Louisville Shuts Out Duke in Crucial ACC Showdown

The Cardinals win the top-20 matchup over the Blue Devils, and claim sole possession of second place in the ACC standings.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Returning to action following their lone bye week of the season, the Louisville football program was able to return to their winning ways, shutting out Duke 23-0 Saturday at L&N Stadium in a critical showdown as it pertains to the ACC title race.

Not only were the No. 18 Cardinals (7-1, 4-1 ACC) able to bounce back from their stunning loss at Pitt on Oct. 14, the top-20 victory over the No. 20 Blue Devils (5-2, 2-2 ACC) marks their first shutout over a ranked opponent in program history.

The win also puts them - for the moment - in sole possession of second place in the ACC standings. Louisville entered the day in a three-way tie with North Carolina and Virginia Tech for second behind Florida State. UNC travels to Georgia Tech later today.

Facing one of the best secondaries in the ACC, Louisville opted to take the air out of the ball and focus on their ground game, rushing to near perfection. The Cardinals ran for 234 total yards against the Blue Devils, with star running back Jawhar Jordan rushing for a career-high 163 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

Quarterback Jack Plummer threw just 16 passes, but completed 11 of them for 117 yards. Wide receiver Jamari Thrash was the only pass catcher to log multiple receptions, finishing with seven catches for 73 yards.

Placekicker Brock Travelstead also rebounded from his tough outing at Pitt, connecting on three field goals.

Defensively, Louisville harassed Duke at the line of scrimmage all night long. Against a Blue Devils squad that was averaging almost 200 rushing yards per game, the Cardinals bottled them up for just 51 yards on the ground and six tackles for loss.

Duke QB Riley Leonard, who was nursing an ankle injury, also struggled in the face of consistent pressure. He was sacked four times, and went just 9-of-23 for 121 yards and an interception to linebacker/safety Gilbert Frierson.

Defensive end Ashton Gillotte tallied two sacks, defensive tackle Jermayne Lole notched a strip sack, and Jared Dawson logged a sack as well. Safety Cam'Ron Kelly and linebacker T.J. Quinn tied for a team-best seven tackles. 

Louisville was quick to strike against one of the best defenses in the ACC, assisted heavily by Jordan. He notched a pair of touchdowns on the Cardinals' first two drives of the game, scoring from 14- and 23-yards out and rushing for 106 before halftime. Brock Travelstead then added a 47-yard field goal on Louisville's fourth and final drive of the first half.

Defensively, the Cardinals also came out firing on all cylinders, pitching a first half shutout. Of Duke's five drive in the first half, four ended in punts - including two three-and-outs - with the Blue Devils also committing a turnover on downs. Duke could only put up 97 first half yards, and crossed midfield only once.

Louisville's ground-and-pound offensive approach and suffocating defense fueled a good start to the second half as well. The Cardinals' first drive out of the half killed half the third quarter, and ended with a 20-yard field goal from Travelstead. Frierson then intercepted Leonard on Duke's first drive of the half, which then turned into a 24-yard make from Travelstead.

While this concluded Louisville's scoring efforts on offense, as their final four drives all ended in clock-killing punts and the final kneel downs, their defense continued to hold strong. Duke was held to three punts and a turnover on downs on their four drives after the interception by Leonard, with only one of the drives ending in plus-territory.

Next up, Louisville will continue their three-game home-stand and host Virginia Tech. Kickoff against the Hokies is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4 at 3:30 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Jawhar Jordan: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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