LOUISVILLE (Interstat) — Lincoln Kienholz threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 42 yards and two more scores as Louisville routed Villanova 59-13 in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. The game drew an announced attendance of 46,385. Louisville improved to 1-1. Villanova dropped to 1-2. Kienholz completed 16 of 21 passes and powered a Cardinals offense that scored on its first possession and never trailed after the opening quarter. The Wildcats stayed within reach early, but Louisville’s explosiveness through the air and on the ground turned the matchup into a one-sided result. Kienholz, a quarterback from Pierre, S.D., finished with four total touchdowns and led an offense that scored in every quarter. Louisville scored 17 points in the first quarter, 14 in the second, 14 in the third and 14 in the fourth.

Louisville opened the scoring when Carson Hilbert made a 33-yard field goal. Villanova answered with Dominic LeBlanc’s 35-yard field goal. Kienholz then broke the tie with a 19-yard touchdown run up the middle. In the final seconds of the first quarter, Kienholz found Jaleel Skinner for a 69-yard touchdown pass down the right side. Skinner finished with two catches for 82 yards and one score. Louisville led 17-3 after the first quarter. Villanova’s early defensive effort included tackles from Christian Caballero and Walker Murray, but the Wildcats could not slow the Cardinals’ big-play offense. Caballero and Murray each finished with eight tackles to lead Villanova.

Villanova briefly cut into the lead in the opening minute of the second quarter when Pat McQuaide connected with Ja’briel Mace on a 65-yard touchdown pass down the left side. Mace finished with three catches for 73 yards and one touchdown and added 20 rushing yards on six carries. Louisville responded quickly. Kienholz hit Lawayne McCoy for a 61-yard touchdown pass deep right, then added a 4-yard touchdown run up the middle. At halftime, Louisville led 31-10. McQuaide completed 18 of 31 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown. Braden Reed caught six passes for 50 yards, while Brandon Binkowski added five receptions for 19 yards. Brody Eaton caught two passes for 14 yards.

The Cardinals kept control in the third quarter. Braxton Jennings rushed right for a 15-yard touchdown. Villanova’s LeBlanc made a 29-yard field goal, his second of the game, but Louisville answered again when M. Davis scored on a 3-yard run up the middle. Louisville carried a 45-13 lead into the fourth quarter. Villanova’s Luke Myers punted eight times for 353 yards, often trying to flip field position against a Louisville defense that limited the Wildcats after the long second-quarter touchdown. Louisville’s Niall Hayes had two punts for 105 yards. The Cardinals’ defense tightened after halftime and did not allow another Villanova touchdown.

Louisville finished the scoring in the fourth quarter. Davin Wydner, who completed 3 of 4 passes for 19 yards, threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jennings. M. Davis then added a 4-yard touchdown run up the middle. Wydner also ran once for 4 yards. Garth White handled later extra-point attempts, while Hilbert opened the scoring with his field goal and added extra points earlier. The Cardinals’ defense was led by Kaleb Beasley with seven tackles, Trent Carter with six, Koen Entringer with six and DJ Waller Jr. with five. Brycen Scott also contributed in the secondary. Jaleel Skinner added two receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Villanova’s defense received eight tackles each from Christian Caballero and Walker Murray. Brenden Toppin and Jamie Tyson each made five tackles. Josh Oluremi had four tackles, while Capri Martin, Nate Sullivan, Amari Jackson, Jayvont Williams, Jordan Taylor and Newton Essiem each recorded three. Omari Bursey made five tackles. Ugo Nwotite, Luis Martinez, Thomas Colello, AJ Koukou, Jack DeMenna and Ivan Murray Jr. each had two tackles. Isaiah Selby, Garrett Rogan, Colin Gurley and Dale Law each added one. Offensively for Villanova, Chris Colby had one reception for minus-1 yard. Jake Hilton had one reception for 6 yards. Nolan Clayton had one reception for 8 yards. Ralee Stephens had one reception for 9 yards. Tyler Womack returned a kickoff 12 yards and made a tackle. Brandon Way Jr. ran five times for 16 yards, Isaiah Ragland carried nine times for 34 yards, and Julian Glantz added five rushing yards and one tackle. Dylan Mills ran for 1 yard. Nolan DiLucia completed 2 of 3 passes for 12 yards and ran for 1 yard.

Villanova entered the game after a 17-16 win at Bucknell on Sept. 5 and a 35-32 home loss to William & Mary on Aug. 28. The Wildcats will next play at Long Island on Sept. 19, then host Colgate on Sept. 26 and Morgan State on Oct. 3. Louisville had opened the season with a 41-38 loss at Ole Miss on Sept. 6. The Cardinals will host SMU on Sept. 19, then host Wake Forest on Sept. 26 and travel to North Carolina State on Oct. 3. Louisville’s win marked its first of the season and gave the Cardinals a bounce-back performance after the narrow road defeat. Villanova’s loss was its second of the season and its first on the road.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Louisville 28, Villanova 9. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Louisville with a 93.4 percent probability to win. Villanova had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +36.5. The combined 72 points finished over the pregame over/under line of 56.5.