Isaac Brown scored two touchdowns, Tyler Shough connected for two passing touchdowns, and Stanquan Clark secured two interceptions as the Louisville Cardinals dominated the Pittsburgh Panthers with a 37-9 victory on Saturday.
The Cardinals improved their record to 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, taking a commanding 27-0 lead by halftime after scoring on four of their first six drives. Clark’s interceptions were pivotal, producing 10 points for Louisville. His first pick in the end zone on Pittsburgh’s opening series set the stage for Brock Travelstead’s 41-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, he snagged a pass from Nate Yarnell, setting up a 15-yard touchdown run by Isaac Brown just one play later.
Notably, Clark’s crucial interception came just three plays after the Panthers thwarted Louisville’s attempt to score on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line.
Pitt, which had Yarnell starting in place of injured quarterback Eli Holstein, managed to avoid a shutout with a third-quarter touchdown pass. Holstein was carted off the field during the first quarter after suffering a significant left-leg injury from a sack, having also missed the previous week’s game against Clemson due to a head injury sustained against Virginia.
Despite the defeat, the Panthers (7-4, 3-4) managed to avoid their first shutout in five years, as Konata Mumpfield caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Yarnell. They also added a safety in the fourth quarter but have now lost four consecutive games.
In terms of individual performance, Brown was effective, rushing 13 times for 93 yards. Shough completed 17 of 28 passes for 293 yards, including 15-yard and 68-yard touchdown throws to Ja’Corey Brooks and Chris Bell, respectively. Louisville outperformed Pittsburgh significantly in total yardage, finishing with 505 yards compared to the Panthers’ 265. This victory was a rebound for Louisville after a heartbreaking 38-35 loss to Stanford last week, where they allowed the final 17 points and lost on a last-second field goal.
Analyzing the performance, it was apparent that turnovers were a significant setback for Pittsburgh, disrupting two drives in Louisville’s territory. Their inability to restrain the high-powered Louisville offense, which generated 12 plays of at least 15 yards, proved detrimental as well.
Conversely, Louisville turned in a strong performance on both offense and defense, effectively shaking off any concerns about lingering effects from last week’s defeat. Their defense was particularly impressive, intercepting three different Pittsburgh quarterbacks, including a final pick by Corey Thornton in the fourth quarter.
Next on the schedule, Pittsburgh will face Boston College on Saturday, while Louisville is set to visit their archrival Kentucky in hopes of securing the Governor’s Cup for the first time since 2017.