Since there's no doubt about where many of my almost 100% Cardinal-loving readers will be going in the comments section, let's just start there and get it over with.

In real time, I heard from several fans about Louisville getting screwed late by the refs.

At one point, Kevn Jennings was fighting for a crucial 1st down late and appeared to have casually pushed himself out of bounds, a yard or less short.

I don't even think it was checked. Although maybe it was. (I got a little distracted at the 6:56 mark of the 2nd as it was the first pitch of my Tigers game against Cleveland. Even though the Guardians had 5 points at the end of the 1st before recording an out, look I continue to be out of the game. Out of the corner of my eye, what are laptops for, right?)

Anyway, back to the game at hand: I agree with the naysayers. Jennings looked small to me. An important situation.

Then of course the fumbling. Forced by Cardinal Stanquan Clark, recovered at about the five-yard line by Corey Thornton.

This is called a turnover and change of possession on the field.

After review, it was overturned, giving the Mustangs a 1st down at U of L's 13. After a legitimately called Card PI in the end zone, SMU scored the go-ahead/eventual game-winner from point-blank range.

But there was still 6:39 left, as they say, “enough time.”

My opinion – again, different people will see it differently – is that his shin was down before the ball came off. Open to reasonable resistance with an opposing stance.

Whether it was the proverbial “indisputable evidence” that overturned the on-field decision is certainly a fair question. I don't think that was the case and the call should have stood.

I would also assume that this wasn't the reason the cards lost. They had many chances to prevail before and after. Including just before and just after.

Both teams showed some wobble at D, a little less at SMU.

At the start of the 4th, they held the Cards inside the red zone twice on 3Ds and 4th downs with just one yard left to gain.

Then, on U of L's last chance, the porosity of the OL – a problem all day – killed them. A sack on 1st down made it 2nd and 19th on the Mustang 21. Then a sack in reality, if not officially, made it 4th and 17th on the 19th.

SMU began a shough prayer in the end zone.

Ball game.

27-34.

The guests seemed a little more confident from the start.

Won the coin toss. Took the ball. They were up by a TD at 3:21. Then I submitted a card return. Then it was counted again in 2:36.

U of L was the first team to back off and settle for a FG on its second possession.

The Cardinals never led.

Anyway, I'm not going to argue about whether U of L got hosed in the end. Maybe they did. They may not have that. I understand the approach of the die-hards.

I believe U of L had many chances to take the lead and win the game.

Like last week in South Bend, they didn’t.

—CD Kaplan