Ranked SMU and Louisville square off in a matchup expected to lean heavily on offense, with both teams riding early-season success into a game oddsmakers see as a likely high-scoring affair.
SMU entered the season ranked 19th and has climbed to 16th after opening with two wins. The Mustangs survived a tough test in their opener against Florida State in Florida, trading scores throughout the game before winning on a game-winning field goal with 20 seconds left. Last week, SMU handled a much lighter matchup against UC Davis, winning 56-10 behind a heavy passing attack. Quarterback Kevin Jennings has completed 40 of 52 passes this season for 767 yards and eight touchdowns, along with two interceptions.
Louisville has also moved up in the rankings despite a rocky start. The Cardinals opened the season ranked 24th and are now 23rd after a loss to Ole Miss that still impressed voters, followed by a lopsided win. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss while adding 69 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Last week, in a 59-13 win over Villanova, Kienholz threw for 332 yards and two more touchdowns, again contributing on the ground as well.
Louisville’s defense has drawn some scrutiny after the Ole Miss game, though that may say more about the strength of Ole Miss than any deficiency on Louisville’s side.
With two productive quarterbacks and questions surrounding both defenses, this matchup is drawing attention as one of the more entertaining games on this week’s college football schedule.
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