Wake Forest Football: Can Deacons shake “pretender” tag vs. Louisville?

Louisville visits Winston-Salem to play Wake Forest football at BB&T Stadium on Saturday. Here’s a preview, prediction and how to watch.

There are a lot of fantastic matchups this weekend. You have Texas vs. Oklahoma, Florida vs. LSU and USC vs. Notre Dame among the fantastic games on the slate, however, this game might just steal the show. This game promises to be a fun one in Winston-Salem.

The Demon Deacons are off to their best start since 1944. Quarterback Jamie Newman is piloting an offense that is putting up over 500 yards per game. His ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs make him supremely dangerous. What has made this run for the Deacons possible is their defense.

They’re giving up 21 points per game this season. There isn’t much sizzle on that defense, but there’s a lot of steak. For a defense that was supposed to be one of the nation’s worst, they’ve been a pleasant surprise for Dave Clawson.

Louisville is playing extremely well in year one under head coach Scott Satterfield. The Cardinals have speed all over the field especially on offense. What has the Cardinals flying high is that they are buying into what Satterfield and his staff is selling. They are playing hard, and disciplined. It seems as if the Cardinals are going to ride with Malik Cunningham at quarterback, and judging by the way he’s played, that’s a good idea.

Can the Cardinals upset the Demon Deacons or will Wake stay undefeated?

Here’s more information on the game:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Venue: BB&T Field
TV: ACCN
Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

If the Cardinals have had one issue this season, it’s been inefficiency. They aren’t always the most efficient team on offense, and their defense is susceptible to giving up big plays. The irony of that statement is so is Wake Forest. That’s why this game promises to be such a good one.

Neither team is dominant on the ground, but maybe the team that can grab the lead, and shorten the game has the chance to win.

Both schools have their go to playmaker. For the Cardinals, it’s the speedy Tutu Atwell and for the Deacons it’s big-time receiver Sage Surratt. Both quarterbacks are in line for a huge day offensively, but this game will come down to which quarterback makes the critical error or which defense forces one.

Betting Odds

Courtesy of Bovada

Line: Wake Forest -7
Over/Under: 65

Prediction

These teams are so close statistically that the Deacons being a seven-point favorite is a little confusing. Both teams are coming off wins, and both teams had similar games against Boston College. With that being said, take the points and the over. If you are really bold, take the upset — I am.

Final Score: Louisville 42, Wake Forest 38