TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Louisville Cardinals snapped their two-game losing streak Friday with a 44-20 win over the Florida State Seminoles.
The Cardinals struggled to win their past two games, suffering crushing defeats to NC State and Wake Forest.
The Cardinals started slowly and fell behind 14-0 by the end of the first quarter. However, running backs Isaac Brown and Marquise Davis punched in two rushing touchdowns in the early half of the second quarter to tie the game at 14-14 going into halftime.
The second half began with a showcase from quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who scored two rushing touchdowns to put the Cardinals up by two scores. The Seminoles wouldn’t see the lead again.
The run game was the heart of the offense. Isaac Brown led the charge with a season-high 235 yards and another rushing touchdown. He also averaged an elite 13.8 yards per carry. Davis and Braxton Jennings each had a rushing touchdown. Kienholz held down the pocket for the Cardinals. He completed 73% of his passes for 180 total yards.
The receivers also had an explosive night. Lawayne McCoy and Treyshaun Hurry combined for eight receptions and 134 yards, for an average of 16.75 yards per reception.
The Cardinals began their season optimistic. They ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll at the beginning of the year and almost pulled off an upset against a ranked Ole Miss, 41-38, in Music City in the season opener. They would eventually climb to No. 16 with impressive wins against Villanova and, at the time, No. 16 SMU.
After back-to-back losses, they’ve cooled down after their three-game stretch. They hope to carry this momentum on the road against Syracuse next week. With a dominant win in that game, they might have enough momentum to write their names back into ACC title contention.