Meet at the Paw; Louisville football secures defining win of Brohm era

It felt like it would never happen. It felt nearly impossible in 2024.

But Louisville football just finished off a dominant performance at Clemson. In Death Valley. Under the lights.

For the first time ever.

Watching the final Clemson drives unfold, I felt like Plankton of SpongeBob SquarePants fame potentially escaping with Eugene Krabs’ Secret Formula. Every episode, Krabs somehow gets the formula back into his grasp.

That’s been Louisville football for much of its first 8 matchups with Clemson. So many close calls. So many games where the Cards fell behind one play short.

That changed on Saturday night in a resounding victory in Death Valley.

We will talk more about this game this week, but for now, here are some fun facts to take into consideration.

• Louisville has now defeated every ACC team that was a member of the conference when it joined.
• Since 2011, Clemson was 82-4 at home entering Saturday’s game. They are now 82-5.
• Clemson averaged 49 points per game over its last 6 games- The best in the country in that stretch. It scored 21 on Saturday.
• Clemson averaged 43.2 points per game in home matchups vs Louisville entering Saturday.
  
• Clemson allowed 130 rush yards per game entering Saturday. Louisville ran for 210 yards, including 7.8 yards per rush.
• Isaac Brown’s 151 rushing yards gets him to 800 total rushing yards on the season.
• Tyler Shough’s rushing TD was the first of his Louisville career but it was the 11th of his college career.
• Clemson fans rush the field after every game. Even, and especially, after losing by 12 to Louisville.
  
• Louisville is now bowl eligible. It will be Louisville’s 27th bowl appearance.

Grab that bourbon or cigar you’ve been saving for a special occasion, Louisville football fans.

This victory is well worth the celebration.

The curse is broken.