This one hurt, and this one hurt for so many reasons. The Cardinals fell to Wake Forest, 30-27, after Lincoln Kienholz and this offense scored just six points in the second half, including zero in the fourth quarter.
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The Cardinals were a near two-touchdown favorite over Wake Forest on Saturday, but Louisville couldn’t take care of business and defeat the Demon Deacons. The Cardinals now fall to 2-2, likely drop out of the AP Poll, and painfully continue to repeat this troubling pattern.
Louisville football can’t escape this brutal pattern after big wins
Since Jeff Brohm has arrived, the Cardinals' head coach has elevated this program. He has won nine or more games in all three seasons and has put Louisville toward the top of the ACC. On top of that, he has earned a few nicknames, one of them the giant killer.
Brohm has defeated some big-time teams at Louisville, including multiple top-15 programs. In 2023, he defeated No. 10 Notre Dame; in 2024, he defeated No. 11 Clemson; in 2025, he defeated No. 2 Miami; and this year he defeated No. 16 SMU. However, the pattern Louisville fans know far too well by now is that shortly after a huge win, the Cardinals suffer a brutal loss.
In 2023, the Cardinals were 6-0 and ranked No. 14 in the country when they faced a 1-4 Pitt team after the Cardinals' thrilling win over Notre Dame. This is when the pattern started. The Cardinals led 21-14 after the first half, failed to score in the second half, and lost to the Panthers in an ugly 38-21 defeat.
The year following a similar situation. Louisville was 4-2 in conference play and had a chance to return to the ACC Championship Game. They had a huge win over No. 11 Clemson after the Cardinals dominated the Tigers on the road and earned the program's first-ever win over Clemson. However, the very next week, the Cardinals laid a huge egg at home, losing to a 2-7 Stanford team.
Last year, the Cardinals defeated No. 2 on Miami and climbed into the College Football Playoff top 15. They looked like a true contender in the ACC, but collapsed in November, losing to Cal and Clemson in consecutive weeks and dropping out of the rankings.
This is a pattern Louisville and Brohm must fix. Every year the Cardinals show up for the big games, but that very next week after a big win, Louisville just consistently lays an egg. And if you want to compete for a CFP spot or the ACC Title, you can’t do that consistently. Louisville’s season isn’t over yet, but after losing to Wake Forest, it feels like if Louisville wants to go to the CFP, they have to win out and win the ACC Title, which is going to be a huge challenge.
Louisville fans are frustrated this Sunday morning, and they deserve to be. This is one hurt, and it hurts a lot because it happens every year. The Cardinals will look to bounce back on the road this weekend against North Carolina State.
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