Cardinals Throttle Panthers for Bounce Back Win

© Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

The Louisville Cardinals (7-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) defended their home turf with a dominant 37-9 win over the Pitt Panthers (7-4, 3-4) on Nov. 23 in Louisville, Ky. The win marked a return to form for Louisville, while Pitt saw its losing streak extend to four games.

The explosive Louisville offense was the story of the game. Dynamic freshman running back Isaac Brown had 13 carries for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler Shough went 17-for-28 passing with 293 yards and 2 TDs.

The Pitt offense was dealt a devastating blow when QB Eli Holstein was ruled out with an ankle injury early in the game. The Louisville defense took over after the injury. Linebacker Stanquan Clark led the charge for the defense with 7 tackles and 2 pivotal first-half interceptions.

Game Summary

A week after scoring just 7 points in the first three quarters against the Clemson Tigers (8-2, 7-1), the Panthers' offense was determined to come out with a more aggressive game plan against Louisville. Holstein led an explosive Pitt opening drive down to the Cardinals' 7-yard line. But an untimely INT halted Pitt's early offensive momentum. Louisville capitalized, driving down the field and kicking a field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.

An unfortunate ankle injury to Holstein on Pitt's ensuing drive kept the promising young QB out for the rest of the game and significantly impacted the Panthers' explosive ability on offense. The Louisville offense quickly got the ball back, and Brown capped off a 5-play, 82-yard drive with a short TD run to open up a 10-0 lead.

The Pitt offense attempted to stay aggressive, but momentum was lost when they were stuffed on fourth-and-1 from near midfield. The Louisville offense continued to face very little resistance from the Pitt defense. Shough found wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks for a 15-yard TD to extend the lead to 17-0.

Louisville kept the intensity high. An acrobatic INT by linebacker Stanquan Clark set up the Cardinals' offense with a short field. Brown scored his second TD of the day on an electric run. The Cardinals added a field goal on the following possession to take a 27-0 lead into halftime.

The Cardinals showed no mercy as the second half got underway. Wide receiver Chris Bell took a short pass 68 yards for a TD in the first minute of the third quarter. That put the game completely out of reach, 34-0.

The Panthers showed some fight late in the second half. Quarterback Nate Yarnell found WR Konata Mumpfield in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard TD pass for Pitt's first points. Louisville began to let up on offense and the Cardinals finally cruised to a 37-9 victory.

Turning Point for Cardinals

With a 17-0 lead, the Cardinals charged down to the Panthers' 1-yard line with hopes of extending their already formidable lead. The Pitt defense came up strong, stuffing the Cardinals on fourth-and-goal. It gave their offense a chance to get back into the game. Two plays later, Cardinals' linebacker Stanquan Clark came up with the play of the game. He pulled in an acrobatic INT from Yarnell to set up the Louisville offense with a short field. Brown scored on the next play to end any hopes of a Pitt comeback.

What it Means

The statement win for Louisville does not erase its devastating loss to the Stanford Cardinal (3-8, 2-6) a week ago. This provides Louisville with confidence going forward. Head coach Jeff Brohm rallied his team for a resilient effort against Pitt. Brohm hopes the effort will carry over to a Nov. 30 rivalry game against the Kentucky Wildcats (4-7, 1-7 Southeastern Conference). The Cardinals are out of the ACC title race, but they still have a chance to earn a quality bowl berth.

© Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Pitt saw its losing streak extend to four games, but their main focus will be on Holstein's health going forward. The Pitt offense was anemic in his absence. It has to potentially prepare to play the rest of the season without him. After a 7-0 start this season, fans will be frustrated with the sour end to the year. But the Panthers showed clear improvement in 2024, and fans can have faith in the positive momentum of the program going forward.