Louisville rallies past Virginia as No. 11 Cardinals inch closer to ACC Championship Game berth

No. 11 Louisville wanted a overdue rally, however ultimately took down disillusioned minded Virginia 31-24 Thursday evening. The win inches the Cardinals closer to an ACC Championship Game berth and helps to keep lingering College Football Playoff hopes afloat for every other week.

Louisville operating again Isaac Guerendo ripped off a 73-yard landing run with simply 3:24 left in legislation to wreck a 24-24 tie, propelling the Cardinals to a seven-point victory when they entered the fourth quarter trailing by way of a landing. 

Louisville appeared to be in regulate when it carried a 14-0 lead overdue into the 3rd quarter, however Virginia exploded for 21 unanswered issues in 5 mintes on a chain of untamed performs. The Cavaliers scored two touchdowns separated by way of simply 10 seconds — one in every of them on an interception go back — earlier than taking a 21-14 lead on a landing that was once scored off an offensive fumble restoration. 

The groups traded box targets early within the fourth quarter earlier than Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer discovered receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce extensive open for a 52-yard landing to tie the sport with 6:20 to play. Louisville’s protection — which compelled a couple of turnovers within the victory — got here up with a prevent at the subsequent pressure to arrange Guerendo’s game-winning landing. Virginia had one remaining probability after to tie the sport, however grew to become the ball over on downs with 1:16 last. 

• Plummer completed the sport 19-of-28 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, one who was once returned by way of Virginia for a landing
• Louisville’s particular groups got here up giant within the victory, blocking off a punt in the second one quarter that was once recovered for a landing
• Play was once stopped for almost 11 mins in the second one part after Virginia operating again Perris Jones suffered an harm that compelled him to be stretchered off and transported to a neighborhood medical institution for additional analysis 
• Louisville now sits 9-1 for the primary time since 2016, a season that was once punctuated by way of then-Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson taking house the Heisman Trophy

Cards on verge of collapse of ACC name sport berth

While Louisville undoubtedly helped itself within the race for the ACC name sport with a win, it has no longer clinched a place towards No. 4 Florida State simply but. The Cards want a win Nov. 18 at Miami or for No. 24 North Carolina to lose one in every of its last 3 ACC video games to punch their price ticket to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Dec. 2. That may come as quickly as Saturday as the Tar Heels tackle rival Duke. 

Louisville’s trail to the College Football Playoff is a bit more fluid. The Cardinals would clearly have to win out, which would come with an disillusioned of No. 4 Florida State within the convention name sport. Even with that, the Cards would most probably want some chaos to happen forward of them — say a two-loss Pac-12 or Big 12 champion — to get a CFP invite.