Louisville football is 1-1, and the Cardinals have a massive Week 3 showdown against SMU. The Cardinals and the Mustangs enter this game with a high ceiling in the ACC as many think the winner of this game will face Miami in Charlotte for the ACC Title.
CBS Sports make Louisville football fans very happy leading up to huge SMU showdown
Outside of LSU vs. Ole Miss, this Louisville-SMU game is getting a lot of national spotlight. It is one of just three rank-vs.-rank matchup this weekend, as No. 23 Louisville will host No. 16 SMU inside the L&N Stadium.
Pat McAfee and his crew broke down the game and highlighted the two star quarterbacks. McAfee talked about Louisville’s star QB, Lincoln Kienholz, and gave him extremely high praise by comparing him to one of the top NFL quarterbacks.
Pat McAfee compares Lincoln Kienholz to NFL MVP Josh Allen
While Kienholz got off to a slow start in both games, he really found his rhythm in the second half against Ole Miss and in the second quarter against Villanova. The star QB has been getting a lot of national spotlight and praise for his first two games, especially Friday afternoon when McAfee brought up NFL MVP Josh Allen when talking about Kienholz.
“Lincoln there can move. He is like a Josh Allen, this guy. He is fun to watch," stated McAfee.
Lincoln Kienholz can MOVE and he's fun to watch..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 18, 2026
Kevin Jennings has A LOT of talent #PMSLive https://t.co/RyJ2NnlVtm pic.twitter.com/xy5kQmhsAs
Right now, Kienholz is turning heads nationwide, and hearing McAfee say the Cardinals quarterback is looking like one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL is high praise, and not far off.
Kienholz is completing 68 percent of his passes, while averaging 319 passing yards and 56 rushing yards per game. He is averaging 12.8 passing yards per attempt, has thrown for four touchdowns with zero interceptions, and is also rushing for three touchdowns and averaging 5.5 rushing yards per attempt.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound quarterback didn’t earn many reps at Ohio State, but was a 4-star recruit and a 4-star transfer. Many people wondered what Louisville and Jeff Brohm would get out of Kienholz, and after two games, he is clearly making a name for himself as McAfee compares him to Josh Allen.
Kienholz has thrown for 639 yards and a QBR of 91.4, ranking fourth in the league. He was the first Cardinal to throw for 300 yards in his collegiate debut and the first Cardinal to rush for two touchdowns, pass for two touchdowns, and throw for 275 yards in a single half since Lamar Jackson.
Now, he will face Kevin Jennings and SMU this weekend in a huge ACC showdown, where he will try to earn his first win over a ranked opponent. Louisville and SMU will face off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. local time.
Add us as a preferred source on Google