Louisville Football Countdown to Kickoff
September 15, 2017 | Football
The Cardinals and Tigers kick off on Saturday at 8:12 p.m.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville football takes the national stage on Saturday, when it squares off against No. 3 Clemson in a primetime Atlantic Coast Conference showdown in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium at 8:12 p.m. ET.
Earlier in the day, Louisville is playing host to ESPN College GameDay for the second time in as many years. Last season, also on week three, Louisville welcomed College GameDay and followed the award-winning show with a 63-20 upset of No. 2 Florida State.
Saturday's matchup – a 'Black Out' – marks the fourth in series history, with Clemson holding a 3-0 advantage. Notably, the Tigers have won the three matchups by a combined 15 points.
The 2016 contest came down to the wire. Louisville battled back from a 28-10 deficit in Death Valley, falling 42-36.
ABC (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Maria Taylor) is broadcasting the game nationally, while Louisville Sports Properties radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m., featuring Paul Rogers, Alex Kupper, and Jody Demling.
Now that you have the details, it's time to start the Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – Kicker Blanton Creque has connected on TEN-consecutive field goals, dating back to the 2016 season. With his 2-for-2 performance at North Carolina, he climbed to 10th on the school's career list with 21 made field goals.
9 – Wide receiver Jaylen Smith had a breakout performance last week at North Carolina, catching a career-high NINE passes for 183 yards and one score. It was his third career 100-yard receiving game, second straight.
8 – Freshman linebacker Dorian Etheridge paced the Cardinals' defense last week, totaling EIGHT tackles at North Carolina. He has 10 stops on the season, tied for third most on the team.
7 – The Cardinals have won SEVEN-consecutive games in the month of September, dating back to the 2015 campaign. That includes three victories over conference foes (2016: Syracuse, Florida State; 2017: North Carolina).
6 – Quarterback Lamar Jackson recorded SIX touchdowns for the fourth time in his career when he threw for three scores and ran for three at North Carolina. The junior has four of the school's five six-touchdown performances.
5 – Louisville's offense is averaging 614.5 yards per game and ranks FIFTH nationally in total offense. Under head coach Bobby Petrino's watch, Louisville has ranked in the top-10 nationally in total offense five times.
4 – Saturday sets up as the FOURTH meeting that a defending Heisman Trophy winner faces the defending national champion. Previously, Oklahoma's Jason White faced USC in 2005, Florida's Tim Tebow faced LSU in 2008, and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel squared off against Alabama in 2013.
3 – Freshman Dez Fitzpatrick, one of Lamar Jackson's primary target, leads the receiving corps with THREE touchdowns through the first two games. He has eight catches for 173 – both totals that rank second on the team.
2 – It is the SECOND time in program history that ESPN College GameDay is broadcasting its award-winning show from Louisville. The school first had the show on campus last year, with Louisville beating second-ranked Florida State after the show following a noon kick.
1 – This is Louisville's FIRST ranked opponent for a Saturday night game in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Enjoy the game and return to GoCards.com afterward for complete postgame coverage.


















