5 things you need to know about the Louisville Cardinals

Big Blue Nation is not happy with how this football season is going. This feeling obviously extends to those within the walls of the locker room. Expectations were high, but in the end the result was the worst we’ve seen in Lexington since 2015. Coach Mark Stoops’ streak of eight consecutive bowl appearances is also officially over. A win against the Louisville Cardinals would be a nice end to a disappointing season, but many fans have already decided what they believe is necessary moving forward. Those tough offseason discussions would only get louder if the Cats lost to the Cards on Saturday at Kroger Field.

Louisville earned its seventh win of the season after beating Pittsburgh 37-9. Things didn’t quite go according to plan for coach Jeff Brohm this season, but the Cardinals were very competitive every week. Despite four losses, the Cardinals were not beaten by more than a touchdown all season. Overall, their losses to Notre Dame, SMU, Miami (FL) and Stanford totaled 24 points. Just a few possessions could result in Louisville’s season ending up looking very different here. However, records can be thrown out the window at any time when these two teams come together and compete for the Governor’s Cup.

As always, We’ve got everything you need before the game here at Kentucky Sports Radio dot com for kickoff at noon Eastern Time on SEC Network between the Kentucky Wildcats (4-7, 1-7) and the Louisville Cardinals (7-4, 5-3). If you haven’t already, you need to dive into Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report. This is your in-depth preview for football nerds. If you’re looking for a more superficial look at what awaits you on Saturday afternoon, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive into five things you need to know about the Louisville Cardinals.

Louisville has a top-15 offense

Coach Jeff Brohm is no stranger to deploying dynamic offenses on the football field. Whether at Western Kentucky, Purdue or now at the helm of the Louisville Cardinals, Coach Brohm has always carried out his duties as a player. It’s hard to argue with the results here in 2024.

The Cardinals rank eighth nationally in yards per game (6.86), 11th in adjusted EPA/game (0.15) and 12th in yards per rush (6.16). They also rank in the top 25 nationally in points per drive (2.91), success rate (45.1%), destruction rate allowed (8.1%) and yards per dropback (7.77). This offense has consistently put together a successful mix of explosiveness and efficiency, resulting in over 36 points per game. Louisville couldn’t be held below 24 points all season. Kentucky’s defense faces an uphill battle Saturday afternoon.

Limiting explosive plays will be paramount to the Wildcats’ success. Louisville ranks second nationally in running plays of 40 yards or more and seventh nationally in passing plays of 50 yards or more. If you can hit shots like that, it can change the game in an instant. The Wildcats are generally good at bending without breaking, but the Cardinals have an offense that is as explosive as any in the country.

Solid quarterback play leads to pass-heavy offense

Talent was never the problem for Tyler Sough. Sough, a highly touted quarterback prospect in the class of 2018, yes, 2018, began his career at Oregon. He was a starter for the Ducks in 2020, throwing for 1,559 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games. Sough then transferred to Texas Tech, but injuries followed him. Now in his seventh season of college football, Sough has finally stayed healthy and led to a big performance.

The Louisville Cardinals rank 28th nationally with a passing percentage of 53.86%. Sough’s ability to combine efficiency with explosiveness has allowed coach Jeff Brohm to rely on the veteran quarterback. Sough completed 63.3% of his passes for 3,067 yards and 23 touchdowns. Saturday’s contest against Kentucky marks his 42nd college football game. The Wildcats’ defense will have its hands full trying to slow down Slough and the Cardinals’ passing attack.

Explosive, large receiver area with a clear favorite target

The Louisville Cardinals have eight different players with 10 or more receptions this season. However, among the variety of possibilities, there is definitely a favorite destination. Ja’Corey Brooks has 61 balls on 93 targets and has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark at 1,013. He also leads the Cardinals with nine receiving touchdowns. Brooks is a former five-star prospect who spent three seasons at Alabama before coming to Louisville.

If Sough doesn’t target Brooks, he’ll primarily turn to Chris Bell or Mark Rodman. Bell, a junior, had 34 catches for 593 yards and four scores. Redman now has 23 receptions for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Getting the ball to Brooks is obviously an important part of the Cardinals’ passing success, but Kentucky has a number of options to be aware of on Saturday afternoon.

True freshmen duo lead Cardinals’ rushing attack

Isaac Brown is immediately one of the Louisville Cardinals’ best offensive players. TThe true freshman has 896 rushing yards on 121 carries and has hit pay dirt nine times. He averages an impressive 7.4 yards per rush with an explosive running rate of 21.5%. Brown also had 27 balls for 140 yards and another score. Coach Jeff Brohm will make sure his explosive running back touches the football as often as possible on Saturday afternoon.

In addition to Isaac Brown, Duke Watson also excelled as a true freshman in the Louisville Cardinals’ backfield. Watson has 410 rushing yards on 51 carries and five touchdowns. He actually beat Brown’s 7.4 yards per rush with 8.0. His best game of the season came two weeks ago at Stanford, where he rushed for 117 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns. Limiting the explosive plays of these two freshmen will be crucial for Kentucky’s defense.

Louisville’s defense has some holes

It hasn’t been a problem for the Louisville Cardinals’ opponents to collect points this season. Five teams scored 27 or more points against the Cardinals. Kentucky’s offense isn’t exactly known for putting up points, and starting a true freshman quarterback for the first time in a fierce rivalry game is a difficult task, but the Wildcats’ offense will have some chances in this matchup. However, keeping Boley upright will be a problem. Louisville likes to load up the box and rush the passer. That was one of their few strengths on that side of the football this season.

Ashton Gillotte is the star of the show defensively. The oversized defensive end has 54 pressures, 4.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss this season after putting up even better numbers in 2023. He will line up at different spots and in different styles as the Cardinals look for upside to be their best pass rusher. The Wildcats need to know exactly where he is at all times and plan the game accordingly.