Louisville Football CFB25 Preview: Game 5 vs. SMU

During our CFB25 Preview Series, the Cardinals narrowly lost to the Mustangs at home. Can they flip the script?

Sep 21, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough (9) looks to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19. / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Facing Notre Dame in a ranked matchup up in South Bend, the Louisville football program could not get out of their own way, with a litany of mistake directly resulting in a 31-24 defeat for their first loss of the season.

Next up, Louisville returns home for a matchup against ACC newcomer SMU. Kickoff against the Mustangs is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

We still have a few days until the No. 22 Cardinals do battle against the Mustangs, but thanks to the video game 'EA Sports College Football 25,' we have some idea of how the contest might pan out.

In our CFB25 Preview Series during the preseason, Louisville could not keep up in a shootout, suffering a 38-34 home loss to SMU. Since then, the ratings for both sides have been slightly adjusted from what they were on launch day.

Louisville is now regarded as an 88 overall team with an 83 offensive rating and an 86 defense rating, while SMU stands at a 87 overall with an 83 offensive rating and a 82 defensive rating. At launch, the Cardinals were an 85 overall with an 84 offensive rating and an 82 defensive rating, while the Mustangs were an 85 overall with an 85 offensive rating and a 82 defensive rating.

So how does College Football 25 have the game between Louisville and SMU playing out now with kickoff just a few days away? Check out the Cardinals vs. the Mustangs in a CPU controlled matchup below, with time stamps for each segment of the game:

• 0:00 - First Quarter
• 15:15 - Second Quarter
• 34:25 - Third Quarter
• 49:56 - Fourth Quarter
• 1:12:54 - Stat Breakdown

(Photo of Tyler Shough: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

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