Louisville forces 8 turnovers on #10 Wake Forest | WGN 720 Radio

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville’s defense produced a third-quarter scoring explosion that stunned No. 10 Wake Forest.

The Cardinals forced eight turnovers, returning two for touchdowns, and registered eight sacks in a 48-21 win over the Demon Deacons on Saturday.

A dominant defense gave coach Scott Satterfield his first win against a top-10 team.

Six of those losses and both scores came in the third quarter. Louisville turned a 14-13 halftime deficit into a 34-point lead before Quincy Riley returned an interception 90 yards for a score on the final play of the period.

“The third quarter was great,” Satterfield said. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been in the game a long time.”

Louisville’s 35-point third quarter set a record for most points in a quarter against an AP top-10 team. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it has happened three times before, the most recent being that time. 5 Oklahoma vs. then-No. 2 Texas Tech Nov 22, 2008

Louisville (5-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) needed a rally after losing a 13-0 lead they held a minute into the second quarter. Kay’Trell Clark’s 46-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Louisville a 20-14 lead 47 seconds into the second half.

Louisville’s seven players had four interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

However, Louisville’s win was based on more than turnovers. The Cardinals’ eight sacks came from eight players.

“It just shows how much work our defense put in,” quarterback Malik Cunningham said. “We’ve had some struggles on both ends this year, but the defense has been picking up lately.”

It’s a far cry from what Louisville’s defense looked like earlier in the season. The Cardinals have given up 100 points in three losses, including 34 in a loss at Boston College on Oct. 1. After that loss dropped Louisville to 2-3, Satterfield told reporters he would spend more time on defense.

On Saturday, Satterfield said the Cardinals had to mix up their coverage schemes against veteran quarterback Sam Hartman.

“When that happens, you’re going to run into some coverage or get fired because you don’t know where it’s coming from,” Satterfield said. “It was a great defensive game plan and our kids executed it.”

Hartman completed 20 of 35 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown while throwing three picks for the Demon Deacons (6-2, 2-2).

Wake Forest entered Saturday with just five losses in its first seven games. According to ESPN, Wake Forest was the first team in 15 years to commit eight turnovers in a half year.

Hartman also lost three fumbles and was sacked seven times when he was benched to start the fourth quarter. However, Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said some of the mistakes were difficult to capitalize on for his fifth-year quarterback and called the game a “disaster.”

“Obviously, I didn’t have our football team ready today,” Clawson said.

Louisville’s Teion Evans ran for 106 yards on 11 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown, in his first action since playing Boston College on Oct. 1.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE SURVEY

Wake Forest is ranked in the top 10 this week for the second year in a row and just the second time in its history. Unfortunately, the Demon Deacons’ stay would be short again.

TOP 10 TRIUMPH

Louisville last beat a top-10 team on Sept. 17, 2016, when the Cardinals beat then-No. 1 No. 2 Florida State 63-20 at home. The last time an unranked Cardinals team beat a top 10 opponent was on Sept. 26, 2002, when they beat then-No. 4 FSU 26-20 in overtime.

THE BIG PICTURE

Wake Forest: After committing two turnovers against Boston College last week, Clawson was concerned about committing turnovers against Louisville’s revamped defense. He couldn’t have imagined his team would do more in one half than the seven they accomplished in the entire 2020 season.

Louisville: The once inconsistent Cardinals won their third straight game. The schedule is still very difficult the rest of the way, and the Cardinals are still bowl ineligible. However, if Satterfield is on Louisville’s sideline next season, this game will be a big reason why.

FURTHER

Wake Forest travels to North Carolina State for a night game next Saturday.

Louisville hosts James Madison next Saturday night.

—

AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap-top25. Subscribe to the AP Football Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2