCHDOWN. pic.twitter.com/A0vqmK03fo
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 26, 2026

The game, statistically, was a close one. Wake Forest ended with 402 yards. Louisville had 399 yards. Both teams had one turnover. And both teams, two of the most penalized teams in FBS, had over 85 yards in penalties.

Let's also give some credit to the special teams unit. With time running out, Louisville attempted a 57-yard field goal, which could have sent the game into overtime. Instead, Gabe Kirshke blocked it, securing the win for Wake. Louisville had attempted another field goal earlier in the 4th quarter, which went wide left.

This win marked the second road win against a ranked opponent for Jake Dickert since he arrived in Winston-Salem last year. The first came in Charlottesville last year when Wake defeated then-No. 12 Virginia 16-9 on November 8, 2025. More could come as the season progresses. Wake Forest plays at SMU in November. The Mustangs are currently ranked No. 22, even after losing to Louisville last week.

Our guy pic.twitter.com/MCdaVL670w
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) September 26, 2026

The win is a huge momentum swing for the Deacs. Going into the middle of the season at 3-1 feels different than 2-2. With eight games remaining to play, Wake only needs to win three of those to once again return to a bowl game. With teams like Stanford, NC State, Cal, Merrimack, and Georgia Tech on the schedule, finding three more wins shouldn't be an issue. Really, the question to ask now is: how high is the ceiling for the Deacs?

Roll the Quad

It's a beautiful day in Winston-Salem, with no clouds in the blue sky. Perfect for a Deacs' tradition of rolling the Quad. Our team member Blake Robison was able to capture the tradition.