In the last 30 years of Louisville Football the Cards have been beaten by 2+ scores seven times. Under the 4-year tenure of Scott Satterfield UofL Football has opened the season 3 times as a decidedly beaten team in its opener: 18 points by Notre Dame, 19 points by Ole Miss and after last night 24 points by Syracuse. In fact 4 of those 7 beat downs have come in the last 5 seasons with the only win for Louisville coming against Western Kentucky in the 2020 opener.
It’s a long way from when you could count on Louisville opening the season with a win or looking like a decent football team. Two years in a row the Cards have traveled to a dome and played uninspired football to start its season.
| Louisville Openers | Opponent | Score | Margin | Season Record | Note |
| 2022 | Syracuse | 31-7 | 24 | ? | ? |
| 2018 | #1 Alabama | 51-14 | 37 | 2-10 | Petrino Fired |
| 1998 | Kentucky | 68-34 | 34 | 7-5 | Motor City Bowl |
| 2008 | Kentucky | 27-2 | 25 | 5-7 | No Bowl |
| 2021 | Ole Miss | 43-24 | 19 | 6-7 | 1st Responder Bowl |
| 2019 | #9 Notre Dame | 35-17 | 18 | 8-5 | Music CIty Bowl |
| 1997 | Kentucky | 38-24 | 14 | 1-10 | Ron Cooper Fired |
Still going back through the SIX other two score losses the season results are mixed. Two coaches were fired: Bobby Petrino in 2018 and Ron Cooper in 1997. But Louisville actually did make a bowl in 3 of those contests. The best record? Scott Satterfield made the Music City Bowl in 2019 and won 8 games after a thumping from Notre Dame.
Suffice it to say, where the Cards go from here is up to them. Saturday night in Syracuse was one of the most frustrating and discouraging nights of Louisville Football to start a season in a long time.
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