Louisville just picked up one of the biggest wins of its season.
The No. 23 Cardinals defeated No. 16 SMU 41-31 Saturday afternoon in a wild ACC showdown at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville overcame multiple momentum swings and pulled away late to hand the Mustangs their first loss of the season.
The game was back and forth from the opening quarter.
SMU struck first when Kendrick Raphael scored on a short touchdown run, but Louisville quickly responded. Lincoln Kienholz found Lawayne McCoy for a 33-yard touchdown before adding a rushing score of his own. The Cardinals led 14-7 after the opening quarter.
SMU answered in the second quarter.
Kevin Jennings connected with Yedidiah Knight for a 19-yard touchdown, and Nick Reed added a 46-yard field goal just before halftime. The Mustangs went into the break with a 17-14 lead.
Then Louisville exploded in the second half.
Keyjuan Brown provided one of the game’s biggest plays when he broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown run. Kendrick Raphael answered for SMU with his second touchdown, but Louisville continued to find ways to move the ball.
Brown eventually struck again with another huge touchdown run, while the Cardinals continued piling up points in the fourth quarter.
By the end of the afternoon, Louisville had scored 27 second-half points to finish off the upset.
The Cardinals’ rushing attack proved especially important. Louisville finished with 151 rushing yards, while Brown led the team with 103 yards and two touchdowns.
For SMU, the loss ends an impressive undefeated start after opening the season with victories over Florida State and UC Davis.
For Louisville, however, this was a statement win.
The Cardinals have now knocked off a ranked SMU team and put themselves right in the middle of the ACC conversation.
It was a wild afternoon in Louisville, and the Cardinals came out on top.
