By Sam Draut–

The slow first half exploded into an offensive showcase in the second half with Louisville and Houston battling back and forth in an old fashion shootout. John Wallace missed a 53-yard field goal to tie the game with under a minute left, and Louisville fell to Houston 34-31. The Cardinals dropped to 0-2 on the year.

QB 1: As head coach Bobby Petrino said earlier in the week, freshman Lamar Jackson started at quarterback after playing well in the second half against Auburn.

Poor start: Louisville elected to receive, but their opening drive sputtered quickly. Jackson was sacked on third down for a 17-yard loss, forcing punter Josh Appleby to kick from the end zone. Houston took advantage of the ball near midfield, going 51 yards in six plays capped off by a 29-yard touchdown pass by Greg Ward to put the Cougars up 7-0.

Quick response: After Houston went up 7-0, Louisville responded with nine play 75-yard drive finished off by Jackson with a one yard QB keeper. On the drive, Jackson completed all four of his passes for 52 yards. Also, Jackson ran for 19 yards on the possession.

True frosh: Emonee Spence played in the second series of the game, making him the eighth true freshman to play this season.

Sending it deep: Senior punter Josh Appleby had 49 and 54 yard punts. Late in the second quarter, Appleby dropped the ball down to the 7-yard line.

Hanging in: Midway through the second quarter, Louisville returner Jaire Alexander held onto a punt after being hit hard by Courgar gunner Howard Wilson. He was flagged for targeting and ejected, then the Cougar bench picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, adding 30 yards to Louisville’s field position. But, Louisville returned the ball to the Cougars on the next snap after Jackson and Brandon Radcliff fumbled a handoff exchange. Houston wasn’t able to capitalize on the turnover, missing a 48-yard field goal attempt a few plays later.

Score before the half: Houston was pinned deep and punted from their own end zone with 2:34 left in the second quarter. Alexander caught the punt inside of midfield and nearly returned it for a touchdown, but he was tripped up by the Cougar punt. The 27-yard punt return set Louisville up for a 4 play 20 yard touchdown drive. Jackson found receiver JaQuay Savage in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown pass to put Louisville ahead 14-10.

Turnovers: Jackson struggled keeping the ball safe, throwing an interception and losing a fumble in the first half. The second half didn’t get any better, with another fumble and interception. Jackson’s final interception led to Houston retaking a 20-17 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.

Chucky: Safety Chuck Williams intercepted Ward’s pass and returned the ball 59 yards to the Houston 24-yard line.  Williams fumbled the ball at the end of his return, but recovered his fumble. Jackson took a shot towards the end zone on the first play after the turnover, but the pass fell incomplete. Louisville settled for a 36-yard field goal that John Wallace made to give the Cardinals a 17-10 lead.

Special teams: Houston’s Brandon Wilson returned Louisville’s ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 17-17.

Bolin’s back: After Houston retook the lead, Kyle Bolin replaced Jackson. On his first drive, Bolin was complete all three of his passes for 44 yards. Louisville retook the lead 24-20 after a four-yard touchdown run by Jeremy Smith. The 3:25 minute drive went 79 yards in seven plays. Houston marched down the field to retake the lead, but Bolin directed another touchdown drive.  The nine play 73-yard drive was capped off by a 29-yard touchdown pass from Bolin to Micky Crum.

Attendance: The announced attendance was 50,019.

What’s next: Louisville hosts Clemson on Thursday night at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The game will be nationally televised.