Cards Prevail in Ranked Conference Battle Against No. 16 SMU

Saturday, September 19

LOUISVILLE, KY

3:30 p.m.

University of Louisville

2-1 , 1-0

SMU

2-1 , 1-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
SMU	7	10	7	7	31
Louisville	14	0	14	13	41

Cards Prevail in Ranked Conference Battle Against No. 16 SMU

September 19, 2026 | Football

Box Score PDF Box Score Postgame Notes Postgame Quotes Jeff Brohm Postgame Press Conference Clev Lubin & Kaleb Beasley Postgame Press Conference Lincoln Kienholz Postgame Press Conference Keyjuan Brown Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

By: Sara Miller

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The No. 23-ranked University of Louisville football team came out on top, 41-31, in a back-and-forth contest with No. 16 SMU Saturday afternoon at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Louisville (2-1, 1-0 ACC) was powered by its running game which tallied 265 of the Cards' 442 total yards. Senior running back Keyjuan Brown posted a career-high 165 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns, both of which were runs longer than 50 yards.

Junior Kaleb Beasley led the defense for the Cards with 10 tackles and two interceptions, including the game-sealing takeaway in the final two minutes of the game.

UofL quarterback Lincoln Kienholz finished the game 14-of-23 passing for 177 yards while accounting for two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.

Louisville Head Coach Jeff Brohm said:

"Definitely really proud of our team. It's a big win for us. It's an opponent we haven't beat in a while, actually never, so that's quite a while. That's a really good quarterback, a good offense. It was a back-and-forth game. The thing I'm proud of is how we scrapped and played hard to the end. We found a way to make more plays than them, that shows the toughness and the makeup of the team. It shows the toughness and the makeup of our assistant coaches, of the ability just to fight to the end. Sometimes things look good, sometimes they don't. You need to get down and you can do something about it. That's why this sport is so great is because it teaches you to hang in there to the end no matter what, and special things happen. Great victory for our team. Our fans were great, they were ready for another top opponent. They were loud, we could hear them, it was a great atmosphere and it was something we can build on."

How it Happened

First Quarter
11:35 – SMU – Kendrick Raphael rushes up the middle on 4th &1 for a 2-yard touchdown. 8 play, 75 yards, 3:25. Louisville 0, SMU 7.
05:19 – LOU – Lincoln Kienholz ties the game on a quarterback keeper with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:16. Louisville 7, SMU 7.
01:45 – LOU – Lincoln Kienholz finds Lawayne McCoy for a 33-yard touchdown. 4 plays 30 yards, 2:03. Louisville 14, SMU 7

Second Quarter
13:12 – SMU – Yamir Knight catches a pass from Kevin Jennings for a 19-yard touchdown. 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:26. Louisville 14, SMU 14.
00:00 – SMU – Nick Reed connects on a 46-yard field goal. 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:14. Louisville 14, SMU 17

Third Quarter
14:17 – LOU – Keyjuan Brown breaks away for a 58-yard rushing touchdown. 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:43. Louisville 21, SMU 17
06:12 - SMU – Kendrick Raphael scores a 25-yard touchdown on the run. 11 plays, 86 yards, 4:15. Louisville 21, SMU 24
02:41 – LOU – Lincoln Kienholz finds Jaleel Skinner for a 4-yard receiving touchdown. 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:31. Louisville 28, SMU 24

Fourth Quarter
11:33 – SMU – Kendrick Raphael rushes up the middle for a 12-yard rushing touchdown. 8 plays, 52 yards, 2:34. Louisville 28, SMU 31
10:02 – LOU – Keyjuan Brown runs it in for a 53-yard touchdown. 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:31. Louisville 35, SMU 31
5:32 – LOU – Isaac Brown rushes to the left for a 27-yard touchdown; PAT failed. 3 plays, 64 yards, 1:53. Louisville 41, SMU 31

Up Next

Louisville will wrap up its homestand by welcoming Wake Forest on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. ET with broadcast details to be shared at a later date.