Skip to main content
Louisville vs. Syracuse Football Highlights (9/3/22)

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. UCF Knights

The Cardinals head down to the Sunshine State in an effort to rebound against the Knights.

Louisville Cardinals (0-1, 0-1 ACC) at UCF Knights (1-0, 0-0 American)

- Kickoff: Friday, September 9 at 7:30 p.m. EST
- Location: FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
- Weather Conditions: Thunderstorms during the evening, then skies turning partly cloudy overnight. Low 76F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
- How To Watch: ESPN2
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: UCF -5.5
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 2-1
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 42-35 on Sept. 17, 2021 (Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, Ky.)

Game Notes

Louisville

  • The Cardinals dropped their season and conference opener 31-7 to Syracuse last Saturday night in the JMA Wireless Dome. Syracuse limited the Cardinals to 334 yards of total offense and forced a pair of Malik Cunningham interceptions.
  • Cunningham was limited to 186 yards of total offense in the loss to the Orange, completing 16-of-22 passes for 152 yards, while being limited to 34 yards on 13 carries. His 30-game streak of compiling at least one rushing or passing touchdown in a game came to an end.
  • Newcomers Tyler Hudson and Tiyon Evans each performed well in their UofL debut. Hudson caught eight passes for 102 yards, while Evans rushed 13 times for 89 yards, scoring on the lone touchdown on a 36-yard rush in the first quarter.
  • The 7 points scored by the Cardinals ties the lowest total under Scott Satterfield, matching the 12-7 loss at Notre Dame in 2020.
  • Louisville had a -3 turnover margin, its worst since the Virginia Tech game on Oct. 31, 2020.
  • Syracuse was flagged for 18 penalties, the most by a Louisville opponent since Wichita State had a record 19 in 1963.
  • DE Ashton Gillotte tallied 1.5 sacks to add to the four he had during his freshman season last year.
  • MLB Monty Montgomery and OLB Ben Perry paced the Louisville defense with 8 tackles each.
  • The Cardinals are 25-36-1 all-time versus teams from the state of Florida and have won the last three games, one coming last season versus UCF.
  • Louisville is 12-26-1 in games played in the state of Florida. Louisville is making its first trip to Florida since defeating Florida State last season in Tallahassee.
  • The Cards are 52-32-1 all-time in Friday night games, winning the last two contests — one coming last season in the 42-35 win over UCF.

UCF

  • UCF opened the 2022 football season with a dominant performance against South Carolina State last Thursday, earning a 56-10 win in front of 43,810 fans at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
  • A stellar defensive effort by the Knights limited the Bulldogs to just 91 yards of total offense. That mark is tied for No. 1 nationally with Minnesota for the fewest yards allowed in a game this season. UCF allowed just 35 rushing yards and 56 yards passing. Additionally, the 56 passing yards allowed rank fourth in the NCAA and the 35 rushing yards allowed ranks 10th nationally.
  • Defensively, linebacker Walter Yates III led the way for the Knights with seven tackles, including five solo stops.
  • Junior safety Quadric Bullard recorded the first blocked punt for UCF since Sept. 7, 2019 with his block in the fourth quarter against South Carolina State. He then recovered the punt in the endzone for the first punt returned for a touchdown for UCF since Nov. 12, 2016 against Cincinnati.
  • The Knights offense was equally as impressive, compiling 605 yards of total offense. UCF is one of just nine teams in the nation to record 600 or more yards of total offense in a single game this season.
  • Making his debut in a UCF uniform, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee wowed Knights fans with a stellar performance as he finished the night 20-of-31 passing for 308 yards and four touchdowns. He was also a factor with his legs, accounting for 100 yards rushing on 16 attempts with another score to account for five of UCF’s seven touchdowns in the season-opening 56-10 win against South Carolina State.
  • UCF added several talented transfers to its roster for the 2022 season and they are already making their presence felt. In addition to Plumlee’s standout performance, wide receiver Javon Baker recorded five catches for 84 yards with a touchdown to lead the receiving unit. Tight end Kemore Gamble tallied three catches for 82 yards with a touchdown.
  • The Black and Gold passed for 308 and rushed for 297 yards, which ranks 11th nationally and is the most by a team in the American Athletic Conference this season.
  • UCF's 56 points in the season opener are the most for the program in a season opener since 2019 when the Knights defeated Florida A&M, 62-0.
  • UCF has accumulated a record of 48-12 in its last 60 games. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in 2020, 9-4 in the first season under head coach Gus Malzahn and are 1-0 in 2022. UCF’s 48 wins in its last 60 games trails only Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Georgia nationally for the most victories in a program’s last 60 contests.
  • Having started the program in 1979 and only having been playing at the FBS level since 1996, UCF became the youngest program by 35 years to win a New Year’s Six/BCS bowl game when the Knights defeated Baylor in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. UCF is one of just 17 programs to have appeared in three New Year’s Six/BCS bowl games since 2013 and one of only 13 to have won two such games in that span.
  • UCF’s all-time record of 74-22 (.771) at FBC Mortgage Stadium ranks in the top 15 in the nation for best win percentage in a current home stadium. Since 2017, the Knights are 31-2 in home games at FBC Mortgage Stadium.

Depth Charts

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

Comparison

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

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing all white; UCF will be wearing black jerseys and pants with gold helmets.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Dez Melton, Malik Cunningham: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter

© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.