Louisville’s Defense Shines in 28-14 Comeback Over James Madison

AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville’s defense came up big when it mattered most, helping the Cardinals rally past the James Madison Dukes 28-14 on Friday night. Trailing 14-6 early in the second half, Louisville’s offense struggled to find rhythm, but the defensive front stepped up. Defensive end AJ Green sealed the win with a fourth-quarter fumble recovery in the Dukes’ end zone, giving the Cardinals a 20-14 lead. Quarterback Miller Moss also made his mark, connecting on a 64-yard touchdown pass to Chris Bell and running in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14 in the third quarter. Isaac Brown then put the game out of reach with a 78-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals’ defensive effort was dominant. Louisville sacked James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett six times and held the Dukes to just 126 rushing yards on 47 carries—a significant drop from their 313-yard performance last week.

James Madison showed flashes of its dual-threat offense, alternating between Barnett and Matthew Sluka at quarterback. Sluka rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, but penalties and untimely turnovers hampered the Dukes’ chances. “Ultimately, we lost the game,” said James Madison coach Bob Chesney. “There’s enough in the game film we’ll have to go back and study, but credit to Louisville—they played hard for 60 minutes.”

Louisville improves to 2-0 on the season, while James Madison falls to 1-1. Both teams will return to action on September 20, with Louisville hosting Bowling Green and James Madison visiting Liberty.