By Harrison Plank

The Louisville Cardinals host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons this Saturday, Sept. 26, for the finale of a three-game homestand.

Coach Jeff Brohm has a history of playing up to quality opponents, then falling back down to Earth the following week. After knocking off No. 16 SMU, Brohm and the Cardinals will need to stay poised even when the lights aren’t the brightest.

‘Deets’ on the Deacs

The Demon Deacons enter this game after also playing a ranked opponent, falling to No. 5 Miami 33-20. No one can blame them for losing, as Miami has played like the clear-cut favorites to win the conference this season. Quarterback Darian Mensah set an ACC record by completing his first 24 pass attempts.

Wake Forest was no slouch, though, keeping the game competitive throughout. Gio Lopez diced up a strong Hurricane secondary, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns on 29-of-46 passing. Before the loss, Wake survived an overtime battle with Purdue and thrashed the Akron Zips in their season opener.

Lopez, a transfer from North Carolina, has greatly improved from his time with the Tarheels. In Coach Belichick’s scheme at UNC, Lopez didn’t have a defined spot. At Wake, the scheme is built to his strengths. Lopez is now reunited with his former coordinator from South Alabama, Rob Ezell, and has nearly reached his touchdown total from last season in just three weeks.

Standout stars

The Louisville defense had its best-looking performance of the season last week, but faces a tough challenge on Saturday. The Cards forced three turnovers against SMU, with Kaleb Beasley’s two interceptions sealing the win. Beasley’s performance earned him Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors. Louisville’s defense has improved in long-yardage situations, but flags are still an issue.

The Cardinals tend to let the game get ahead of them. Petty penalties move the chains in untimely scenarios. Nothing deflates a defense quicker than a penalty on a third-down stop. To take down Wake, the defense doesn’t need to be perfect; it just has to be more disciplined.

Additionally, U of L Sports Information Director Stephen Williams announced Thursday evening defensive standout Antonio Watts will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The x’s and o’s on the defensive end will need to be tight to compensate for Watts’ missing link.

The offense is good enough to keep up. Lincoln Kienholz’s Heisman stock is rising, while the Keyjuan and Isaac Brown backfield seems locked in after a three-touchdown day against SMU. Keyjuan Brown’s 163 yards and two touchdowns earned him Doak’s Running Back of the Week honors.

Wake Forest’s defense limits explosive plays, but Louisville’s pass-heavy attack should find a rhythm with underneath and intermediate throws. Tight ends Jaleel Skinner and Brody Foley will be good safety nets. If the pass game halts, Brohm can call on any runner to take the ball, including Kienholz. Brohm has shown confidence in his deep running back room, finding whoever is hot and giving them ample opportunities to break off a long run.

Louisville’s high-flying offense should take care of business against the Demon Deacons, but Brohm has a history of dropping “easier” games after a big win. Notably, Brohm is 1-5 in games following a top-10 win.

All Louisville needs to do is keep stacking wins. Adding another one against a conference opponent like Wake Forest will keep the season moving in the right direction.

Feature Photo by Harrison Plank / The Louisville Cardinal