There was a stretch late in the third quarter when Louisville looked like it had the game under control everywhere except the scoreboard. The Cardinals were piling up yards, leading the territorial fight 409 to 267 with 3:43 left in the period, but the margin was still only 31-24. Stanford was hanging around, and then the game flipped on a sequence that had less to do with talent than with decisions.
On a third-and-12 from its own 23, Stanford dialed up a swing-pass hook-and-ladder that never had much chance of working. The catch came, the lateral sailed high and wide, and the ball was fumbled. Tayon Holloway scooped it up and scored, stretching the lead to 38-24.
That wasn’t the final dagger, though. Stanford then tried to be aggressive on a fourth-and-4 from its own 31, and Davis Warren threw an interception. Louisville cashed in soon after when Isaac Brown scored on a 23-yard student-body-left sweep, and from there the Cardinals had the game locked up.
Cardinals 52, Cardinal 24.
Jeff Brohm’s sideline presence was part of the story, too. His questionable play calling mostly stayed out of the way, but he was still seen barking at someone or another along the sideline. Then came the late decision that stood out most.
With Louisville ahead by the final margin and 8:30 left, Brohm chose to sit Lincoln Kienholz, who had delivered steady, winning quarterback play. Davin Wydner came in at quarterback with Marquise Davis behind him, and on the first ordinary rushing attempt the exchange was fumbled, though Louisville recovered. Brohm then put Kienholz right back in.
That was the same Lincoln Kienholz Brohm described after the game by saying “has been nicked up,” and “sat out some of bye week.” He also said Kienholz “maybe has played some when he shouldn’t have.”
Before Isaac Brown took over as the game’s top performer, Tre Richardson looked like the leading man. The Vanderbilt transfer caught 10 passes for 140 yards, including a brutal shot on a third-and-9 play at Louisville’s own 44 when Kienholz hit him for a long gain to the Stanford 26. Richardson was crushed between a safety and a corner, and the hit was hard to miss.
Brown ended up with four touchdowns, three on the ground and one through the air. He averaged 15.4 yards per carry on nine rushing attempts and added three catches for 33 yards. He also chipped in 27 yards on kick returns, including one nifty return that was wiped out by a penalty.
In Other News...
Louisvilles Offense Looked Unstoppable And A Few Cardinals Led The Charge
Louisvilles offense kept rolling Saturday, and the Cardinals made sure Stanford had no answer once the game opened up. Behind a balanced attack, Louisville moved to 5-3 with a 52-24 victory that featured big days from Isaac Brown, Lincoln Kienholz and Tre Richardson, all of whom helped set the tone early and keep the pressure on throughout.
Brown powered the ground game with 139 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Kienholz accounted for 250 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Richardson added 140 receiving yards as Louisville took control in the second half and stretched its winning streak to three straight, a run that has given the offense some real momentum heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Heads To Georgia Tech With New Momentum After Statement Win
Louisvilles trip to Georgia Tech comes with a little more bounce in its step after a convincing 52-24 win over Stanford at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. The Cardinals moved to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in ACC play, and the performance had the kind of balance coaches like to see: Lincoln Kienholz threw for 250 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, while Isaac Brown powered the ground game with 139 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.
The defense did its part, too, shutting Stanford out in the fourth quarter and making the kind of timely plays that kept the game from tightening up. For Louisville, the bigger takeaway is what the win might mean heading into a tougher road test, with the Cardinals carrying real momentum and a clearer sense of who they can be when both sides of the ball are working together. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Returns With One Big Test Against Stanford
A bye week gave Louisville a chance to catch its breath, but the next step is a tricky one with Stanford coming to town after both teams have strung together wins. The Cardinals have spent the extra time sharpening what has looked like a balanced operation on both sides of the ball, and the matchup has drawn plenty of attention from those around the program who see this as a useful measuring stick rather than just another conference date.
Staff members at CardinalAuthority broke down the game from several angles, and the consensus leans toward Louisville handling business at home. Still, not everyone sees it as straightforward, with one prediction going the other way and pointing to Stanford as a possible spoiler. That split says plenty about how much respect the Cardinals have earned, but also how much intrigue remains when a team returns from idle time and immediately faces a test with a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]