No. 16 Louisville hosts Wake Forest in ACC Week 4 matchup

No. 16 Louisville hosts Wake Forest on Saturday, September 26, at noon ET on ESPN in an ACC Week 4 matchup. Louisville enters 2–1 overall and 1–0 in ACC play following a ranked win over SMU, while Wake Forest is 2–1 overall and 0–1 in the conference after a loss to Miami. Louisville is favored by 13.5 points.

Quick Facts

College football ACC Week 4 game
Louisville defeated ranked SMU 41–31 in Week 3
Wake Forest lost to Miami 33–20 in Week 3
Louisville is 2–1 overall, 1–0 in ACC
Wake Forest is 2–1 overall, 0–1 in ACC

No. 16 Louisville hosts Wake Forest on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at noon ET at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, with live coverage on ESPN. The game headlines the Atlantic Coast Conference's Week 4 slate and carries implications for both teams' playoff aspirations.

Louisville enters the game with a 2–1 record and 1–0 in ACC play, coming off a 41–31 ranked victory over SMU at home. The Cardinals' only loss came against now-No. 4 Mississippi in a shootout. Under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville defeated preseason ACC favorite Miami to position itself as a contender for a 12-team College Football Playoff bid. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz has completed 48 passes for 816 total yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions this season. Running backs Keyjuan Brown and Isaac Brown have anchored the ground attack, with Keyjuan Brown recording 163 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries against SMU.

Wake Forest arrives with a 2–1 record and 0–1 in ACC play, following a 33–20 loss to Miami in Week 3. The Demon Deacons' offense is led by North Carolina transfer Gio Lopez, who has thrown for 887 passing yards and nine touchdowns with one interception through three games, ranking him 12th nationally and second in the ACC. Under second-year head coach Jake Dickert, Wake Forest has compiled an 11–5 record. The team's defense has shown strength, limiting Miami's high-powered offense to 26 passing yards and forcing three-and-outs on four of six final possessions in that contest. Wake Forest's defensive unit, coordinated by Scott Hazelton, returned nine starters from 2025.

Louisville enters as a 13.5-point favorite with the over/under set at 56.5 points. The Cardinals lead the all-time series against Wake Forest 7–3, with their last meeting in 2022 ending in a 48–21 Louisville victory. Analysts have highlighted Wake Forest's defensive capabilities as a potential constraint on Louisville's offensive output, noting that the Demon Deacons' run defense held Purdue to 3.2 yards per carry and Miami to 4.6 yards per carry. Louisville's success against SMU relied partly on 265 rushing yards and three SMU turnovers, conditions that may not repeat.

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#college football #ranked matchup #Gio Lopez #Lincoln Kienholz #Louisville Cardinals #playoff contention #ACC #Week 4 #Wake Forest Demon Deacons

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Why This Matters

This ACC matchup carries implications for playoff positioning in a 12-team College Football Playoff format. Louisville (ranked No. 16, 1–0 in ACC) seeks to build on a ranked win over SMU and improve its conference record; Wake Forest (0–1 in ACC) aims to recover from a loss to Miami and establish conference credibility. Betting markets show a 13.5-point Louisville advantage, reflecting the power differential. The outcome affects both teams' bowl eligibility trajectories and conference standings heading into mid-season play.