Louisville Report

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. SMU Mustangs

The Cardinals return home to face an ACC newcomer in the Mustangs.

Matthew McGavic

Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough (9) looks for an open pass during their game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough (9) looks for an open pass during their game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

RV/RV SMU Mustangs (4-1, 1-0 ACC) at No. 22/22 Louisville Cardinals (3-1, 1-0 ACC)

- Kickoff: Saturday, October 5 at 12:00 p.m. EST
- Location: L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
- Weather Conditions: Sunny skies. High 83F. Winds light and variable.
- How To Watch: ESPN
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -6.5
- All-Time Series: SMU leads 2-0
- Last Meeting: SMU won 41-7 on Sept. 7, 1984 (Old Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, Ky.)

Game Notes

Louisville

  • Louisville turned the ball over three times in the first half leading to 10 points in Notre Dame’s 31-24 win over Louisville last Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
  • Quarterback Tyler Shough completed 24--of-41 passes for 264 yards and three scores and did toss his first interception. Shough set a new school record for most pass attempts without an interception to start a career, avoiding interceptions for his first 86 passes at Louisville. Mike Watkins set the previous record of 83 passes from 1997 to 2001.
  • Coming into the game as one of three teams yet to turn the football over, the Cardinals gave the ball away three times leading to 10 points
  • Placekicker Brock Travelstead set the school record for the longest with a 56-yard field goal — the second 50-yarder of his career. He owns the top two spots for the longest field goals with that field goal and a 53-yarder last season.
  • The Cardinals were sacked a season high three times and were pressured eight times in the loss.
  • Wide receivers Caullin Lacy and Ja’Corey Brooks combined for 10 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Lacy, who missed six weeks with an injury, caught five passes for 71 yards, while Brooks also grabbed five receptions for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
  • Running back Isaac Brown recorded a season high with 13 carries for 72 yards and caught his first career touchdown reception on a 10-yard pass to open the scoring.
  • After yielding 24 first half-points, the Cardinals allowed just seven points and 131 yards of total offense.
  • Linebacker Stanquan Clark led the defense with eight tackles, including six solo stops and a tackle for loss. Clark registered his second career forced fumble, setting up the Cards for a 9-yard TD
  • The Cards are looking to go 4-1 at home and 10-1 at L&N Stadium in the Jeff Brohm
    era.
  • Louisville committed its first turnovers of the season in the loss to Notre Dame, losing two fumbles and throwing an interception, after avoiding turnovers through Game 3 for the first time in program history
  • Louisville allowed an opponent to score on its opening drive for the first time since the Clemson game in 2022, ending a streak of 21 games.
  • Louisville enters Saturday’s game against SMU as one of six schools that are in the top 20 in total offense and total defense, joining Miami, Ohio State, Texas, Indiana, Penn State.
  • Louisville has scored at least 30 points in nine of the 10 home games under head
    coach Jeff Brohm.
  • Quarterback Tyler Shough tossed multiple touchdown passes for the fourth-straight game this season, giving him 11 in just four games. He’s one of four quarterbacks in the country with 10 or more touchdown passes and one interception.
  • Wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks is tied for 21st nationally with four touchdown receptions after catching two touchdown passes in the loss to Notre Dame. It was the second multiple touchdown game of his career after he had one in 2022 at Alabama.
  • Freshman running back Isaac Brown is the team’s leading rusher with 245 yards, an average of 61.3 yards per game. He rushed a season high 13 times for 72 yards and caught four passes for 23 yards and his first career receiving touchdown. The rookie stands 13th nationally with an average of 8.5 yards per carry.
  • Wide receiver Chris Bell is second in the ACC in receiving yards per reception at 20.9 yards, while also ranking 20th nationally. He has two touchdown receptions of 30 or more yards this season.
  • Louisville has completed passes to at least eight or more different receivers in each of the first four games, including 15 different pass catchers in the season opener against Austin Peay.
  • The Cardinals are ranked sixth nationally with two defensive touchdowns, both coming at the hands of Ramon Puryear.
  • Louisville has scored 28 points off turnovers this season. Louisville scored the first touchdown of the game when Notre Dame fumbled the opening kickoff.
  • Head coach Jeff Brohm is 9-1 at home in two seasons at Louisville.
  • Louisville’s average margin of victory in its first three home games is 36.3 points.
  • Newcomer Tramel Logan leads the team with 5.0 tackles for loss, while the Cards are ranked 12th in the country with 7.2 per game.

SMU

  • SMU hits the road to face No. 22/22 Louisville on Saturday, Oct. 5 for its second ACC game of the year.
  • The Mustangs have rattled off two straight 20+ point victories after knocking off TCU, 66-42, and defeating Florida State, 42-16, in the program’s first ever ACC game.
  • Club Takeaway continues to be in business this season, forcing a nation-leading 14 turnovers this season.
  • In the past two weeks, SMU has scored four non-offensive touchdowns and leads the nation in defensive touchdowns. Against TCU, the Mustangs scored by way of an interception, fumble and punt return to the house. Last Saturday, Kobe Wilson returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown to put an exclamation mark on the 26-point victory.
  • The Mustangs enter the game against the Cardinals with at least three turnovers forced in the last four games.
  • Brashard Smith continued his breakout season against Florida State, rushing for 129 yards and a touchdown along with 50 yards receiving.
  • The Mustangs have won six straight road games dating back to Sept. 2023.
  • SMU’s defense has continued to force turnovers this year, ranking tied for first in the country with 14 turnovers gained, along with being first in defensive touchdowns with four.
  • The Mustangs have had at least seven receivers catch a pass in 22 straight games, dating back to at Tulane on Nov. 17, 2022.
  • Brashard Smith has made an impact in 2024, ranking seventh in total touchdowns (8), ninth nationally in all-purpose yards (151.20), ninth in rush yards per carry (7.27), 12th in rushing touchdowns (7) and 13th in rushing yards (509).
  • Ahmad Moses ranks third in the nation in total interceptions with three after picking off TCU twice during the victory and becoming the first Mustang with multiple interceptions since Nick Roberts vs. Houston on Nov. 5, 2022.
  • Collin Rogers has tallied 11 field goals this season, which is tied for second in the nation.
  • SMU’s 47 wins in the last six years are the most by any FBS Texas team. In addition, the Mustangs have won 20 of those on the road, tops for any team in the state since 2019.
  • The Mustangs are 13-2 in their last 15 games.
  • SMU has posted a record of 20-1 during Rhett Lashlee’s three seasons in charge when they score 30 or more points in a game, and have won 18 straight when hitting the magic number.
  • SMU had 20 players earn various accolades prior to the start of the season.

Depth Charts

Here are the depth charts for both teams ahead of their matchup: Louisville vs. SMU

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Mustangs, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. SMU

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing their Rumble in the Jungle 50th anniversary commemorative uniform (red helmets, jerseys and pants with gold-filled numbers and lettering); while SMU will be wearing white helmets, jerseys and pants.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Tyler Shough: Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic

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