Notre Dame football might have broken the Louisville Cardinals

Remember last season when the Notre Dame football loss to Louisville was the final stake in the heart of the Irish season? That loss was the game that made sure ND wasn’t headed to a playoff game. Is it possible Riley Leonard and company returned the favor, just much earlier in the year?

The Cardinals came into their game with the Fighting Irish at 3-0 and ranked in the AP Top 25. They looked like a team that had a lot of confidence and seemed like a team that could make a run for the ACC title. 

Then they ran into a Notre Dame football team that was struggling a bit at that point in the season. And they lost 31-24 in South Bend. Since that game, the two programs have been going in opposite directions.

Notre Dame football keeps breaking teams

Following their loss to the Blue and Gold, Louisville lost another one score game. This time against fellow ACC title contender SMU. They lost that game thanks to a touchdown run by the Mustangs with just over 6 minutes left in the game.

Louisville followed up that loss with a skin of their nose win over a mediocre Virginia team, but then couldn’t stop Miami at all en route to a 52-45 loss that likely takes them out of contention for the ACC Title Game.

And then there’s Thursday night. Louisville is currently trailing Boston College 20-7 at the half. Should they lose this game, their hopes for a title game appearance is officially over. 

It’s worth pointing out this wouldn’t be the first time Notre Dame football effectively ended a team’s season. Fighting Irish fans might remember last year when USC came into South Bend with a 6-0 record. After a 48-20 loss to the Irish, the Trojans went 1-4 the rest of the way in the regular season before facing off against … Louisville in a bowl game.