SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 23, 2013
No. 15 Louisville 24, Memphis 17: Teddy Bridgewater threw his 25th touchdown pass of the season and the Cardinals held on for a win in their home finale.
Bridgewater was 26-for-36 for 220 yards, completing 12 straight passes at one point before limping through a scoreless fourth quarter for Louisville with a back ailment. Dominique Brown ran for 54 yards and a score for the Cardinals (10-1, 6-1 AAC), who remain a half-game behind Central Florida in the league race.
Paxton Lynch threw for 144 yards and a touchdown while contributing a 4-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to get the Tigers (3-7, 1-5) within 24-10. Brandon Hayes ran 22 times for 86 yards as Memphis had its two-game winning streak snapped.
Bridgewater was 6-for-7 on the opening drive of the second half, capped by Brown's 4-yard score, as Louisville took a 24-3 lead before Lynch ran one in and then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Milleson that got his team within 24-17 with 6:07 left. Memphis then forced a Louisville punt but the Cardinals kept the ball on an ill-timed roughing the punter penalty, allowing the hosts to nearly run out the clock.
The only scoring in the first quarter came when Lynch was sacked and lost the football, which was scooped up by linebacker Preston Brown and carried in 48 yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals held the Tigers to a field goal after they had first-and-goal from the 1 midway through the second, and Bridgewater found DeVante Parker for a 39-yard score as Louisville went into the break up 17-3.
GAME NOTEBOOK: To win the AAC's BCS berth, Louisville needs to defeat Cincinnati on Dec. 5 and have Central Florida lose its last two games. ... Cardinals CB Charles Gaines recorded his fourth interception of the season and his third in the last four games. ... Tigers WR Keiwone Malone had three catches for 81 yards.