No. 9 Louisville tops Miami 38-31 to clinch spot in the ACC championship game
Beverlee Schnellenberger, left, presents the Schnellenberger Trophy to Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm after an NCAA college football game between Miami and Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The trophy is named after Schnellenberger鈥檚 late husband, former Louisville and Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer prepares to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell (0) makes a catch against Miami defensive back Damari Brown (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville place kicker Brock Travelstead (40) and teammates look on after Travelstead missed a field goal during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (9) hands off to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami wide receiver Jacolby George (3) catches a pass against Louisville defensive back Trey Franklin (28) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) runs for yardage during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami wide receiver Brashard Smith (0) celebrates a touch down run during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Beverlee Schnellenberger, left, presents the Schnellenberger Trophy to Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm after an NCAA college football game between Miami and Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The trophy is named after Schnellenberger鈥檚 late husband, former Louisville and Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Beverlee Schnellenberger, left, presents the Schnellenberger Trophy to Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm after an NCAA college football game between Miami and Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The trophy is named after Schnellenberger鈥檚 late husband, former Louisville and Miami head coach Howard Schnellenberger. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer prepares to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer prepares to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell (0) makes a catch against Miami defensive back Damari Brown (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell (0) makes a catch against Miami defensive back Damari Brown (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville place kicker Brock Travelstead (40) and teammates look on after Travelstead missed a field goal during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Louisville place kicker Brock Travelstead (40) and teammates look on after Travelstead missed a field goal during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (9) hands off to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (9) hands off to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami wide receiver Jacolby George (3) catches a pass against Louisville defensive back Trey Franklin (28) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami wide receiver Jacolby George (3) catches a pass against Louisville defensive back Trey Franklin (28) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) runs for yardage during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) runs for yardage during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami wide receiver Brashard Smith (0) celebrates a touch down run during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami wide receiver Brashard Smith (0) celebrates a touch down run during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (APPhoto/Wilfredo Lee)
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (麻豆传媒app) 鈥� Louisville left with the Schnellenberger Trophy. The Cardinals now can eye a bigger prize.
Jack Plummer threw three touchdown passes, the last of them a 58-yarder to Kevin Coleman with 4:17 remaining, and No. 9 Louisville hung on at the last second to clinch a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game by beating Miami 38-31 on Saturday.
Coleman ended up wide open after Miami defenders Te鈥機ory Couch and Jaden Davis collided at full speed as the play was developing, and he went down the right sideline with the go-ahead score for the Cardinals (10-1, 7-1 ACC, No. 10 CFP). It鈥檚 the first ACC title game berth for the Cardinals, who鈥檒l play Florida State in Charlotte on Dec. 2 for the league crown.
鈥淭his is a big win,鈥� said Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, who returned to his alma mater after taking Purdue to the Big Ten Conference title game a year ago. 鈥淭o come down to Miami and win a game with a lot riding on it, it鈥檚 a great feeling.鈥�
Plummer finished 24 of 37 for 308 yards for the Cardinals, those catches getting made by 12 different receivers. Offensive lineman Trevonte Sylvester had a touchdown catch, as did Nate Kurinsky.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to find any way possible to score,鈥� Plummer said.
Isaac Guerendo had 93 rushing yards and a score for Louisville, and Evan Conley 鈥� a quarterback who hasn鈥檛 thrown a pass since 2021 鈥� came in to score on a keeper for the Cardinals.
There were 176 voters in the ACC preseason poll, and none picked Louisville to win the conference.
鈥淣obody expected us to be here,鈥� Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley said.
Mark Fletcher rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns for Miami (6-5, 2-5 ACC). Van Dyke, back in the starting role after freshman Emory Williams got hurt in last week鈥檚 loss to Florida State, completed 24 of 39 passes for 327 yards.
The last 45 of Van Dyke鈥檚 yards came on the game鈥檚 final play, when his Hail Mary from midfield was batted around and ended up in the hands of Xavier Restrepo 鈥� who was tackled at the 5, with no time left.
Restrepo finished with eight catches for 193 yards, by far a career best. Miami also had a 4th-and-goal from the Louisville 3 with 1:29 left, but Van Dyke鈥檚 pass sailed just out of Jacolby George鈥檚 reach in the end zone.
鈥淐lose isn鈥檛 good enough,鈥� Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. 鈥淐redit to their offense. They did some things that were very challenging. We鈥檝e got to find a way to get better.鈥�
The added bonus for the Cardinals: possession of the new Schnellenberger Trophy, a bronzed pair of actual cowboy boots that Howard Schnellenberger 鈥� who coached both Miami and Louisville 鈥� wore during his career. Brohm accepted the trophy from Beverlee Schnellenberger, the wife of the coach who died in March 2021.
鈥淗e gave a lot to our university, gave a lot to Miami, gave a lot to a lot of other places,鈥� Brohm said of Schnellenberger, whom he both coached for and played for. 鈥淏ecause of him, all these programs are relevant.鈥�
THE TAKEAWAY
Louisville: The Cardinals were the second FBS team this season to miss a field goal of closer than 30 yards and an extra point in the same game; Kansas State did it against UCF on Sept. 23. Louisville kicker Brock Travelstead missed a 24-yarder, then had a PAT blocked, both in the second quarter. Nick Lopez came on in the third quarter and kicked a 40-yard field goal for a 23-21 lead.
Miami: Kam Kinchens, an All-American last season after intercepting six passes, got his fifth interception of the year on Saturday. The 11 interceptions in Kinchens鈥� career tie for eighth-most in Hurricanes history and are the most by a Miami player since Sean Taylor had 14 picks from 2001 through 2003.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Louisville likely needs a lot of help to get into the College Football Playoff, but the Cardinals still have hope. A rivalry game next week and then the ACC title game will give Louisville two more chances to make a serious impression.
UP NEXT
Louisville: Host Kentucky on Nov. 25 to end regular season.
Miami: Visit Boston College on Friday in ACC finale.
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