Louisville comes up just short against No. 9 Ole Miss

September 7, 2026 - 10:42

Self-inflicted wounds and a dominant second-half performance from one of the nation's top quarterbacks defined the night as Louisville dropped its 2026 season opener, falling 41-38 to No. 9 Ole Miss on a last-second field goal in Nashville.

The Cardinals trailed by two touchdowns entering the final quarter, but new signal-caller Lincoln Kienholz sparked a furious rally. He pulled the team to within a single score, then engineered a late drive that tied the game with under a minute remaining, giving the Louisville sideline a jolt of energy.

However, the Rebels had just enough time for their Heisman-caliber quarterback to march his offense down the field, setting up a game-winning kick as time expired.

Kienholz showed flashes of brilliance in his debut, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns while adding a score on the ground. But the offense stalled in the red zone early, settling for field goals instead of touchdowns, and a pair of turnovers proved costly.

The defense struggled to contain the Ole Miss passing attack in the second half, allowing big plays on third down that kept drives alive. While the comeback effort showed resilience, the Cardinals will need to clean up the mental errors before facing a tough conference schedule next week.