Louisville football has a huge ACC showdown this weekend inside L&N Stadium against the No. 16 SMU Mustangs. The Cardinals have never beaten SMU in program history, including losing to the Mustangs in two straight seasons since joining the ACC.
Louisville football has the perfect blueprint to upset No. 16 SMU this weekend
Now, Louisville is trying not only to make history this weekend and earn its first win over SMU, but also to skyrocket its ACC Championship odds. Many are calling this the biggest game of the season for Louisville and SMU, as both teams are trending as two of the top three in the conference behind Miami.
SMU’s head coach recently appeared on ESPN, and Rhett Lashlee sent a clear message about how important this game is on Saturday.
Rhett Lashlee head coach reveals how big Louisville-SMU showdown is in Week 3
This is being called Louisville’s biggest game of the season, but not many are going so far as to say it will make or break the Cardinals' season, and Lashlee agrees. The head coach makes it clear this game has major implications for the rest of the season, but it is only Week 3, and it won’t define the year for either team.
“It is a big conference game on the road,” stated Lashlee. “It is a huge game from both the national landscape and the ACC. For us, we are going on the road for the second time to start the season against a team that is really talented. Each of the last two years we have played them, we have felt like they are as talented as anybody in the ACC. They are definitley capable of winning the league and making a College Football Playoff run. So, to have to go into their place and win is a challenge. I think this game won’t define the season for either team, but it could be a launching pad for either one of us.”
"This game won't define the season for either team, but it could be a launching pad for either one of us."
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 17, 2026
—Rhett Lashlee discusses SMU's matchup against Louisville in Week 3 🏈 pic.twitter.com/ZkgV87j7Kx
Louisville and SMU entered the season with CFP dreams and ACC Title hopes. Right now, the Cards are 1.5-point favorites in this huge showdown, and Lashlee is right that this is a huge game and could really help the winner.
It is hard to say it will define the season in just week 3, and crazy upsets can happen, but he is absolutely right that whoever wins could soar up not just in the AP Polls and rankings, but emerge as the favorite to face Miami in the ACC Championship.
This is one fans don’t want to miss, and it should be a thrilling ACC football game where both offenses are among the best in the league. Louisville and SMU will kick off at 3:30 p.m. local time on ESPN 2.
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