Matt Colburn said his performance Saturday wasn't about revenge, but the Wake Forest tailback certainly didn't take it easy on the team that pulled his scholarship offer at the last minute in 2015.
Colburn, whose offer from Louisville was pulled just before signing day, set a career high by rushing for 243 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-35 win over the Cardinals.
"It's obviously going to heighten things," Colburn said of his history with Louisville. "But for me and my situation, I think after my freshman year, I wanted to get rid of the whole revenge narrative."
Still, revenge must have been was pretty sweet for both Colburn and Wake Forest.
Louisville used stolen plays acquired from a former Demon Deacons radio broadcaster before the teams' game in 2016. Both Colburn's recruitment and the "Wakeyleaks" scandal garnered national attention.
Colburn was among the first players committed to Louisville's 2015 class and was close to several players on the team, but coach Bobby Petrino pulled his offer just before signing day, asking him to to grayshirt instead. Wake Forest quickly pounced, landing the tailback, who has been a key cog in the Demon Deacons' offense since he arrived.
After Saturday's game, Colburn said several Louisville players, including receiver Jaylen Smith, offered congratulations on his result. And Colburn said he remains close to many of the Cardinals players he met during the recruiting process.
The senior had touchdown runs of 74, 56 and 12 yards in Saturday's win, and his 243 rushing yards were the fifth-most in Wake Forest history.
"I'm really glad Matt came to Wake Forest," Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson said. "He's a good young man that football is important to. He's a standup kid, and we love him."
The win was critical for Wake Forest (4-4, 1-3 ACC), which had dropped four of five. It was also another dagger to Petrino at Louisville (2-6, 0-5). The Cardinals have lost five straight and haven't beaten a Power 5 foe, while Petrino's job status has been the topic of much speculation.
Before the game, Louisville offensive lineman Lukayus McNeil raised eyebrows on Twitter when he suggested fans had turned on the team and failed to attend the Cardinals' pregame walk to the stadium. His tweet drew a response from former Louisville star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Just play ball Brodie that's the main focus🤙🏾
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) October 27, 2018
After the game, McNeil offered an apology in a statement released by the university.
"I want to apologize for my tweet," he said. "We've always had great fans who have supported this team, and I wanted to thank all the people who greeted us at CardMarch this morning."