Louisville football had a massive win on Saturday, after the Cardinals defeated SMU for the first time in program history. Now, Louisville sits in a prime position to go on a huge run the rest of the season and not only emerge as a legitimate ACC Title threat but also a real CFP contender.
Louisville football star Lincoln Kienholz continues to turn heads against SMU
The Cardinals defeated SMU 41-31, as they were led by Lincoln Kienholz and Keyjuan Brown. Kienholz finished with 177 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 42 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. As for Brown, the star running back had a career game after just 10 carries, finishing with a career-high 163 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Now, following the Cardinals' win over the Mustangs, Louisville is trending as a real threat in the ACC. The AP Polls just updated their rankings, and the Cardinals are in a great position to make a run.
Louisville football moves up to No. 16 in AP Polls
The Cardinals were ranked No. 23 before this weekend, but now that they are 2-1, with a win over SMU, Louisville jumped seven spots and now ranks No. 16 in the nation.
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/rYOmnsZFh3 pic.twitter.com/73tiPpJfKr
— On3 (@On3) September 20, 2026
With the Cardinals at No. 16, Louisville is in a great spot for the rest of the season. The Cardinals don’t have any more ranked opponents on their schedule, which certainly makes it feel like they have a legitimate chance to go on a run the rest of the way and be a real College Football Playoff contender.
Louisville has certainly passed the eye test, as the Cardinals' offense looks like one of the most electric groups in the ACC and in college football. This offense is firing on all cylinders and increasingly looks like a CFP group. Now, the Cardinals' schedule is favorable the rest of the way, but Louisville has to take care of business and win those games, especially in November.
While Louisville has one loss, it looks even better after this weekend. They fell to Ole Miss on a last-second field goal, and last night Ole Miss secured another huge win after defeating LSU. Now, the Cards' lone loss is to a top-five team in the country, as the Rebels moved up and are now ranked No. 4.
Other notable teams ranked in the AP Polls include Miami at No. 6 and SMU at No. 22. Louisville kicks off with Wake Forest this Saturday at noon local time.
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