Louisville avoids upset, Lamar Jackson bolsters Heisman case in comeback win

Lamar Jackson didn't have his best game, but he may have had a Heisman-saving moment

For much of Louisville's 32-25 win over Virginia, it looked as if the Cardinals could lose, which would have been devastating. The loss would have killed the slim College Football Playoff hopes the Cards still have, and it could have been a major blow to Lamar Jackson's Heisman Trophy campaign, but when needed most, Jackson led his team to a comeback victory.

It was far from Jackson's best performance of the season, though that doesn't mean it wasn't a better game than most quarterbacks typically have. He completed only 24 of his 41 pass attempts, and had a bad interception in the first half, but he still finished the day with 361 yards passing, 90 yards rushing, and four touchdowns in the air.

The most important touchdown in the game -- and maybe one that will be the most important touchdown pass of the season -- came in the final minute of the game.

Louisville fought back from a 17-7 deficit late in the third quarter to take a 24-17 lead thanks to a field goal with eight minutes remaining. Virginia would answer immediately. The Cavaliers responded with a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that drained 6:12 off the clock. Wanting to go for the kill, Virginia opted to go for two following its touchdown, and converted to take a 25-24 lead with 1:57 left in the game.

And that's when the Lamar Jackson-led Cardinals responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive of their own, moving down the field in only eight plays, and capping it off with a beautiful 29-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Jaylen Smith with 13 seconds left.

While it wasn't the most spectacular play Jackson has made this year -- he's had no shortage of them -- it could prove to be the most important in his Heisman campaign. Yes, you need to have big games against big opponents, but with the way Louisville's schedule plays out, Jackson isn't going to have many spotlight games left to play during the regular season. Louisville's showdown with Houston has lost some luster thanks to a couple of Houston losses.

Which means that, come November, other Heisman candidates like Jabrill Peppers, Jake Browning and even Deshaun Watson, will be playing in huge games and getting more attention for their performances, and let's not act like Heisman voters haven't forgotten about great games in September and October before.

So for Jackson, even if it came in a game Louisville was heavily favored in, to have this kind of last-minute drive to keep his team's title hopes alive will go a long way toward keeping Jackson at the forefront of Heisman voters minds.

And, more importantly for Louisville, it keeps the Cardinals in the ACC and CFP hunts.