Louisville football falls just short in its huge Week 1 game against the Ole Miss Rebels, as the Cardinals were defeated 41-38. Jeff Brohm was looking for his fourth top-15 win since he arrived at Louisville, and while the Cardinals came up short, there are still a lot of positives to take away from this performance.
One of the biggest takeaways from this game was the Cardinals' newest starting quarterback, Lincoln Kienholz. The 4-star transfer came over from Ohio State after sitting for three years with the Buckeyes. Kienholz made his highly anticipated debut with Louisville, and he not only nearly led the team to a huge top-10 win but also made history in the process.
Lincoln Kienholz is first Cardinal with 300+ passing yards in debut
Kienholz was a 4-star recruit out of high school and an elite athlete who played multiple sports. He ultimately committed to Ohio State after being ranked as high as the No. 13 quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class and No. 172 overall in the nation.
Now, he just made his highly anticipated college football debut, and he made Louisville history while doing it. Kienholz is the first Louisville Cardinal to throw for 300 yards or more in his debut, as the 4-star transfer finished the game with 307 passing yards.
Lincoln Kienholz is the first Louisville QB to throw for 300 yards in their debut!
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) September 7, 2026
He's the first Cardinals player with 300 pass yards and 50 rush yards vs a ranked opponent since Lamar Jackson in 2017 vs NC State 🏈 pic.twitter.com/Jkdc8eu5ah
Kienholz was incredibly clutch in his first game with Louisville. He finished the game throwing 18-for-29, including back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to tie the game up with 1:28 left. Kienholz had an incredible second half on Sunday night, showing his ability to escape the pressure, roll to his right, and throw on the run.
Brohm is known to be a quarterback whisperer, and it appears Louisville might have their next star at the quarterback position. Kienholz not only showed he can throw on the run and make big-time plays with his arm, but he's also a dual-threat quarterback and can extend drives with his legs.
Kienholz finished the game with 69 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, including a seven-yard run that tied the game in the fourth quarter. Kienholz is the first Louisville quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for 50 yards or more in the same game against a ranked opponent since the Louisville legend Lamar Jackson did it against North Carolina State in 2017.
Kienholz still has some areas to improve, but the 4-star transfer showed a lot of potential in his historic debut, and the Cardinals fans saw why Ohio State fans were so high on him a couple of years ago.
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