Louisville football vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to know about ACC matchup, betting line
Louisville football dug deep after a bleak start and earned its second ACC victory via a 24-10 win over Pittsburgh. The Cardinals are now fifth in the Atlantic Division standings with an opportunity to build on that this week.
Louisville (4-3, 2-3 ACC) is set to host No. 10 Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Cardinal Stadium. The Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1) are third in the division standings and became bowl eligible after beating Boston College 43-15 last weekend.
Weekend rewind:Photos from Louisville's 24-10 win over Pitt
Here are three things to know about the upcoming contest:
Revenge on the brain?
During ACC Kickoff before the season, Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield noted 2021's loss against Wake Forest still sticks with him. The Demon Deacons’ go-ahead field goal with less than 30 seconds left in the game to win 37-34 was a prime example of Louisville’s struggles to close out games. At the same time, it showed the Cardinals can hang with some of the better teams in the conference.
That opportunity to prove that again is even more magnified with Wake being U of L’s first top 10-ranked opponent since it faced Notre Dame, ranked fourth at the time, in 2020.
Should Louisville be able to pull off the huge upset and avenge last year’s heartbreaking defeat, it’ll not only give the Cardinals a crucial top-10 conference win but also three straight league wins. Louisville hasn’t accomplished that feat since 2016, when the Cardinals were a top-10 team and beat Duke, NC State and Virginia in consecutive weeks.
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Running back carousel
For as much as Louisville’s running back depth has been an advantage, the Cardinals haven’t been able to benefit from it as much as they’d hoped. No sooner had the team got back Jalen Mitchell, who had been out for six weeks with a lower leg injury, it lost starter Tiyon Evans. He, too, suffered a lower leg injury against Boston College on Oct. 1. Jawhar Jordan started in Evans's place against Virginia on Oct. 8, while Trevion Cooley ran out first against Pitt for his first start of the season.
“It's tough because you got guys in and out of the lineup,” Satterfield said. “Really, I just go out there and see who's practicing today. Who's available? We'll let these guys get reps today (Tuesday) and then as we get to game day, alright, who's available? Alright, here's how the rotation will go. I think all those guys understand that they all will obviously be trying to get out there and be available and can go through practice and be ready for the game.”
Cooley has been the leading rusher in back-to-back games and averaged 6.8 yards per carry for a total of 75 yards against the Panthers.
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"I think that he’s shown so (many) signs of growth this year,” U of L offensive coordinator Lance Taylor said, “just from a physical and mental toughness standpoint and understanding the offense standpoint, willingness to do whatever he's been asked to do, or accept whatever role he's been put in. I think that that's been really the mantra of that room. … Trey is just one piece in that room that has done a nice job, but been really proud of him and his growth.”
The injuries have prevented the Cardinals from establishing continuity out of the backfield. At the same time, it’s allowed opportunities for Cooley, Jordan and even true freshman Maurice Turner, who’s played in four games this season.
Satterfield said Evans is day-to-day but will most likely be available.
Handling Sam Hartman
Redshirt junior quarterback Sam Hartman has already solidified himself as one of the best quarterbacks in ACC history. Last weekend, he moved into third place career touchdown passes with 93 after throwing five TDs in a 43-15 win over Boston College. He also has the nation’s longest active streak of 28 straight games with a touchdown. On the strength of Hartman’s arm, the Demon Deacons are averaging 41.4 points per game with the Charlotte native contributing 292.5 passing yards per outing, which included 313 yards against the Eagles.
"They've had Sam Hartman I feel like now, five or six years. I think he's still got another year, incredibly,” Satterfield said, joking. “He's a great player, runs that offense to a tee — the slow read with the running back and then you know, the RPOs off of that.”
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Hartman is ranked sixth nationally in passing efficiency (173.43), tied for fifth in passing TDs (21), 14th in passing yards per game and 15th in passing yards per completion (14.2). He’ll be the biggest challenge to Louisville’s pass defense, which has struggled at times. It currently ranked 51st among FBS programs, though, in passing yards allowed with 217.6 per game. The biggest advantage the Cardinals have is its ability to get to the quarterback prior to the throw attempt, totaling 25 sacks on the year, which is tied for fifth nationally. The group also ranked 10th in the country in tackles for loss with 52 for a total of negative-239 yards, eighth-most in the nation.
"You have to be where you're supposed to be. If you're not he's gonna make you pay whether that's up front, gap integrity,” Cardinals defensive coordinator Bryan Brown said of Hartman. “Guys aren't in the gap and he hands it off, and boom, he has a crease. ... (If) safeties are too tight, he's going to ride it, ride it, ride it, and he's going to throw the RPO off of it. So, we have to do a great job of being where we are, where we need to be and be sound in our gaps.”
Betting line
Louisville is a four-point underdog against Wake Forest, according to Vegas Insider.
Prediction: Louisville 45, Wake Forest 42
Louisville’s inconsistency makes it hard to know what it’ll do each week, but the Cardinals have gained confidence after beating Pitt in addition to wanting revenge for last year’s close loss to Wake Forest. U of L also showed an ability to score points on every side of the ball, which will be key in putting together a three-game winning streak.
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville vs Wake Forest football: 3 things to know about ACC matchup
