Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Louisville Cardinals

Injuries noted

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Gio Lopez (probable) — Upgraded from questionable to probable on Thursday's injury report after Week 2 hip injury; coach confirmed he will play.; Ny Carr (out) — Listed out on Sept. 24 injury report (wide receiver).; Zamari Stevenson (probable) — Listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report (defensive back).

Louisville Cardinals: Travis Egan (out) — Tight end listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Jacob Baker (out) — Punter listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Max Merz (out) — Offensive lineman listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Bryten Close (out) — Offensive tackle listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Sam Secrest (out) — Offensive lineman listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Payton Cook (out) — Wide receiver listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Sam Dawson (out) — Defensive lineman listed out on Sept. 24 injury report.; Antonio Watts (doubtful) — Defensive back listed doubtful on Sept. 24 injury report.; Tayon Holloway (questionable) — Defensive back listed questionable on Sept. 24 injury report.; Cameron Gorin (questionable) — Offensive lineman listed questionable on Sept. 24 injury report.; Tre Richardson (probable) — Wide receiver listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report.; Demeco Kennedy (probable) — Defensive lineman listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report.; Keyjuan Brown (probable) — Running back listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report.; Koen Entringer (probable) — Safety listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report.; AJ Green (probable) — Defensive lineman listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report.; Anwar O'Neal (probable) — Offensive lineman listed probable on Sept. 24 injury report.

QUARTERBACK

• Gio Lopez is WAKE's confirmed starter

  8.43 Y/A

  Gio Lopez is WAKE's confirmed starting quarterback. Listed questionable on Wednesday's injury report, upgraded to probable Thursday; head coach Jake Dickert said Sept. 25 that Lopez 'didn't come up here with a wheelchair; he's gonna be ready to go' and had 'a great day of practice,' confirming he will play Saturday at Louisville. 2026 line: 843 passing yards, 63.0% completions, 8.43 yards per attempt, 6-1 TD-INT over 3 games.

• Lincoln Kienholz is LOU's confirmed starter

  11.18 Y/A

  Lincoln Kienholz is LOU's confirmed starting quarterback. Not listed on the Sept. 24 injury report; game-week reporting describes him as Louisville's active starter, having completed nearly 66% of passes for 816 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, and 4 rushing TDs through three games entering the Wake Forest game. 2026 line: 816 passing yards, 65.8% completions, 11.18 yards per attempt, 6-0 TD-INT over 3 games.

TRENCHES

• LOU: 229 rushing yards per game to WAKE's 135

  94 YPG

  LOU is running for 229 a game through three games, well above last season's 163.9, while WAKE is at 135, below its 156.2. If LOU's ground game carries over, it controls the clock and keeps WAKE's offense on the sideline. Three games can inflate a rushing average fast, so expect LOU to settle somewhat lower, but the home side has the clearer run identity here.

PACE & SCRIPT

• LOU: 46 points per game to WAKE's 32

  14 PPG

  Louisville is scoring 46 a game over three games, up from 29.9 last season, which likely reflects an easy early schedule. Wake is at 32, up from 28.1. Both numbers probably come down against conference opponents. Treat a high total built on early scoring averages with caution.

TURNOVERS

• LOU: 2 takeaways per game to WAKE's 0.33

  1.67 TO

  Louisville is forcing 2 takeaways a game over 3 games, while Wake Forest's defense has just 0.33. Turnovers bounce around a lot, so both numbers should drift toward normal. Louisville's defense has created more short fields so far, which helps a home favorite, but three games of turnover luck is not something to lean on hard.

MISMATCH

• LOU: 229 rush yards a game to WAKE's 135

  229 VS 135

  Louisville is running for 229 yards a game, up from 163.9 last season, and Wake Forest is at 135, down from 156.2. The two were close last season, so the gap is mostly Louisville's three-game surge. That kind of jump usually settles some. At home, Louisville can keep leaning on the run, and Wake Forest has to hold up at the line to stay in it.

REPLACEMENT

• Sam Dawson (DL) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Defensive lineman listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Payton Cook (WR) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Wide receiver listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Sam Secrest (OL) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Offensive lineman listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Bryten Close (OT) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Offensive tackle listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Max Merz (OL) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Offensive lineman listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Jacob Baker (P) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Punter listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Travis Egan (TE) is out for LOU

  OUT

  Tight end listed out on Sept. 24 injury report. Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

• Ny Carr (WR) is out for WAKE

  OUT

  Listed out on Sept. 24 injury report (wide receiver). Louisville vs Wake Forest: Injury Report (2026-09-24)

SITUATIONAL

• WAKE: 60% fourth-down conversion rate to LOU's 0%

  60 PP

  Wake Forest has converted 60% of fourth downs through three games, close to its 54.5% last season. Louisville is 0% this season after hitting 64.3% a year ago, and over three games that is likely only a handful of tries. Louisville's number should bounce back. Fourth-down rates on tiny attempt counts say little about this game, so weigh coaching aggressiveness more than the percentage.

TEAM RECORD

• ACC game: WAKE 0-1, LOU 1-0 in conference

  CONFERENCE

  These two share the ACC. WAKE is 0-1 against it, LOU is 1-0. 2026 standings through 2026-09-26.