NCAAF LOUISVILLE AT SOUTHERN MISS NOTE: FINAL RE-SENT TO CORRECT THE YARDAGE ON THE SEVENTH LOUISVILLE TOUCHDOWN.

Southern Miss-D Nix 1 run (B Hanna kick) Louisville-Floyd 35 interception return (Smith kick) Louisville-Branch 6 pass from Ragone (Smith kick) Southern Miss-Woods 50 pass from Kelly (B Hanna kick) Louisville-Ragone 1 run (Smith kick) Southern Miss-Johnson 55 pass from Kelly (B Hanna kick) Louisville-Ghent 3 pass from Ragone (Smith kick) Louisville-D White 35 interception return (Smith kick) Louisville-Ragone 4 run (Smith kick) Louisville-Patterson 5 run (Smith kick) Southern Miss-Nance 1 run (B Hanna kick)

Game Story

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi (Ticker) -- The Louisville football team might have been the second-biggest story in Kentucky entering the day, but the Cardinal just might be sharing the front page with the Breeders' Cup on Sunday.

The Cardinal took control of the Conference USA race and ended 11th-ranked Southern Mississippi's 14-game league-winning streak by rolling to a 49-28 triumph behind a four-touchdown performance by sophomore quarterback Dave Ragone.

Southern Mississippi (6-2, 3-1 C-USA) was dealt its first-ever home loss in a Conference USA game and suffered its first league defeat since a 21-7 setback against Tulane on October 3, 1998.

"We didn't play with much poise, and certainly you have to give Louisville credit," Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower said. "We didn't play very good."

The defending Conference USA champion Golden Eagles allowed Louisville (7-2, 4-1) to explode for 42 points in a 26 1/2-minute span bridging the second and third quarters

In winning for the first time in Hattiesburg in 20 years, the Cardinal jumped over Southern Missisippi into first place in the league standings and can clinch the conference title and a spot in the Liberty Bowl with wins over Army and Houston.

"All this does is open the door for us," Louisville coach John L. Smith said. "We've got to come back and beat Army next week."

So who gets the banner headlines in the Sunday papers, Ragone or Tiznow, a 3-year-old horse who won the Breeder's Cup Classic this afternoon at Churchill Downs in Louisville?

Louisville's signal-caller passed for touchdowns of six and three yards and ran for scores of one and four yards as the Cardinal overcame an early touchdown deficit and broke a five-game losing streak against the Golden Eagles.

"(Ragone) threaded some some balls in there when he had some pretty good coverage on them," Smith said.

Ragone completed 25-of-42 pases for 293 yards for the Cardinal, who trailed 7-0 following Derrick Nix's one-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter before exploding during the second period.

Safety Anthony Floyd tied the game by returning an interception 35 yards for a score and Ragone hit Deion Branch for a six-yard TD that gave the Cardinal a 14-7 lead.

Southern Mississippi quarterback Jeff Kelly answered with a 50-yard scoring strike to running back Dawayne Woods that tied it again, but Ragone's one-yard plunge over the goal line with 41 seconds left in the second quarter put Louisville on top for good.

Kelly completed 18-of-32 passes for 300 yards, but was sacked seven times.

In the third quarter, Ragone hit Ronnie Ghent for a three-yard score and had a four-yard touchdown run following defensive end Dewayne White's 35-yard interception return.