Tag: Louisville

Sep 11, 1994; Tampa, FL, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Browning Nagle (18) warms up on the field prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Hebert-USA TODAY NETWORK

Browning Nagle, former Louisville star QB, dies at 57

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Browning Nagle, who guided Louisville to a victory in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl and played five NFL seasons, died this week after a battle with colon cancer. He was 57.

Louisville announced his passing on Friday.

Nagle threw for a program-record 451 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cardinals to a 34-7 romp over Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 1991.

Under head coach Howard Schnellenberger, Nagle threw for 4,653 yards and 32 touchdowns during his two seasons as a starter from 1989-90.

“We are saddened by the passing of Browning Nagle, former Fiesta Bowl MVP quarterback and Louisville great,” the school said in a statement. “His leadership on the field and passion for the game left a lasting mark on our program.”

Current Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm offered his sympathies over social media.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with #7 Browning Nagle, his wife Michelle, and his entire family today,” he wrote on X. “A true Cardinal great! We will all miss him very much. Love you buddy!”

Nagle was selected by the New York Jets with the 34th overall pick of the 1991 NFL Draft, one pick behind Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.

Nagle struggled with the Jets, completing just 49.4% of his passes for 2,361 yards with seven touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 18 games from 1991-93. He later signed with the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons, finishing his NFL career with 2,489 passing yards, eight TDs and 20 interceptions in 24 games (14 starts).

–Field Level Media

Louisville holds off Toledo in Boca Raton Bowl; Jeff Brohm declines comment on Michigan

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Miller Moss threw for two touchdowns and Isaac Brown added two more on the ground to lead the Louisville Cardinals to a 27-22 victory over the Toledo Rockets on Tuesday in the Boca Raton Bowl.

On the field for the first time since Nov. 1, Brown scored twice in the fourth quarter. His first, an 11-yard run, gave the Cardinals (9-4) a 21-3 lead seven seconds into the final period. The sophomore added a 53-yarder with 5:03 remaining. However, Toledo’s Avery Smith blocked the extra-point attempt by Cooper Ranvier and returned it for a two-point conversion to make it 27-16.

Brown, a sophomore running back, ran for 102 yards on just 10 carries. Keyjuan Brown, who also missed the final two weeks of the season, added 112 yards on 15 rushes. The Cardinals accumulated 180 yards on the ground, 100 coming in the final quarter.

“We found a way to run the ball,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said during the trophy presentation ceremony. “We were a little more physical in the second half. We gave up a couple of big plays here and there in the second half, but that’s football.”

Louisville started the game with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that Moss capped with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Treyshun Hurry. After that score, which came with 10:26 left in the first quarter, the Cardinals gained just more 70 yards in the first half.

Toledo (8-5) managed only 126 yards in the half, with its only points coming on a 41-yard field goal by Robert Hammond III with 11 seconds left in the opening quarter. Penalties hurt the Rockets in the first half as they were assessed eight penalties totaling 65 yards.

The Rockets committed 14 penalties for 100 yards for the game.

Moss, a senior, completed 16 of 24 passes for 153 yards. He also threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Antonio Meeks with 3:40 left in the third quarter to make it 14-3. That drive came after Hammond missed a 41-yard field goal on the Rockets’ first drive of the second half.

Kalieb Osborne, making his first start for the Rockets, threw for 167 yards and a score on 17-of-28 passing. He added a team-high 77 yards on the ground.

Chip Trayanum’s 3-yard scoring run cut the Louisville lead to five points, 27-22, with 2:24 remaining. However, the 2-point pass was incomplete. Louisville rattled off four first downs to run out the clock.

Afterward, Brohm was asked whether the clock has run out on his three-year run as his alma mater’s head coach. Specifically, he declined to comment on whether he or his representatives have had any contact with Michigan regarding its coaching vacancy.

“I don’t speak on other jobs,” he said. “I’m happy with this one and happy about the victory. We’re going to enjoy that.”

Brohm has been tied to the Wolverines’ job since the school fired Sherrone Moore with cause earlier this month after an investigation found evidence of an inappropriate relationship with an employee of the football team.

With Tuesday’s win, Brohm is 28-12 in his three years at Louisville. While he has directed several high-profile wins, such as a victory at then-No. 2 Miami earlier this season, his Louisville teams have also had several questionable losses, including stumbles at Pitt in 2023 and at Stanford last season.

This season, Louisville suffered a three-game losing streak in November that knocked the team out of College Football Playoff contention. That losing streak coincided with several key injuries on offense.

–Field Level Media

Report: Louisville WR/draft prospect Chris Bell has torn ACL

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Louisville All-Atlantic Coast Conference receiver Chris Bell, a trending 2026 NFL Draft prospect, is set to undergo surgery this week to repair a torn ACL, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

Bell sustained the injury in the Cardinals’ 38-6 defeat at SMU on Nov. 22, and he missed the team’s regular-season finale vs. Kentucky.

It prematurely ended a strong season that saw the 6-foot-2 receiver rack up 917 receiving yards on 72 catches with six touchdowns. Bell had a 135-yard, two-touchdown performance in Louisville’s 24-21 road upset of then-No. 2 Miami on Oct. 17.

A three-star prospect who signed with Louisville out of high school in the 2021 recruiting class, Bell grew exponentially in production, going from 105 yards as a true freshman to 407 as a sophomore and 737 as a junior in 2024. He is set to finish his Louisville career with 151 catches for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The gradual development put Bell onto the NFL radar. ESPN projected him to be the 32nd overall pick (last pick of the first round) to the Denver Broncos in its most recent mock draft.

The Cardinals (8-4) will close out their 2025 season against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl of Beans. They’ll quite possibly also be without standout running back Isaac Brown, who missed the final four games of the regular season with a leg injury.

–Field Level Media

Report: Florida not waiting on Lane Kiffin

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida has gotten vibes that coveted coach Lane Kiffin isn’t planning to accept a job offer in Gainesville and is moving on to other candidates, ESPN reported Friday.

A decision from Kiffin, who has Ole Miss squarely in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth, is expected to come Saturday. He is believed to have received extremely lucrative offers from Southeastern Conference foes Florida and LSU — offers designed to lure him from the Rebels, who want him to stay.

But, ESPN reported, “irregular communication” with Kiffin’s camp has left Florida officials believing he is interested in a different dance partner.

Despite their strong interest in hiring Kiffin, 50, to replace the dismissed Billy Napier, Florida is believed to have interviewed at least 10 other coaches. ESPN said that among the group of candidates like Jeff Brohm of Louisville, Jon Sumrall of Tulane and Jedd Fisch of Washington have risen to the top.

A separate ESPN report Friday said Sumrall is expected to decide by Sunday whether to stay at Tulane or accept another offer. Like Florida, Auburn also has “significant interest” in Sumrall, 43.

Sumrall is in his second season at Tulane, after two seasons at Troy, and has an 18-7 overall record with the Green Wave. Tulane is 9-2 (6-1 American) and ranked No. 24 in the College Football Playoff.

Brohm, a Louisville alum, is in his third season with the Cardinals. He has a 26-12 record there, including 7-4 (4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) this season. Brohm, 54, previously had successful runs at Western Kentucky and Purdue.

The Gators also are reaching into the Big Ten with their interest in Fisch, 49, a Florida alum. After three seasons at Arizona and two at Washington, Fisch has a 31-32 record. The Huskies are 8-3 (5-3 Big Ten) heading into their regular-season finale Saturday against No. 6 Oregon.

Florida’s season ends Saturday against Florida State. The Gators stand at 3-8 (2-6 SEC).

–Field Level Media

Ailing Louisville braces for bowl-hungry Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

As Louisville prepares to wrap up its regular season Saturday afternoon at home against archrival Kentucky, the Cardinals will continue their fight against injuries.

Senior receiver Chris Bell is the latest addition to the medical ward for the Cardinals (7-4), who have lost their last three games. Coach Jeff Brohm announced that Bell would miss Saturday’s game against the Wildcats (5-6) after suffering a leg injury during last weekend’s 38-6 loss at SMU.

Bell ranks 12th nationally with 917 receiving yards.

The Cardinals played SMU without starting quarterback Miller Moss as well as Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, their top two running backs. In addition, receiver and kick returner Caullin Lacy left the game in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury.

Louisville will try to get Moss back on the field on Saturday, but he told reporters Monday he could see more than one quarterback playing. Redshirt freshman Deuce Adams started at SMU and threw for 94 yards.

Brohm also said he wouldn’t know about the other injured players’ availability until later this week. If Isaac Brown, Keyjuan Brown and Lacy can’t play, Brohm said two of the top options likely would be walk-on back Braxton Jennings (87 yards rushing) and redshirt freshman receiver Shaun Boykins (one catch for 5 yards).

Regardless of who plays, Brohm said his team still can end the regular season on a strong note.

“They’ll get a chance to play in front of our own fans and show what we’re made of, so you can show how we can bounce back,” Brohm said. “And then you progress to postseason play, and you try to put your best performance together there and finish the season strong.”

The Wildcats, meanwhile, had been finishing the season strong until last Saturday’s 45-17 loss at Vanderbilt snapped a three-game winning streak.

Still, Kentucky would become bowl eligible with a win on Saturday.

“Very big game,” coach Mark Stoops said. “It’s important to myself, it’s important to the team, it’s important to the (Kentucky fans) and the state.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Vanderbilt. It was his second-highest yardage total this season since becoming the starter against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 13.

Boley’s first career start came against Louisville at the end of last season, a game the Cardinals won 41-14 in Lexington. Boley was 6 of 15 for 48 yards for Kentucky, which leads the all-time series 20-16.

–Field Level Media

–Field Level Media

SMU in must-win mode vs. sinking Louisville

Posted on | by Field Level Media

SMU will look to keep its hopes alive for an Atlantic Coast Conference championship on Saturday afternoon when the Mustangs welcome Louisville to Dallas.

The Mustangs (7-3, 5-1 ACC) are one of four teams with one loss in conference play. In addition to beating the Cardinals (7-3, 4-3) this weekend and defeating Cal on the road next weekend, coach Rhett Lashlee’s team needs Pitt to beat Georgia Tech this weekend and Virginia Tech to handle Virginia on Nov. 29 to make it back to Charlotte on Dec. 6.

Lashlee said Tuesday his team can only control what’s in front of them, and that means taking care of business against a team that has lost its three games by a combined seven points.

“We got a chance,” he said. “So that’s all you can ask for as a competitor.”

SMU had its second off week of the season last weekend. In their last game, a 45-13 thumping of Boston College on Nov. 8, the Mustangs amassed a season-high 574 yards of offense. Quarterback Kevin Jennings completed just half (16 of 32) of his passes, but the junior threw for 325 yards. All three of his touchdown passes went for more than 25 yards.

Louisville is one of the top defenses in the conference, allowing the second-fewest yards per game at 297.9. The Cardinals gave up just 308 to Clemson in last Friday’s 20-19 loss at home.

Coach Jeff Brohm’s team had two chances to win the game in the final minutes but missed field goals that would have kept them in the race for the conference title game. They also had a missed extra point, 10 penalties and a costly sack before one of the field-goal tries.

Turnovers have also been an issue. Louisville has given the ball away 15 times, which is tied for 94th among FBS teams. While the Cardinals are tied for 39th nationally in scoring defense (21.5 ppg), 70 of the points they’ve allowed have come off turnovers. That included a Clemson touchdown off a fumble lost last week deep in their own territory.

“You’ve got to try to keep it as clean as you can,” Brohm said Monday. “For whatever reason, different things pop up every now and then, and you got to address it and hope to play better the next time.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 14, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) throws a pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the first half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Clemson takes advantage of missed kicks to top No. 20 Louisville

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Adam Randall ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 7:16 remaining, to give visiting Clemson a 20-19 upset victory over No. 20 Louisville on Friday night.

The Tigers (5-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) survived a bad punt snap with 2:31 remaining as Nick Keller missed a 46-yard field goal try with 1:33 left.

Earlier in the quarter, Cooper Ranvier missed a 50-yard field goal that would have given the Cardinals the lead. Ranvier also doinked an extra-point attempt in the second quarter that led to Clemson’s margin of victory.

Louisville’s Keyjuan Brown eclipsed the century mark for the second straight game with 135 yards on 15 carries.

The two teams traded field goals in the first quarter as neither amounted much on offense. Both team’s touchdowns came on short fields.

Neither team played especially well. Clemson converted just one of its 13 third downs. Louisville (7-3, 4-3) outgained its guests 385-308 but the Cardinals committed 10 penalties for 84 yards. They racked up 20 yards in flags on the drive that resulted in Keller’s miss.

Louisville got its first lead after Clemson’s thanks Jack Smith’s 31-yard punt that gave the Cardinals the ball at the Tigers’ 38. The drive started with Miller Moss finding Bell for a 37-yard pass. Two plays later, Moss plunged in from the 1 to make it 9-3 with 8:47 remaining in the half, but Ranvier’s PAT attempt bounced off the left upright and was no good.

Clemson got its short field five minutes later after Avieon Terrell stripped Duke Watson of the ball and recovered the fumble at the Louisville 25. The Tigers needed only one play, a Randall draw, to score and take a 10-9 with 3:17 to go in the second quarter.

With the win, the Tigers are now one win away from extending their bowl streak to 21 seasons.

The defeat, the Cardinals’ second straight, ends any chance the team had for an ACC title-game appearance. All of Louisville’s losses have come by three points or less this season.

–Field Level Media

No. 20 Louisville anxious to erase Cal clunker, arms up for Clemson, Cade Klubnik

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The No. 20 Louisville Cardinals are eager to return to the field and shake off a bitter overtime loss when they host Clemson in a primetime ACC showdown Friday night.

What was once expected to be a key conference game with ramifications stretching to the College Football Playoff instead features the Cardinals (7-2, 4-2), who were upset by Cal 29-26 last Saturday for their second home overtime defeat in a month, holding barely a longshot chance of cracking the final 12-team bracket.
Preseason No. 4 Clemson (4-5, 3-4) has less profound goals in what has been a disappointing season relative to the Tigers’ traditional expectations and talented roster. They chase a second straight win to inch closer to bowl eligibility.

The Tigers suffered a 33-21 home loss to Louisville last season in a defeat Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called his team’s worst performance last year. He was particularly displeased by the Tigers’ defense. Clemson won the previous eight meetings with Louisville before last season’s loss.

This season, a loss to Clemson could derail any narrow shot Louisville maintains at reaching the playoff.

“They look the part,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said of the Tigers’ 2025 defense. “They’re big, they’re fast, they’re athletic, talented.”

Defense is where the Cardinals stand out this season.

The unit is 14th nationally in total defense, allowing just 296.8 yards per game. However, they gave up a season-worst 427 in Saturday’s loss to the Bears. That included 323 in the air to freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Clemson signal caller Cade Klubnik has thrown for more than 300 yards twice this season. The senior completed 20 of 27 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday’s 24-10 home win over Florida State.

“These last four games, including the last one, will be the four best quarterbacks we play,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “And when you do that, you’ve got to be really sharp, and you have to have a good plan.”

Klubnik, ranked fourth among ACC quarterbacks with a 149.3 rating has been battling leg injuries, but he’s expected to play Friday in Louisville.

The Cardinals could have a quarterback issue brewing.

Senior Miller Moss is coming off his worst game of the season. He completed a season-low 52.6% of his passes (20-of-38) for 203 yards and an interception in the loss to California. His 92.2 passer rating was also the lowest he’s had this season. The transfer from Southern Cal has not thrown for more than 248 yards in any of his last four games.

When asked if he would consider a switch, Brohm said the team still believes in its starting quarterback. While he will “always have a plan ready for all of his quarterbacks,” Brohm added, there are some things Moss needs to work through, such as avoiding passes being batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Louisville running back Isaac Brown is unlikely to be available. The sophomore injured his leg late in the win at Virginia Tech two weeks ago.

Keyjuan Brown, no relation, enjoyed his first 100-yard game Saturday, going for 136 yards on 14 carries. Over his last three games, the back has needed just 36 carries to gain 325 yards.

Whether Louisville plays Moss or backups Deuce Adams or Brady Allen, Swinney does not expect much to change.

“I mean they’re not going to change their offense,” Swinney said. “They’ll do what they do. We’re preparing for them schematically. They’re going to run that ball.”

–Field Level Media

Cal pulls off road upset, handing No. 15 Louisville its second loss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner on fourth down on the final play, and visiting Cal upset No. 15 Louisville 29-26 in overtime on Saturday night.

The Bears (6-4, 3-3 ACC), trailed by three points and faced fourth-and-goal from the 3 when Sagapolutele threw the winning touchdown to Kendrick Raphael. Jacob De Jesus caught 15 passes for 155 yards for Cal.

Miller Moss passed for 203 yards and Keyjuan Brown rushed for 136 yards to lead the Cardinals (7-2, 4-2), who took a 26-23 lead on a 49-yard field goal by Cooper Ranvier on the first possession of overtime.

On the second play of the second half, Moss was intercepted by Hezekiah Masses at the Louisville 37, leading to Chase Meyer’s 45-yard field goal that increased Cal’s lead to 20-13.

The Cardinals needed just eight plays to get even as Moss rushed 1 yard for a tying touchdown.

The Bears drove to the Louisville 3 before stalling and Meyer kicked a 26-yard field goal for a 23-20 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Ranvier’s 39-yard field goal tied the score with 11:08 remaining and neither team threatened to score the rest of the period, leading to overtime.

On Louisville’s first possession of the game, Moss threw a 40-yard completion to Caullin Lacy and two plays later, Duke Watson ran 1 yard for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Sagapolutele then threw a 39-yard completion to Quaron Adams and two plays later, he connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass to Landon Morris to tie the score at the end of the first quarter.

Ranvier kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead before Meyer kicked a 27-yard field to tie the score.

Ranvier kicked a 49-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 13-10 lead, but Sagapolutele passed for 58 of the 75 yards on a touchdown drive that ended with Kendrick Raphael running 2 yards with seven seconds left, giving Cal a 17-13 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

No. 15 Louisville holds CFP hopes ahead of matchup vs. Cal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

No. 15 Louisville understands the stakes are getting higher as they enter the final month of the regular season, beginning Saturday night with a home game against Cal.

While Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm said his message about the stakes rising is more about the next game than about making the College Football Playoff, he told reporters on Monday that he thinks the team is “fully aware” of where they stand.

“We talk about that because we want to stress … however hard you worked last week, no matter whether things went great or not, you have to work even harder this week,” he said. “Everything matters, and if you want to continue to work your way up the hill, you’ve got to win the next football game.”

The Cardinals (7-1, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will be without a key offensive player when they face the Bears (5-4, 2-3). Louisville’s Isaac Brown, who leads the nation with an average of 8.6 yards per carry, suffered a right leg injury late in Saturday’s 28-16 win at Virginia Tech. Brohm said Monday that he expects Brown to be out for a while.

Louisville’s running backs have battled injuries throughout the season. Brown, Duke Watson and Keyjuan Brown have been on availability reports before games.

Watson has been considered the second-string back but has played only four games, with 24 carries for 64 yards. Keyjuan Brown, no relation to Isaac, has stepped up when needed. He has 189 rushing yards on 22 carries in his last two games, with three touchdowns. He scored two in the second half against the Hokies to help Louisville rally from a 16-7 halftime hole.

Even with the health issues, Louisville still ranks sixth in the 17-team ACC, averaging 155.8 rushing yards per game.

“Whoever they’re handing the ball to is really good,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said Tuesday.

The Bears have dropped their last two games and three of the last four. On Saturday, Cal gave up 456 yards and committed two turnovers in a 31-21 home loss to current No. 14 Virginia, which leads the ACC. Cal gave up 194 yards on the ground. In conference play, the Bears are next to last, giving up 205.4 yards per game in five contests.

Saturday’s game will feature a matchup between Miller Moss, Louisville’s veteran quarterback who transferred from Southern Cal in the offseason, vs. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.

Moss, a redshirt senior, has completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,929 yards and 11 touchdowns, with six interceptions.

Sagapolutele, a freshman, has thrown for at least 208 yards in each game this season. However, he has been intercepted nine times, and he’s been sacked seven times in the last two games. But he hasn’t gotten much help from his backfield. Cal averages just 78.6 yards per game on the ground, the second-lowest among 134 FBS teams.

Sagapolutele will face one of his toughest tests this weekend against a defense ranked 11th nationally, averaging 280.5 yards allowed per game. Louisville also has intercepted 12 passes this season, tied for seventh nationally.

If Cal can pull off the upset, the Bears would not only likely dash Louisville’s playoff hopes, they would become bowl eligible for a third straight season. That would be the school’s longest streak since making seven straight from 2003-09.

–Field Level Media