13 only to be upset by Southern Miss, led by quarterback Brett Favre, in the opening game en route to an 0–3 start.
Stallings, who was fired by the National Football League's Phoenix Cardinals with five games remaining in the 1989 season, coached in college for the first time since leading Texas A&M in 1971.
The Cardinals, known mostly for their basketball prowess under Denny Crum, enjoyed their finest football season to date under Louisville native Howard Schnellenberger, who was an assistant under Bryant with Stallings before the latter was named head coach at Texas A&M in 1965.
Cardinals quarterback Browning Nagle started the scoring with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Latrell Ware to give Louisville an early 7–0 lead.
[2] In the second quarter, Louisville had the ball again, before backup quarterback Jeff Brohm threw an interception, that was returned 49 yards for an Alabama touchdown.