Watch: A brief history of the ridiculousness of Louisville-UCF

Whenever Louisville football and Central Florida meet, there is bound to be drama. Reliving the budding rivalry that has been full of ridiculous moments.

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September 17th, 2021. A game- and a play- that will live in infamy for Louisville and Central Florida football fans alike.

But what led to an ulikely pick 6 and the impact of the series altogether is a story far more complicated and unlikely than the play itself.

To understand the history of Louisville-UCF is to realize that while the two schools are vastly different, their perspectives on the world of college football are quite similar.

While Louisville football had a bit of success under coaches like Howard Schnellenberger and John L. Smith, both schools are in the infancy stages of high level football success.

And in the late 90s and early 2000s, everywhere Louisville went, UCF quickly filled in its shoes.

In 2005, when Louisville jumped the Big East Conference, the Knights filled in where UofL left off in their previous position in Conference USA.

The two schools crossed paths only once prior to 2013. Which is where things got very interesting between the Cards and Knights.

Before making the step up to the ACC in 2014, Louisville had to make a brief stop in conference purgatory in 2013 in the newly formed American Athletic conference- A conglomorate of the old Conference USA and old Big East Schools.

The intersection of the two squads felt predestined. Louisville was amid perhaps its best stretch of football ever- Having just won the Sugar Bowl against No. 3 Florida the year before. The Knights were in the middle of a dream season, springing a major upset at Penn State and falling just short of glory at No. 12 South Carolina the weeks prior.

Louisville and QB Teddy Bridgewater were trying to make a strong enough case to be BCS Bowl worthy for the second year in a row, but lacking the pull of a power 5 schedule.

Behind a racous sold out crowd in Louisville, the Cardinals took a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter. However, behind the firepower of star QB Blake Bortles and speedy running back Storm Johnson, the Knights scored 24 unanswered points.

Although Louisville took the lead again with 3 minutes remaining. It was UCF who had the last laugh, scoring the go-ahead TD with just :23 left.

Neither the Knights nor the Cardinals lost again that season. UCF and and Bortles sprung a massive upset over No. 6 Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl. While the Cards walloped Miami in the Citrus Bowl the same week.

In the years that followed, UCF continued its surge towards group of 5 dominance, eventually earning itself a seat at the big boy table in the Big 12 conference starting in 2023. Louisville has had its ups and downs while getting acclimated in the ACC- Climbing as high as No. 3 in the country in 2016 while falling as low as a 2-10 season in 2018.

The two teams would not meet again until a 2021 rematch in Louisville, which brings us back to a rivalry-defining play.

In 2021, Both teams played neck and neck leading to a fourth quarter to remember.

On a drive where UCF knotted the game at 35, star Louisville linebacker Monty Montgomery exited the game with what would be a season-ending ACL tear.

The subsequent drive saw Louisville QB Malik Cunningham have a pass batted in the air and intercepted with only :25 remaining. At this point, UCF was on the outskirts of field goal range, only needing a few more yards to set up a game-winner.

That’s when the unbelievable happens. Remember that injury to Louisville’s star defender?

His replacement, freshman Jaylen Alderman, was inserted into the game for his first EVER college action. And what did Alderman do? He immediately found himself in the WRONG position.

It just so happened, however, that the mistake from the true freshman in his first college action ever…. was the mistake that won his team the game.