Louisville 34, Florida International 3: Will Gardner passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns as the visiting Cardinals rolled.

Gardner's big day through the air provided a huge lift for Louisville (3-1), which managed only 12 yards on 35 carries – factoring in 56 yards the team lost on five sacks. James Quick was the other offensive star for the Cardinals, racking up seven catches for 174 yards and two scores.

Florida International (1-3) used Alex McGough and E.J. Hilliard at quarterback, and they combined to go 13-of-25 for 117 yards with two interceptions – both by McGough. Gerod Holliman picked off both for Louisville, including one he returned for a score.

Gardner threw for 257 yards in the first half - 170 to Quick - as Louisville carried a 28-3 lead into the break. The Cardinals marched down the field on the game's opening possession and scored on L.J. Scott's 1-yard TD run before scoring three times in the final 5:33 of the second quarter.

Holliman began the second-quarter scoring blitz with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown before Gardner and Quick hooked up for scoring strikes of 74 and 37 yards in a 45-second span. Florida International got on the board with a field goal at the first-half buzzer, but Louisville answered with two field goals in the first nine minutes of the third quarter to make sure there would not be any drama.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Quick entered the contest with 10 catches for 88 yards and one touchdown on the season. The sophomore's previous career high for receiving yards was 40 in Week 1 against Miami (Fla.). ... Louisville has won 14 straight games against non-conference opponents, including its last two meetings with Florida International by the combined total of 106-3. ... The teams combined to go 8-of-33 on third down.