Bulls fall at Louisville in final non-conference game

by: Brian Siegrist, USF Communications

Posted: Sep 24, 2022 / 08:58 PM EDT

Updated: Sep 24, 2022 / 08:58 PM EDT

LOUISVILLE, KY – USF football (1-3) finished off a tough non-conference slate Saturday with a 41-3 loss at Louisville (2-2) in Cardinals Stadium.

Playing without its top four receivers with Xavier Weaver, Jimmy Horn Jr., Khafre Brown and Ajou Ajou all out with injury, the USF offense struggled to move the ball and Louisville took advantage. The Cardinals scored touchdowns on four straight possessions – three coming on touchdown runs from Malik Cunningham – to take a 28-0 lead to half time.

Cunningham finished with 113 yards rushing and three touchdowns on nine carries and passed for 186 yards and a touchdown for Louisville. The Cardinals posted 542 yards of offense while holding the hamstrung USF offense to 158 yards and 48 yards rushing a week after the Bulls posted 286 yards on the ground at Florida.

Louisville struck first scoring on its second possession, after punting on its first, as Cunningham got loose for a 40-yard run. They extended their lead to 14-0 on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Cunningham to Jaelin Carter on their next possession.

The Bulls offense took the field and picked up a big 3^rd down-and-long on an 18-yard completion from Bohanon to Omarion Dollison and another big 3rd-and-long with a seven-yard Bohanon run to move the Bulls to midfield. Bohanon just missed on a long touchdown pass that went off a diving Dollison’s hands in the endzone. Scott elected to go for it on 4^th-and-9 from the UL44. A defensive false start penalty made it 4^th-and-4, and Bohanon hit Yusuf Terry for an 8-yard gain and a first down, but the Bulls fumbled and turned the ball over on the next play from scrimmage.

Louisville took over on its own 32 and moved the ball 68 yards in nine plays, scoring on a 35-yard run by Cunningham to take a 21-0 lead with 10:53 left in the first half.

USF went three-and-out on its next possession and Louisville drove 81 yards in five plays, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run from Cunningham to give the Cardinals a 28-0 lead.

The Bulls got a 37-yard field goal from Spencer Shrader in the second half and Louisville tacked on two field goals and a touchdown.