Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville host Wake Forest as WakeyLeaks returns
No. 16 Louisville, led by quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, hosts Wake Forest on Saturday in a Week 4 ACC clash that also resurfaces the decade-old WakeyLeaks scandal. Ten years after a Demon Deacons radio broadcaster leaked plays to Louisville and other rivals, the rematch at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium brings the bizarre betrayal back into view.
Key Takeaways
- Wake Forest visits No. 16 Louisville on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, reviving memories of the 2016 WakeyLeaks scandal.
- Former Wake Forest radio analyst Tommy Elrod leaked confidential plays to Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Army; he was fired and banned from school athletics.
- Lincoln Kienholz has thrown for 816 yards without an interception as Louisville (2-1) opens the heart of its ACC slate against Wake Forest (2-1).
- The ACC fined Louisville and Virginia Tech $25,000 each for accepting leaked information—the maximum fine then allowed.
For more strange sports and culture stories, browse our Bizarre World coverage.
What was WakeyLeaks, and how did Louisville get involved?
In 2016, a Wake Forest equipment manager found a black binder on a trash can inside Louisville’s stadium during a walk-through. Hours before kickoff, Demon Deacons coaches opened it and saw their own plays diagrammed—including a trick play offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero had never run before.
Coach Dave Clawson tested the leak by calling one of those plays early. Defenders locked onto tight end Cam Serigne on a double-pass, confirming the Cardinals had the material. Wake Forest overhauled its signals and later alerted Louisville and the ACC.
An investigation concluded team radio broadcaster Tommy Elrod—a former Demon Deacons player and assistant not retained when Clawson arrived—provided or tried to provide confidential preparations to opponents dating to 2014. According to The Courier-Journal, many people later said revenge was a primary motive.
At Louisville, Elrod’s link was co-offensive coordinator Lonnie Galloway. Athletic director Tom Jurich said Elrod shared a few plays that week with Galloway, who passed them to the defensive staff. None of the special plays ran in the game. Louisville still won 44-12 after trailing 12-10 early in the fourth, with Lamar Jackson throwing for a season-low 145 yards.
Who is Lincoln Kienholz, and why does Saturday’s game matter?
Lincoln Kienholz is Louisville’s starting quarterback in 2026. Through three games he has thrown for 816 yards with no interceptions, helping an offense averaging 46 points and more than 515 yards per contest. Running back Keyjuan Brown is averaging nearly 13 yards per carry after 163 yards and two touchdowns against SMU.
Both teams enter at 2-1. The Cardinals carry momentum from a 41-31 win over SMU, while Wake Forest looks to bounce back from a 33-20 loss to Miami. Kickoff is noon ET at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on ESPN.
Wake Forest will lean on quarterback Gio Lopez, who has 887 passing yards and seven touchdowns. 247Sports prediction writers lean Louisville, with score forecasts ranging from 35-21 to 38-17.
What happened after the scandal broke?
Elrod was fired by IMG and banned from Wake Forest athletics and facilities. Louisville and Virginia Tech each received $25,000 ACC fines. Galloway was suspended for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against LSU, which Louisville lost. Shane Beamer and Jay Bateman were also fined for their roles linked to Virginia Tech and Army.
Hard feelings lingered. In 2017 and 2018, with no leaked scripts in play, Wake Forest scored a combined 98 points in wins over Louisville. Clawson later told ESPN the episode forever changed how he ran the program, saying he hated closing ranks but could no longer stay as open as before.
Saturday’s Lincoln Kienholz-led rematch will not rewrite 2016. It does put one of college football’s stranger betrayals back on the schedule—and on national TV.