Stanford beats No. 22 Louisville 38-35 on walk-off field goal
Stanford kicker Emmet Kenney (13) watches his game winning kick against Louisville during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Stanford won 38-35. Credit: AP/Benjamin Fanjoy
STANFORD, Calif — Emmet Kenney made a career-long 52-yard field goal as time expired to give Stanford a 38-35 victory over No. 22 Louisville on Saturday, ending the Cardinal’s six-game losing streak.
Down 35-21 in the fourth quarter, Stanford (3-7, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) tied it on Emmett Mosley V’s two touchdown passes, the second a 25-yarder from backup quarterback Justin Lamson with 45 seconds left.
After forcing a turnover on downs, Stanford got the ball at its own 45, then benefited from two penalties. Louisville (6-4, 4-3) was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after a short swing pass, putting Stanford in position for the field goal.
“I really felt comfortable in the moment,” said Kenney, who also kicked a winning field goal as time ran out against Syracuse on Sept. 20. “We practice these moments all the time. We do pressure kicks throughout the summer, we try to prepare ourselves for this type of situation.”
Kenney, who earlier converted from 41 and 24 yards, lined up for a 57-yard kick, but Louisville’s Quincy Riley was offside. That moved the ball 5 yards closer, and Kenney split the uprights to five Stanford its first win over a Top 25 team since beating No. 3 Oregon in 2021.
It was the second field goal of 50 yards or longer this season for Kenney, who was poised and relaxed when approached by Stanford coach Troy Taylor before the kick.
“The only thing I said to Emmettt was, ‘Can you make it?’” Taylor said . “And he was like, ‘I’ll nail it.’”
Stanford kicker Emmet Kenney celebrates after making the game winning kick against Louisville at an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Stanford won 38-35. Credit: AP/Benjamin Fanjoy
Ashton Daniels passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns — two to Mosley, who had 13 catches for 168 yards.
Louisville’s Tyler Shough passed for 270 yards and a touchdown.
Duke Watson ran for 117 yards and three touchdowns for Louisville. He had a 68-yard scoring run in the third quarter following a blocked punt. Watson, a true freshman, was the Cardinals’ primary running back after Isaac Brown sustained a shoulder injury and was held out in the second half.
“A lot of silly things happened throughout the game that cost us,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said. “It really happened throughout the entire game, not just at the end. That’s on me. We’ve got to have more discipline. We gave in at the end and did some really dumb things, so we didn’t deserve to win.”
Stanford kicker Emmet Kenney celebrates after making the game winning kick against Louisville at an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Stanford won 38-35. Credit: AP/Benjamin Fanjoy
Takeaways
Louisville: For most of the afternoon, the Cardinals looked a lot like the team that knocked off No. 11 Clemson two weeks ago. But the offense went silent and the defense made the two critical late penalties,
Stanford: Coach Troy Taylor’s team showed a lot of grit and poise in coming back.
Poll implications
Louisville was in position to maintain its ranking but the late collapse is likely to send the Cardinal down a few spots in the Top 25.
Up next
Louisville: At Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Stanford: At California in the Big Game on Saturday.
