No. 23 Louisville vs No. 16 SMU: GAMEDAY NOTES

The No. 23 Louisville Cardinals (1-1) team begins ACC play on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in a ranked showdown against No. 16 SMU (2-0) at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Even though it is only September 19th, this game has major implications on the path to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game.

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV – ESPN2 (Roy Philpott, Brock Osweiler, Sherree Burruss)

Radio – 93.9 The Ville / 970 WGTK (Paul Rogers, Craig Swabek, Jody Demling)

National Radio – ESPN Radio (Mike Couzens, Freddie Coleman, Mike Peasley)

Live Stats – GoCards.com

Social – @LouisvilleFB

TEAM NOTES

The Ville compiled 635 yards and 59 points against Villanova in the home opener last week.

In Week 1 against Ole Miss, the Cards had 469 yards and 38 points.

The Cards are playing their second ranked matchup of the early season, falling in a walk-off field goal to No. 9 Ole Miss in the opener.

Louisville is 10-17 in ranked matchups all time, losing the last three.

However, since the turn of the millennium in Week 3 matchups at home in years that end in 6, the Cards are 2-0.

2006 No. 12 Louisville 31 No. 17 Miami 7.

2016 No. 10 Louisville 63 No. 2 Florida State 20.

Jeff Brohm is 2-0 in ranked matchups at home, both wins coming in his first season (2023).

#25 Louisville 33 #10 Notre Dame 20

#18 Louisville 23 #20 Duke 0

Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Louisville defeated Florida State 63-20. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NOTABLE NUMBERS

18 – “Explosive Plays” – The Ville has 18 plays of 20+ yards after two contests – nine in each game.

0 – For the second time in four seasons under Jeff Brohm, Louisville has not committed a turnover through the first two games (2024).

300 – Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz has thrown for 300+ yards in both games this season, the first quarterback at Louisville to accomplish the feat.

50 – Lincoln Kienholz has found the end zone four times through the air this season, all of which have been plays over 50 yards. The Cards are racking up the YAC,

91 – After a slow start in the first half of the Ole Miss game, Louisville has scored 91 points in the six quarters of football since.

Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (3) scores the Cards’ first touchdown in the game against Villanova Friday Sept. 11, 2026 at L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky. Sept. 11, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

INSIDE THE SERIES

Louisville and SMU have met four times previously; the Cards have never led in any of those games and are 0-4.

While the Cardinals and the Mustangs were both in the American Athletic Conference in 2013, the two did not play head-to-head.

SMU won at Louisville in 2024, 34-27. SMU won in Dallas in 2025, 38-6.

The last time the two squared off at L&N Stadium, Kevin Jennings torched the Cards going 21-for-27 through the air for 281 yards and rushing the ball 10 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Louisville’s Issac Brown gets a first down against SMU in 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

KIENHOLZ STELLAR ONCE AGAIN

Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz asserted himself in the second half of the Labor Day weekend loss to Ole Miss. He piggybacked that second half into the Week 2 matchup with Villanova. The senior compiled 374 total yards and four touchdowns, making it the second straight week he passed for 300+ yards.

Kienholz is one of six FBS quarterbacks to throw for at least 300 yards in each of the first two games this season, and the first player to do so in his first two games with the Cards.

Kienholz ranks second nationally in total offense, third in yards per attempt, fourth in yards per completion and QBR, ninth in passing efficiency and 10th in passing yards per game. His three rushing touchdowns have him tied for 11th in the FBS for rushing touchdowns.

LOUISVILLE PUTS ON OFFENSIVE SHOW IN WEEK TWO

Louisville raced out to a 17-3 lead after one quarter of play on Friday night and never looked back. When the final whistle sounded, the Cards had 59 points on the scoreboard and 635 yards of offense.

The 635 yards were the most by the Cardinals since rolling up 690 nearly three years ago to the day in a shutout win over Murray State. Louisville finished with 350+ yards through the air and 200+ on the ground for the first time since the 2017 Murray State game.

Louisville Cardinals running back Braxton Jennings (32) holds a thankful pose after scoring a touchdown as Louisville Cardinals offensive lineman Evan Wibberley (58) and Louisville Cardinals tight end Brody Foley (80) with Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Lawayne McCoy (7) celebrate as Louisville rolled past Villanova 59-13 Friday Sept. 11, 2026 at L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

CARDINALS PROVING TO BE EXPLOSIVE ON OFFENSE

The Cards are capitalizing on the “explosive plays” to start the 2026 season. Louisville already has 18 plays of 20 yards or more, nine in each game. Only Memphis has more plays of 20 yards this season than the Cards, but the Tigers have played three games in this early season.

The Cardinals have already scored four touchdowns of 50 yards or more as well, doing so twice in both contests. Colorado State and South Carolina are the only other FBS schools with four scores of 50+ yards this season.

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