Oct 32 min read

Cardinals to Host Mustangs in the Blue Grass State

SMU Mustangs vs. Louisville Cardinals | SMU OL Savion Byrd — © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In an exciting Week 6 Atlantic Coast Conference matchup, the SMU Mustangs (4-1, 1-0) take on the No. 22 Louisville Cardinals (3-1, 1-0). Kickoff is at noon EST on Oct. 5 in Louisville, Ky. While the Cardinals are coming off their first setback of the season, a 31-24 loss to No. 14 Notre Dame (4-1), the Mustangs are seeking to extend a two-game winning streak following their 42-16 shellacking of Florida State (1-4, 1-3).

Mustangs-Cardinal Storylines

This is the first meeting on the gridiron between SMU and Louisville in 44 years. The teams last met in 1980, well before any players on either team were born.

The Cardinals enter this contest as a 7-point favorite over the Mustangs, per DraftKings. Both teams have demonstrated explosive scoring potential. Thus, the over/under is 57.

The turnover battle between SMU and Louisville might be pivotal. In four games, the Cardinals' defense has forced and recovered 4 fumbles and snagged 2 interceptions. The ball-hawking SMU defense has already intercepted opposing quarterbacks 9 times. The Mustangs have also forced 7 fumbles, recovering 5.

Key Players

Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough is off to an impressive start this year. The 6-foot-5 Arizona native has thrown for 1,114 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing 64.96 percent of his passes and yielding only 1 interception. His favorite target is wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks, who has reeled in 22 receptions for 368 yards and 4 TDs.

SMU Mustangs vs. Louisville Cardinals — © Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The Cardinals feature a stable of talented running backs, headlined by freshmen Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown. They lead the team with 250 and 152 rushing yards respectively.

On the other side of the ball, sophomore linebacker Stanquan Clark leads Louisville with 22 tackles. His teammate, redshirt junior LB TJ Quinn has 21 tackles, including 1 sack.

For the Mustangs, QB Kevin Jennings has thrived since replacing Preston Stone. He led the Ponies to dominant wins over TCU (3-2, 1-1 in the Big 12 Conference) and Florida State. A dual-threat signal caller, Jennings has thrown for 733 yards and 6 TDs and rushed for 149 yards and another TD. His favorite receiving target has been standout tight end RJ Maryland who has racked up 221 receiving yards and 3 TDs.

Miami transfer Brashard Smith leads the Mustangs' rushing attack. He has already run for 509 yards and 7 TDs, with an impressive average of 7.3 yards per carry.

SMU's stout defense is led by junior safety Ahmaad Moses, who has 3 interceptions, and senior linebacker Kobe Wilson, who had an exhilarating 82-yard pick-six against the Seminoles in Week 5.