No. 23 Louisville survived a track meet and walked out with a 41-31 win over No. 16 SMU, using a 27-14 second half to finally create some separation in a game that kept swinging back and forth.
The Cardinals got major production from the ground game, with Keyjuan Brown ripping off 163 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Isaac Brown added 67 yards and a score on 10 carries, while Lincoln Kienholz did damage both ways. He finished 14-for-23 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns and also ran 12 times for 42 yards and another touchdown.
SMU opened the scoring when Kendrick Raphael punched in a two-yard touchdown run with 11:35 left in the first quarter. Louisville answered immediately with a 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by Kienholz’s one-yard touchdown run.
Later in the opening quarter, Louisville struck again as Kienholz hit Lawayne McCoy for a 33-yard touchdown with 1:38 remaining. SMU kept pace in the second quarter, getting a 19-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Jennings to Yamir Knight with 13:12 left before Nick Reed drilled a 46-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to halftime with SMU ahead 17-14.
Louisville came out of the break with a big answer. Keyjuan Brown broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown run to put the Cardinals in front 21-17.
SMU grabbed the lead back when Raphael scored again, this time on a 25-yard run with 6:12 left in the third quarter. Louisville responded once more, as Kienholz connected with Jaleel Skinner on a four-yard touchdown pass with 2:41 left in the period to make it 28-24.
The fourth quarter kept the same pace. Raphael added his third touchdown of the night on a 12-yard run with 11:33 remaining, putting SMU back on top 31-28.
Louisville answered fast, with Keyjuan Brown breaking free for a 53-yard touchdown to flip the score back in the Cardinals’ favor at 35-31 with 10:02 left. Isaac Brown then put the game away with a 27-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 41-31.
Louisville closed it out when Brycen Scott forced a fumble from Kevin Jennings at the one-yard line with 2:43 remaining.
Louisville is now 2-1 and stays home next week for Wake Forest on Saturday, Sept. 26 at noon ET.
In Other News...
Louisville Made A Statement But One Problem Should Worry Fans
Louisvilles 41-31 win over Southern Methodist was the kind of result that can change the feel around a team in a hurry. It was the Cardinals first victory ever against SMU, and they earned it with a mix of explosive offense and timely defense, with Kejuan Brown breaking off multiple long touchdown runs to keep the pressure on the Mustangs.
The concern, though, is hard to ignore. Louisville was flagged 11 times for 110 yards, a level of sloppiness that can turn a strong win into a warning sign if it keeps showing up. Brycean Scott and Kaleb Beasley helped steady things when it mattered most, but the discipline issue lingers for a team that just proved it can beat a quality opponent and will now have to show it can do so cleaner. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville's Big Win Brought A Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Louisvilles victory over No. 16 SMU at L&N Stadium had the kind of energy the program wanted, with 50,199 on hand to see a 41-31 result that could matter down the line. Lincoln Kienholz helped steady the offense, and the Cardinals got a major boost from their defense in a game that briefly looked like it might swing back and forth until Louisville found a way to close it out.
Still, the win came with a familiar concern that cant be brushed aside. Louisville was penalized 11 times for 110 yards, a number that undercut some of the good work on both sides of the ball and kept the Cardinals from fully controlling the night the way a ranked-win home game should allow. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Finally Showed The Late Toughness Fans Wanted To See
Louisville got the kind of late-game edge it had been searching for in a 41-31 win over SMU at L&N Cardinal Stadium, and it came with enough twists to make it feel like a real turning point. The Cardinals leaned on a powerful ground game, with Brown piling up 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and the back-and-forth nature of the afternoon kept the pressure on until the final stretch.
The game swung on a series of lead changes, with neither side able to put the other away for long, and Louisvilles defense finally delivered the closing moment fans had been waiting to see. Kaleb Beasley came through with the decisive play in the final minutes, giving the Cardinals a much-needed finish after a game that had already tested their composure several times over. [Read more 🡒]