Louisville Football Postgame Notes
September 12, 2015 | Football
Houston 34, Louisville 31 - Papa John's Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, Ky.
SERIES
• After Saturday's game, the Louisville-Houston series is tied at 8-8 all-time.
• The Cardinals dropped to 5-4 all-time at home against the Cougars.
• Saturday's loss ended Louisville's three-game winning streak against Houston.
TEAM
• Louisville captains for Saturday's home-opener were seniors James Burgess, Aaron Epps, Brandon Radcliff, Sheldon Rankins and junior Keith Kelsey.
• The Cardinals won the pregame coin toss and chose to receive the opening kickoff.
• Saturday's announced attendance was 50,019.
• Louisville's non-conference home winning streak was halted at seven games with Saturday's loss.
• The Cardinals ended their four-game winning streak in home-openers and dropped to 13-5 all-time in home-openers at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
• Louisville is 81-28 all-time at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, now in its 18th season as the home of the Cardinals.
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OFFENSE
• Sophomore Dontez Byrd and freshman Traveon Samuel made their first career starts at wide receiver.
• Emonee Spence made his collegiate debut during the first quarter to become the eighth true freshman to appear in a game this year for the Cardinals.
• Lamar Jackson made his first career start at quarterback to become just the third true freshman to start at the position since Stu Stram in 1976.
• Jackson joined Teddy Bridgewater as the only Louisville quarterbacks in the last 34 years to rush for a touchdown in their first career starts at the position.
• With his six-yard toss to wide receiver Ja'Quay Savage with 1:04 left in the second quarter, Jackson connected for his first career touchdown pass.
• The second quarter score, which pushed Louisville ahead 14-10, was the first touchdown as a Cardinal for Savage and the second career touchdown for the Texas A&M transfer, who scored once for the Aggies.
• The Jackson-to-Savage connection was the first passing touchdown of the season for Louisville and provided the Cardinals with their first lead of 2015.
• Savage finished with seven catches for 79 yards – both career highs.
• Making his first appearance of the season, sophomore quarterback Kyle Bolin came off the bench and was 3-for-3 for 44 yards to lead Louisville on a seven-play, 79-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
• After entering the game with 14:56 left in the fourth quarter, Bolin finished 10-for-18 with 157 yards passing and one touchdown.
• Sophomore running back Jeremy Smith ran for his first career touchdown on Saturday, a four-yard score with 11:31 left in the fourth corner to push Louisville ahead at 24-20.
• Redshirt freshman tight end Micky Crum caught his first career touchdown pass – a 29-yard reception from Bolin to push the Cardinals into the lead at 31-27 with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter.
• Crum became the first freshman to finish with at least 100 yards receiving since Mario Urrutia had 138 yards on four catches against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 1, 2005.
• With his six points on Saturday, senior kicker John Wallace moved into sole possession of second place in career points scored at Louisville with 305. Art Carmody (2004-07) is Louisville's all-time scoring leader with 433 points.
• Freshman wide receivers Traveon Samuel (six catches, 55 yards) and Jaylen Smith (five catches, 60 yards) both set career highs for receptions and yards on Saturday.
DEFENSE
• Sophomore safety Chucky Williams hauled in his first career interception in the third quarter to mark Louisville's 15th straight game with an interception.
• The Cardinals have a total of 30 interceptions during that 15-game interception streak.
• Williams finished the day with a career-best seven tackles (all solo stops), one better than his previous high of six last week against Auburn.
• Junior linebacker Keith Kelsey finished with career highs in tackles (15), tackles for loss (4) and sacks (2). Ten of Kelsey's 15 tackles were solo stops.
• Senior linebacker James Burgess had a career-best 15 tackles, including nine solo stops.
• Junior safety Josh Harvey-Clemons reached double-figures in tackles for the second straight game after recording 10 stops on Saturday, including eight solo tackles.
• Senior defensive end Sheldon Rankins matched a career-high with eight tackles against Houston.
• After making his first career collegiate start, sophomore safety Zykesis Cannon had a career-high six tackles.
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• After Saturday's game, the Louisville-Houston series is tied at 8-8 all-time.
• The Cardinals dropped to 5-4 all-time at home against the Cougars.
• Saturday's loss ended Louisville's three-game winning streak against Houston.
TEAM
• Louisville captains for Saturday's home-opener were seniors James Burgess, Aaron Epps, Brandon Radcliff, Sheldon Rankins and junior Keith Kelsey.
• The Cardinals won the pregame coin toss and chose to receive the opening kickoff.
• Saturday's announced attendance was 50,019.
• Louisville's non-conference home winning streak was halted at seven games with Saturday's loss.
• The Cardinals ended their four-game winning streak in home-openers and dropped to 13-5 all-time in home-openers at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
• Louisville is 81-28 all-time at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, now in its 18th season as the home of the Cardinals.
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OFFENSE
• Sophomore Dontez Byrd and freshman Traveon Samuel made their first career starts at wide receiver.
• Emonee Spence made his collegiate debut during the first quarter to become the eighth true freshman to appear in a game this year for the Cardinals.
• Lamar Jackson made his first career start at quarterback to become just the third true freshman to start at the position since Stu Stram in 1976.
• Jackson joined Teddy Bridgewater as the only Louisville quarterbacks in the last 34 years to rush for a touchdown in their first career starts at the position.
• With his six-yard toss to wide receiver Ja'Quay Savage with 1:04 left in the second quarter, Jackson connected for his first career touchdown pass.
• The second quarter score, which pushed Louisville ahead 14-10, was the first touchdown as a Cardinal for Savage and the second career touchdown for the Texas A&M transfer, who scored once for the Aggies.
• The Jackson-to-Savage connection was the first passing touchdown of the season for Louisville and provided the Cardinals with their first lead of 2015.
• Savage finished with seven catches for 79 yards – both career highs.
• Making his first appearance of the season, sophomore quarterback Kyle Bolin came off the bench and was 3-for-3 for 44 yards to lead Louisville on a seven-play, 79-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
• After entering the game with 14:56 left in the fourth quarter, Bolin finished 10-for-18 with 157 yards passing and one touchdown.
• Sophomore running back Jeremy Smith ran for his first career touchdown on Saturday, a four-yard score with 11:31 left in the fourth corner to push Louisville ahead at 24-20.
• Redshirt freshman tight end Micky Crum caught his first career touchdown pass – a 29-yard reception from Bolin to push the Cardinals into the lead at 31-27 with 6:25 left in the fourth quarter.
• Crum became the first freshman to finish with at least 100 yards receiving since Mario Urrutia had 138 yards on four catches against Florida Atlantic on Oct. 1, 2005.
• With his six points on Saturday, senior kicker John Wallace moved into sole possession of second place in career points scored at Louisville with 305. Art Carmody (2004-07) is Louisville's all-time scoring leader with 433 points.
• Freshman wide receivers Traveon Samuel (six catches, 55 yards) and Jaylen Smith (five catches, 60 yards) both set career highs for receptions and yards on Saturday.
DEFENSE
• Sophomore safety Chucky Williams hauled in his first career interception in the third quarter to mark Louisville's 15th straight game with an interception.
• The Cardinals have a total of 30 interceptions during that 15-game interception streak.
• Williams finished the day with a career-best seven tackles (all solo stops), one better than his previous high of six last week against Auburn.
• Junior linebacker Keith Kelsey finished with career highs in tackles (15), tackles for loss (4) and sacks (2). Ten of Kelsey's 15 tackles were solo stops.
• Senior linebacker James Burgess had a career-best 15 tackles, including nine solo stops.
• Junior safety Josh Harvey-Clemons reached double-figures in tackles for the second straight game after recording 10 stops on Saturday, including eight solo tackles.
• Senior defensive end Sheldon Rankins matched a career-high with eight tackles against Houston.
• After making his first career collegiate start, sophomore safety Zykesis Cannon had a career-high six tackles.
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Players Mentioned
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