Lincoln Kienholz finally got his shot on a big stage Sunday night in Nashville, and Louisville’s new starting quarterback made sure people noticed. The Ohio State transfer, who spent years waiting behind Julian Sayin in Columbus, stepped into his first real chance to run an offense against a ranked opponent and put together a performance that was as eye-catching as it was gutsy.
Kienholz threw for 307 yards and ran for another 69, dragging Louisville back from a 38-24 fourth-quarter hole. He found Lawayne McCoy on a 54-yard touchdown strike, then kept it himself for the tying score late. It was the kind of burst that can change the feel of a game in a hurry.
But Ole Miss had the final answer. Trinidad Chambliss delivered a huge second half of his own, and Lucas Carneiro ended it with a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Rebels a 41-38 win.
While Kienholz was busy trying to flip the game on the field, ABC’s broadcast briefly turned attention to the crowd and introduced viewers to his mother, Kacy Kienholz, as cameras swept through the stands. That moment quickly caught fire online.
“I knew this was going to be a thing,” one user wrote in the comments.
“I knew this was going to be a thing”
“Zach Wilson right now,” one fan joked.
Zach Wilson right now pic.twitter.com/pqed0TPsPd
“Would,” another fan confessed.
Kienholz’s road to Louisville started long before Sunday night. He starred at T.F.
Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota, where he set the state’s all-time passing record. Ohio State then brought him in as a four-star prospect, and he eventually picked up a national championship in 2024, though he did it as a backup.
In January, he entered the transfer portal and landed with Jeff Brohm’s Cardinals.
The viral moment around his mom fits a pattern that’s been popping up all over college football broadcasts this season. LSU offensive lineman Bo Bordelon’s mother also became a social media talking point after resurfacing in a clip earlier this summer, and NFL coverage has had its own version of the same thing, including when Jordyn Tyson’s mother drew attention during this year’s draft coverage.
Louisville drops to 0-1 in Brohm’s fourth season, but Kienholz’s second-half surge, even with the early jitters and penalties that came with it, gave Cardinals fans something to hold onto. And yes, after Sunday, plenty of them will probably be scanning the stands next week too.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fans ESPN Moment Became A Much Bigger Story Than Expected
The season opener against Louisville gave Ole Miss plenty of drama on the field, but one fans reaction wound up getting nearly as much attention as the game itself. During ESPNs coverage, Sara M. Smith was shown looking understandably stressed after a Louisville touchdown, and the brief moment quickly took on a life of its own once it hit social media.
Smiths anxious expression spread fast enough to turn her into an unintended viral figure, prompting a flood of attention and forcing her to temporarily lock down her Instagram profile. It was a strange little subplot to a wild night in Oxford, where the Rebels eventually finished the job with a 41-38 win on a walk-off field goal. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Win Comes With One Deuce Alexander Debate
Deuce Alexander turned in the kind of breakout day Ole Miss fans will remember from a wild 41-38 win over Louisville, hauling in two 62-yard touchdown receptions to help fuel the Rebels offense. He finished with five catches for 159 yards and two scores, giving the passing game a huge lift in a game that stayed tight deep into the afternoon.
Alexanders second touchdown also left behind a small bit of sideline debate, thanks to a celebration that came immediately after he crossed the stripe. On the play, he flipped the ball behind him and may have let it go before fully reaching the goal line, but the officials did not stop to review it, allowing the score to stand and Ole Miss to keep control of a game it could not afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Answered Ole Miss Biggest Week 1 Question
The most important thing Ole Miss needed to learn in Week 1 was whether Trinidad Chambliss could steady a game that might have gotten away early, and he answered it in a big way against Louisville. After a shaky start that included turnovers, Chambliss settled in and kept the Rebels on course in a back-and-forth matchup, piling up 386 passing yards and accounting for four touchdowns while helping Ole Miss survive a 41-38 finish.
What stood out most was how the game tightened around him late, when every possession mattered and the Rebels needed someone to handle the pressure instead of adding to it. In a weekend when a lot of SEC teams cruised through lopsided openers, Ole Miss got a real test, and Chambliss final drive gave the Rebels a much clearer idea of what they have under center as the season moves into a tougher stretch. [Read more 🡒]