On a day when several Power Five teams found themselves in trouble against Group of Five opponents, Louisville had no issues with visiting Western Kentucky. The Cardinals were ahead by three touchdowns in the second half in the only battle against an in-state opponent of the season, after their annual showdown against Kentucky was canceled by the SEC’s decision to play conference-only schedules this year.
It was a solid start to the year for a potential ACC spoiler that should vault the Cardinals into the AP Top 25 this week. Micale Cunningham threw for more than 300 yards in the victory, adding a score on the ground for good measure to go with multiple passing touchdowns. On the other end of the ball, Western Kentucky was held to 150 total yards in the first 40 minutes by the Louisville defense.
Next week they host Miami in what increasingly looks like a virtual elimination game in the swirl of what looks to be a wild year in the 15-team ACC. The revised schedule and decision to play without divisions this year also means that Louisville will only play Clemson if the two teams meet in the conference championship game.