Lincoln Kienholz doesn’t look like someone who’s only going into his fourth full college football start.
The Ohio State transfer made history as the first Louisville quarterback to throw for 300 yards in his first two starts and is one of the most efficient passers in the ACC. He’s averaging 272 passing yards per game, which ranks sixth in the conference, with a third-best passer efficiency rating of 186.8.
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But more impressively, Kienholz is one of only three ACC quarterbacks to have at least six touchdown passes without an interception through the first three games of the season, joining Miami’s Darian Mensah and Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer. Kienholz has completed 48 of 73 passes (65.8%) without an error to start his tenure at Louisville. He can match Tyler Shough’s interception-free 2024 start of 60 completions when Louisville plays host to Wake Forest on Saturday at L&N Stadium.
The Demon Deacons are allowing the fifth-most passing yards in the ACC (235 per game) and have yet to record an interception this season. Their lone takeaway of the year was a fumble recovery in the opener against Akron. If Kienholz can avoid getting picked off, he’ll add more history as the first Louisville quarterback to start his first four games without an interception.
“Taking care of the ball is not easy to do, especially when it’s in your hand every play as a passer and a runner. So he’s been outstanding in that aspect,” UofL coach Jeff Brohm said. “… I think his ability to scramble and create and make plays causes him not to throw the ball into traffic and go try to create something, which he’s done an excellent job (of) to this point.”
Creating plays has been Kienholz’s specialty. Pro Football Focus has credited the Cardinals’ QB1 with five big-time throws, identified as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.” Pitt’s Mason Heintschel is the only ACC quarterback with more (six). One of Kienholz’s best throws came in the opener against Ole Miss, when he scrambled and threw a 54-yard touchdown to Lawayne McCoy. He had a similar throw, also to McCoy, for a 33-yard score against SMU.
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Kienholz has frequently used his legs to make plays, also doing so without turning the ball over. Off-script, he’s totaled 36 yards on seven scrambles (undesigned quarterback runs) and leads the team with four rushing touchdowns. Overall, he’s the Cards’ third-leading rusher with 153 yards on 32 carries. Of those, 82 yards have come after contact, something Kienholz doesn’t mind.
The list of defenders he’s stiff-armed and/or tried to run through continues to grow. Kienholz attributes his fearlessness to growing up as a farm kid, which helped him get used to taking hits and getting right back up.
“I love playing with a tough guy like that,” offensive lineman Cason Henry said. “I think it makes my life a lot easier and hypes me up on the field when I see him stiff-arm somebody to the ground or run over somebody. I’m like, ‘That’s my quarterback, man.'”
Kienholz’s playmaking and interception-free play has garnered national attention. College GameDay host Desmond Howard lauded Kienholz over the weekend, noting that “there’s never a dull play when Kienholz is behind center.” He’s also moving up in the Heisman conversations with the 13th-best odds to win the award, per FanDuel. That’s two spots behind former Ohio State teammate and 2025 Heisman finalist Julian Sayin.
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“He’s a big-time player, electric player, electrifying player,” Louisville safeties coach Brandon Sharp said of Kienholz. “… The threat to run as a quarterback is very difficult for defenses. And it’s showing up. He’s making a lot of big-time plays, big-time throws and big-time runs. So it’s been exciting to see him have success.”
Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football embracing Lincoln Kienholz’s physical style, clean start
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
