Matt Rhule has Kliff Kingsbury’s number. The two met in 2018 and Rhule’s Baylor Bears beat Kingsbury’s Texas Tech Red Raiders 35-24. Kingsbury was fired the next day.
Carolina beat the Cardinals 41-21 in 2020 in Rhule’s fourth game with the Panthers.
It was an even bigger blowout Sunday as the Panthers led 23-0 at halftime and won going away 34-10.
In his Panthers’ debut in his second stint with Carolina, Cam Newton ran for a 2-yard touchdown on his first play and threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Robby Anderson on his second play. He finished 3-of-4 for 8 yards and a touchdown and ran for 14 yards and a touchdown on three carries.
Christian McCaffrey starred in his fifth game of the season. He ran for 95 yards on 13 carries and caught 10 passes for 66 yards. He had almost as many yards as the Cardinals, who finished with 169.
P.J. Walker, who started in place of the injured Sam Darnold, was 22-of-29 for 167 yards and an interception.
Colt McCoy started in place of Kyler Murray for a second consecutive week with the starting quarterback nursing an ankle injury. By the time McCoy left with a chest injury in the second half after a sack by Shaq Thompson, the game was out of hand.
McCoy lost a fumble and threw an interception and finished 11-of-20 for 107 yards. Christian Kirk was the leading receiver for the Cardinals, who were without the injured DeAndre Hopkins, with Kirk making seven catches for 58 yards.