The Louisville football team fell to Notre Dame last weekend. It was a game that they very well could have won. They were step-for-step with them in terms of talent. It wasn't a matter of the Irish being significantly better than the Cardinals. The only reason why Louisville lost is because of turnovers.
Louisville lost three turnovers in this game. Two of those turnovers were comically bad. Tyler Shough's interception hit Ja'Corey Brooks right in his hands. There's no reason that should have been a pick. The Cardinals also had a bad snap with a punt that turned into a fumble.
Those two turnovers were a huge reason why the Louisville Cardinals lost that game. Now, they return to the friendly confines of home to take on SMU. This SMU team is no joke. They have an offense that can bury opponents in a hurry. In fact, if Louisville doesn't do one specific thing, they're going to lose.
The Louisville football team must win the turnover margin vs. SMU
The only reason why the Cardinals lost is because of those silly turnovers. If they win the turnover margin against the Mustangs, they will win this game. SMU doesn't have the same kind of talent that Louisville does, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
SMU is a team that turns the ball over frequently. They have seven turnovers in the five games that they have played so far. At the same time, they still have a +7 turnover margin because the defense forces plenty. Louisville cannot afford to turn it over as often as the Mustangs do per game. SMU's offense doesn't need any more help, and turnovers would give them that help.
I fully expect the Cardinals to emerge victorious on Saturday. They are the better team. Talent-wise, there really isn't much of a comparison. But the turnover margin will determine the victor in this game.