Louisville defeats Miami, clinches spot in ACC Championship Game

For the first time in program history, Louisville is set to play in the ACC Championship game. The Cardinals beat Miami 38-31 Saturday afternoon to clinch a spot in Charlotte.

Louisville will face Florida State on Saturday, Dec. 2 in the ACC title game. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.

Louisville had to rally to beat the Hurricanes on Saturday. Miami led 14-7, 21-14 and 28-23 but was unable to hold on.

Miami nearly tied the game at the buzzer as Tyler Van Dyke‘s hail mary was caught near the goal line by Xavier Restrepo. However, Restrepo was tackled just short of the goal line to end the game.

Making the ACC Championship Game is quite the accomplishment for Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm in Year 1 back with the Cardinals. Brohm played quarterback for the Cardinals, before beginning his professional football career.

He was also an assistant at Louisville for several years, before working his way up to the head coaching job at Purdue. He’s now in his first season back as the head coach at Louisville.

The Cardinals are now 10-1 on the season and finished 7-1 in the ACC. Louisville finishes the regular season next Saturday when it hosts Kentucky.

Greg McElroy considers whether Louisville can make College Football Playoff

Louisville beat Miami on Saturday to move within a win of winning the ACC Championship.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy recently considered if the Cardinals can reach the College Football Playoff if they upset Florida State in the ACC title game.

It won’t be easy, but McElroy believes they have a case if they finish 12-1 and ACC champs.

“I think Louisville is really good,” McElroy said on Always College Football. “I think they can run the ball really well. The problem is their quarterback is a little bit at times prone to turnovers. And Jack Plummer, he’s a good player, and I really do think he’s a talented guy. I think he’s got a chance to make a roster on Sundays …

“But I do think that he is prone to a lapse in judgment every once in a while and they’re not a team that can overcome a lot of mistakes against quality competition to ultimately get the win.” 

While McElroy believes Louisville has a case, he isn’t sure they will get in as the Cardinals are currently No. 10 in the CFP rankings.

“I would have told you prior to tonight’s ranking that Louisville still controls their own destiny,” McElroy said Tuesday. “Now I’m going to operate under the assumption that even if they win the ACC, it’s going to be very difficult for them to pass all the teams in front of them into one of those top four spots.”