(BCSNN) — Louisville overcame a sluggish start and leaned on its defense and explosive playmakers to defeat James Madison 28–14 on Friday night at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. The Cardinals (2–0) trailed 14–6 early in the second half before scoring 22 unanswered points to secure their second win of the season.

Quarterback Miller Moss delivered a steady performance, completing 13-of-23 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. He also made history by becoming the first Louisville player to both pass and run for two-point conversions in the same game. His 64-yard touchdown pass to Chris Bell in the third quarter tied the game, and his fourth-quarter scramble helped seal the comeback.

Running back Isaac Brown led all rushers with 104 yards on 12 carries, including a career-long 78-yard touchdown that put the game out of reach with 3:31 remaining. Brown’s burst marked his seventh career 100-yard game and his 15th career touchdown, six of which have covered more than 40 yards.

Louisville’s defense was the difference-maker, recording six sacks and holding the Dukes to just 263 total yards. Defensive lineman Clev Lubin forced a pivotal strip sack in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, which was recovered by AJ Green for a go-ahead touchdown. Linebacker T.J. Quinn led all players with 11 tackles, while Jabari Mack added an interception to ice the game.

James Madison (1–1) showed early promise, with quarterback Alonza Barnett III throwing for 102 yards and a touchdown to tight end Lacota Dippre. Running back Matt Sluka added an 8-yard rushing score to open the second half, but the Dukes were plagued by 12 penalties and struggled to protect Barnett against Louisville’s relentless pass rush.

Both teams now head into a bye week. Louisville will host Bowling Green on Sept. 20, while James Madison travels to Liberty that same day. For the Cardinals, the win marked head coach Jeff Brohm’s 21st victory at the helm and extended Louisville’s streak to six straight wins against Group of Five opponents.