Louisville kicks field goal in final minute to beat Southern Miss 25-23

Published 1:36 am Sunday, October 11, 2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Ryan Payne kicked a 32-yard field goal with 30 seconds to play to give Louisville its first win over a Football Bowl Subdivision team in nearly a year, 25-23, over Southern Mississippi on Saturday night.

Wide receiver Scott Long had a career day for the Cardinals, with 146 yards receiving on five catches, plus a 92-yard touchdown.

The Cardinals (2-3) trailed 16-7 at halftime but scored touchdowns, including a 2-point conversion, on their first two possessions of the second half to go ahead 22-16.

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The Golden Eagles (3-3) took a 23-22 lead after a 13-yard touchdown run by Tory Harrison. Damion Fletcher and Harrison combined for 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

A 64-yard kickoff return by Louisville’s Trent Guy after Harrison’s touchdown helped put the Cardinals in position for their game-winning field goal.

The Cardinals’ last win over a FBS team came on Oct. 25, 2008, against South Florida, when Long set his previous career-high of 134 receiving yards.

Louisville scored a touchdown on its second possession, a 12-yard run by Victor Anderson, who leapt over a defender at the goal line on the score. The Cardinals’ four other complete series in the first half ended with three punts and an interception. Time expired on the last series of the half with the Cardinals near midfield.

The Golden Eagles had their chances to open up a lead in the first half, but in four trips inside the Louisville 20, settled for three field goals and a touchdown, a 1-yard run by Fletcher.

Southern Miss quarterback Martevious Young was solid in his second career start, completing 22 passes to eight receivers for 229 yards.

Louisville quarterback Adam Froman, in his second career start for the Cardinals, completed 14-of-26 passes for 248 yards, including Long’s 92-yard touchdown catch.

The Golden Eagles got the ball first in the second half, but had to punt. That led to an 85-yard scoring drive by the Cardinals, capped by a 13-yard touchdown run up the middle by Bilal Powell. Southern Miss still held the lead 16-14, but went three-and-out on their possession following Powell’s touchdown.

A fair catch by Andrew Robinson after the Golden Eagles’ punt put the ball at Louisville’s 10-yard-line. Robinson played cornerback Saturday night, rather than his usual wide receiver, to shore up the Cardinals’ secondary. Four Louisville defensive backs missed the game because of injuries.

On third-and-12, after an incomplete pass and a run for a loss, Froman found Long deep, near the left sideline. The lanky receiver then cut back and ran down the middle of the field for the long score to give the Cardinals a 22-16 lead after a 2-point conversion with 4:31 to play in the third quarter.

After the teams traded punts on the next four series, Southern Miss had the ball at its own 11. The Eagles drove down the field, with Harrison carrying the ball six times for 43 yards, including the go-ahead 13-yard touchdown run.

Guys’ kickoff return nearly put the Cardinals in field goal range. From there, Louisville kept it simple, running the ball up the middle, moving the ball to the Golden Eagles’ 15-yard line for Payne’s game-winning kick.