BOZICH | Louisville ends Clemson drought, dominating No. 11 Tigers, 33-21 | Sports

LOUISIVLLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Toppling a Top 20 opponent has been on the back of the Jeff Brohm bubble gum card for most of his career.

Took down No. 10 Notre Dame last season. Dispatched Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan State when they were all ranked 16th or higher while Brohm coached at Purdue.

But Brohm had yet to deliver a victory over a ranked team this season — until Saturday night. It was worth the wait.

Louisville (6-3) had Clemson fans racing toward the parking lot in the third quarter while dominating the Tigers, 33-21, in front of 80,446 perturbed fans at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

Clemson had won 22 straight home night games and beaten U of L eight straight times.

Not any more.

"To come out here against a really good team that was hot, it was playing well, and we really controlled the game," Brohm said after the game during his interview with Jody Demling on 93.9 FM The Ville.

The Cards’ defense, the group that had critics howling for the job of coordinator Ron English, delivered its most stifling effort of the season against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.

The Tigers averaged 45 points while winning five ACC games. Yes, Clemson scored three touchdowns but don't be misled. Two were in the final six minutes after this one was decided.

"Our defense played lights out," Brohm said. "That's the defense I know. We've just got to continue to improve on that."

The Cards’ offense scored on six of their first eight drives, including five straight possessions in one stretch.

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough didn’t throw for any touchdowns but he ran for one of the three that Louisville scored rushing the ball. Shough delivered a tone-setter, somersaulting over a defender into the end zone for the Cards' first touchdown, punctuating a 92-yard drive.

Until their final drive, the Cards averaged 8.7 yards per rushing attempt. Freshman Isaac Brown carried 20 times for 151 yards. It was a career high as well as his fourth 100-yard rushing game this season.

"We came here with a tempo plan of trying to go a little bit faster, wear them down, get them a little tired," Brohm said. "I think that helped. I think it definitely helped us to be able to run the ball, too."

The Cards’ special teams blocked a pair of Clemson field goal attempts, and Brock Travelstead drilled four field goals, three from 40 yards or longer.

"A huge momentum swing, taking points off the field when they're kicking field goals," Brohm said.

That’s the path to upsetting the nation’s No. 11 team on a night when you are a 10 1/2—point underdog. It was the highest-ranked opponent the Cards' program has ever beaten on the road.

It was a powerful performance that had Clemson fans booing the home team. The loss might knock the Tigers out of the ACC title game as well as the 12-team national playoff. Clemson (6-2) had already been dominated by Georgia in the Tigers’ season opener.

Add Dabo Swinney to Urban Meyer on the list of coaches with multiple national titles that Brohm has beaten in his career.

Louisville outplayed Clemson for nearly every second of the first half. The Cards built a 17-7 halftime lead. The only thing unsettling about that was that U of L should have been up 24-7 — or more.

The Cards drove to the Clemson 23 on their first drive. They stopped themselves with multiple penalties. Travelstead hooked a 40-yard field goal wide left.

The second time Louisville had the ball the Cards started at their 37 and surged to the Clemson 3 in four plays. Incomplete pass. Incomplete pass. Incomplete pass. Field goal.

After that? Mostly Louisville dominance. After punting on their third possession the Cards went touchdown, touchdown, field goal, field goal, field goal.

The most unsettling news for Louisville was what appeared to be a neck injury suffered by linebacker Benjamin Perry. After staying down for more than five minutes, Perry was assisted off the field wearing a neck brace.

He later left the stadium in an ambulance and was reportedly taken to a hospital in nearby Greenville, S.C. for further evaluation.

The Cards have a week off to rejuvenate for the closing stretch of their schedule — a trip to Stanford Nov. 16, followed by the home finale against Pitt Nov. 23 and the season-ending game at Kentucky Nov. 30.

Stanford, for the record, is 2-7 and the Cardinal are carrying a 6-game losing streak. The Cards can still finish 9-3.

"Fortunately for us, we talk about how a season is going to work all year long," Brohm said. "This isn't something new to us. Might be new to some other people, but we talk about how it's not going to be easy.

"You're going to have ups and downs. Things are not always going to go your way. You've got to continue to just get ready for the next game, continue to be man enough to identify your weaknesses and try to go about fixing it and just keep playing hard.

"I just think if you keep to that formula, you'll find a way to win some big games, and you'll find a way to win more than you lose. So we've just got to continue to work hard. We've got to understand that every game is going to be a challenge for us but when we're playing sharp, and we're doing things right, I think we could be a really good team."