In what was, at minimum, an absolutely critical game for Scott Satterfield and the Louisville Cardinals at home against Gus Malzahn's UCF squad, the host Cardinals waged a back-and-forth affair throughout the contest.
Louisville seemingly had control in the fourth, up 35-28 and with a chance to run out the clock.
The Cardinals could not, and Dillon Gabriel tied things up for the Knights with less than 90 seconds to play. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham, trying to engineer a game-winning drive, had a third-down pass deflected and picked.
The very next play might have changed the entire trajectory of the Cards' season.
Louisville freshman linebacker Jaylin Alderman snagged Gabriel's deflected pass, darted to the right sideline and just beat a UCF offensive player-turned-defender into the end zone for a 66-yard pick-six that sealed a 42-35 win.
Check out this ground-level, coming-right-at-you view from Louisville of the decisive interception:
So….about that ending#GoCards pic.twitter.com/3G6LWV9pGj
— Louisville Athletics (@GoCards) September 18, 2021
Meanwhile, 250 miles northwest of Louisville, Maryland was bidding to continue its reclamation project under Mike Locksley against Bret Bielema and Illinois.
Thanks to a walk-off field goal, the Terps did just that. Maryland watched Joseph Petrino's 30-yard field goal attempt tuck just inside the right upright to win, 20-17, and notch the program's first 3-0 start since 2016.
PETRINO FOR THE DUB pic.twitter.com/mxZLk9olOT
— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) September 18, 2021
Moreover, the Terps won their Big Ten opener in the process. They've now got two quality wins – West Virginia and Illinois – and positioned themselves midway to bowl eligibility; the program last went bowling in 2016.
Lastly, they're the Football Bowls Subdivision's first 3-0 team, at least for a few more hours.