Wake Forest Football: DB Chelen Garnes, DL Dion Bergan and OL Spencer Clapp on Louisville

The Deacs have been firing on all cylinders recently, winning their last two games by a combined margin of 88-25. After thrashing Boston College 43-15 in Week 8, Wake Forest is now 6-1 and the nation is taking notice — Dave Clawson’s group shares a No. 10 AP ranking with USC leading into Saturday’s bout with Louisville. Inside the program, though, those rankings are nothing but noise that needs to be blocked out.

“Ignore all the noise because, before the season started, we were ranked [further] down,” safety Chelen Garnes said. “But we found a way to climb to the top. So now that they love us, we don’t want to hear that either. [We have to] stick to what we do and have a great mindset every day.”

Though the Deacs are flying high seven games in, they know they haven’t reached their full potential. With a daunting slate of ACC opponents on the horizon, Garnes’ unit — and the entire team — must find that extra gear.

“We’re doing well right now, but we need to do better,” Garnes said. “We have to kick it up just a little bit more. We have to keep going. Good ain’t good enough.”

Louisville is Wake Forest’s next test. The Cardinals are led by dual-threat QB Malik Cunningham, who torched the Deacs for over 300 yards passing and four total touchdowns in 2021. The keys to containing Cunningham will be discipline and intensity from the entire defense.

“Having rush lane integrity is a big thing we’re talking about,” DL Dion Bergan Jr. said. “Our inside guys can’t get too caught up trying to work moves in and out. We have to be more detailed with where we put our eyes depending on where the quarterback is so we don’t let him out.”

Though Willis is a challenging player to defend, the Deacs also dealt with mobile quarterbacks in the Liberty and Florida State games, among others. Cunningham provides just the kind of challenge the Wake Forest defense is eager to attack.

“He can make you miss in open space,” Garnes said. “We’re reiterating being great tacklers. Once you get there, be able to make the plays well. Just getting back to what we were doing early in the year, defending running quarterbacks. It’ll be fun.”

The Cardinals have given the Deacs trouble in the past, defeating Wake in 2019 and 2020 and taking them down to the wire last season. As a result, the team is prepared for a battle come Saturday.

“I’ve never been to Louisville, but I’ve been told it’s a rowdy environment,” OL Spencer Clapp said. “It can get pretty loud. Whenever you’re on the road, it’s just keeping your composure, staying on track and not letting the atmosphere get to you.”

Wake Forest and the Cardinals kick off at 3:30 on ACC Network.