As Louisville stepped onto the field late in Saturday’s game against Virginia, down by three points, quarterback Tyler Shough had a clear message for his teammates.
“Let’s go win it,” Shough said afterward. “This is the drive we go prove ourselves.”
For the third week in a row, the Cardinals found themselves in a close game, and this time they managed to pull off a victory. Shough connected with a wide-open Jamari Johnson for a 14-yard touchdown with 1:55 left, breaking a two-game losing streak and winning 24-20 at Scott Stadium.
Isaac Brown rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns, while Alabama transfer Ja’Corey Brooks caught five passes for 83 yards for the Cardinals.
“A back-and-forth game that wasn’t perfect by any means,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “But it was a hard, workmanlike job that our team did.”
Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea threw for 279 yards and a go-ahead touchdown with 10:03 left, and he also ran for a season-high 84 yards. Wide receiver Malachi Fields had nine catches for 129 yards.
Virginia, which scored 18 unanswered points in the fourth quarter during last week’s win over Boston College, aimed for its first three-game win streak and back-to-back home victories in the Atlantic Coast Conference under Tony Elliott. Their defense made two big plays on Louisville’s first possession of the final quarter.
With the Cardinals in the red zone, defensive end Chico Bennett rushed in to tackle Brown for a 2-yard loss on second down. Then on third down, linebacker Kam Robinson sacked Shough, forcing Louisville to attempt a 41-yard field goal, which Brock Travelstead missed, keeping the Cavaliers within reach, down 17-13.
On the next drive, with Louisville applying pressure near midfield, Colandrea stood tall and threw a pass to Xavier Brown, who broke a tackle and raced down the sideline for a 46-yard go-ahead touchdown.
“I knew where I was going with the football,” Colandrea said. “I see him catch it and then I just start running down, chasing him. He made a great play and scored.”
But Shough and Louisville responded, driving 67 yards in 11 plays for the game-winning score.
On the touchdown pass, Shough faked a handoff, fooling most of the Virginia defense, which left Johnson wide open in the end zone.
