LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Teams struggling on the defense look to turn things around meet Saturday when Wake Forest visits Louisville. The Demon Deacons surrendered 38 straight points against Florida State last week playing the majority of the game with only one scholarship linebacker, while the Cardinals had the week off after losing a fourth straight game to Boston College on Oct. 13.
TV: Noon ET, ACC Network. LINE: Louisville -2.5.
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Wake Forest, which started the season with seven scholarship linebackers, scored the first 10 points against the Seminoles before allowing Florida State season highs in points and yards (485) in the 38-17 defeat. "I've just never been through anything like this in 19 years of being a head coach that you get that cleared out at one position," coach Dave Clawson told reporters after the game. "We are paper thin. We're just running out of bodies.” Prior to yielding 430 yards to Boston College, Louisville surrendered 66 points and 542 yards on the ground in a 35-point home loss to Georgia Tech the previous week; the Cardinals rank 104th in FBS in points per game allowed (33.4). The losing streak is coach Bobby Petrino’s longest in his 14 years of coaching.
ABOUT WAKE FOREST (3-4, 0-3 ACC)
Justin Strnad, the only remaining scholarship player at linebacker, had 12 tackles, and safety Luke Masterson moved up to linebacker and had five tackles for a team that is surrendering 37 points per game this season - 117th out of 130 teams in FBS. Against other power schools, the Deacons have surrendered 63 to Clemson, 56 to Notre Dame and 41 to Boston College - all losses. Sam Hartman (54 completion percentage, 1,486 yards, 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions) completed 22-of-46 passes for 227 yards against Florida State, while Matt Colburn (376 yards, two TDs) gained 71 yards on 21 carries.
ABOUT LOUISVILLE (2-5, 0-4)
Jawon Pass was 17-of-31 with 170 yards against Boston College and ran for a TD, but the Cardinals amassed just 217 total yards and took seven sacks. “A lot of times, we just beat ourselves,” Pass told the Courier-Journal. “A lot of times, it’s not the other team. It’s just us beating ourselves. … Dropped balls, missed blocks, missed reads, turnovers.” Pass has completed 54.8 percent of his 186 attempts for 1,229 yards with six TDs and eight interceptions, but Petrino would not commit to the sophomore over freshman backup Malik Cunningham, who has completed 22-of-34 passes for 198 yards this season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Louisville lost to the Demon Deacons for the first time in five all-time meetings last year, dropping a 42-32 decision despite 491 total yards and four touchdowns (three rushing) by former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
2. Wake Forest was held to 96 yards on 50 carries against Florida State after entering the contest averaging 232.8 yards per game.
3. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Cardinals in November: No. 2 Clemson, Syracuse, No. 22 North Carolina State and No. 14 Kentucky.
PREDICTION: Louisville 34, Wake Forest 28