Deacons Daily

Takeaways from Wake Forest's loss to Louisville

Similar to years past, the Deacs blinked under the bright lights

Essex Thayer

Takeaways from Wake Forest's loss to Louisville
Takeaways from Wake Forest's loss to Louisville /

Wake Forest traveled to Louisville on Saturday and was thumped in a 48-21 defeat. Read below for our takeaways from the disappointing performance.

Sam Hartman does not deserve all the blame for the turnovers

Hartman was statistically responsible for six turnovers in the loss, three fumbles and three interceptions. In actuality, only two should be put on him. The fumbles have much to do with an offensive line that gave their quarterback very little time — the Deacs allowed eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Two seconds after a snap, Hartman would have a pass rusher on him from the blind side slapping the ball out of his hands.

One of Hartman’s interceptions came on a good pass that bounced off the hands of Donavon Greene and into the sky — making for a pretty easy pick, as seen below.

All the blame will likely get heaped on Hartman by national media and fans alike, and it’s not completely deserved. But….

Hartman made big mistakes and spiraled out of control

Throughout his career, Hartman would enter a big game and make a mistake. Making a mistake is fine, but with Hartman, one often leads to another, à la Duke’s Mayo Bowl and ACC Championship. It can get really ugly very quickly, and that happened Saturday.

READ: Disastrous third quarter results in Wake Forest's 48-21 loss to Louisville

The first interception was an unfortunate error that had big consequences. On a sideline pass to A.T. Perry, Hartman inaccurately put the ball on the inside. Kei’Trel Clark jumped the route and took the ball for the score. Not great.

The second interception was inexcusable. Hartman had a wide-open Ke’Shawn Williams cutting across the field, and instead of leading him, he threw behind straight to the cornerback. Upon watching the tape, it’s possible that Hartman was looking for Perry on the sideline comeback. That’s still bad, though, because it means he simply didn’t see or neglected the defender who made the interception.

This is the type of interception that comes about when Hartman begins to free fall. Some mistakes can be talked away for one reason or another. This interception, which was the final nail in Wake Forest’s coffin, cannot be defended.

READ: Key Stats from Wake Forest's 48-21 loss to Louisville

Wake Forest blinked…again

Last year, the Deacs faced an eerily similar situation to the one they had on Saturday — an 8-0 team ranked No. 10 in the nation looking to solidify their national standing and demand respect. Against North Carolina, they played like a team who deserved it, putting on an offensive spectacle that at one point saw them winning by 18. That is, until the team fell apart and allowed the Heels to claw back into the game and pull off a stunner.

This year, at No. 10 and verbally demanding respect, Wake Forest never reached the level of putting on an offensive show against the Cardinals. Instead, they allowed a mid-conference team that lost to Boston College to manhandle them in all facets of the game. Whether it was a lack of preparation, taking the game too lightly or the moment being too big, something was visibly off for Wake Forest.

READ: Game Summary - Louisville defeats Wake Forest 48-21

For a second year in a row, they couldn’t reach the next level. Even if the Deacs do finish the season 10-2 — a great milestone — and/or reach the Orange Bowl, this game will be looked back on and questions will be asked. The “what if” will inevitably be attached to this loss.

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Essex Thayer
ESSEX THAYER

Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.

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