As a parent with school-age kids, free Saturdays are hard to come by, but this one still delivered enough drama to make the constant stopping and starting worth it. Louisville’s offense kept humming against SMU, and by the end of the afternoon the Cardinals had handled a team that had been a thorn in their side in recent years.
The win pushed Louisville to 2-1, with the only loss coming against a Top 10 team in a tight game that did not damage the Cardinals’ national standing. With Wake Forest up next, the sense around this team is simple: there’s real room for something bigger here. Linc said it, and the case is getting stronger by the week - this group has the chance to be “super special”.
The biggest reason is obvious. Louisville keeps coming out hot, and the “slow starts” in 2026 don’t look much like the old version of slow starts at all.
The Cardinals scored 14 points in the first quarter and have now topped 38 points for the third straight game. Once halftime arrived in Nashville, they barely let up; over the last 10 quarters, Louisville has put up at least 13 points in nine of them.
The backfield was a big part of that. The “Barclay Boys” only strengthened the idea that this is one of the deepest running back rooms in the country.
“Bama” Brown got the start on his birthday and wasted little time, stacking together strong runs before ripping off a 58-yard touchdown after a stiff-arm that sent a defender “back to Dallas”. Brohm kept leaning on the ground game, mixing in Brown, Lincoln, and Isaac Brown, who finally got his first touchdown of the year on a long run that flashed some of that old burst and footwork.
Kienholz didn’t need a massive passing day to keep the offense moving. He made enough plays both inside and outside the pocket to extend drives and hit receivers downfield when needed. The late throw to Richardson after Louisville had gotten behind the chains was one thing, but the scramble and strike to McCoy for a touchdown while avoiding the blitzing corner stood out as one of the best plays seen at Cardinal Stadium.
Defense, though, gave Louisville plenty to clean up. SMU still put up 31 points, and its running back cleared 190 yards, so there’s no escaping the fact that this unit has work to do.
The deep ball has been an issue, and Ivey and Ellis made a clear choice to stop Jennings from beating them over the top. That approach opened lanes for Raphael, who found room to run and did plenty of damage.
Even so, the defense came through when it mattered most. Louisville kept winning on fourth down, flipping the field and giving the offense more chances. Late in the game, with the outcome nearly settled, a huge forced fumble at the goal line and an interception helped the Cardinals get to victory formation without having to sweat out an onside kick or hail mary.
Special teams mostly held up their end too. For much of the game, there were no major mistakes, no big penalties, and nothing that made anyone want to pull their hair out.
Then, right after the excitement of Isaac Brown’s first touchdown of the year, Hilbert shanked the extra point. Hayes settled in after a couple of rough snaps, and Voth handled returns the way he should have - by securing the ball and not trying to do too much in a game where the offense was already rolling.
There’s still room for Louisville to tighten things up, especially on defense, but the overall picture after this one is clear: the Cardinals are 2-1, the offense is dangerous, and the ceiling keeps rising.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Faces A Brutal Road Test For Gio Lopez
Louisville and Wake Forest arrive at this ACC matchup with similar early-season rsums and plenty to sort out before the league race settles in. The Cardinals are 2-1 and have leaned on a productive rushing attack while playing clean football, and the Demon Deacons are also 2-1 after showing they can hang around in competitive games. Both staffs have already spent the week talking up the challenges ahead, which is usually a sign the opener to conference play is going to demand a little more than just basic September execution.
For Wake Forest, the bigger concern is keeping Gio Lopez upright against a Louisville front that has been steady and disruptive without giving the ball away. The Cardinals have yet to put themselves in obvious trouble with turnovers, and that kind of discipline can make life uncomfortable for an offense still trying to settle in around its quarterback. How Wake Forest handles pressure will go a long way toward determining whether this turns into a manageable road test or a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Enters Week 4 With ACC Momentum And One Backfield Debate
Louisville heads into Week 4 with a little more confidence after opening ACC play by beating SMU, and the next stop brings Wake Forest into the picture. The Demon Deacons are coming off a conference loss to Miami, while the Cardinals are trying to build on a win that gave their early season a cleaner look on both sides of the ball. For a team trying to establish itself in league play, this is the kind of game that can help set the tone before the schedule gets any tougher.
The more interesting subplot inside Louisvilles own locker room is in the backfield, where the carries have not told the whole story. Isaac Brown remains the more familiar name, but Keyjuan Brown has been making his case with efficiency and production that have started to sharpen the discussion around how the Cardinals should divide their workload. With Louisville carrying momentum and the matchup tilting in its favor, the only real question is how much the ground game can keep opening doors before the conference race tightens up. [Read more 🡒]
Kaleb Beasley May Be Giving Louisville's Secondary New Life
Jeff Brohm made it clear Louisville needed more from its secondary, and the response in the SMU game was hard to ignore. Kaleb Beasley was at the center of it, popping up all over the field for a defense that needed a jolt, and his play immediately changed the tone around a unit that had been under the microscope.
Safeties coach Brandon Sharp sounded encouraged by what he saw, treating Beasleys outing as a sign the group may be finding some momentum at last. The challenge now is whether that carries over to Wake Forest, where dual-threat quarterback Gio Lopez and wide receiver Carlos Hernandez are the next problems waiting to test whether Louisvilles secondary has really turned a corner. [Read more 🡒]