LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Malik Cunningham ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead Louisville, which cruised to a 30-3 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday night.
In guiding the Cardinals (1-1) to their first victory of the season, the redshirt junior quarterback completed 16-of-24 passes for 277 yards. He got some early help from special teams. Marvin Dallas recovered a muffed punt return at the Colonels 25, leading to Cunningham's first score, a 5-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first quarter.
Braden Smith made it 13-0 with a 49-yard punt return for a score with 10:15 left in the first half.
Cunningham would have had another touchdown, but freshman Ahmari Huggins-Bruce dropped the ball on the EKU 1 on what would have been a 95-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The ball rolled into the endzone, and the Colonels recovered for a touchback.
He was replaced by Evan Conley on the next series as the Cardinals were well in command by that point.
The Colonels (1-1) mustered just 233 yards of offense and turned it over three times.
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Louisville hosts Central Florida in a nationally televised game Friday night.