Wake Forest found itself in a back-and-forth battle early. Louisville took the first lead, but the Demon Deacons responded whenever the Cardinals seemed to gain control. Ty Clark III sparked the offense on the ground, scoring two rushing touchdowns and helping Wake Forest establish a physical presence.
The biggest offensive play of the game came late in the first half. With Wake Forest trailing 14-10, quarterback Gio Lopez connected with Carlos Hernandez on a 77-yard touchdown pass. The explosive play shifted the momentum toward the Demon Deacons and gave Wake Forest a 17-14 advantage.
Wake Forest added another touchdown before halftime when Clark found the end zone for the second time, pushing the lead to 24-14. Louisville answered with a long touchdown pass of its own, however, cutting the deficit to three points heading into halftime.
The Cardinals battled on into the second half, eventually tying the game at 27 all. With neither team able to create much separation, the pressure shifted to the fourth quarter. Wake Forest’s defense needed a stop, while the offense needed to find a way to put points on the board…