Louisville Falls at Clemson, Snap Four-Game Win Streak
CLEMSON, S.C. - Marching into Death Valley having won their last four games, the Louisville football program saw their longest win streak since 2016 snapped in unceremonious fashion, falling to Clemson 31-16 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
The Cardinals (6-4, 3-4 ACC) fall to 0-8 all-time against the Tigers (9-1, 7-0 ACC), all coming since joining the ACC, and Clemson's home winning streak is extended to 39, the longest active streak in the FBS.
Despite putting up 400 yards, Louisville's offense failed to string together plays and generate momentum all afternoon. The Cardinals were just 3-of-14 on third downs and 2-of-4 on fourth downs, while generated zero points off three forced turnovers by their defense.
Quarterback Malik Cunningham earned the start despite an injured non-throwing hand, and didn't look like his typical dynamic self. While he completed 10 of his 13 passes, they only went for 75 yards, and he tallied just 20 rushing yards on five attempts.
Brock Domann took over in the second half after an injury knocked out Cunningham, going 13-of-23 for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Wide receiver Tyler Hudson had an outstanding day, catching 11 passes for 163 yards, both of which were career-highs at Louisville.
On top of that, the normally stout Louisville offensive line was shaky as well. They surrendered four sacks and nine tackles for loss, and struggled to generate consistant holes for the running backs, leading to just 150 rushing yards on the day. Running back Jawhar Jordan led the way here with 73 yards on 11 attempts.
Louisville's defense might have surrendered 439 yards on the night, but they gave the Cardinals a fighting chance. They held the Tigers to just 4-for-13 on third down, giving the offense numerous opportunities to try and take advantage of in the second half.
Linebacker MoMo Sanogo was all over the field, tallying 14 tackles (10 solo), two for loss and a sack. Linebacker Yasir Abdullah had two forced fumbles (one of which was recovered by Clemson) on top of six tackles and a sack, while linebacker Dorian Jones and defensive end Mason Reiger each had a forced fumble as well.
While Louisville's defense did force a pair of three-and-outs and a fumble in the first half, Clemson still found early success using a methodical, run-heavy approach. Uiagalelei ran for an 11-yard touchdown on the Tigers' opening drive, they collected a 19-yard field goal just before Louisville's lone touchdown of the first half, then Antonio Williams caught a four-yard touchdown on their final drive of the half - although it was aided by a questionable pass interference call.
Additionally, Louisville found very little offensive success in the first half. Of their six drives before halftime, three of them ended with three-and-outs, and the Cardinals scored just once on a 16-yard run by Evans towards the end of the first quarter. On top of that, an already hurt Cunningham injured his right shoulder on the final play of the first half, leaving Domann to take over after halftime.
The offense didn't get much better after halftime, either. After posting only 160 yards in the first half, Louisville followed that up by putting up only 128 on their first six drive of the second. The Cardinals scored a 22-yard field goal on their first drive out of halftime, then their next five drives ended in an Evans fumble, a three-and-out, a turnover on downs, an interception and another three-and-out.
Despite the lack of any meaningful production on offense during the second half, the defense still gave Louisville somewhat of a chance during this time. After Clemson scored a 25-yard rushing touchdown from Shipley on their opening possession of the half, the Cardinals' defense forced three punts and two fumbles on their next five times out.
By the time the Tigers were able to find the end zone again on 39-yard run by Mafah, there was only 2:13 left on the clock and the outcome already in well in hand. Louisville's lone passing touchdown on the day came deep into garbage time, with Domann finding Smith for a 31-yard score on the final play of the game.
Next up, Louisville will return to Cardinal Stadium for their final home game of the season and host NC State. Kickoff against the Wolfpack is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
(Photo of Malik Cunningham: Ken Ruinard - USA TODAY Sports)
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