Wake Forest Upsets No. 16 Louisville 30-27 Behind Carlos Hernandez’s 194 Receiving Yards
Wake Forest delivered a statement road victory Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 16 Louisville 30-27 at L&N Stadium behind a huge performance from wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and a defense that protected a three-point lead in the closing minutes.
Hernandez caught nine passes for 194 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Gio Lopez threw for 225 yards and Ty Clark III rushed for 91 yards and two scores. The Demon Deacons improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, while Louisville fell to 2-2 and 1-1.
The victory also gave Wake Forest ranked road wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1975 and 1976.
Wake Forest Strikes First in Louisville
Wake Forest's defense established the tone by forcing a three-and-out on Louisville's opening possession.
Connor Calvert then put the Demon Deacons on the scoreboard with a 39-yard field goal, giving Wake Forest a 3-0 advantage with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter. Louisville answered late in the period when quarterback Lincoln Kienholz scored on a five-yard run to make it 7-3.
Wake Forest responded early in the second quarter.
Lopez escaped pressure on third-and-15 and connected with Hernandez for a 48-yard gain, extending a drive that ended with Clark scoring from six yards out. The touchdown gave Wake Forest a 10-7 lead.
Louisville answered with another Kienholz rushing touchdown to regain the advantage, but the Cardinals' lead lasted only 103 seconds.
Carlos Hernandez Breaks Free for 77-Yard Touchdown
Wake Forest needed just four plays to respond.
Lopez found Hernandez for a 77-yard touchdown reception, immediately putting the Demon Deacons back in front 17-14 with 5:49 remaining in the second quarter.
Wake Forest's defense then produced another opportunity when Somad Eaddy recorded the first interception of his career.
The Demon Deacons capitalized on the turnover. Clark scored his second six-yard rushing touchdown with 1:19 remaining, stretching the advantage to 24-14.
Louisville responded almost immediately. Kienholz connected with Jaleel Skinner for a 61-yard touchdown just 22 seconds after Clark's score, cutting Wake Forest's halftime lead to 24-21.
Louisville Rallies to Tie the Game
The Cardinals erased the remaining deficit in the third quarter.
Carson Hilbert converted a 41-yard field goal with 9:37 remaining in the period to tie the score at 24-24.
Wake Forest responded with a lengthy drive that ended with Calvert's 35-yard field goal, restoring a 27-24 advantage. Louisville again answered, with Hilbert connecting from 54 yards late in the third quarter to send the teams into the fourth tied at 27.
The back-and-forth battle featured five lead changes, with neither team able to create lasting separation.
Connor Calvert Gives Wake Forest the Lead
Wake Forest opened the fourth quarter with one of its most important drives.
The Demon Deacons moved 48 yards over 11 plays and controlled more than six minutes of game clock before Calvert connected on a 32-yard field goal with 6:20 remaining.
It was Calvert's third field goal of the afternoon and gave Wake Forest a 30-27 lead.
Louisville still had opportunities to respond, but Wake Forest's defense delivered when it mattered most.
Wake Forest Defense Protects Three-Point Lead
The Cardinals drove deep into Wake Forest territory before defensive lineman Zach Lohavichan recorded a third-down sack, helping force Louisville into a field-goal attempt.
Hilbert missed from 42 yards with 2:29 remaining, keeping Wake Forest ahead.
Louisville received one final opportunity and lined up for another long attempt in the closing seconds. Wake Forest again came through on special teams, blocking the field goal to preserve the 30-27 upset.
The Demon Deacons finished with nine tackles for loss and four sacks. Gabe Kirschke recorded two sacks, while Langston Hardy added two tackles for loss and a sack.
Aiden Hall led Wake Forest with 11 tackles, and Eaddy added seven tackles along with his first career interception.
Hernandez Delivers Historic 194-Yard Performance
Hernandez was Wake Forest's biggest offensive difference-maker.
His nine catches for 194 yards included gains of 48 and 77 yards in the second quarter. The performance tied Hernandez for the fifth-most receiving yards in a single game in Wake Forest history.
The record table on page 8 places Hernandez's 194 yards alongside James Brim and Fabian Davis for fifth in program history. Hernandez also owns the third-highest mark after recording 197 yards against Delaware in 2025.
Through four games this season, Hernandez leads the ACC with 516 receiving yards.
Lopez finished 12-of-19 for 225 yards and a touchdown, pushing his season passing total to 1,112 yards.
Clark provided the balance on the ground, carrying 21 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns, the first multi-touchdown performance of his career.
Demon Deacons Shut Down Louisville Running Game
Louisville quarterback Kienholz still produced a strong statistical performance, completing 27 of 36 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown while adding two rushing scores.
Wake Forest, however, prevented Louisville from establishing the rushing attack it had relied on earlier in the season.
The Cardinals entered the matchup averaging 229 rushing yards per game, but the Demon Deacons held them to only 75 yards on the ground.
That defensive effort, combined with Hernandez's explosive receiving performance and Calvert's three field goals, allowed Wake Forest to leave Louisville with one of the program's notable road victories.
Wake Forest Earns Another Ranked Road Win
The win was Wake Forest's 19th victory over a top-20 opponent and its second road victory over a top-20 team under head coach Jake Dickert. The Demon Deacons also defeated No. 12 Virginia 16-9 on the road in 2025.
The historical table on page 10 lists Saturday's 30-27 victory among Wake Forest's highest-ranked road wins, alongside victories over teams including No. 4 Tennessee, No. 12 Virginia and No. 12 Georgia.
Wake Forest now returns home to host Stanford next Saturday at Allegacy Financial Stadium.









