Junior quarterback Greg Ward Jr. threw three touchdown passes, including the decisive 15-yard toss to junior wide receiver Demarcus Ayers, as Houston recorded a 34-31 victory over Louisville in a nonconference contest at Louisville, Ky.

Ward, who passed for 236 yards, guided the Cougars (2-0) to 17 fourth-quarter points and the winning score with 3:09 remaining. Senior running back Kenneth Farrow rushed for 109 yards and Ward added 98 as Houston rolled 462 yards of total offense.

Cardinals senior kicker John Wallace was short on a tying 53-yard field-goal attempt with 49 seconds left as Louisville dropped to 0-2. True freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson rushed for one score and passed for another but was pulled for sophomore quarterback Kyle Bolin in the final quarter.

The Cougars took a 20-17 lead on senior kicker Kyle Bullard's 21-yard field goal four seconds into the fourth quarter. Louisville then received a spark when Bolin replaced the ineffective Jackson and sophomore running back Jeremy Smith scored on a 3-yard run to cap a seven-play, 79-yard drive with 11:31 left to put the Cardinals ahead by four.

The Cougars answered on Ward's 22-yard scoring pass to sophomore wideout Linell Bonner with 9:24 left to retake the lead. Bolin found redshirt freshman tight end Mickey Crum from 29 yards out to give Louisville a 31-27 edge with 6:25 left and Houston again recovered with Ward throwing a 15-yard scoring pass to Ayers.

A 59-yard interception return by sophomore safety Chucky Williams set up Wallace's 36-yard field goal to give Louisville a 17-10 lead with 2:51 remaining in the third quarter. Houston junior Brandon Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to knot the score 16 seconds later.

The teams traded first-quarter touchdowns as Ward tossed a 29-yard scoring pass to sophomore wide receiver Steven Dunbar with 11:21 left and Jackson scored on a 1-yard run to move Louisville into a tie with 7:19 remaining. Senior kicker Kyle Bullard's 41-yard field goal lifted the Cougars to a three-point lead before Jackson connected with senior wideout Ja'Quay Savage on a 6-yard score with 1:04 to go as the Cardinals led 14-10 at the break.