Louisville didn’t leave Sunday with a win, but the Cardinals did leave with something that travels just as well in college football: respect.
The No. 24 Cardinals pushed No.
9 Ole Miss all the way to the final seconds, and that performance was enough to keep them in the AP Poll as the only 0-1 team in the country. That alone has people talking.
Joel Klatt is already making the case for Louisville to climb higher, and the buzz around Jeff Brohm’s team only got louder once ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit weighed in.
Herbstreit didn’t just like what he saw. He sounded genuinely impressed, even saying he may have come away higher on Louisville than on Ole Miss after the thriller.
“I know Miami is the obvious choice in the ACC, but damn, Louisville is if they can regroup after that loss. I walked out almost more impressed with them than I was with Ole Miss, just because I didn’t have any expectations of what to know about Louisville.
That was a hell of a game,” stated Herbstreit. “Let me put it this way.
When is Louisville’s next game? I’m watching.
I want to watch Louisville.”
He doubled down on social media too, posting: “Keep an eye out for Lincoln Kienholz and this Louisville ball club this season… This team was VERY fun to watch @Joey_Galloway #nonstop pic.twitter.com/7XRCw7JKRe”
That kind of reaction says a lot about how Louisville looked in the moment. The Cardinals showed they can hang with one of the nation’s top teams and a Heisman candidate, and they did it with a new star quarterback in Lincoln Kienholz drawing attention. For a team trying to build toward something bigger, Sunday felt like more than a near miss.
The bigger picture is where Louisville starts to get interesting. This group has flashed against elite opponents since Brohm arrived, but the real test has been turning that into a full season, especially when November rolls around. Herbstreit’s comments reflect a growing belief that this team is more than just a tough out.
There’s also a clear path ahead. Louisville’s remaining schedule is favorable, and after what it showed against Ole Miss, the Cardinals suddenly look like a team with real double-digit win potential.
They currently have the third-best odds to win the ACC title, behind only Miami and SMU. And with SMU coming to Louisville in Week 3, the Cardinals have a chance to make an even louder statement and separate themselves as the conference’s clear No. 2 team.
In Other News...
Lamar Jackson Still Owns Louisvilles Modern Standard
Lamar Jacksons Louisville rsum still hangs over the program in the way truly rare careers do. During his time as the Cardinals quarterback from 2015 to 2017, he rewrote the record book with marks for rushing production that still serve as the programs modern measuring stick, and his rise from campus star to national name never really gave Louisville a chance to stop talking about him.
Even after he moved on as the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jacksons footprint kept growing. His Heisman season and the honor Louisville later gave him with a retired jersey only reinforced how singular his run was, and it is hard for anyone wearing red and black now to avoid being measured against the standard he set. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Third Quarter Exposed Growth And Problems Fans Need To See
Louisvilles third quarter offered a little of everything fans have been waiting to see from this group: cleaner execution, clearer growth from individual players and a better sense of how the coaching staff wants the offense to function when things speed up. The games key snaps were spread across the board, from quarterback play to the work up front, and the film review points to a team still sorting itself out while also showing signs that the development is real.
Lincoln Kienholzs passing showed the kind of upside that can change how a game feels in a hurry, while Tre Richardson added to the mix with a scoring play that came after he slipped a tackle on a jet sweep. Those moments did not solve every issue, especially on the line and in the overall consistency department, but they did underline why this stretch mattered: Louisville got evidence of what it can be when the pieces start to connect, and also a reminder of how much sharper it still needs to become. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles CFP Hopes May Hinge On One Offensive Rebound
Jeff Brohm came away from Lincoln Kienholzs first career start against Ole Miss encouraged by the quarterbacks grit and determination, but the opener also showed how much Louisville still has to clean up if it wants to keep its College Football Playoff path on track. The Cardinals did not get the kind of smooth rhythm they need early in the game, and Brohm made clear there were things to refine as Kienholz settles into the job and the offense tries to find its footing.
The bigger concern may be getting Isaac Brown back to the version Louisville needs most. The star running back was limited on the ground against Ole Miss, a reminder of how much the Cardinals ceiling depends on a more productive rushing attack to take pressure off Kienholz. A more favorable matchup with Villanova is coming next, and for Louisville the question is whether Brown can rebound quickly enough to help turn one uneven offensive showing into something more stable. [Read more 🡒]