Deacons Daily

Wake Forest Football: Louisville Team Overview

The Cardinals' offense revolves around quarterback Malik Cunningham

Sam Rausch

Wake Forest Football: Louisville Team Overview
Wake Forest Football: Louisville Team Overview /

The Deacs advanced to a 6-1 record, 2-1 in conference, with a 43-15 win over Boston College this past weekend. Wake now sits at No. 10 in the AP Poll, tied with USC, and is a top 10 football program for just the second time in school history.

Wake Forest will head to Louisville on Saturday to face the Cardinals, looking to advance to 7-1 and solidify their top ten ranking.

Let’s take a look at their opponent.

Matchup History:

Louisville joined the ACC in 2014 and has faced Wake Forest eight times since being in the conference. The Cardinals and Deacs first met in the Orange Bowl in 2007 and the Cardinals were victorious, winning 24-13.

In their nine-game history, Louisville holds a 6-3 series record over Wake Forest.

READ: Wake Forest Football - Week 8 PFF Grades Roundup

The Deacs defeated Louisville 37-34 last season on a game-winning kick from Nick Sciba.

Louisville in 2022:

The Cardinals hold a 4-3 record through seven games, with a 2-3 record in conference play. After losing 34-33 to Boston College, the Cardinals have won consecutive conference matchups over Virginia and Pitt.

Under center, Malik Cunningham has 14 touchdowns this season, nine of them coming on rush attempts. Cunningham has carried the ball 80 times for 503 yards (6.3 YPC), leading the team in rushing yards.

In their final five games, Louisville faces four ranked opponents: No. 10 Wake Forest, No. 5 Clemson, No. 24 NC State and No. 19 Kentucky.

READ: Wake Forest's Sam Hartman named ACC QB of the Week

Louisville X-Factor: Malik Cunningham’s success on the ground

Malik Cunningham is a weapon in the backfield. Rushing for nearly 3000 yards in his tenure at Louisville, Cunningham has proven that he can break a run loose at any moment.

In last year’s matchup against Wake Forest, Cunningham showed his true dual-threat potential. Completing 73% of his passes, Cunningham threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 46 yards and two scores on the ground.

Despite totaling more yards than Wake Forest in last year’s contest (517 to 501), the Cardinals left Winston-Salem without a win. The potential for an upset over the Deacs will significantly depend on the play of Cunningham at quarterback.

Offense:

The Cardinals deploy a run-heavy offense, tallying 281 rush attempts to just 207 passes on the season. Louisville ranks No. 32 in the country in yards per carry (4.9), totaling 1365 yards on 281 rushes.

Cunningham has run for 2978 yards and 46 touchdowns in his collegiate career. As an elite rushing threat, the Deacs will have to adjust their game plan to monitor Cunningham’s ability to escape the pocket.

The Cardinals have a deep running back room, using a three-back approach in addition to Cunningham. Sophomore Trevion Cooley, junior Tiyon Evans and redshirt sophomore Jawhar Jordan have added 753 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 167 attempts.

Junior Tyler Hudson leads the receiving corps with 484 yards on 34 receptions. Behind him, sophomore Ahmari Huggins-Bruce has added 21 catches for 318 yards and a touchdown. Junior tight end Marshon Ford is among the best tight ends in the ACC, catching 20 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns in five games.

READ: Week 9 ACC Football Power Rankings

The lack of production from the passing game will force the Cardinals to rely on their rushing attack. If the Deacs can contain Cunningham in the pocket, they will hold the advantage in this game.

Defense:

Having surrendered 356.3 yards per game, the Cardinals rank as the No. 49 defense in the country. Despite the average ranking, the Cardinals have totaled 24 sacks this season, nearly 3.5 per game.

Only allowing 20.57 points per game, the Louisville defense has given the Cardinals’ offense the opportunity to keep each game close.

Leading the team in tackles is senior linebacker Momo Sanogo, who has notched 38 tackles (20 solo), 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Sanogo is a sixth-year senior and brings a veteran presence for the Cardinals’ defense. Senior defensive lineman YaYa Diaby leads the team in sacks (4.5) and has tallied 25 tackles this season.

READ: Grading Wake Forest's performance vs Boston College

The front seven has been dominant for Louisville this season, and come Saturday, they will face an experienced Wake Forest offensive line. Keep an eye on the pass rush, as the battle at the line of scrimmage will be critical to the flow of the game.

With improved defensive play from both teams this season, this game may come down to a defining play late in the game. The Deacs’ offensive line will need to play their best to slow down the talented Louisville defensive front on Saturday.

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Sam Rausch
SAM RAUSCH

Sam is a contributing football writer for Deacons Daily

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