Louisville’s trip to Syracuse turned into one of those games that looked lively in bursts and blurry in between, with the Cardinals escaping 34-26 after a second half that could put a person to sleep.
The result pushed U of L to 4-3, and the Open Date is next. But the final stretch was hardly the story here. The game spent long stretches looking like a mess disguised as entertainment, and both teams helped keep it that way.
Louisville came out with its usual fast-start flair, only to give that back almost immediately. The Cardinals opened with a three-and-out, then watched Syracuse hit a field goal, before Lincoln Kienholz was picked off on the fifth play of Louisville’s next possession. Syracuse then punched in a touchdown on a 41-yard strike from Malachi Nelson to Umari Hatcher, leaving the home team ahead 10-0.
From there, though, the game turned into a back-and-forth affair with five lead changes before halftime. By the break, Louisville had taken control on the scoreboard, 28-23, after both offenses spent much of the first 30 minutes carving up the other side’s defense.
The numbers told that story plainly. Louisville piled up 367 yards of offense in the first half, while Syracuse managed 302.
But the Cardinals’ attack came back from the intermission looking nothing like it had earlier. In the second half, Louisville generated just 58 yards of offense, while Syracuse produced three times that amount and still couldn’t fully cash in.
Instead of clean football, the third quarter delivered a sequence of giveaways that fit the mood perfectly: fumble, interception, interception. In a day full of college football games where teams were throwing haymakers, Louisville and Syracuse were busy handing each other chances.
The Cardinals’ only points after halftime came on Kejuan Brown’s fourth-quarter touchdown. Louisville missed the PAT afterward, and Syracuse added a field goal during the stretch when the game had already started to drift.
There wasn’t much left after that. The final 7:34 produced nothing of consequence, and the game ended the way it had often felt: not especially sharp, not especially clean, but done.
For those who stayed locked in, it was a game. For everyone else, it was one more snoozer the Cardinals managed to survive.
In Other News...
Louisville Just Got A Huge Seth Trimble Boost For This Season
Louisville picked up a major roster boost when Judge Brian Edwards of the Jefferson County Circuit Court granted Seth Trimble eligibility to play for the Cardinals under the five-for-five rule. For a team looking to stay competitive this season, getting that ruling in place removes an important uncertainty and gives Louisville another player it can count on as it builds out the rotation.
Trimbles availability comes amid a busy stretch around the program, with other former and current Cardinals making news of their own. Ryan Conwell closed his NBA preseason with 21 points for the Miami Heat, while Louisville football quarterback Lincoln Kienholz added to the schools momentum by setting a program record with an 82-yard rushing touchdown in a win over Syracuse. For the basketball side, though, the Trimble decision is the one that could matter most right away. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohm May Have Just Saved Louisvilles Season Path
Louisvilles season has taken a better turn over the past two weeks, and the difference has been hard to miss. After early defensive issues, especially against the pass, Jeff Brohm got more directly involved on that side of the ball and the Cards have responded with two straight wins, along with a much more disruptive pass rush and a defense that has kept opponents below their usual scoring pace.
With a week off in hand, the next stretch now looms large over the final five regular-season games. The offense, led by quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, has done its part and given Louisville a stable foundation, but the real question is whether the defensive fixes that steadied the last two games can hold up once the schedule starts demanding answers again. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelseys New-Look Louisville Team Faces An Early Contender Test
Pat Kelseys first Louisville team is getting thrown right into the fire, with a preseason matchup against Kansas serving as an early measuring stick for a roster that looks nothing like last years. The Cardinals enter the season ranked No. 11 in the first AP Poll and have overhauled the lineup with 11 new players, giving Kelsey plenty to sort out before the games start counting for real.
The bigger picture is just as demanding, because Louisville is not easing into anything. The schedule is loaded with ranked opponents, which will quickly show whether this group can come together fast enough to compete at the level Kelsey is aiming for. For a team with Final Four ambitions, the first real test comes early, and it should say plenty about how far this rebuild can go. [Read more 🡒]