By Matt Bradshaw–

Louisville responded from the Clemson loss with a tough victory over Duke on Friday night. The Cardinal offense struggled more than usual, while the Blue Devil offense used ball control to stay in play. The final score read 24-14 in Louisville’s favor.

“We prepared well. Our team worked hard, and we grinded out a win,” coach Bobby Petrino said.

The beginning of the game saw Lamar Jackson connecting with Jaylen Smith for a touchdown to give the Cards an early lead. Duke bounced right back with a 79-yard offensive drive to tie the game at 7-7.

With time running down in the first quarter, Jackson hit Seth Dawkins for an impressive 53-yard gain. This set up a field goal in the second quarter, making it 10-7 with the Cards. The score remained 10-7 through halftime.

Louisville’s usually explosive offense struggled early on in the game. Duke held Louisville to a field goal when the Cards were only 20 yards away from their own goal line. Duke also had more possession time than Louisville, doing a good job of keeping Petrino’s offense off the field.

The Cardinal offense started out quick in the second half. After an illegal block brought back a score, Jeremy Smith ran a 80-yard touchdown to widen the lead to 17-7. The offensive struggles returned late in the third quarter however, as Louisville fumbled in Duke’s red zone and turned the ball over.

“We made some mistakes and that turnover really hurt us,” Petrino said.

Late in the fourth quarter, Duke showed Louisville it was still in the game after a 20-yard touchdown pass that brought the score to 17-14. The Blue Devils’ drive consisted of 15 plays, 75 yards and 8:53 possession time, showing a striking management of the game.

Duke was able to compete with Louisville through a solid defense and a smart offense. The Blue Devils did not have more total yards than the Cardinals, but they had more possession time in every quarter except the first.

“They did a great job of keeping the football and running the clock. They made it a close game,” Petrino said.

Near the end of the fourth quarter, Jackson cemented a Cardinal victory with a rushing score, bringing the final score to 24-14. Jackson ended up with two touchdowns and 325 total yards.

Now 5-1 on the year, Louisville’s next matchup is with North Carolina State at home on Oct. 22.

Photo by Karen Nguyen / The Louisville Cardinal