MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Talk about uneven play. Louisville coach John L. Smith got a taste of it Tuesday night. His Cardinals (4-2, 2-0 Conference USA) beat Memphis (2-4, 1-3) 38-32, but it wasn't easy or pretty.

        “Our first half was very poor offensively, and then the second half was very poor defensively,” Smith said. “Half of us goofed it up in the first half, and the other half took their turn in the second.”

        Memphis broke for the half with a 13-10 lead even though Louisville got its first score less than two minutes into the game on a blocked Tiger punt.

        Louisville came out strong at the start of the second half, scoring three touchdowns within five minutes in the third period.

        But Memphis made a strong run in the final period that the Cardinals just managed to turn back.

        Two of Louisville's third-quarter touchdowns came on Memphis turnovers, a fumble and an interception.

        “You can't have a blocked punt and a fumble and an interception or anything like that because those are the things that will kill you against a team like this,” Memphis quarterback Danny Wimprine said.

        For the evening, Wimprine threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns.

        After intermission, Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone wasted no time in getting the Cardinals on track, quickly launching a 74-yard drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown run by Henry Miller. The drive included a 16-yard run by Ragone and a 35-yard pass play to Damien Dorsey.

        Ragone then tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Richard Owens, and Miller scored on a 1-yard run as Louisville built its 18-point lead.

        Ragone threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Tiger Jones in the fourth quarter.

        Memphis scored in the second half on a 14-yard pass from Wimprine to Tavares Gideon and a 3-yard run by Dante Brown.

        The Tigers recovered an onsides kick after Brown's TD and scored seven plays later on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Wimprine to Gideon.

        Memphis recovered a fumble by Louisville's Ronnie Ghent with just under two minutes to play at the Cardinals' 25. But the Tigers ran out of downs and Louisville took possession.

        Ragone was 9-of-17 for 61 yards the first half and was sacked three times. But he finished with 177 yards and two touchdowns.

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