Louisville vs. Houston: Live Score, Highlights for Cardinals vs. Cougars

Houston 36, Louisville 10 — Final

It was supposed to be a statement game for No. 5 Louisville, but it was Tom Herman, Greg Ward Jr. and unranked Houston making all the noise, scoring the game’s first 31 points to trigger a 36-10 blowout win.

The night was a disaster for the Cardinals (9-2) from the first kickoff, when it fumbled the opening return and gave up a touchdown on the first two plays of the game. It just went downhill from there as the Cougars (9-2) dominated the first half in all three phases of the game.

Ward Jr. was solid, completing 25-of-44 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest playmaker was Duke Catalon, who amassed 107 total yards and three big touchdowns.

But the story of the night was Houston’s defense, which confounded Louisville’s top-ranked offense all night.

Freshman defensive tackle Ed Oliver was unblockable for three quarters before he was sidelined by a knee injury, as the Cardinals managed just 312 total yards. Heisman Trophy frontrunner Lamar Jackson was almost completely shut down, accounting for 244 yards to complement one touchdown. But he was under consistent pressure and sacked an incredible 11 times.

We watched the game and provided live analysis all evening.