Hernandez Shines as Demon Deacons Upset No. 16 Louisville on the Road

Saturday, September 26

Louisville, KY

12 p.m.

Wake Forest University

3-1 , 1-1

Louisville

2-2 , 1-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Wake Forest	3	21	3	3	30
Louisville	7	14	6	0	27

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Hernandez Shines as Demon Deacons Upset No. 16 Louisville on the Road

9/26/2026 5:26:00 PM | Football

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Wake Forest has now earned a ranked road win in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1975 and 1976 seasons.

By: Stephen Czarda & KJ Smith

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Powered by a stellar performance by wide receiver Carlos Hernandez, the Wake Forest football team (3-1, 1-1 ACC) earned a ranked road win in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1975 and 1976 seasons as it upset No. 16 Louisville (2-2, 1-1 ACC) by a final score of 30-27 on Saturday afternoon at L&N Stadium.

Hernandez finished the game with nine catches for 194 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter. Notably, the Alhambra, Calif., native's 194 receiving yards is tied for the fifth most receiving yards in a single game in program history.

Through the opening four games, Hernandez leads the ACC with 516 receiving yards. Additionally, the senior is one of four players in the FBS to log over 40 catches and 700 receiving yards since Nov. 15, 2025.

Quarterback Gio Lopez continued his hot start to the season as he went 12-of-19 for 225 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. Lopez has thrown for 1,112 yards this season, which currently ranks third in the ACC.

Running back Ty Clark III powered the Wake Forest rushing attack as he tallied 91 yards on 21 attempts. Clark also tallied a pair of rushing touchdowns for his first multi-touchdown game of his career.

Defensively, the Deacs were led by linebacker Aiden Hall, who finished the game with 11 tackles, including four solo efforts. Meanwhile, defensive back Somad Eaddy recorded a breakout game, totaling seven tackles with six solo efforts and a tackle for loss, as well as his first career interception.

The Demon Deacons put constant pressure on the Louisville backfield, tallying nine tackles for loss and four sacks, including a pair of sacks from defensive lineman Gabe Kirschke. Meanwhile, fellow defensive lineman Langston Hardy added three tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack against the Cardinals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Wake Forest defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession of the game.
- The Deacs continued to put pressure on the Louisville backfield as defensive linemen Langston Hardy and Gabe Kirschke both recorded tackles for loss on the next possession.
The Deacs got on the board first as kicker Connor Calvert connected on a 39-yard field goal at the 6:18 mark in the first quarter.
Louisville took a 7-3 lead with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.
Wake Forest reclaimed the lead on its next drive as running back Ty Clark III punched it in from six yards out to open the second quarter.
- Quarterback Gio Lopez escaped the pocket before finding wide receiver Carlos Hernandez for a 48-yard strike on 3rd and 15 to extend the drive.
The Cardinals made it 14-10 at the 7:32 mark in the second quarter.
The Demon Deacons responded immediately as Lopez connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass to Hernandez to take a three-point lead.
Defensive back Somad Eaddy recorded his first career interception with 3:46 remaining in the first half.
Wake Forest extended its lead to 24-14 as Clark notched his second rushing touchdown of the game with 1:19 left in the second quarter.
Louisville cut the lead down to three points on their next possession.
The Deacs entered halftime leading the Cardinals, 24-21.
The Cardinals kicked a field goal to tie the game at the 9:37 mark in the third quarter.
Wake Forest reclaimed a 27-24 lead as Calvert connected on a 35-yard field goal.
Louisville added a field goal to tie the game with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Calvert added his third field goal of the afternoon to give the Deacs a 30-27 lead with 6:20 left to play.
The Demon Deacon defense forced a missed field goal to preserve their three-point lead.
- Defensive lineman Zach Lohavichan recorded a sack on third down to halt the Louisville drive deep in Wake Forest territory.
Defensive lineman Dallas Afalava blocked a 54-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining.
Wake Forest defeated Louisville, 30-27.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Against the Cardinals, wide receiver Carlos Hernandez finished the game with nine receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown.
- The Alhambra, Calif., native's 194 yards on Saturday is tied for the fifth most in a single game in Wake Forest history.

Wake Forest Single Game Receiving Yards Records

Rank	Name	Opponent (Date)	Yards
1.	Wayne Baumgardner	South Carolina (11/15/80)	271
2.	John Henry Mills	Duke (11/3/90)	230
3.	Carlos Hernandez	Delaware (11/22/25)	197
4.	Sage Surratt	Louisville (10/12/19)	196
T5.	Carlos Hernandez	Louisville (9/26/26)	194
T5.	James Brim	NC State (9/20/86)	194
T5.	Fabian Davis	Navy (11/18/00)	194

Hernandez is one of only three players in the country with 40-plus receptions for more than 700-plus receiving yards dating back to Nov. 15, 2025.
Through four games, Hernandez leads the ACC in receiving yards.

2026 ACC Receiving Yardage Leaders

Rank	Player	School	2026 Receiving Yardage
1.	Carlos Hernandez	Wake Forest	516
2.	Malachi Toney	Miami	444
3.	Tre Richardson	Louisville	328
4.	Umari Hatcher	Syracuse	282
5.	Luke Reynolds	Virginia Tech	280

Players With 40 Receptions For 700+ Yards Since Nov. 15, 2025

Player	School	Receptions	Receiving Yards
Malachi Toney	Miami	83	1,011
Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State	55	998
Carlos Hernandez	Wake Forest	53	979
Wyatt Young	North Texas/Oklahoma State	44	844

STAGGERING STATISTIC

With the victory, Wake Forest earned its second road victory over a top-20 opponent in the Jake Dickert era, as the Demon Deacons last year defeated No. 12 Virginia 16-9 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
- Additionally, this is the fifth win over a ranked opponent as a head coach for Dickert.
Overall, this is Wake Forest's 19th victory over a top-20 ranked opponent.
Wake Forest has also now earned a ranked road win in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1975 and 1976 seasons.
- The Demon Deacons earned a pair of road victories during the 1979 season as well.

Highest Ranked Road Wins In Program History

Date	Score	Location
Oct. 26, 1946	Wake Forest 19, No. 4 Tennessee 6	Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 8, 2025	Wake Forest 16, No. 12 Virginia 9	Charlottesville, Va.
Sept. 15, 1979	Wake Forest 22, No. 12 Georgia 21	Athens, Ga.
Nov. 8, 2018	Wake Forest 27, No. 14 NC State 23	Raleigh, N.C.
Oct. 13, 1979	Wake Forest 24, No. 14 North Carolina 19	Chapel Hill, N.C.
Sept. 13, 1975	Wake Forest 30, No. 15 NC State 22	Raleigh, N.C.
Sept. 26, 2026	Wake Forest 30, No. 16 Louisville 27	Louisville, Ky.
Dec. 1, 1945	Wake Forest 13, No. 16 Clemson 6	Clemson, S.C.
Nov. 5, 1949	Wake Forest 27, No. 16 Duke 7	Durham, N.C.
Sept. 6, 2003	Wake Forest 38, No. 14 NC State 24	Winston-Salem, N.C.

Wake Forest is also one of five teams to win two road games against Power Four opponents this season, joining Miami, Mississippi State, UCLA and Virginia Tech.

FROM COACH DICKERT
"That was an unbelievable performance by our players and our coaches. The adjustments that we made at halftime, especially on the defensive side of the ball, were great. That is a talented quarterback and a talented team, so for our guys to come out in a really tough environment and get the win is incredible. It was so far from perfect. Matter of fact, it was ugly, but it was so beautiful because our guys found a way to win the game. I'm really proud of our whole program. We have a lot to clean up, but we're going to celebrate this one."

UP NEXT
Wake Forest will open the month of October hosting Stanford next Saturday for a 12 noon kick at Allegacy Financial Stadium for Family Weekend. The game will be televised nationally on the ACC Network.

Join The Best Fan Experience in North Carolina by purchasing tickets through GoDeacs.com/tickets, by calling (336) 758-3322 or by visiting the Wake Forest Athletic Ticket Office located behind the north end zone of Allegacy Stadium. To request more information, fans can fill out this form and a representative will follow up to provide assistance.