LOUISVILLE, KY. – D.J. K-Dogg surveyed the rowdy crowd from his perch in the southeast corner of Cardinal Stadium, shifting anxiously from one foot to the other as he scrolled intently through the songs on his computer. Should he go with “Knuck if you Buck” to kick off the Cardinals second half? Or should he play “Swag Surfin’” to spur Louisville on to victory?
Musical musings aside, the one thing he didn’t have to question was the Cardinal’s imminent win.
“Yes, I think we can win this,” said Keith “DJ K-Dogg” Jackson when asked at halftime if Louisville could pull off the upset.
And win the Cardinal did. In spectacular, mind-blowing fashion. The 42-35 upset of UCF was a roller coaster of emotions, waxing and waning with the rise of the crescent moon and taking us all on a self-reflective journey akin to a Drake album experience.
“What an incredible college football game,” exclaimed Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield after the game. “Coming into this, you don’t like to play three games in 12 days. But, ESPN, they live for games like that, I promise you that. What a show we put on for everybody and it’s great to be a part of it and to be on this side of it.”
Saban himself couldn’t have scripted a better ending – back-to-back picks in the last 25 seconds with Cardinals’ freshman linebacker Jaylin Alderman returning a tipped interception 66-yards to the house to secure the bag with just 13 seconds left in the game. It was downright otherworldly.
“It was awesome to see some guys step up tonight, some freshmen scored some touchdowns,” said Satterfield. “That was (Jaylin) Alderman’s only play and he gets in the game and he gets a touchdown. I said that was divine intervention.”
They say divine intervention is when preparation meets opportunity right?
Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham took advantage of every opportunity, finishing the game 23-38 for 265 yards and one touchdown with only one interception. Cunningham also led the team in rushing, recording 13 carries for 99 yards and another two touchdowns. He has now scored multiple rushing touchdowns in all three games this season and five times in his career. He is also the first person in Louisville history to rush for at least five touchdowns in four separate seasons.
“I thought Malik played outstanding,” enthused Satterfield. “He played gutsy. He just fought all night long. He gave us a great chance offensively, made plays with his legs and his arm. He’s a leader and our kids love him. That’s why he’s out there.”
The veteran QB connected with 10 different receivers, the first time at least 10 players had a reception since Oct. 5, 2018, against Georgia Tech. Marshon Ford led the group with eight catches for 100 yards and one touchdown, averaging 12.5 yards per catch. It was a career-high day for the sophomore tight end and the first time Louisville has had a tight end with 100 yards receiving since Cole Hikutini against Kentucky on Nov. 26, 2016.
While the Cardinals offense was busy putting up numbers, Lousiville’s defense had their hands full holding UCF to just 2-10 on third down, recording 62 total tackles and sacking Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel twice.
UCF did manage to put up 420 yards of offense in the back-and-forth bout with Gabriel going 21-28 for 188 yards and three touchdowns. But his lone interception cost UCF the game and resulted in the junior quarterback being carted off the field after the lateral mele. He was later spotted in a sling, although head coach Gus Malzahn was unsure of the damage done.
Malzahn believes tonight’s loss could be a watershed moment for his team.
“It’s a disappointed locker room obviously,” said Malzahn after the game. “I really believe this will be one of the defining moments of this year’s team. I believe we’ve got a lot of winners in the locker room. We’ve got an off week and we can get healed up.”
UCF heads home to take a much-needed break and nurse the injured Knights’ wounds while Louisville also heads to Florida, to take on the Seminoles next Saturday.
Written by Emily Van Buskirk
