‘Canes come from way back to beat Cards

MIAMI — The Louisville Cardinals drew a flag for excessive celebration in the second quarter, and another in the third. Against Miami, the displays of jubilation were premature.

Led by Brock Berlin and Devin Hester, the third-ranked Hurricanes erased a 17-point deficit over the final 20 minutes and came from behind twice in the fourth quarter to beat No. 18 Louisville 41-38 in college football Thursday night.

Berlin threw three touchdown passes and directed the winning drive, a 56-yard march capped by Frank Gore’s 1-yard run with 49 seconds left.

The touchdown capped a seesaw fourth quarter. Hester scored on a 78-yard punt return to put Miami ahead 34-31, but Louisville regained the lead when freshman backup quarterback Brian Brohm directed an 80-yard touchdown drive.

Stefan LeFors threw three touchdown passes for Louisville before departing with an undisclosed injury in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals (4-1) had touted the game as perhaps the biggest in school history, and they rose to the occasion.

The Hurricanes (5-0) narrowly averted only the second loss in their past 30 games at the Orange Bowl to remain in the race for their sixth national championship since 1983.

Much of the credit belonged to Berlin, the target of boos when Miami fell behind in the first half. He finished 25 of 37 for 308 yards, including a completion on fourth-and-4 to keep the winning drive alive.

Berlin threw touchdown passes to Greg Olsen, Roscoe Parrish and Akieem Jolla.