Louisville’s defense gave the Cardinals exactly the kind of start they wanted against No. 9 Ole Miss. For one half, it looked like a unit ready to settle in and make things uncomfortable, holding the Rebels to 10 points and coming up with takeaways against Trinidad Chambliss.
The first-half work included a fumble forced from Chambliss and an interception, the kind of disruptive plays that can tilt a game if the rest of the night follows the same script. Jeff Brohm liked what he saw early.
"I think they played hard. They made some really good stops early in the game, had a really good first half overall," UofL head coach Jeff Brohm said postgame.
"We did a good job. I think when you play good football teams, we've got to continue to change things up and give different looks.
I think we can get better at that. There's some work to be done there."
But the second half told a different story. Louisville went into the break trailing 10-6, and after that, the game opened up fast on both sides. Ole Miss piled up 340 total yards after halftime and put 31 points on the board in that stretch.
Deuce Alexander was at the center of the Rebels’ surge. He broke loose for a 62-yard touchdown with 8:47 left in the third quarter, then struck again on another 62-yard scoring catch with less than a minute left in the period. Those two plays helped flip the feel of the game in a hurry.
Louisville did get production from Clev Lubin, who finished with two quarterback hits, three tackles and a forced fumble. But after the strong opening half, the Cardinals couldn’t keep the pressure from turning into a full-game answer.
In Other News...
Louisville Mourns A Cardinals Quarterback Fans From The Governors Cup Era Remember
Marty Lowe, the first Louisville quarterback to play in the Governors Cup, has died at 54 after battling Stage 4 kidney cancer, adding another somber note to a rivalry that still carries plenty of memory for Cardinals fans from the 1990s. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm confirmed Lowes passing and offered condolences, a reminder of how deeply the programs former players remain woven into the schools football history.
Lowe played for Louisville from 1991 to 1995, then went on to a professional career in the Arena Football League before later moving into coaching and football operations. For fans who remember that era, Lowe was part of the bridge between Louisvilles earlier years and the modern profile of the program, and his death leaves one more name from that time period to be remembered around the Cardinals circle. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville May Have Found Its Early Season Offensive Star
Louisvilles early-season surge has been matched by a breakout from outside hitter Chloe Meester, whose play last week earned national and conference recognition. She was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Collegiate Player of the Week and also picked up ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors after powering the Cardinals through a demanding stretch.
Meester helped Louisville sweep Dayton, No. 18 TCU and No. 9 Texas, giving the Cardinals an impressive run against quality opponents as the schedule begins to sharpen. The award adds another layer to what has already been a strong opening for Louisville, with Meester quickly becoming a central part of the teams offensive identity. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohms Early Plan Put Louisville Under The Microscope
Louisvilles game with Ole Miss offered a revealing early look at how Jeff Brohm wanted to test the Rebels, with the Cardinals mixing play calls, stressing the defense and trying to create space for their offense to work. The breakdown of the matchup pointed to a game plan built around execution and timing, with both sides of the ball showing moments that could matter as the season moves on.
The film also put a spotlight on the details that can swing a game at this level, from missed chances to the coaching decisions that shaped the flow. Louisville found some encouraging answers in the way it attacked and defended, but there were also a few spots where the margin for error was thin, leaving one particular sequence and its intended target as the kind of play the Cardinals will keep circling back to. [Read more 🡒]