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Jeff Brohm’s Cards surpass Clemson for the first time

Vaseline November 3, 2024

CLEMSON, S.C. – In the valley (of the shadow) of death, Louisville football feared no evil. Or Clemson in eighth place.

The Cardinals were not lacking in confidence, and it showed. For the first time in program history, Louisville defeated Clemson 33-21 Saturday night at Memorial Stadium, also known as Death Valley.

It marks the third year in a row that Louisville has defeated a top-10 opponent after wins over No. 10 Wake Forest in 2022 and No. 10 Notre Dame in 2023. Both games took place at L&N Stadium.

U of L (6-3, 4-2 ACC) accomplished something no other Cards team has, though they came close. A Lamar Jackson-led team came up short in Death Valley in a thriller in 2016. And if Malik Cunningham hadn’t been injured at home in 2021, those Cardinals might have gotten the first one.

But a Louisville team with renewed confidence got the job done on the road, adding another historic moment to Jeff Brohm’s tenure. The bowl-eligible Cardinals hurt Clemson’s chances of making it to the ACC championship game with the loss. Only SMU and Miami remain undefeated in conference play.

After being shut out in the second and third quarters, Clemson tried to stage a comeback by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter. After both touchdowns — scored by running back Phil Mafah — Louisville recovered every onside kick to prevent Clemson’s comeback bid.

Earlier this week, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said Louisville’s offense was the best his team had seen since Georgia. The two teams had a win over Clemson (6-2, 5-1) in common by the end of the night.

Louisville’s offense included Isaac Brown’s fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season. According to Louisville statistician Kelly Dickey, the only other true freshman in 2003 to record multiple 100-yard rushing performances was Michael Bush. He only had two.

Brown eclipsed 100 yards receiving early in the second half and finished with a career-high 151 yards. That included a 45-yard touchdown to put Louisville ahead 33-14 late in the fourth quarter.

But as talented and versatile as Louisville’s offense was, special teams made the difference. Kicker Brock Travelstead made four field goals to pace the Cardinals’ scoring.

Travelstead started with a miss from 40 yards. He then made four straight field goals, including a mulligan in the third quarter. His 40-yard field goal at 6:47 of the frame put U of L up, 23-7.

TJ Quinn and D’Angelo Hutchinson each had a blocked field goal.

The Cardinals’ defense also played a role in this. After notably struggling all year, it put together one of its best performances against a Clemson offense that was ranked fifth nationally heading into Week 10. Linebacker Stanquan Clark led the team with a career- high 12 tackles.

The group did so without Ben Perry, who was injured with 1:47 to go in the first quarter. The linebacker/safety fell to the ground and remained down for several minutes before being helped to the sideline with a neck brace. He was later taken to hospital for further examination.

Louisville’s secondary was crucial in limiting the Tigers’ big plays, holding Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik to 5.2 yards per completion. The Cardinals totaled nine pass breakups, with cornerback Tayon Holloway and Hutchinson totaling two each. Midway through the fourth quarter, fellow cornerback Quincy Riley added his own cornerback, denying Clemson wide receiver Troy Stellato a potential touchdown catch.

As the Clemson crowd began to disperse late in the fourth quarter, a small contingent of Louisville fans, ensconced in the corner of the south end zone, continued to watch the Cardinals celebrate in Death Valley.

Louisville will go into its farewell with its head held high, knowing history has been made in South Carolina.

This story will be updated.

Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at [email protected] and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.