Louisville got the kind of lopsided result it wanted against Villanova, rolling to a 59-13 win, but the performance still left plenty to chew on with SMU waiting next weekend to open Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The Cardinals are heading into that one with some uneasy themes hanging over them. They’re 1-1, and both games have featured slow starts that have made the opening stretch look far shakier than the final score. That might have been easier to excuse a week ago against a top 10 opponent, but the pattern is hard to ignore now.
SMU is not exactly the opponent you want arriving with questions still unanswered. The Mustangs beat Louisville 38-6 last season in Dallas, and they come in undefeated after two games, including a win over Florida State. They’re a Texas team, and the source material makes clear what that means: Texans who eat, sleep and breathe football 24 hours a day.
Louisville has at least found some big-play answers through quarterback Lincoln Keinholz. He has already thrown for more than 300 yards in his first two games, making him the first quarterback in Louisville history to do that.
Still, the offense has not exactly come roaring out of the gate. The slow start, followed by a strong finish, is not a formula that feels safe against SMU.
The penalties remain a problem, too. Louisville was flagged nine times for 90 yards against Villanova, with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and two personal fouls among them.
That followed a similar night against Old Miss, when the Cardinals were penalized nine times for 82 yards. Discipline is still a major issue.
Defensively, the picture is just as murky. Villanova found success early on the left side of Louisville’s offensive line, including a 65-yard touchdown before the Cardinals settled things down. Through two games, the defense still has no interceptions, and sacks and fumbles have been hard to come by.
There were a few bright spots in the run game. Freshman Marquise Davis led Louisville with seven carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Braxton Jennings also scored twice, adding a 15-yard run and a two-yard reception.
Louisville also had to deal with injuries in the backfield. Isaac Brown has only 97 yards on 27 carries through two games, and Keyshaun Brown was injured on his only attempt and did not return.
The next test comes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at L&N Stadium, and it feels like a make-or-break moment.
In Other News...
Louisville Fans Have Every Right To Be Annoyed By ESPNs Choice
Louisville got the season moving in the right direction with its first win over Villanova, and now the focus shifts to a Week 3 meeting with No. 17 SMU that already feels like a meaningful early-season barometer. The Cardinals are favored by 1.5 points, which says plenty about how tight this matchup could be, and about how much it matters for a team trying to build momentum in conference play.
The frustration for Louisville fans comes from where the game landed on the TV schedule. ESPN will carry No. 10 Texas A&M vs. Kentucky on its main channel, while Louisville-SMU is slated for ESPN2, a placement that will not sit well with a fan base seeing a ranked opponent and a game with real ACC significance pushed a step down the network ladder. For a program trying to turn a good start into something bigger, it is the kind of decision that can feel like a slight even before the opening kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville May Be Building Serious Momentum For 5-Star PG Reese Alston
Louisvilles pursuit of five-star point guard Reese Alston has quietly become one of the more important recruiting threads around the program. The top-10 overall prospect in the 2027 class has drawn repeated attention from Pat Kelsey, who has already made multiple visits to see him, including one soon after Alstons official visit to LSU. For a staff trying to keep stacking talent at the top of the roster, that kind of persistent contact matters.
The Cardinals appear to have put themselves in a strong position, and the buzz around the recruitment has only grown as the process moves forward. College basketball insider Aaron Torres has voiced confidence in Louisvilles standing, which is exactly the kind of signal fans notice when a high-end guard starts narrowing in on a decision. The choice is still ahead, but Louisville has made this one feel like a race worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville's Offense Has A Clear Identity Entering ACC Play
Through the first two games, Jeff Brohms Louisville offense has made its identity pretty clear: create chunk plays and keep the pressure on defenses at every level. The Cardinals have leaned on a balanced mix of explosive passes and runs, with quarterback Lincoln Kienholz spreading the ball around to multiple playmakers while the offense piles up yardage at a fast clip.
That approach has already put Louisville near the top of the national numbers for longer gains, and it gives the Cardinals a defined path as ACC play begins. The encouraging part for Brohm is not just the volume of those explosive snaps, but the way different weapons have shown up in them, giving this offense a feel that could travel well once league opponents start loading up to take away the easy stuff. [Read more 🡒]