Louisville Cardinals vs Florida International Golden Panthers Match Player Stats On Sep 22, 2012

No. 18 Louisville 28, Florida International 21: Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the 18th-ranked Cardinals held off the upset-minded Golden Panthers in Miami.

Bridgewater’s 1-yard dive on the first play of the fourth quarter gave Louisville (4-0) a 28-14 lead, and the Cardinals had just enough to avenge last year’s loss to FIU at home. The sophomore from Miami passed for 194 yards while going 19-of-36.

Louisville benefited from roughing the punter penalty to run out the clock in the final minutes after the injury-plagued Golden Panthers (1-3) pulled within seven on freshman E.J. Hilliard’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Younger with 4:53 remaining.

FIU’s leading rusher Kedrick Rhodes was held out with an ankle injury and the Golden Panthers lost starting quarterback Jake Medlock and running back Darian Mallary to injuries in the second quarter. Hilliard was forced to make his debut and was 9 of 10 passing for 82 yards.

Touchdown runs by Mallary, his sixth of the season, and Medlock put Louisville behind for the first time this season, 14-7, midway through the second quarter. But Bridgewater responded by capping a 77-yard drive with a 1-yard pass to Andrell Smith with 26 seconds remaining to tie it 14-14 at halftime.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jeremiah Harden rushed for 102 yards to lead FIU. … Bridgewater threw his first two interceptions of the season. …. Louisville is 4-0 for only the fourth time since 1993 and the first time since 2006.