MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Even with a new quarterback, No. 8 Louisville keeps rolling along.
Hunter Cantwell, starting in place of injured Heisman hopeful Brian Brohm, threw for 173 yards and a touchdown and the Cardinals came away with a ragged 24-6 victory over Kansas State on Saturday.
Louisville, 4-0 for the third time in Bobby Petrino's four years as coach, never seemed in danger of losing to the Wildcats (3-1). But the Cardinals sometimes appeared flat a week after a big win over then-No. 17 Miami vaulted them into their highest ranking in school history.
Hunter Cantwell directed a 97-yard touchdown drive on the Cardinals' first possession, capped by Harry Douglas' 19-yard touchdown catch.
But Louisville managed only 87 total yards the rest of the half in taking 10-0 lead. In one careless stretch in the second half, the Cardinals turned the ball over on three straight possessions.
But Kansas State was unable to take advantage as Ron Prince sustained his first loss since replacing Bill Snyder as coach. Thomas Clayton's 69-yard scoring run after Louisville had taken a 24-0 lead in the fourth quarter enabled the Wildcats to avoid their first shutout at home since 1991.
Louisville's offense, which came in leading the nation with more than 563 yards and 50 points per game, totaled 393 yards against Kansas State's young defense.
After George Stripling's 1-yard run put the Cardinals on top 17-0 in the third quarter, Louisville turned the ball over on two fumbles and an interception.
Marcus Watts picked off Hunter Cantwell's underthrown ball and returned it 58 yards to the Cardinals 19. But freshman Josh Freeman, who had replaced Dylan Meier at quarterback, was sacked for a five-yard loss on third down and then Malik Jackson blocked Jeff Snodgrass' 40-yard field goal attempt and Louisville took possession on the 46.
Two plays later, Brock Bolen scored on a 17-yard run for a 24-0 lead.
Hunter Cantwell, making his third career start and first since Brohm was injured against Miami, was 18-for-26 with one interception.
Art Carmody kicked a 25-yard field goal for the Cardinals with 4:17 left in the half after Jon Russell's 53-yard interception return to the 15.
In the third quarter, Bolen went around right end for 22 yards on third and 1, then Kolby Smith picked up 19 yards to the 7 on a perfectly thrown pass by Hunter Cantwell.
Kansas State had to call timeout because it had only 10 men on the field, and then George Stripling scored on a one-yard run.
Bolen made it 24-0 on the second play of the fourth quarter when he scored on a 17-yard run.
Smith and George Stripling, who are combining to replace injured star running back Michael Bush, each had 63 yards rushing while Bolen had 53 yards on five carries.
Clayton wound up with 119 yards for Kansas State.
Freeman, Kansas State's most highly touted freshman in years, hit 3-of-10 passes for 18 yards. Meier was 14-of-33 for 121 yards, but both quarterbacks were harried all day by a Cardinal defense which has allowed only six points in two road games.
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