Louisville Football Rolls Past Jacksonville State

The Cardinals move to 2-0 on the young season with the victory.

Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (25) runs down the field 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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On the heels of posting a blowout shutout over Austin Peay in their series opener, the newly-ranked Louisville football program carried that momentum into game two against Jacksonville State, thrashing them to the tune of 49-14 on Saturday at L&N Stadium.

The No. 22/24 Cardinals (2-0), even while not performing at peak efficiency during a bulk of the afternoon, still proved to be the superior team. By the end of the game, they were still able to out-gain the Gamecocks (0-2) 610-to-290 in terms of total yards of offense.

Quarterback Tyler Shough had another efficient day under center, going 21-of-33 for the day with 349 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing passes to 11 different receivers. Wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks had six catches for 89 yards - both team highs - while fellow wide out Chris Bell and tight end Mark Redman both hauled in receiving touchdowns.

The Cardinals had a brilliant day on the ground, totaling 233 yards and five touchdowns - all of which went to different players. Running back Maurice Turner led Louisville with 60 rushing yards, while he, Keyjuan Brown, Isaac Brown, Donald Chaney Jr. and Duane Martin all found the end zone on the ground.

While Louisville's defense was dominant for most of the day, they had trouble at times containing the dual threat capabilities of Tyler Huff. The Jax State quarterback went 17-of-27 for 160 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 101 yards and a score. But outside of Huff, the Cardinals held the Gamecocks to just 29 yards of production.

Linebacker Stanquan Clark finished with a team-high nine tackles, while defensive tackle Jared Dawson and defensive end Tramel Logan each collected a sack. Dawson had two of Louisville's five tackles for loss, while cornerback Quincy Riley also snagged an interception.

Like in the week prior, Louisville got off to a fast start on both sides of the ball. They used a methodical drive to score on the opening possession, capped off by a 10-yard scoring run from Chaney. The Cards then took advantage of an interception from Riley to put together a quick scoring drive that saw Keyjuan Brown squirm for a 22-yard run and go up 14-0 through the first quarter.

But then after allowing only nine yards on Jax State's first two possessions, Louisville's defense took a bit of a step back. Between giving up a few busted coverages and struggling to contain Huff as a runner, the Cardinals proceeded to give up 205 yards over the next three Gamecocks drives. Two of these drives went for touchdowns, with Huff throwing an 11-yard score and rushing for a 15-yard one.

Fortunately, Louisville's offense was able to keep the Cardinals in front despite the defensive lapse. In between JSU's first half touchdowns were a pair of second quarter scores by Louisville. Turner punched it in from the one yard line while Martin did so from two yards out, helping the Cards keep a 28-14 advantage at the half.

In the second half, Louisville got a much better showing out of their defense. They allowed just 87 total yards, and forced Jax State to punt on all five of their drives in the half.

As for the offense, they kept on trucking. Bell hauled in an impressive 48-yard score on Louisville's first drive of the half, added a 12-yard score by Redman in their first drive of the fourth quarter, then Watson added a 40-yard rushing score in the waning minutes of the game. The only miscue offensively in this half was a shanked 28-yard field goal by Brock Travelstead in between the touchdowns.

Next up, Louisville heads into their first of two bye weeks, and will face Georgia Tech in their ACC opener when they return to the gridiron. Kickoff against the Yellow Jackets is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 at a to-be-determined time.

(Photo of Isaac Brown: Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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