Kienholz powers Louisville past Stanford in 52-24 rout
The Cardinals' quarterback rushed for a touchdown and threw for two more, extending Stanford's active road losing streak to 15 games.
By Takeshi Davidson ·
Louisville fans saw a decisive shift in momentum on Saturday afternoon when the Cardinals defeated Stanford 52-24 at home. The result snapped the hosts' season against the Cardinal and extended Stanford's road losing streak to 15 games, the longest active losing streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Lincoln Kienholz led the offensive effort for Louisville, throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a score. He gained 62 yards on the ground, including a 33-yard run in the third quarter that set up his 1-yard touchdown run. That score put Louisville ahead for good, capping a strong performance that coach Brian Brohm described as steady and tough.
Brohm noted that Kienholz was effective both with his legs and his arms. The quarterback made big plays for the Cardinals, who outscored Stanford 21-7 in the third quarter. The hosts scored on back-to-back turnovers during that stretch, turning a close game into a blowout. Stanford had led twice in the second quarter and tied the score at 24 in the third, but Louisville scored 28 unanswered points from that point forward.
Tre Richardson was the primary target for Kienholz, catching 10 passes for 140 yards. The Cardinals amassed 545 total yards of offense, balancing 249 yards through the air with 296 yards on the ground. Isaac Brown led the rushing attack with 139 yards and scored on a 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Stanford's Davis Warren threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns for the Cardinal, who fell to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference. Warren connected with Aiden Black on a 75-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Despite the loss, Stanford improved its road scoring average, having been outscored 150-17 in its previous three road games. The Cardinal had averaged just 5.8 points and 212 yards per game on the road prior to this matchup.
Louisville coach Brian Brohm said his message at halftime was simple, emphasizing that every conference game is tough regardless of favorite status. He credited the defense for a timely interception that shifted momentum and allowed the team to run with the game. The Cardinals were without leading wide receiver Lawayne McCoy, who is out for an extended time with a knee injury. McCoy had caught 25 passes for 513 yards and four touchdowns in the team's first seven games.
Louisville improved to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Brohm improved his record to 5-1 in games following a bye week. The Cardinals, who rank fourth in the nation in average yards per carry at 5.9, averaged nine yards per carry on Saturday. They will travel to Georgia Tech next Saturday to play their next game.
Stanford will host Virginia Tech on November 14. The Cardinal will look to bounce back from the loss, which ended their season against the Cardinals and added to their long road skid. The team will aim to improve on its previous road performances where it had scored just 17 points in three games before surpassing that total against Louisville.
