Our friends at Card Chronicle join us for a look into this year’s Louisville team
Our immense thanks to John Powell at Card Chronicle for joining us to talk through the Louisville side of the ball for Saturday’s game. You can find their work at the link above and also John’s “Two Minute Plays” series on his YouTube channel.
From The Rumble Seat: A big topic that’s come up in Tech discussions is that Louisville has played half the games that Tech has, including two games against quality (well, counting FSU for now) opponents. Do you think there’s any advantage or disadvantage to playing your first P4 opponent now considering how much football Tech has already played?
Card Chronicle: As a fan, and the fact that I run a ‘100 Days Until Kickoff’ series during the offseason, I enjoy the bigger games to kick off the year, but if I’m a coach, give me the ease in games ten times out of ten. The ability to get things working early, where I can rotate some guys, get some reps under their belt, and still walk out of the game with a win is a nice comfort. I think starting the year with two lower tier opponents is fine, but we have to remember the Cards were only put in this spot because Indiana bought out of the home-home series last year, otherwise Louisville vs. Indiana would have already happened, and they look somewhat legit to start 2024. They had to fill that spot with someone free and willing to come to Louisville on short notice.
In terms of already playing four games, there are pros and cons, yes of course more reps, and against better teams helps you out long term, but there is also the risk of having a third of your season already complete meaning injuries and all the little nicks/dings are more likely to be in play. Nobody, and I mean nobody, would willingly sign up for a bye week in Week 3, but this is the Cards we were dealt…pun intended, so we’ll have to see on Saturday if one approach is better than the other.
FTRS: The Jeff Brohm and Brent Key stories have plenty of similarities with them coaching their alma maters. What has Brohm brought to this team that they didn’t have before?
CC: There has been plenty already penned about the Brohm-Louisville connection but the short version is just consistency and respect for the program. Louisville has been somewhat of a stepping stone job for awhile with coaches leaving to go to Michigan State, Texas, the Falcons….so having someone here who fans feel is completely bought in, at their alma mater, from the city, and not looking for the next big thing helps with that relationship. The other, more important thing, is the guy is pretty damn good at coaching football. No hobbies, no outside distractions, just loves the game and has stacked up awards and recognitions along his coaching journey while making his way back home. I think what the fans noticed last year is that he has shown some adaptability from his typical offense to let the playmakers get touches. If he has to lean more on the run, so be it, if he has to lean more on a solid defense, so be it…he’s doing what is necessary to win the game, and while it sounds simple, it can be something that plagues many coaching staffs rooted in a system or template that worked previously.
Seeing Brohm at UofL basketball games, volleyball games, baseball games, etc not as a publicity stunt, but because he actually follows and roots for the team is not a nothing burger. Ask any fan or student if they think Jeff Brohm cares about this University and this football program beyond the paycheck and the answer is undoubtedly YES, and that’s a huge boost to excitement around the program and recruiting future student-athletes.
FTRS: Who are the standouts for us to look out for on Louisville’s side of the ball?
CC: To go back to your first question I think it’s only fair to put an asterisk on some of the stats or numbers due to level of competition, but QB transfer Tyler Shough (‘Shuck’) has certainly looked the part thus far. The offense has been pretty standard two games in but he has made more than a couple NFL throws and has done well with protecting the football. It helps that he likely has a future NFL wideout in Ja’Carey Brooks catching passes. The Alabama transfer has shown the ability to separate, the ability to go up and high point the ball in traffic, and they have the 6’3” receiver run sweeps because he has the speed to reach the edge as well. The ground game is a multi-headed monster but keep an eye on true freshman Isaac Brown. If pressed he may be fourth on the official depth chart, but he showed enough the first two weeks I don’t think the staff can consciously keep him off the field.
On defense, the all-conference threat is DE Ashton Gillotte, but he’s seeing more double teams than Shaq in his prime, which has opened the door for one of the other edge rushers, Tramel Logan, to make some plays in the backfield. The Cards, even going back into 2023, I don’t think will be scared to bring pressure with their seven man front, as they trust their all-conference level corner, Quincy Riley, and the cast of characters he has around him to play coverage.
FTRS: What questions are you all looking to have answered from this game about Louisville?
CC: Is what we saw in the first couple weeks translatable to the remainder of the season. There is a balance of putting up crooked numbers against Austin Peay, versus seeing that they are also running a very plain offensive and defensive strategy. As the competition level goes up, is the depth of the play calling and adjustments also equally trending in the right direction. I’d like to see the run game maintain some consistency and not fall into the trap of throwing it 80% of the time even if the defense is more susceptible in that area. The other big thing will be how this Louisville defense handles the mobility of Haynes King. Last game, they had a few bumps with a mobile QB (Huff) but were able to keep him contained enough he didn’t impact the overall outcome. Can the same be done this week? If they fall behind can they still maintain a balanced attack?
FTRS: For any Tech fans making the trip, what are your go to places on gameday?
CC: For anyone who has never visited Louisville before, I’d suggest making it a weekend. They call Louisville “a big small town” for a reason as there is quite a bit to do to try and take it all in. A stones throw from Cardinal Stadium is world renowned “Churchill Downs” and their Fall Meet just recently started which means they are running races Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Worth a trip even if you’re not a huge horse racing fan just to see it all. Also, there is a big music festival in town this weekend (Bourbon & Beyond) running from Thursday to Sunday, not far from the stadium. Saturday night is Zach Bryan, Cody Jinks, and Whiskey Myers while Sunday is Tyler Childers, My Morning Jacket, The National…and dozens of others. Also, during the week it’s worth checking out the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory tour.
As far as gameday…we’re a “southern-ish” city so you’d be hard pressed to find a tailgate that wouldn’t welcome you in and hand you a cold beverage. There is a big lot right outside the stadium, but also lots of smaller lots all around the stadium which have a large tailgate presence. If walking up to strangers and asking for their meat isn’t your thing, there is an “open tailgate” type experience at a place called “The Alley” just across Floyd Street that has food trucks, drinks, games for the kids, big TV’s a covered patio area, etc that opens a few hours before kickoff. Nice hangout spot if you have nowhere else to go.
FTRS: How do you think this game goes?
CC: While I think the story on Georgia Tech for most has been a bit of a roller coaster already, my feelings have not wavered too much. I’m nervous. The second quarter from 2023 is burned into my core memories and the ability of Haynes King to make plays when all else fails is worrisome. Before the year I predicted a 24-17 Louisville victory and I thought it would be a bit sloppy. Now that I have a few more data points I think the score is a bit higher but the point differential remains around the same. I like Brooks to have a nice game, and the Cards get over 200 on the ground in a close one that looks worse on a late score. Cards 34-24