Best performances for Louisville football in 2019

Cardinals finish second in the ACC Atlantic Division in 2019, six-game turnaround from 2018

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Louisville football had strong individual performances that helped carry the team to an eight-win season that ended with a victory in the Music City Bowl.

Javian Hawkins Nov. 23, Syracuse

Hawkins broke the program’s single season record for rushing yards by a running back as a redshirt freshman. Hawkins surpassed the 100-yard mark eight times, but had his best performance of the year in Louisville’s final win of the regular season at Cardinal Stadium.

The 5-foot-9 Florida native rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Hawkins broke Lamar Jackson’s record for most rushing yards in a game by a Louisville freshman.

Hawkins had a 44-yard run for a score late in the third quarter to give Louisville a 49-27 lead, helping Louisville to secure second place in the ACC Atlantic Division with five wins.

Tutu Atwell Sept. 14, WKU

Atwell led the ACC in receiving yards and touchdowns as a sophomore. His performance against Western Kentucky (WKU) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville was a sign of things to come.

Atwell had four receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns, putting his speed with a 5-foot-9 frame on full display.

Atwell took a forward toss from Micale Cunningham toward the pylon for a nine-yard touchdown catch to break a scoreless tie late in the first quarter. The receiver hauled in his second score with a 46-yard reception in the second quarter.

A change in quarterback didn’t slow Atwell from finding seams in WKU’s defense. Evan Conley connected with Atwell for a 62-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to extend Louisville’s lead to 38-14.

Micale Cunningham Dec. 30, Mississippi State

Cunningham was named Most Valuable Player in Louisville’s victory in the Music City Bowl after arguably his best performance of the year.

Cunningham played the entire game, tying a career-high with 16 completions that went for 279 yards and two touchdowns while completing 69.6% of his throws. Cunningham also rushed for 81 yards.

With Mississippi State leading 14-0 midway through the second quarter, Cunningham lateraled to Atwell, who threw across the field to Marshon Ford for a 33-yard touchdown. Cunningham helped lead a drive that ended with a Ryan Chalifoux field goal as time expired in the first half.

When Cunningham found Ford for an eight-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, it capped a Louisville onslaught of 31 unanswered points.

Rodjay Burns Oct. 12, Wake Forest

In a game where teams combined for nearly 1,200 yards of offense and 121 points, it’s easy to forget the defensive side of the ball. Burns had a career-high 16 tackles, forced a fumble and intercepted a throw in Louisville’s first road victory over a ranked team since 2011.

Burns forced a fumble in the first quarter recovered by Yasir Abdullah, setting up a 28-yard touchdown drive for the game’s first score.

With Louisville leading 45-31 late in the third quarter, Wake Forest moved the ball inside Cardinal territory. After Burns stopped a quarterback draw for a three-yard loss, the linebacker intercepted a Jamie Newman throw on the final play of the third quarter.

Dez Fitzpatrick Sept. 21, Florida State

Three games into his redshirt junior year, Fitzpatrick had just four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot-2 receiver had a breakout performance in Louisville’s first conference road game.

Fitzpatrick had seven receptions for 133 yards, both season highs, as Louisville mounted a comeback against Florida State.

Fitzpatrick hauled in a 74-yard touchdown catch to give Louisville its only lead, 24-21, early in the fourth quarter. Florida State scored two unanswered touchdowns for a win in Tallahassee.

Fitzpatrick’s performance was the first of three consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards. In the three-game span, Fitzpatrick had 17 receptions for 466 yards and four touchdowns.