By Tyler Bright

In a historic victory at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, Louisville broke its 0-8 all-time record against Clemson, marking the program’s first triumph over the Tigers. This game was a hard-fought battle, featuring strong defense, timely special teams plays, and a balanced offense that led to a decisive win.

Shock to the system

Louisville came out of the gates showing some life and then some. They held Clemson to a three-and-out on defense and the opening drive showed promise, but it ended with a missed field goal.

After getting another three-and-out on defense, Brock Travelstead redeemed himself with a 21-yard field goal to put the Cards on the board.

Clemson responded after almost going three-and-out again but keeping their drive alive, and eventually seeing paydirt with a Cade Klubnik touchdown pass, giving them a 3-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Louisville’s defense, led by TJ Quinn and Quincy Riley, made key stops that helped the Cards regain momentum.

After dueling punts, Tyler Shough directed a 92-yard drive, capped by his fout-yard rushing touchdown to reclaim a 10-7 lead.

The very next drive, Louisville’s special teams came up big, blocking a Clemson field goal attempt to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Keyjuan Brown just before halftime.

The Cards held a 17-7 advantage at the break.

Folding the paper Tigers

Louisville received the second half-kickoff, and kept their same focus.

Travelstead remained sharp, adding three more field goals, including a 49-yarder, in conjuncture with more shutout stops by the defense. The first five drives of the half saw Louisville extend their lead to 26-7.

Clemson finally got something going on offense by marching down the field for a chip-shot field goal, but Louisville blocked their second kick of the game to keep the Tigers scoreless in the half.

Louisville went three-and-out, and gave the ball back to Clemson with 11 minutes left. Needing to score fast, Clemson took an oddly methodical approach to score after five minutes with a touchdown from Phil Mafah.

The Tigers tried an onside kick, but it was recovered by Kris Hughes. One play later, Isaac Brown iced the game with a 45-yard touchdown to bring the lead back up to 19.

Clemson scored another garbage-time touchdown, but it was too little, too late.

Louisville won 33-21.

Louisville outperformed Clemson on key metrics, including 210 rushing yards, with Brown leading the way at 151 yards on 20 carries. Shough finished with 156 passing yards, and Travelstead was a crucial asset, converting 4-of-5 field goals.

With this victory, Louisville improves to 6-3 (4-2 in the ACC) and will enjoy a well-earned bye week before heading west to face Stanford.

This milestone win solidifies the Cards’ position as a contender and showcases their growth under pressure.

Photo Courtesy // Rachel Klotz, Louisville Athletics