UofL shows resiliency in Thursday night win over Virginia

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A 73-yard Isaac Guerendo touchdown run erased a dismal third quarter for the Louisville football team and lifted the Cards to a 31-24 win over Virginia Thursday night to improve to 9-1 for the season.

Head coach Jeff Brohm praised his player’s toughness and resiliency post game and said it was important for his team to face and overcome adversity heading into the home stretch of the season.

UofL stated slow, but still carried a 14-0 lead into the half thanks to a first-quarter touchdown from quarterback Jack Plummer to tight end Joey Galloway and a blocked punt by D’Angelo Hutchinson that fell right into Joey Calloway’s hands for a second-quarter touchdown.

Then the wheels came off.

Virginia got on the board with 4:15 to play in the third thanks to a Jack Griese sweep to the right for the one-yard score. Ten seconds later, the Cavaliers were in the end zone again when Kam Robinson picked off Plummer and scampered 28 yards for the game-tying touchdown.

Louisville’s defense looked to make a big play when three defenders converged on Perris Jones to force a fumble, but it bounced right to Malik Washington who went the distance down the UofL sideline for the go-ahead score.

That put the game on pause as Jones was carted off the field.

UofL opened the third quarter with a drive that ate up just over four minutes and ended with a 35-yard Brock Travelstead field goal to cut the lead to four. UVA pushed the lead back to a touchdown when Will Bettridge hit a field goal of his own from three yards further.

Then it was time for a pair of big plays for the Cardinals.

The first was a game-tying, 52-yard connection between Plummer and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce after the junior wide out found himself alone behind the UVA defense.

After a crucial third-down stop preserved the tie, Guerendo found a hole and put the Cards up for good.

Plummer finished the game with 243 yards on 19/28 passing, two touchdowns and the pick six. Jawhar Jordan led the rushing attack with 95 yards on 17 carries, but the game-winning run by Guerendo gave him 94 yards on just six rushes.

Huggins-Bruce’s 52-yard score was his lone catch of the day, with Chris Bell being the favorite target of Plummer, hauling in four catches for 35 yards.

The win keeps UofL’s hopes for an ACC Championship alive and the Cards can clinch a spot in the Dec. 2 title game opposite Florida State with a win over Miami on Nov. 18. UofL also clinches a spot in the game if North Carolina drops any of its next three games.