Louisville gets one of the ACC’s biggest early tests this weekend, and Jeff Brohm isn’t sugarcoating the challenge.
The 23rd-ranked Cardinals welcome No. 16 SMU to L&N Stadium on Saturday in a Top 25 showdown that kicks off at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
It also opens conference play for Louisville against a team that arrived with plenty of preseason respect of its own - SMU was picked No. 2 in the ACC media poll, with Louisville right behind at No. 3.
Brohm made it clear he knows exactly what’s coming.
"We're looking forward to starting conference play this week," Brohm said. "Got a great opponent coming in here in SMU that we have not beat since we've played them.
So credit to them for playing good football, coaching well, putting a good plan together, executing, doing all those things. They're playing very well again right now.
A lot of weapons. Do a good job on both sides of the ball."
The center of the scouting report is SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, and Brohm’s praise was as strong as it gets. Jennings leads the country in total offense at 402.5 yards per game and ranks second nationally in passing yards at 383.5 per game. He’s also directing a passing attack that leads the nation at 442 yards per game.
"He's really good, I mean, really good," Brohm said. "One of the best quarterbacks in the country.
He's shown it every year. He produces, he can make plays on his feet and extend the play and get the ball out to numerous playmakers.
They do a good job of spreading the field and going with good tempo, which creates some confusion for the defense. And of course, he's been there for a long time now.
He knows it. He understands it.
"So, at least one of the top three quarterbacks in the country, in my opinion. I think just overall what he can do and his production.
He's leading the country right now in yardage and passing yardage, whatever that is. And they're No. 1 in the country, passing offense, and he's done it every year.
So I think for us, how can we create pressure, attack the quarterback, challenge routes, not give up big plays? defend the tempo.
That's the numerous things we need to work on this week to be ready to go.
Louisville also enters the matchup with a stark number attached to the series: the Cardinals are 0-4 all-time against SMU.
In Other News...
Louisville Faces One Problem That Could Decide The SMU Game
Louisville spent part of its week trying to clean up the kind of mistakes that can tilt a conference game before it really gets going. Jeff Brohm and several Cardinals spoke ahead of the matchup with SMU, with penalties remaining a concern and the heat also part of the conversation as the team prepares for a tough road environment. There is some help on the way, too, with a few injured players trending toward returns, including Kalib Perry after he was granted temporary eligibility.
The bigger issue, though, is the one SMU brings at quarterback. Kevin Jennings has been a problem for Louisville in previous meetings, and Brohm made it clear the Cardinals have to do a much better job of keeping him from taking over the game again. With the Mustangs tempo, Jennings dual-threat ability and Louisville still sorting through its health, this matchup may come down to whether the Cardinals can stay disciplined long enough to make SMU play on their terms. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Could Get A Big Boost Before Its First Real ACC Test
Louisville opened the season with a runaway win over Villanova, and now the attention shifts quickly to a much bigger stage. Before Saturdays trip to face SMU, Jeff Brohm offered an encouraging update on running back Keyjuan Brown, a potential lift as the Cardinals prepare for their first real ACC test and their first chance to beat the Mustangs since joining the league.
Browns status matters because Louisville has already shown it can put points on the board, but the next step is doing it against a conference opponent with more on the line. The Cardinals are still early in the process of figuring out their rotation, and any added backfield help would only make that challenge easier as they head into a game that could tell them a lot about where they stand. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Defense Faces A Major Test Against SMUs Tempo Attack
SMUs tempo has a way of testing every layer of a defense, and Louisville is bracing for one of its sharpest challenges yet when the Cardinals line up against the Mustangs top-ranked passing attack. Quarterback Kevin Jennings sits at the center of it all, and Louisville co-defensive coordinator Steve Ellis has made it clear that the defensive front will have to stay disciplined if it wants to handle the speed of the game and the volume of throws coming its way.
For Louisville, the task is as much about endurance as it is execution. Ellis has pointed to the need for proper pass-rush lanes and keeping Jennings under control, whether hes working from the pocket or looking to extend plays, while the Cardinals also expect to lean on a deeper rotation as they manage the pace and the hot, muggy conditions. Its the kind of matchup that can expose one missed assignment in a hurry, which is exactly why Louisvilles defense is treating every snap like it could swing the night. [Read more 🡒]