The University of Louisville football team delivered an impressive performance on Saturday night, shutting out Duke with a dominant 23-0 victory at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. With this win, Louisville improves to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC, showing their strength as a team.
The Cardinals showcased their offensive prowess by racking up 340 yards of offense, with 223 of those coming from their ground game. Head Coach Jeff Brohm was proud of his team’s performance, stating, “We were really efficient on offense, being really physical up front, running the football at them, and taking advantage of what the defense was giving us.”
Louisville wasted no time setting the tone of the game, as running back Jawhar Jordan punched in a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive, giving the Cardinals an early 7-0 lead. Jordan continued to impress by adding another touchdown in the first quarter, this time from 23 yards out, extending Louisville’s lead to 14-0.
Kicker Brock Travelstead contributed to the Cardinals’ scoring as well, nailing a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter to bring the lead to 17-0. In the third quarter, Travelstead knocked through another field goal, this time from 20 yards, and Louisville capitalized on a Gilbert Frierson interception with yet another Travelstead field goal, this time from 24 yards out, to seal the 23-0 shutout victory.
The Cardinals’ defense played a crucial role in the game, holding Duke’s offense to just 202 total yards. The defense recorded four sacks and six tackles for losses, displaying their dominance throughout the entire match. Brohm praised the defensive effort, stating, “I think we throw a lot at our defense, ask them to do a lot, and today we had a mixture of disguises and coverages. Our defensive coaches had a great week, our players were into it, and we got after the quarterback.”
This win marks just the second time in program history that Louisville has defeated two AP-ranked opponents in a single season. The previous occasion was in 2006 when the Cardinals defeated three such opponents, highlighting the team’s success this season.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will face Virginia Tech on Saturday, November 4, in what promises to be another thrilling matchup. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, and fans can catch the action on ACC Network.
