Things didn’t get much better for Wake Forest’s defense after a week off.

Hence, things didn’t get better for Wake Forest.

Louisiana beat the Deacons 41-38 on Saturday at Allegacy Stadium, getting a 31-yard field goal by Kenneth Almendares in the final minute and prevailing when Wake’s Matthew Dennis missed a 42-yard field goal attempt on the game’s final play.

Wake Forest (1-3) never led against the Sun Belt team. The Deacons tied the game three times in the second half, the first of which came on a heroic run by Demond Claiborne — more on that below — but allowed points on 7 of 9 drives by the Ragin’ Cajuns (3-1).

“They’ve got a big O-line, they’ve got good backs and they took advantage of our mistakes,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said, per news release. “So again, we had a couple of coverage busts again that cost us probably two touchdowns.

“We had a chance to take the lead and we threw a pick in the fourth quarter. We just didn’t play well enough across the board. We got off to a slow start on offense and defensively – they just had us on our heels the whole game.”

Wake Forest has lost three straight games and, dating back to last season, has lost eight straight games to FBS teams.

Louisiana had 466 yards on 62 plays, averaging 7.5 yards per play. Wake Forest had six more yards than Louisiana, but needed 11 more plays to get them. The Deacons averaged 6.5 yards per play and committed the game’s only turnover, an interception thrown by Hank Bachmeier.

Tate Carney scored three touchdowns for the Deacons, rushing for 59 yards. Bachmeier ran for 65 and was 29-for-35 through the air, racking up 254 yards.

Claiborne, for what he went through, was the star of Wake’s offense.

The junior running back was carted off the field shortly after a 5-yard run to put Wake Forest on the doorstep of the end zone. He stayed down and was in clear pain, favoring his left leg. That was with about 4½ minutes left in the second quarter and when play resumed, Carney punched in a 1-yard touchdown.

Claiborne ran back to Wake’s sideline before the end of the first half. He took the field and returned a kickoff after Louisiana took a 24-17 lead on a 50-yard field goal on the opening possession of the second half.

Five plays later is what you’ll talk about for a while: Claiborne, on fourth-and-1, bursting through a hole on the right side and running for a 60-yard touchdown, which tied the game at 24-24.

And it’s what winds up being a hollow note about this result.

Louisiana scored less than two minutes after that Claiborne score to retake the lead. Carney’s second touchdown tied the game again, and Wake’s defense came up with its only stop of the second half, but the following drive was the one on which Bachmeier threw his interception.

The Ragin’ Cajuns took advantage of a short field and scored on a four-play, 38-yard drive. The Deacons tied the game again, going 80 yards on 13 plays, Carney punching in one more score with 1:55 left.

On what turned out to be the game-winning drive, Louisiana went 30 yards on six plays.