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In a fourth quarter that produced just six combined points, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Louisville Cardinals engaged in a defensive struggle where both teams made crucial plays that stalled drives. The period was marked by missed opportunities and standout defensive efforts, ultimately shaping the game's outcome.
Louisville's offense, under the direction of head coach Jeff Brohm, delivered one of its most disappointing halves of football. Failures occurred across nearly every position group, and Brohm's play-calling also came under scrutiny. Analysts noted that the Cardinals' execution was lacking, particularly in critical moments.
Key Defensive Plays
Ben Perry, filling in for Antonio Watts at the Star position while also contributing as a reserve linebacker, had an outstanding game. One notable play saw Perry fly down the alley to deliver a hit right on the ball, forcing a fumble that should have given Louisville a much-needed edge. However, when Jarod Smith missed the recovery, it nearly allowed a Wake player to emerge from the pile with the ball, causing quite a scare.
On the offensive line, Lance Robinson and Cason Henry both struggled mightily. Their lack of effort in run blocking was jarring; Henry's wide stance upon contact allowed the Wake defender to throw him off balance, while Robinson stood too high and was manhandled at the point of attack, leaving quarterback Lincoln Kienholz with nowhere to run. This poor execution put the offense in a difficult spot.
Facing fourth down in no man's land, Brohm opted to go for the first down rather than attempt a long field goal. The decision was defensible, but the play's timing was slightly off, and the throw arrived a second late. Kienholz also needed to make a tough throw and trust his receiver, Lawayne McCoy, to take a hit rather than protecting him by not leading him into the safety. In that situation, the ball must be placed in front to give McCoy a chance.
Ben Perry continued to shine, using a nice dip move to get around the tight end and disrupt a pass before pulling down Gio Lopez before he could reach the edge. Tayon Holloway also impressed by directing traffic pre-snap and then bailing to get depth while scanning for crossers, trusting his teammates to make the play. These small details stood out.
Perry's edge-setting was on display again, as he won the leverage battle against the tight end to force the play inside. Even if the back tried to bounce outside, he would have had to widen out, allowing other defenders to track him down. Such plays don't appear on stat sheets but are crucial.
The effort level on short-yardage plays was noticeably higher than on other snaps, though it was inconsistent. Coaches need to find a way to get consistent maximum effort on every play.
Wake Forest's Discipline
Wake Forest's most impressive trait was their disciplined, well-coached approach. They avoided mistakes and didn't beat themselves. On a play where Tre Richardson seemed to have ample space for an explosive gain, the Wake safety minded his assignment, read the play, and reacted with an outstanding open-field tackle, maintaining outside leverage and ignoring Richardson's attempt to shake him. This discipline was a key reason Louisville struggled to move the ball.
As the game progressed, Louisville's offense began to press. On one play, Kienholz threw a fade to the shortest receiver on the team, an ill-advised decision. Brohm then called a quarterback draw that Wake was prepared for, as they played soft man coverage with linebackers eyeing the backfield. The QB run game had not been effective, and Wake was conceding quick passes, making the call even more questionable.
A sack was initially blamed on right guard Johnnie Brown, but Kienholz may have shared responsibility. Identifying the blitz outside the box might fall on the quarterback, and if so, Kienholz should have seen that Richardson was uncovered, indicating a blitz from the right. The protection slide needed correction, possibly by the quarterback. Additionally, going empty on third and long with a struggling offensive line was questionable.
Stanquan Clark accidentally made a play by taking out Carlos Hernandez, the intended target on a designed rollout pass. Lopez had to pull the ball down and run, but TJ Banks made a great play to cut him down short of the line to gain. While the offense was pressing, Kienholz did identify man coverage and made the right decision on a back-shoulder throw to Richardson for a huge play.
Later, Louisville was backed up, and Kienholz lost composure. Under pressure to his right, he bailed instead of stepping up to hit a short crosser, instead looking for a deep throw. With a field goal as an option, he needed to take the sensible play. He had McCoy driving across the middle and could have gotten out of bounds or into field goal range. Even if they spiked the ball, there would have been time to attempt a touchdown with a manageable field goal in reserve.
On another play, Kienholz missed an open slot receiver at the top of his drop, instead forcing a deep shot that wasn't open. Hitting the slot would have at least ensured a field goal. On the final play, both offensive tackles were beaten, and Kienholz had no time to step into his throw. He also suffered an injury when a defensive end stumbled into his ankle/knee and rolled him up. While such plays are automatic flags in the NFL, the college rule may differ, but it was still a late hit that arguably should have been called.
Overall, Louisville's pressing offense and missed opportunities, combined with Wake Forest's disciplined execution, led to a frustrating fourth quarter for the Cardinals.
Originally reported by yahoo.