Louisville Rallies to defeat Rutgers 41-38 in thier final game of the season

Brian Brohm and Louisville finally got a little revenge on Rutgers.

Art Carmody kicked a 33-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining to lift the Cardinals over the Scarlet Knights 41-38 on Thursday night.

Brohm, making his final collegiate start, threw for 237 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as Louisville (6-6, 3-4 Big East) salvaged a disappointing season by rallying from 18 points down to stun the Scarlet Knights (7-5, 3-4).

The Cardinals absorbed a difficult 28-25 loss at Rutgers last year when the Scarlet Knights roared back from 18 points down to win, ruining Louisville's shot at a perfect season.

This time, Brohm and a couple of late stands by the defense set the stage for Carmody.

The senior, who set an NCAA record for career points by a kicker, had never made a game-winner during his career. He went out in style though, calmly drilling the ball through the uprights.

Carmody finished his career with 433 points, breaking the old record held by Houston kicker Roman Anderson, who had 423 points for the Cougars from 1988-91.

Brohm and Carmody had plenty of help. Brock Bolen ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Bilal Powell added 91 yards and a score as Louisville rallied from a 35-17 deficit.

Ray Rice ran for 120 yards and three scores for Rutgers. Mike Teel threw for 265 yards and two TDs, both to Kenny Britt, but Rutgers couldn't find a way to stop Brohm and the Cardinals in the second half.

Offensive tackle Jeremy Zuttah rumbled 13 yards on a lateral pass, and little-used freshman quarterback Chris Paul-Etienne came in to throw a bomb to Britt. The pass was incomplete, but Rod Council was called for pass interference - one of nine Louisville penalties. Rice strolled in from 14 yards out to put the Scarlet Knights up 21-3 late in the first quarter.

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe had hoped the Cardinals would rally around the team's 17 seniors, many of whom helped propel Louisville to unprecedented heights during their career.

Instead, the Cardinals played most of the first 45 minutes with inconsistency.

In the end, however, the Cardinals finally played with the urgency they've lacked all year. The defense slowed down the Scarlet Knights in the final quarter, and Brohm went to work.

Bolen ran in from 5 yards out to cut it to 35-24. A Jeremy Ito field goal pushed the lead to 38-24 early in the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals kept coming.

Powell streaked in from 18 yards get within 38-31. Another stop led to Bolen's second touchdown, which tied it at 38 with 8:37 to go.

The teams traded punts, but Louisville wasted little time once it got the ball back with 3:22 to play. Brohm hit Harry Douglas for a 46-yard pass to the Rutgers 18, setting the stage for Carmody.