Miami Gardens, Fla. — Trick plays, gutsy calls, and a fearless defense lifted Louisville to one of the biggest upsets of the college football season.
Quarterback Miller Moss threw two touchdown passes to Chris Bell and ran for another score, while Louisville’s defense intercepted Carson Beck four times — a career-worst for the Miami star — as the Cardinals stunned the No. 2 Hurricanes, 24–21, on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
The victory snapped Miami’s 10-game home winning streak and marked the second straight time Louisville has spoiled a Hurricanes home stand.
“This is what college football is all about,” said Louisville coach Jeff Brohm. “Every week is going to be a fight to the finish, no matter who you play.”
Fast Start, Relentless Finish
Louisville (5–1, 2–1 ACC) came out swinging, scoring touchdowns on its first two drives to grab a quick 14–0 lead. The Cardinals never trailed the rest of the night, leaning on creativity and execution to keep Miami off balance.
From a fake field goal to a trick reverse that wasn’t, Brohm’s offense constantly kept the Hurricanes guessing. Moss, who completed 23 of 37 passes for 248 yards, capped the first scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run after the fake kick.
Bell was Moss’s go-to target all night, hauling in nine receptions for 136 yards, including touchdown grabs of 35 and 36 yards. Running back Isaac Brown powered through for 113 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Defense Delivers the Knockout
Louisville’s defense — ranked No. 1 in the ACC entering the game — stole the spotlight late. With Miami driving into field-goal range in the final minute, linebacker TJ Capers intercepted Beck’s pass at the 30-yard line with 32 seconds remaining to secure the win.
Beck finished 25 of 35 for 271 yards and one touchdown, but his four interceptions proved costly. Miami’s ground game never found traction, managing just 63 rushing yards on 24 attempts.
“Obviously, a really disappointing evening and outcome,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “Credit to them. We didn’t coach well enough or execute well enough. Just not good enough.”
History Made
The win was historic for Louisville, which entered the night 0–18 in true road games against Top 10 opponents. The average margin of defeat in those games? More than 26 points.
Their last win over a top-two team came back in 2016, when they routed then-No. 2 Florida State.
“This one means a lot,” Moss said. “A buddy of mine sent me a photo from Rocky IV this week — Rocky taking on the unbeatable Russian. That’s kind of what it felt like. We kept taking hits, but we never stopped moving forward.”
Late Push Falls Short for Miami
Trailing 17–13 entering the fourth quarter, Moss found Bell for another touchdown with 13:27 left to restore a two-score advantage. Miami clawed back after a Louisville fumble, with Malachi Toney scoring on a 12-yard run and adding a two-point conversion to make it 24–21. But the Hurricanes never got another chance to tie it.
Louisville did just enough — and then some.
“We did just enough,” Brohm said with a grin. “On any given day, we can beat anybody.”
The Takeaway
Louisville: Likely to break into the AP Top 25 after the upset, the Cardinals’ creativity and defensive toughness sent a clear message to the rest of the ACC.
Miami: The Hurricanes’ first loss of the season leaves only 10 unbeaten FBS teams remaining, and Miami’s playoff hopes take an early hit.
Up Next:
Louisville: Hosts Boston College on Oct. 25.
Miami: Hosts Stanford on Oct. 25.
