Adaptability and perseverance is the key to survival. Last night Louisville adapted to numerous changes in circumstances and persevered through chaos to survive a wild 62-59 shout out in Winston Salem to knock Wake Forest from the ranks of the unbeaten and improved to 4-2 on the season.

First Half:

Things were going smoothly for the Cards in the first half until the game plan was literally flipped on its head. Louisville was enjoying a 28-14 lead when starting quarterback Micale Cunningham darted out of the backfield and raced past the first down markers only to be flipped head over heals. The Sophomore signal caller landed on his head and then bounced off the turf like a pogo stick. Wake Forest scooped the ball and ran down to the Louisville three yard-line. Three plays later they pierced the end zone from the one cutting the lead to 28-21.

Cunningham emerged from the tent shortly thereafter, put on his helmet, and started warming up but he would be done for the night. It was up to freshman quarterback Evan Conley to take over and preserve a Cardinals' lead that was looking very precarious at the time.

On Conley's first drive at the helm, the offense went three and out. The defense answered the call and forced a Wake Forest punt. Conley then engineered a four-minute 36-second drive that resulted in a field goal, extending Louisville's lead to 31-21.

The Demon Deacons responded by driving right down the field on eight plays that took about a minute and a half off the clock. It was second and ten on the Louisville thirteen when Wake's quarterback Jamie Newman forced an ill-advised trajectorially challenged pass over the middle that sophomore linebacker Yasir Abdullah high pointed for an interception. For the second straight week the defense adapted with its back to the goal line and forced a turnover in the red zone. Many plays can be pointed to as turning points or game savers throughout this contest but it can be forcefully argued that Abdullah's interception saved this game by ending the Wake Forest scoring threat and killing their momentum before the end of the first half.

Second Half:

Louisville stormed out the locker room as Hassan Hall took the opening kick 83 yards to the Wake Forest 15, barely missing his second kick return touchdown of the contest. Conley proceed to hit a wide open Dez Fitzpatrick for a 15 yard touchdown (an omen of things to come) and it appeared Louisville was in full control with a 38-21 lead.

The Demon Deacons however, would do some adapting of their own.

After going three and out on their first offensive possession of the half, Wake's Nasir Green snatched an ill advised Evan Conley pass out of the air at the Wake Forest fourteen yard line. Six plays later Jamie Newman hooked up with Sage Surratt for a 47-yard touchdown, Surratt's third of the night, which cut the lead to 38-28 with 9:38 left in the third quarter.

Louisville receiver Dez Fitzpatrick had been relatively quiet up to this point in the game, with only one catch albeit for touchdown, but on this drive he caught two Conley passes for 44 yards , the big one being a 34 yarder down to the Wake Forest 16-yard line. Hassan Hall scored on an eight yard run to put the Cards up 45-28.

Game over right? Nah, not even close.

Wake managed to kick a field goal on their next drive closing the gap to 45-31. Louisville threatened to add points to the board after a 48-yard reception by Dez Fitzpatrick but the play was called back for holding and Louisville went three and out. Then it looked like Wake Forest was going to cut the lead but Rodjay Burns picked off a deflected Jamie Newman pass killing the threat at the Louisville 36 yard-line to end the third quarter.

Things started quietly in the fourth quarter with punts being exchanged, or maybe both coaching staffs just found cover to reload their weapons. There would be no more punting in this one and an all out fire fight exploded. When the smoke cleared 45 points were added to the scoreboard. Here's how it went down:

Evan Conley and Dez Fitzpatrick fired the first shot with a 50-yard touchdown.

Score: 52-31

Wake Forest answered with a nine play 59-yard drive punctuated by a Kenneth Walker three yard run.

Score: 52-38

Wake Forest would kick the first of four onside kicks. Louisville would recover this one and go on to kick a field goal.

Score: 55-38

Enter wake Forest backup quarter back Sam Hartman who would cap a seven play, 69-yard drive with a 22 yard touchdown pass to Scottie Washington.

Score: 55-45

The Deacs recover their second onside kick if the game and go 47 yards on three plays with Sam Hartman finding tight end Jack Freudenthall in the end zone from 21-yards out.

Score: 55-52

Wake Forest's onside kick is recovered by Louisville and on a 4th and one call that required a lot of fortitude from the lower extremities, Evan Conley scored on a 41-yard designed quarterback run.

Score: 62-52

Wake refuses to go quietly into what seemed like a never ending night going 92 yards on seven plays in a mere 65 seconds with back up quarterback Sam Hartman crossing the goal line from a yard out.

Score: 62-59

Wake Forest attempts its fourth onside kick of the game. The ball bounced out of the unwelcoming Cardinal to be booted upfield off the foot of a Deacon and Tutu Atwell jumped on a mass of humanity and wrestled it free from the grasp of a Wake Forest defender to preserve the win for Louisville.

Final: Louisville 62 Wake Forest 59

Total points: 121 (Second highest total in ACC history to Pitt's 76-61 win over Syracuse in 2016)

Dave's Deliberations:

I thought this game was over at five or six different points. Wake Forest just wouldn't die and should be commended for their efforts. In the end it took a hustle play from 155-pound sophomore receiver Tutu Atwell, the smallest player on the field, to wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat.

You can talk about momentum being the key to college football but you can throw that out the window with this game as both teams exchanged blow after blow late in the fourth quarter.

The key to this one for Louisville in the beginning was being able to adapt after they lost their starting quarterback (who was having a career game by the way) to a scary looking injury and still flood the scoreboard with a backup freshman quarterback on the road. The challenge then morphed into being able to persevere a late onslaught by Wake Forest as the stormed back from a 21-point deficit with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The ability to adapt and persevere is the key to survival. Louisville did both and survived a game that no one around the 502 will forget anytime soon.