LOUISVILLE – Louisville isn’t ready to panic just yet. Mainly because it may have found the right quarterback to replace a Heisman trophy winner.

Redshirt freshman Malik Cunningham willed Louisville for three quarters to come back and edge Western Kentucky 20-17 on a night the Cardinals, for the most part, sputtered offensively.

Cunningham was more reliable with his legs than his arm by escaping trouble and making the most of blown plays, rushing 21 times for 129 yards.

He completed a modest 10-of-18 passes for 88 yards.

“That’s my job,” Cunningham said. “Come off the bench whenever my name is called. I’ll always be ready.”

Louisville coach Bobby Petrino isn’t ready to name the 6-foot-1, 190-pound QB the Cardinals’ starter just yet, ahead of a road game at Virginia next week.

Jawon “Puma” Pass started the first quarter until Petrino opted to give the freshman a shot.

“We have to look at Malik and get him going,” said Petrino, who coached WKU to an 8-4 record in 2013. “It’s two weeks in a row now when he’s come in and did a great job moving the football and got us in the end zone. Competed extremely hard and I didn’t think Puma played very well when he was in there and we had to make a change.”

Cunningham was called to action last week against Indiana State when Pass sustained a turf toe injury in the third quarter. He threw for just 75 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown while rushing for another 54 yards and a score.

Petrino opted to start Pass against the Hilltoppers, a decision that quickly backfired when he failed to complete three pass attempts with an interception to WKU defensive end DeAngelo Malone.

Louisville’s start couldn’t have been worse with minus 2 yards of offense in the first quarter.

Cunningham made similar plays that reminded WKU coach Mike Sanford of Louisville’s last star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman trophy winner and first-round pick in April’s NFL draft.

“He’s like the previous guy they had,” Sanford said. “It doesn’t matter what you call, to be honest. As a play-caller, he makes it right. There’s busted plays and protection he gives up and defensive backs are down the field and nothing gets open. He makes plays out of nothing and that’s exactly what Lamar Jackson did here. When you have personnel like that at that position … I think it can cover the sins of coaching at times and I think that’s what Malik Cunningham is.”

Cunningham entered and slowly willed the Cardinals back into the lead in the fourth quarter. It started with a 12-play, 81-yard scoring drive that made up half of the Cardinals’ 139 yards in the first half. The 23-yard field goal from Blanton Creque finally put Louisville on the board to trail 14-3 at the half.

Cunningham led another drive to the WKU 5, but the Hilltopper defense held its ground and forced another field goal.

The Cardinals finally found the end zone with two Dae Williams touchdowns, the last giving the Cardinals the lead with 5:01 to play.

“It was beautiful the way he came in and was a leader for us,” Williams said. “He gave us a big spark running and with his passing also. I’m very confident he can come in whenever we need him to and make a play.”

Cunningham was key in sparking Louisville with chunk plays on the ground. Of Louisville’s nine plays that went for over 10-plus yards, the Montgomery, Ala., native accounted for five of them on scrambles of 13, 16, 17, 10 and 17 yards.

“Just the dynamic athleticism is what Louisville has been used to,” Sanford said on the quarterback position. “And that’s what they got out of Lamar when the right call wasn’t made or they were covered downfield, they made dynamic plays.”{&end}